The Argosy, March 1907 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

BS ll * bad. _ © of our ever gettin’ out of here, don’t it?” = A SI ee oO degree Ae : - = oS. got we hn pt fully loaded revolver. With these in his possession, he felt himself on more than even terms with his adversary, and he therefore proceeded more deliberately in his subsequent investigations. Spear proved, howeyer, to be a mine of richness at every point. In a hip- pocket, opposite the one that had con- tained the revolver, was a metal flask more than half full of whisky, while from his coat developed candles and a couple of thick sandwiches, which Davis, without the least compunction, imme- diately sequestered. papers—incautious messages and letters from George Burns—which Gardiner recognized would be more than enough _ to prove the whole damnable conspiracy against him, if only he were ever granted the opportunity to get them before a court. By this time, however, Spear was grunting and thrashing away at a great rate, and it was evident that only a few moments could elapse’ before he awoke to the situation; so, retreating to a safe distance, Davis fixed his candle against the wall and then, with cocked revolver. in his left hand, seated himself upon a pile of earth to await developments. Presently Spear opened his eyes, blinked dazedly, and sitting up, began to rub his head. A moment passed, an- other, and then he slowly turned his face, and with jaw suddenly dropping, took in the other’s significant attitude. _*“ Well—what the blazes?” he ejacu- lated amazedly, and swiftly reached for his own gun; but finding it gone, ele- vated his hands above his head. ‘“ Don’t shoot!’’ he cried. “I s’rrender! You _ kin march me right down to jail as peace- {?? able as a lamb Gardiner laughed grimly. “I only wish it were possible to do so,’ he said. ‘ You evidently haven’t grasped the full meaning of our predica- ment as yet, Mr. Spear. The mountain has caved in on us, and our retreat is cut off by several thousand cubic feet of earth and stones.” The man raised up and glanced quick- ly back through the tunnel, as though to verify the assertion. “Sho!” he exclaimed. ‘‘ That’s too I guess that about ends any hope THE PLACE, THE TIME, AND THE MAN, There were also . —_ There was just the hint of a question in the last sentence, and as he spoke an uncontrollable gleam of insincerity flick- ered in the man’s eye. taken the news of their desperate plight entirely too calmly. A sudden, almost unbelievable, hope thrilled Gardiner, and he leaned quickly toward the other. ‘Look here, Spear,” he said sharply. “You know of another way out of this mine. Now, by every law of justice your life is forfeit to me, but I shall spare you on the one condition that you immediately impart to me your secret.” “Know another way out of the mine?” scoffed the outlaw. “ You must be crazy. to such a play, I’d ’a’ been proposin’ it before now, ’stid of loafin’ here? No, siree ; I only wisht I did know of another way.” But his denial rang false to Davis’s attentive ear, and the latter raised his gun with a gleam of inflexible purpose in his eye. ee ‘Very well, then,” he said sternly. “On your own head be your fate. I shall count three to give you time for consideration, and if at the end of the count you still refuse, shall shoot to kill. Will you tell? One!” Spear’s face set into lines of defiance, and he stared back unwinkingly at the muzzle leveled upon him. “It is not only because of your ob- stinacy in this regard that I shall have to kill you,” exhorted Davis,. ‘“ but also for my own safety. — continually on guard, nor can I do with- out sleep. Now, again, will you tell? Two!” The mountaineer still attempted to preserve his stoic calm, but the unwaver- ing aim of the pistol proved too much for him. “Heaven knows I can’t tell, Mr. Davis,” he protested, weakening at last. ‘There ain’t no such thing to tell.” He threw himself to the ground, and whimpering like a dog, tried to crawl toward Gardiner’s feet. : “You wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man, Mr. Davis?” he pleaded. “Oh, sure, you wouldn’t murder me?” “Halt!” the other’s voice rang out warningly. ‘ Not an inch nearer. And EComicbooks.c 227 vai ve Besides, he had - Don’t you s’pose, if I was wise I cannot remain >