Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

down. The safe door was wide open, and the gold was gone. Dean had expected that, but he had also -_ expected to find the safe blown open, not unlocked by somebody in possession of the combination. The murderer must have had that, and all the keys in duplicate as well. Suddenly Dean remembered the look upon the watchman’s face that afternoon, after he had first seen the gold. If ever. a man had looked devil-ridden by greed, that man was the watchman. Binns, then, must have killed Newman and ridden off with the two bags of gold. Dean made his way out of the cottage and went to the watchman’s shack again. This time he lit the piece of candle that was on the packing-case and examined the place minutely. There was no doubt from its appearance that Binns had deliberately prepared for flight. He had, indeed, adver- tised his intention. The murder must have been an afterthought. And yet it seemed purposeless. Suddenly Dean heard the distant whinny of his horse beside the river. He remem- bered that the watchman must have seen him take the animal to the water and knee- halter it. It could not have strayed far, so fastened. And Dean was sure that there had been no other horse upon the property. Then there was the probability that Binns had meant to catch it and ride away; if so, it was clear that he had not yet had time to accomplish his purpose. Then he would find Binns beside the river; or, if he had departed afoot, he should be able to catch up with him along the road. Immediately Dean started running to- ward the stream, over ground which be- came more and more of a bog as he pro- ceeded. The downfall had temporarily ceased, and by the faint light of a quarter- -moon that flickered among the clouds Dean was able to avoid the gullies, through which miniature torrents were raging down to the Fulani. The river itself now spread from shore to shore, covering the sand-bars, and the torrent was roaring down the channel from WY : — = — ane ws, ~~ = a << IS ee Pra 3 THE BANDIT OF BATAKALAND. you were dead!” | ee as — = = aoe ee Se ae s a SF = ~ a y standing with one leg drawn up by the a halter, and its ears pricked back, listening i 22 intently. He ran tq it, untied the halter from its knee, and began to lead it back to — the cottage, where he had deposited his cad 2 dle. 7 If the saddle were still there it would = show that the watchman had planned ae flight afoot; there should be no difficulty — in coming up with him. “eS He was halfway when his horse stopped, _ tugging at its halter. At that moment there — = came the faint whinny of a second horse somewhere near the stamp-mill. Dean’s — horse answered it. ~ ae z Dean was alert on the instant. The sec = ond horse might belong to one of the pros- _ pectors along the road, and have strayed. On the other hand—he ‘hurried through the mud until he saw in front of him the 2 shack which he had occupied. | = = The candle, which he .remembered to = 3 have left burning, had gone out. The wind | had died down; the outer door was closed. __ Suspicion became acute instantly. ae = : opened the door noiselessly and crept to- — ward the bedroom, holding the loaded re- | = volver before him. At-the door he stopped. It was as , dark inside, but instinct told him that there = was more than the body of Newman there. — = Straining his eyes through the darkness, gradually he imagined that he began to make out the form of a figure beside the — = bed. Yet he could not be sure, and he | waited, all his muscles braced for instant action, and every nerve tense with expecta: x tion. ss ; He heard a drop of blood fall to the ground, and after a long interval, another. — But between these there ssemed to be . slight, faint, regular sound, like the in- | take of breathing. Suddenly ‘he sprang for = 3 ward. 5 —— “ Hands up!” he shouted. “ Come ou to of there before I fire!” =o He heard a gasp. A figure stumbled from = its knees toward him. A woman—Lois! —__ “Dean!” she cried incredulously. Her arms were round his neck. Her face peerec into his. “ Dean! Thank God! I thous oe “Tae ee * e% hi Sea choo oks:co m