Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

330 to the other of them in incredulous amaze- ment. ‘‘ You cannot be serious! There are no road-agents left in this part of the country, to say nothing of female ones.”’ ‘So I would have been willing to swear an hour ago, but I have had reason to change my mind,’ Acheson remarked. “The young woman most certainly meant business, even though the single shot she fired was into the air, and our chauffeur recognized the signs. You remember Briggs? I selected him to pilot us on this trip because I suspect him of an origin in the gangster element of the lower East Side, and although I did not actually an- ticipate trouble of this sort, I thought that he would have more nerve in a possible emergency than the impeccable Francois. He put up his hands without a murmur, however, and I cannot say that I blame him, considering that the lady had us cov- ered from the start.” “But it—it’s all too utterly impossible to believe!” Garry exploded. ‘‘ You must have been mistaken for some other party and made the butt of a stupid sort of prac- tical joke!” ‘Tf you think it could be any one’s con- ception of a joke to force a person in my state of health to leave her car at the mouth of a—a gun, Mr. Chanler, and walk for miles—” Mrs. Acheson’s voice ended in a groan. “You spoke of two pistols—” Garry turned helplessly to the younger woman. “Was there an accomplice? How many were there in the gang which held you u ?” i” Only one,” Acheson replied before his daughter could speak. ‘The young lady was alone on a great black horse, but she operated both guns most effectively from the hip.” From the hip! Two-Gun Sue! The thought flashed blindingly across Garry’s mind, and for a moment his senses reeled. It was utterly absurd, of course, and yet what could be more unbelievable than the actual presence here before him in the West- ern wilderness of this astute Wall Street financier and his luxury-loving wife, to say nothing of the very girl who had been in his thoughts that afternoon as the epitome ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, of incongruity when contrasted with his own Immediate surroundings! Choking back an almost hysterical ten- dency to mirth the young man eyed the older one speculatively. A girl on a great black horse; hadn’t he heard somewhere, from Big Matt perhaps, that Susanna Poin- dexter rode a black mare which she had broken herself? If there could be some possible explanation— ‘‘ But—but didn’t the young woman say anything?” Garry stammered at last. “ You spoke of her commandeering the car. Didn’t she offer any reason for holding you up in that fashion?” ‘* She blocked the road and drew her gun when Briggs wouldn’t stop the car—” Ache- son began again, but once more his wife interrupted. ‘“* The creature uttered some far-fetched excuse about some one having been hurt and it being a matter of life and death, but any one could tell by the way she handled those dreadful pistols that she was a desperate character! She pointed both of them at us when I ordered Briggs to drive on and force her to get out of the way after he had stopped to avoid running her down, and on Daisy’s further remonstrances she fired that shot! I consider it a mercy that we were not all killed outright!” ‘* The—the young woman said that it was a life-and-death emergency?” Garry repeat- ed slowly. ‘‘ She compelled you to leave your car and then drove off with Briggs?” ‘'Yes,”’ Acheson affirmed. ‘‘ After dis- mounting and sending her horse back along this road which she directed us to take.” ‘‘ And where did she say that it would lead?”? Astonishment had given place to eager interest in the young man’s tones. ‘To a ranch where she seemed quite as- sured that we would find hospitality.” The financier was eying him narrowly. ‘“ Look here, Chanler, you know something! What is it? What did this melodramatic per- formance mean?” ‘““T have no more idea than you, Mr. Acheson,” Garry responded. ‘ Did this en- terprising road agent offer any assurance of returning your stolen property?” ‘She said that the car would be brought to us there when she had finished with it.” COMmMiClbooks.Gomn