Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

126 tically from floor to ceiling. Through the chinks he could see a light. From beyond there also came the playing. He was not looking toward outdoors—he was peering into another room. But the cabin had, the night before, mo more than the single chamber. Bardwell put his mouth to the crevice and bellowed: “ Lacey, Lacey!” The playing stopped. There was the scraping of a chair pushed back, another of a door opened ‘and closed. In a few seconds -his own door was shoved ajar be- hind him and the fat man came m,. He was, as the night before, clean-shaven, pink and smiling. His eyes twinkled and his shoulders heaved mountainousty as he stood looking down at Bardwell. « Wel] ?”? | Bardwell moistened his lips. His throat was parched and hs head jumping. The words that broke from his lips were by no neeans the ones he had intended saying: ‘“ Got a drink?” Lacey reached round under his coat and pulled owt a flask. He poured two fingers into an empty tumbler from the table and H over. _ “That’s all, To taper off. What de you want?” “His eyes were suddenly hard; his tone crisp, and without respect, “ What do I want?” blazed Bardwell, rage flushing him. “I want a lot. First of all, what’s this?” He pounded the new wall with his fist, teetering back and forth as he glared at Lacey. ‘‘ What is it? What’s the idea? How long ’ve I been laid out here, anyhow?” “ Ferty hours,” said the fat man levelly, “ You had a grand sleep.” “ Forty hours.” Then you knocked me out. It was your booze. You drugged me, you damned crook! That was what you trailed me for. You—”’ “ You knocked yourself out,” snapped in Lacey. ‘“ I drank the same as you, only less. There was nothing in it. But you had four full Bottles to my one-half. Now—” Bardwell grimaced and x his fist at the partition. ““ Well, what’s that, I ask you? What’ve you done while I was knocked out? You’ve come into my cabin, damn you—”’ THE ARGOSY. “It’s mine as much as yours,” broke in Lacey. “ Fact is, it’s anybody’s. Noe titles registered out here. Not that I want it; last thing on earth. When I dropped mm I intended to mush abead next moonlight, same’s I told you. Maybe you've forgotten that it came on to snow. We're hived in, both of us, now; no man or dog could go a mile through the drifts. There’ll be another in a couple of days—twice a week for the next three months, now they’ve begun. “ That hives us up here together till the trail opens. No offense to you if I like my own company. Always did. Next toa dog, I get on better with myself than most any- body else. So I fenced off half of it—the small half, if you take notice.” “How?” demanded Bardwell curiously, running his tongue over his dry lips. “Went out te that bunch of firs after the storm stopped and cut enuugh to run a par- tition. Did the whole thing, sawing and pounding, right here, and you never batted an eyelid.” The big man’s eyes narrowed again, his face pinkened, and his great frame quivered with his chucklings. “You snooze like you had a baby’s con- science, pard.” Bardwell, flushing with tipsy resentment, drew up to his dull height and: lurched to- ward the other. ““Pard, hey? Not by a damned sight! Not if 1 ain’t good enough for you to live with, Lacey. Lucky to have a roofi—my roof—over. your head without gettin’ se fine about your company.” His face was ‘purpling as his anger mounted; also his hang-over was making him incoherent. He brandished his. fist, while with the other hand he fumbled at bis hostler and demanded: “ You take down that wall to-day and Hive in here with me like buddies or I’ll know the reason. 17ll croak you, you sneakin’ crook.” With two steps Lacey covered the few feet between them and jerked the weapona from his fingers.’ He broke it, figpped out the cartridges, and tossed it on the bed. ‘‘ The wall stays up,” he answered coldly. “ We'll be buddies aplenty on opposite sides. of it. And as for killing me, go ahead, if . you think best. There’s your gun and GOmilGooo (-) S CO@