The Argosy for May — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

“WANTED BY The other policemengechoed his laugh. ‘He stands a swell™@hance,” drawled one. , ‘“T should say so,” declared the ser- geant. ‘‘ You'd better get somebody to show you around, my boy,” turning to Leffingwell. ‘‘ Otherwise, you stand a mighty poor chance of finding your man. ‘Those Chinks can hide a chap so completely that even a_ bloodhound would have difficulty in tracking him down. “T’ll tell you what I’ll do,” he added impulsively. ‘I don’t know why you're so particularly keen on catching this de- serter chap” (he had not seen the ad- vertisement in the newspaper, offering the five thousand dollars reward) ; “ but I kind of like the looks of the pair of you, and I feel*disposed to help you. “The day after to-morrow I'll have a night off, and, if you like, I’1l make an appointment to meet you, and take you" through Chineeville.” “Td be glad to accept your kind offer,” replied Leffingwell; “ but really I can’t afford to wait until the day after to-morrow. That fellow may be down there to-night, and, if so, I must get him before he has a chance to get away.” “Well, I guess you'll find you won't be able to accomplish anything alone; but, of course, you’re welcome to try it, and I wish you luck. We’re going back to the launch now. Want us to give you a lift to the other side of the river?” “Thanks. We'd like to avail our- selves of your invitation; but we prom- ised to return that rowboat to the watchman of the boat-club and—” “Oh, that’s all right,” the sergeant interrupted him; ‘“ we’ll attend to that. We'll take the boat in tow of our launch and see that it’s returned all right. Come along, men. It’s high time we were moving.” Leffingwell and Simple Simon stepped into the police launch, and were taken across to the New York shore. Nor was this the only courtesy which the river-policemen accorded them. Upon learning that Simple Simon had been bitten by the Chinaman’s bulldog, one of the men, who possessed some sur- gical skill, washed and dressed the wound. aboard the launch, applying a ™~N Se UNCLE SAM. 299 bandage as skilfully as any surgeon could: have done; but, at the same time, he advised Simple Simon to go to a hos- pital as soon as possible, and have the wound examined, in order to make sure that there was no danger of hydrophobia. “Well, after all, our luck isn’t so bad, is it, old man?” observed Leffing- well cheerfully, as they stood on the bank watching the police launch disap- pear up the river. ‘Bad! I should say. not,” cried Simon. “Seems to me we've got more good luck than sense. Who'd have thought we’d have got out of our troubles so easy? An hour ago I thought. for sure we were doomed to die of starvation in that confounded hut. We're mighty fortunate to have escaped sO easy.” ‘Pooh! I wasn’t alluding to that,” replied Leffingwell. “What I meant was that we’re lucky that that opium layout was found in the hut. been for that discovery, we’d have had no reason to suspect that Mitchell and that one-eyed Chinaman were dope- smokers, and that in all possibility they’ve fled to Chinatown to spend the night in some dope den. “It looks as if Dame Fortune, with unusual generosity, is going to give us another chance to catch that cad; for, somehow, I feel positive we’ll find him in Chinatown to-night, and, if we do, he’s not going to get away this time, I promise you.” CHAPTER XVI. IN CHINATOWN. “ MESSMATE,” said Simple Simon to Leffingwell, as the pair climbed the steep embankment of Riverside Drive, “do you think we’re doing the wise thing in going down to Chinatown to- night? Don’t you think we'd do better to wait until to-morrow? ” “Wait! I should say not,’ replied Leffngwell emphatically. ‘“ To-morrow night may be too late. There’s nothing like striking while the iron is hot.” “But think of the danger!” pro- tested Simon earnestly. ‘‘ That deserter chap and his one-eyed Chinee friend are armed, and we ain’t. If we should run 9)(0)(6) AMUG S If it hadn’t . (CO)