Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 140: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A422 He shook his head. “He has what he came for, I fear, and he is far away by now. Please leave me. I am very much upset.” I went out after Shirley, who was going up the steps slowly, as if also tired. “‘ Shirley, tell me what all this means,” I begged, but she only shook her head and went on up-stairs. I was just starting to follow her, when I heard a noise that brought me quickly to the bottom of the stairs again. Some one was thumping loudly on the front door. I ran out in the hall and saw a man out- side looking through one of the side lights of the door. Silhouetted against the early sunlight, with swollen features and staring eyes, I thought him at first a sea monster risen out of the deep, then I recognized him as my pugilist. How on earth he had gotten there I couldn’t imagine, unless he had used the bell-rope to let himself down from the window, and as that was a scant ten feet long he must have dropped the remaining twenty. Without thinking what I did, I ran to the door and unlocked it. At that moment Uncle Gregory appeared in the door of the library and uttered a shout of fear and anger as he took in my action. ‘Don’t let that man in,” he screamed in a cracked voice. I tried to slide the bolt to, but it was too late. The man’s foot was between the _ door aad the sill and his strong shoulder thrust in and heaved it open, throwing me back against the wall. With an inarticu- late growl like a wild beast, he sprang on my great-uncle, who gave a kind of squeal and slipped nimbly past into the library, the door of which he tried to shut in the man’s face. _ But the fellow’s strength was almost in- credible; he shoved open that door as easily as though he had been opening an envelope, and tossed me out of his way when I tried to hold him back. Uncle Gregory darted across to the other door and around into the passageway to the main hall, where he made for the back door. It was a clever trick, for the man, not knowing the house so well, blundered into ivy Google ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. - the dining-room and so lost time. ‘ slammed, and my uncle’s flying fig came into the hall just as the back’ down the garden. I expected every ' ment to see the fellow topple over, bug seemed to have an enormous manis ary ergy. With another deep growl, he ¢ open the door and rushed after my un Shirley had remained on the stairs, frog with surprise. ; “Stop him, he means to kill him,” ag cried, and thrust the pistol into my hag, The weapon gave me at least a chance the game, and with it, I raced down ‘fie hall, followed by Shirley. 2 We were in time to see the man pais through the garden gate out onto the moors, where my uncle was already running des- perately. We must have been a strange sight on that early October morning; my uncle running in desperate bounds, his dressing-gown flapping about his lean legs and his white hair streaming wildly; the heavy pugilist thrashing along some feet behind, and Shirley and I, both stocking- ., footed and disheveled, panting in the rear. I did not dare use my pistol, but I called to the man to stop. He paid no at- tention; I doubt if he heard me, so there was nothing to do but to keep on, trusting - that I would arrive in time.. My uncle was making toward the wharf, and I couldn’t imagine what his idea was. At that moment my foot twisted on a stone, and I came down heavily with a jar that shook my very senses. When I picked myself up again, ‘Shirley was be- side me. _ ‘* Are you hurt?” she asked anxiously. “No, no, let us go on,” I answered im- patiently, and we hurried on ahead. Both our uncle and the man had disappeared over the brow of the hill, and when I reached it, I looked down anxiously, fearing the worst. Uncle Gregory was in the boat-house work- ing like mad to get the power-boat free, while the man was stumbling down the rocks toward him with malevolent purpose. Twice Uncle Gregory threw the motor over and it failed to start, but at last I heard the familiar putt-putt as it began to work. The man heard it, too, and gave a leap that landed him on the wharf; then, as WM Original from C STATE IN a! i= = THE OHIO ST,