Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

THE BANDIT OF -BATAKALAND. But he swore that Eltzmann should never blacklist him in Batakaland and get away with it. , He fumed as he strode down the street and began to scan the hotels along the side of the square for lodgings. He was en- gaged in this occupation when a passer-by stopped, looked round at him, and called him by name. Dean found himself looking into the face of Wimborne. It was the second meeting with an old acquaintance, and it did not arouse any more agreeable sensation than the first. Dean nodded and was about to pass on his way when Wimborne laid a hand upon his shoulder. ‘Well, young man, what have you got to say for yourself?” he asked insolently. ‘You go to the devil!’’ shouted Dean. Wimborne cringed at once. ‘“Now, Mr. Gervaise, don’t take that attitude,” he said. “I thought we set- tled all. that at our meeting. And when you didn’t turn up I-—-but come up-stairs with me and have a talk anyway. I want to see you very importantly.” Dean, wondering, suffered Wimborne to take him to the offices of the company. They went up one flight, passed through a room in which one or two clerks were still working, and into a smaller one with ‘“¢ General Manager ” upon the door. Wim- borne waved Dean to a chair, and sat down at the desk. ‘‘ Possibly you did not receive my letter,” he said. : ‘“ What letter?’ demanded Dean. “The letter that I sent to the post- office box you gave me, notifying you of your appointment as manager of the Fulani Mine,” said Wimborne. Dean was thunderstruck. It had never occurred to him that Wimborne had had any intention of employing him after the close of their interview. “I didn’t go for the letter,” he admit- ted. ‘‘ I thought from your manner at the interview, especially after I told you I had had some difficulty with Mr. Eltzmann, that the position would be filled by some one else.” Wimborne smiled, and his shifty eyes 3 A 303 wandered all round Dean’s face. Dean no- ticed that he had begun to breathe heavily, as if he was under the influence of some emotion. ‘““T sent you the appointment and a hun- dred pounds for outfit and passage money,” he said. ‘‘ The letter was returned to me, but we have not yet filled the appointment. As you see, it is with the Batakaland Com- pany. Naturally, we have to be careful in our selection of men. You were the most satisfactory of all the applicants. You’re not engaged?” “Not yet.” ‘* Might I ask what you were thinking of doing, Mr. Gervaise?”’ The insolence was now quite gone out of Wimborne’s tone; he seemed almost sub- servient. T had thought of prospecting.” Wimborne made a deprecatory move- ment of his thumb and forefinger. ‘Mr. Gervaise, there’s nothing in the prospecting line,” he said. ‘ The Inde- pendent Diggers have got some sort of an organization, but there’s no alluvial gold worth speaking of, and the company con- trols the rich deposits at Fulani. Those who have come up here on false reports have already moved on. * We'd better get this straight. Irom our viewpoint, the company has offered you a six months’ contract at a hundred pounds a month to take charge of the Fulani Gold- fields. And, as for your trouble with Mr. Eltzmann, at the time ’—he emphasized the word—* nothing could have been a bet- ter recommendation than your quarrel with him, because Mr. Eltzmann was trying to get control, and we were fighting him tooth and nail, ‘‘ However, the situation has changed since then, as you are probably aware. The fact is, the miners are making so much trou- ble with the company, we had to let Mr. Eltzmann in. However, I don’t believe he bears any malice toward you; I’ve talked with him, and if you’re willing to bury the hatchet, I have no doubt he is.” “Tl have to think over it,” began Dean. ‘“T wasn’t expecting—” He was surprised at the look of disap- pointment on Wimborne’s face. COmiclbooks.com