The Argosy, Vol. XI No. 20 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARGOSY ** Hello, there! I ’bout give you up. Where you been ?” ** Visiting,” replied Dick, and then hastening to change the subject, he continued : ‘* Did you find the tiger ?” ‘*- You bet, an’ he was a beauty ! We found him an’ waited around there for you till we like to pot caught in the rain. The showman offered twenty five for him to stuff, an’ fifty for him alive, an’ Lucas "lowed we'd better raise the money so’s not to keep you waitin’ till I can take him in. Lord knows we're glad lie's dead ! ‘Hi, you, Lige!"" he shouted. ‘* Tell your maw to give you that, money an’ these fellers’ handkerchief."’ ‘“You’d better take something for your trnuble,” said Dick, ‘‘ and also for that gun you lent Jack. We left it at the house where we stopped.” ‘¢ The gun was a muzzle loader, an’ not much account,” he said, re- flectively, and then he handed them seventeen dollars, saying, ‘* I am satisfied if you are.” To the hoys it was like picking it up in the road, except for the fact that it rightfully belonged to them, and they were well pleased. “ Tt’ll be hard pullin’ through the mud,” remarked the farmer, as the boys hitched up; ‘‘ but your horse, have had a good rest an’ plenty of feed, an’ they oughter stand it.”’ A few minutes later they were once more on the road. CHAPTER XXIV. INFORMING, al ‘ud E are vetting on famously,”’ observed Chub, V after they had made a very profitable sale ata farmhouse, ‘‘ Besides the profit on the goods, there will. be seventy seven dollars on outsic 2 business, I believe we will make more money } on this trip than Uncle Jim would.” | | a) ‘“We will, unless we meet with some disaster,” '%j/ Dick replied ; and after that the boys talked over past, present, and future, until they reached the next town, which was rather large sized, and Dick drove up to the court house. _ ‘* Now, Chub isthe most anxious for revenge,” said Dick, with a grin, ‘‘and I propose that he shall do the talking. Walkin, young man, and we will wait in the hall. If there is any way out of it, re- member we are not to go back.”’ Chub did not like the proposition at all; but he was the one who had proposed the informing, and he went into the office like a man going to the scaffold, while the other two interested themselves reading the legal notices posted on the wail. ‘* Look at the ‘rewards,’”’ said Jack. ‘‘ Here is one that declares the State would like to lay hands on one Sam Jordan, who borrowed a horse without the owner’s knowledge, and will pay fifty dollars for the privilege.” ‘“ There is a larger one,” ‘‘added Dick. ‘‘ Five hundred dollars reward for information thzt will lead to the arrest and conviction of party or parties en- gaged in illicit distilling, etc., somewhere in the surrounding county.” ‘Here is another that is a beauty,” went on Jack. ‘*A man who signs his name Radway with a small ‘‘r," wishes to inform the public that he is indescribably lonely during the absence of his nephew, who left without his knowledge, but with a bullseye watch, and that he will pay five dollars for his apprehension, or the return of the stolen property ora part thereof. He must be hard up _for a watch. Some poor chap he has worked about to death, I expect:” At this moment a man emerged from the office and hurried away, and, not a long while after Chub came out with a very dubious coun- tenance. ‘¢Well ?’ interrogated Dick. ‘‘We're in for it,” Chub replied dolefully. ‘' There was a secret service chap in there, and the moment I began my little tale he col- lared me.” be —S = ~ ec A Ai} 309 ‘* Do we have to go back ?” asked Jack. ‘*Of course. You'd better put the team ina livery stable. They have sent out to scare up a posse now. He questioned me a whole lot, but I haven’t found out yet what those fellows in the house are doing, yet he seems to know. You've both got to come in and face the music.” The gentleman who was conducting the proceedings answered to the name of Hart, and after Jack and Dick had been closely ques- tioned, their replies corroborating Chub's story, the peddling wagon was sent to a livery stable, and, turning to a deputy, he said: ‘* Have the men ready at the edge of the town, and take care that you don’t attract too much attention, These fellows are shrewd ones, or they wouldn't have been able to work so close to town as long as they have. Bring three extra horses for these boys.” “LOWS i Vi ~ renee THE FIGHT HAD NUW BEGUN IN EARNEST. The result of it all was that at dusk the boys were riding rapidly in the direction they had come, in company with Mr, Hart. When they reached the outskirts of town, eight men dropped quietly in behind, and the party rode along the country road at a lope. ‘* You say it is about six miles ?"’ asked Hart. ‘*T judge it is about that distance,” Dick replied. And then there was silence for a time, until Hart continued : ‘* IT would like to catch them at work. I believe you said there were both bolts and chains on the front door ?” ‘“ Yes, sir,” answered Dick; ‘‘and I think it very improbable that you can effect an entrance without alarming them. In fact, you may experience considerable difficulty in getting in at all.” ‘*Oh, we will get in,” said Hart confidently. ‘‘ We dare not give them time to destroy the evidences, if that is possible. The fact is,” EO DOO AUUC S (CO)