Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

132 mony. To show that bygones were by- gones, and no hard feeling rankled, Bard- well had asked Lacey to be his guest. Out of his winnings, he explained, he had saved a little grub—enough for a dblow-out. Wouldn’t Lacey do him the honor of com- ing roupd and playing company the last meal ? Lacey smiled unhesitatingly and said he would. Also, he would contribute some- thing; a small-flask or two— It was a regular feed. Not as glorious as the impromptu one that had been staged the night of Lacey’s arrival, but for a larder that, having been designed for one, had wintered two beneath the shadow of the circle, it was immense. . Bardwell did not serve the coffee till after his guest had come and they were sit- ting opposite across the narrow table. It was a great treat, because*both had imag- ined the last scrap had long since been used up. Bardwell explained that he had found a bag with a little in it underneath the bunk. He gave Lacey a second cup, and took one himself. There were caribou steak, rabbit stew, biscuits, and strawberry jam. Lacey had decreed that the liquor should be left till last. . Nevertheless,, the meal waxed merry. The talk was that of old and tried friends. Bardwell had never been happier in his life. His satisfaction was caused principally by one of the commonest of sensations—an- ticipation. Throughout everything he kept his eyes fixed on his guest’s moonlike countenance. A subtle change was due soon te appear there. He wanted to be sure of catching the first fleeting shadow of indecision, and then of seeing the eyelids begin to sag and the mouth corners relax. On the bottom of Lacey’s cup he had smeared enough of the white powder from his vest-pocket to send a dozen men over the divide. __ But the big fellow was incredibly slow in knuckling to it. While he was still active as a colt, Bardwell realized that with the ‘heat and the quantity of food he had con- sumed, he himself was having a struggle not to yield to numbing drowsiness that for the last ten minutes had been stealing over him. Ad 2 THE ARGOSY. A cold chill swept his limbs. Suppose in some way he had fumbled and the cups had become changed! He surged half to this feet, intent- on getting out his gun to finish off his enemy before it was too late; but just then the latter, tipped still farther back on the two legs of his stool, puffed a cloud from his cigar, and shot a question. “Say, Bardwell,” be began, “ ever hear of Toby Ramsdell?” His tone was casual. Apparently it was a stray question, the matter of a moment. But Bardwell had ‘slumped back into his chair and his face was ashen. His fingers caressed the hilt of his gun and stayed there. His eyes, if Lacey had noticed, glittered snakily. But the big man, still intent on his cigar—his last—had continued reminiscently: _ “They made quite a yarn of it at the fort, how he got puffed off. Nobody seemed to know exactly just what had hap- pened, barring that he was fool. enough to _ mush off alone with all his dust—two years’ washings, that would be—piled top of. his sled, a full month after everybody else had put up for the winter. He said he’d been laid out in hell as long as he could stand— wanted to get back. To his wife, he meant. Great home lover, Toby was—according to accounts. Then there would be a kid, too, he’d never seen.’ Critically T acey peered at the tip of his cigar with its flaky ash and wavering thread of smoke. ‘Curious, isn’t it, how a fool idea like that will get a man, so that he’ll risk hell for sight of a woman’s face or the feel of his kid’s fingers wound around his? Rather than wait a few weeks for a sure thing.” - Lacey’s voice had gone very soft and pusring. Bardwell was momentarily . re- assured. He imagined the drug had started taking hold of him. His own brain, though wide-awake, was whirling. It was almost on him. In a moment now— Lacey had started up his monologue again. “ Ves, poor Toby, he loaded up and started off. They all gave him God-speed— all but one of them, so far as anybody could tell. This chap did more—he fol- lowed on behind. There wasn’t a great deal known about him, it seems. Some = = --— & 7 conmicloakeconin