Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

942 he had done all that any one man could be expected to do; that they could disable the robbers’ car and reach their own in safety with the money if they should go at once. “It’s no manner of use, Della, dear,” he said when she stopped for lack of breath. “T wouldn’t back down now if the whole financial system of the universe depended upon it. It’s all or nothing: I want those beggars in that hole and I’m going to get 7em.”’ Of course, she had to let him go. She wasn’t quite the kind of young thing to wrap her arms around him and try to hold him. Hovering behind the sheltering tree bole, she saw him slip out and dart across the moonlit space. At the tunnel mouth he disappeared, and there was an agonizing interval before any- thing else happened. But by the time anx- iety and the prolonged suspense were threat- ening to drive her mad a curious monster that seemed to be chiefly legs and arms at- tached to a single body came tumbling out of the tunnel’s mouth to roll and wallow in strange and grotesque contortions all over the small open spaces between the hill slope and the cabin, emitting savage curses in two separate and distinct voices, the male- dictions mingling with thudding blows, as it leaped and floundered. It was the Barrett half of the monster. that disentangled itself and rose up after the wallowings were quieted, and he was brandishing the revolver with which he had clubbed his big bodied antagonist. ‘‘One!’’ he shouted triumphantly at the tree shadows and promptly dived back into the tunnel. This time the bride of a day heard muf- fled shots, three or four of them, and stopped her ears in wifely terror. But after another interval which seemed doubly age long, a single figure appeared at the tunnel portal. It was leaning far forward, trudging manfully and dragging two other figures, both limp and unresisting. “T told you I’d get ’em!” Barrett panted as she ran out. ‘“ They may not all live to get to Copah—I’m not so sure about that part of it—but they’re going there just the same!”’ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “But you?” she faltered. ‘ You're all bloody! Where are you hurt?” ‘“Tt’s nothing; I got a crack over the head in that last tussle, that’s all. But you'll notice that I’ve made the riffle. I said I would and I did. Run and get the blankets out of the cabin and we'll truss these birds up.” ‘““I—I don’t think I knew you at all be- fore to-night, Jimmie, dear,’ she stam- mered; and then she fled to do his bidding. As it transpired in the trussing process, Barrett had made a thorough job of it with his clubbed revolver, and there were only relaxed and sodden bodies to work upon as he bound his captives with their own belts, the tow rope and even the tire chains, after having made a rude first aid dressing for the small man who had been shot in the leg in the first exchange. ‘“T hope I haven’t killed any of ’em,” he said when the trussing was completed, add- ing vindictively: ‘“‘I want to see ’em sent where they were meaning to send me, by Jove!” Then, in victorious gloating: ‘‘ Wasn’t it a lovely scrap? But I’m for- getting—you didn’t see much of it.” ‘“T s-saw you when you stood up and shouted ‘ One ’!” “That was the cheddar cheese hog. He was just inside of the tunnel, trying to peek out, and I stumbled over him first. Got his gun and a grip on his gullet before he could shoot or yell for help. He didn’t last long— too fat.” ‘* And these others?” ‘They were easy. They were over be- hind the fallen roof and this little one was already crippled. The black whiskered bird emptied his gun at me, but he was rattled and couldn’t shoot straight. Guess he thought I was ten or a dozen instead of just one man. He clubbed me once before I laid him out. Can you back that car of theirs around here where it will be handy?” ‘“‘T’m as nervous as a s-scared cat, but I'll try,” she assented, and went to do it. With the big touring car backed into po- sition, the next problem was how to get the three unconscious captives into it. Bar- rett solved the problem by tearing the cabin bunk bedstead to pieces and laying the planks as an inclined plane up which they COMiIicloOo@ (©