Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

Much as I hate England, I know her judges are incorruptible. Yet I could not bring myself to do this. I waited. 1 tempor- ized. Time and again the agents of my enemies endeavored to obtain the treaty from me, by fair means or foul. They never succeeded. “At last they laid a trap for me. I had discovered gold on my own lands. I sold a nugget as a curio. They charged me with illegal dealing in gold, and their corrupt judge sentenced me to the break- water. Then they sought the treaty. Lois was a child then, but she knew how to keep the secret. It has never been found. My _ daughter and I alone know where it is hidden.” : Lois went to her father and sat down beside him, putting her hand in his. “When they learned I had escaped they moved heaven and earth to capture me. But, please God, I shall escape them, and take the treaty to England, to prove my right. I loathe the task, but I have re- turned for that, because of the great free Jand that I shall build up for the oppressed men of all nations.” _ A dreamer indeed! Yet Dean felt moved to infinite sympathy as he listened to the story of Sir Philip’s wrongs. “T’'ll do everything in my power to help you,” he answered, and saw the grateful look in Lois’s eyes. __ They inspanned before the sun was high, and continued on their journey. The wagon climbed the low line of hills, and now the Limpopo valley was plainly outlined be- neath them. Freedom seemed in sight. Sir Philip, who seemed to be recovering his strength marvelously with every mile they traversed, left the wagon and walked beside them. “© We ought to reach the Limpopo at sun- set,” said Dean to Tietjens, at one of their brief restings. The Tottie shook his head. “ Baas, we must go quick,” he said. “Those skellums have got free. They are riding after us with men—many men.” “How do you know?” demanded Dean. Tietjens did not know how he knew. It was part of the Hottentot’s instinct, per- = Bape derived from obscure signs that never -_ — + Pw ~ «®. aed = —— oe vas Sok Se 5 ee ee Om — os os ote ee P ~ — ne, fee ~~ —— a = aled . ous in . fe ~ ~~ x - appearing, and now hidden by the undula - . . : ~ alles ae — = ~ n mor x = el ES » THE BANDIT OF’ BATAKALAND, «8349 reached the level of his consciousr eSS. Dean fell back to Lois’s side, and they — walked together through the declining af- = ternoon, their eyes fixed anxiously upon — their goal, the vast plain before them, now — tions of the ground. <i At the summit of a hill Tietjens left thé Es oxen and came running back to Dean, ut- | tering expressive clicks and pointing be- — hind them. Turning, Dean and Lois dis- — covered a group of horsemen upon a aS == There was no need to speculate ee they were, nor whether the cart had hess seen. Sir Philip, who had also seen them, = left the wagon. “T shall fight for freedom to the last, — Mr. Gervaise,” he said, throwing open thes breech of the Martini and inserting a car- tridge. ‘“ But there is no reason why i — should be implicated in this. Take ES if the chase grows hot, and—” = “T shall stay with you, father,” said “We'll fight it out together,” said Dean, = | “if Miss Ashton—” Ss “I shall stay with my father,” she an swered resolutely. = = Sir Philip tried to persuade Dean to ates = them, but, seeing that he could not be changed, accepted the situation. And now — the chase grew hotter. From the next ele- — = vation they could see the police plainly, = riding along the road in a cloud of = through which perhaps a dozen horsemen _ were strung out. & “Push on!” Dean called to Tietjens. The Tottie belabored the straining oxen 3 constantly, but the beasts were exhausted by the long journey, and could make only a feeble response. An hour passed. The Limpopo was now no more than three miles _ away. Dean drew a breath of hope. Then — the foremost of their pursuers came into — = sight, riding at a steady trot along the road, perhaps a half mile behind them. Sir Philip left the wagon and kneeled = down in the road, his rifle to his shoulder. — A kick of the weapon, the following report, _ and Dean saw the foremost horse came a to earth, throwing his rides ee = = , ro) {@) Con ant / lee IE -_ —— a — *. . = Saget Tae