Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

RESURRECTION DAY. as Wait.” “In a moment, Blye—” “Tdea. Got to work fast—” “« Well—all right.” Blye spoke in a low tone that Marta did not catch, but she know both men were dis- cussing her. Burchard seemed to object, then to reconsider. Marta took matters in her own hand. “George, what is it? Something’s hap- pened. I’ve a right to know, I think—” ‘““ Now, Marta, later—” From Blye: “ Better do it.” Burchard hesitated, uneasy. ‘“‘ She can fix him,” Blye prompted. “‘ George, you must tell me—”’ “ All right,’’ Burchard decided suddenly. “Come into the chart-house, out of this wind. Come on, Blye.” | ‘““ Make it short,” Blye msisted, when they were sheltered from the wind. “ Losing too much time. He'll get away.” “Look here, Marta,” Burchard began. - “You know all my business. I always trust you—” “ Of course, George!” “Vou know I’m flat broke. Wiped out? Well, there’s a fortune for us right there on that ‘beach. We're going to get it. This fellow Dean—know what he’s got?” “ How should I?” ~ ‘““A boxful of dust and nuggets, that’s all! bP] “I don’t believe it,” Marta’s denial was instinctive, born of a desire to shield Dean. She knew it was futile before the words left her lips. “é I do,” Burchard nodded vigorously. “ Blye found it. <A fortune in gold-dust!)’ Blye nodded confirmation, his hand ca- ressing his bandaged neck. \ His lips formed the word: “ Dog.” “Well, what of it, then? It’s his, I sup- pose?” ‘““ No more than ours, if we can get it. And we're going to get it—” “ Robbery! gentleman!” ‘“ Robbery nothing. Treasure hunt, that’s all. It’s not Dean’s, you know. Stolen. Looted out af a wreck. Anybody’s that gets his hands on it. Plain business, that’s all. I knew there was something funny about 4 Arcosy I had a notion you were a_ 49 that fellow; and Blye—Blye got the real clue and worked it out. Fifty-fifty between us. Blye did the detective work.” Blye explained _-at unusual length. “Leather trunk. Calls it a—what’s-its- name—heirloom. Heirloom my eye. That’s my trunk. Wad it, man and boy. Loaned it to man, back in—yes, 1901. He was in on scheme to grab this stuff, see? So was I. Imissed meeting gang. Klondike days, travel hard. Got left. Friend sailed‘ with gang. Trunk must come from wreck. When I found trunk again I smelled a rat. Gang got lost. Gold lost.” “You see?” Burchard noddéd trium- phantly. ‘“‘ Plain treasure hunt.” His face darkened. “ Now, there’s the devil to pay. If you hadn’t let cape damned Dean get ashore—” “T let him?” ‘““ Never mind that. He’s ashore. We've got to work quick, and, Marta, we don’t want to hurt anybody, d’you understand? No violence—’”’ ““ May: have to,” Blye added darkly. Marta’s face paled. She felt herself trembling. But she gave Burchard a scorn- ful’ glance that stung him to justification. ‘“‘ Nonsense, my dear girl. I’m no thug, regardless of what you say. You, yourself, have laughed over deals a whole lot worse than this, if you stop to reason them out that way. But we haven’t all night to argue. Bly went ashore to locate the stuff while Dean was here at dinner. He found it—but he also found that damned dog of Dean’s. Otherwise the stuff would be aboard, we’d be at sea—the engines are all right, that was just a blind—and you and I wouldn’t need to worry about money any longer. Now, Dean’s slipped ashore. He'll find by the looks of the cabin what we’re up to, and we must work fast. We don’t want to hurt Dean. Get that straight. If you don’t want to see Dean hurt you will help us—”’ “Oh! Vl help?” * “If you feel any obligation to Dean— and you seem to—you'll help. Blye and I are going ashore with a couple of men from the crew—men we can depend on. There will be plenty of us to handle Dean. If you want to prevent a fight—bloodshed—go EO 1NOO S CO@