Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

sistent stranger, Monty opened: the door suddenly and gave the boatman a violent push. Taken unaware, Gill lurched in- doors, knocking back two men who were struggling to exit. The door was slammed behind him. instantly. Without another moment’s delay, Monty slid the boathook through the metal loop door-grip. The ends of the stout pole lapped over the edges of the narrow door which was hung to swing inward. Caught through the hand loop, the pole made a good door bar which would hold for a few minutes against all tugging from within. Then Monty darted away from in front of the door just as pistols roared out, splinter- ing through the wooden barriers with steel- jacketed bullets. Running to the only other door opening on the deck of the piratical barge, he tried it and found it locked. This would be the stateroom to which Trescott had referred. “ Ruth, are you there?” he shouted. A muffied cry answered him. Monty hurled himself against the door, only to have it resist his impact. He scur- ried around the gloom-shrouded deck, paw- ing at every dark object in the litter with which it was strewn. Here he found a timber heavy enough to suit. With this gripped in both hands, he charged against the lock. At the third crashing drive the old door smashed open. In a bunk, tied and gagged, was Ruth, whom he assisted to the outer air. ‘Our palatial yacht is going down by the head—if that is the head,” panted Monty, supporting the girl whose legs were cramped from being bound. “ We've got to get off promptly or sooner.” This was evident, even to a landlubber. The canal boat was already listing. From within came frantic yells and shots. Again Monty demonstrated his adroitness 1” wrig- gling while flattened on his front, as he crawled along the deck to a spot on™ : could untie the motor boat's line. done, he hauled the launch along to a place out of range of such bullets as might erupt through the door. ' “Let us out. We won't shoot you pleaded a voice through the bullet bo es. “The water is up to our knees. “ All wet,” concluded Monty, resuming his usual mood. That door was yielding. He jumped to the motor boat's covered stern and held te the barge, steadying the smaller craft while Ruth joined him. As Monty took a backward step to help her down into the cockpit he emitted a startled yelp. His foot had struck 2 yield- ing human body. That it -was alive was proven promptly by a muffled groan. Monty cast off, and then raised the bound-and-gagged man who had been lying in the cockpit. Ruth, who understood motor boats, started the craft away from the barge and switched on the light over the controls. “Temple!” exclaimed Monty, as -he recognized his brother’s face. ‘ You ald rascal, did you actually come alone to rane some me?” “Ts this another of your pranks?” peev- ishly mumbled Temple Craig, working his unbound jaws. A crash and yells from the barge convinced him that his suspicions were unfounded. ‘“‘ They telephoned me to bring fifty thousand dollars and to drift down from Spuyten Duyvil in a rowboat showing a red lantern until a motor boat came alongside with the password ° Monty.’ After all, you are my brother—you went to ‘ bat for me once, so I—” “You old trump!” enthused Monty, glowing at this unexpected proof of broth- erliness. ‘And you ventured out with fifty thou—” 7 “ Well, no, I didn’t bring the money,” admitted Temple. ‘ When I tried to dicker with the man, he got mad and tied me up.” Crash! The barge’s door burst outward. “What boat is that?” roared an &u- thoritative voice, as a searchlight suddenly flooded the region with its radiance. “That’s the police launch that was {0 follow me,” explained Temple. “ They kept so far behind in order not to arouse suspicion, that they must have lost me in the river traffic.” “This is the U-23 submerging,” yelled Monty. “ Hurry up, ollicers I've got ‘ern nicely boyed for you to pul away After the police had dragged 0! tho wet and disgruntled rival crooks and had COMIcoooks. Com