The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

160 then, very coolly, he appropriated the rest of the cigars and stowed them away in his pockets. “Take it from me, gentlemen,” said he, “that I have just experienced the pleasantest part of this little dream. My mind is beginning to smooth itself out and have a few lucid intervals. It's a cinch that this situation is too many for me, and it’s another cinch that | was shanghaied and pushed into it against my will. From now on I shall demand what I need and enforce my demands with this sample of Locket & Biggs’s goods.” He picked up the revolver, patted it affectionately and dropped it into his coat-pocket. “You may now,’ he added, “ in- dulge in any conversation that seems appropriate.” Simpson, 5, had shipped from the room while Plunkett was lighting his cigar. He now, very warily, thrust his head in at the door. | “Dust is flying in Buffalo, Mr. Jernyngham,” he announced, “and they are asking for a hundred-dollar sprinkle. Also a request comes from the Mohawk Valley for a thousand dol- lars’ worth of soaking rain.” “Very good,” nodded Jernyngham. ‘“As soon as you hear from the treas- ury that Buffalo and Mohawk Valley have remitted, see that the sprinkle- plug is switched in for a twenty-minute precipitation at Buffalo, and that Mo- hawk Valley is lined with rain-plugs for a two-hours’ downpour.” “ Ves, sir.” Simpson , disappeared. Plunkett grabbed the edge of the table, stared at Jernyngham, and his lower jaw fell. His cigar dropped into a plate. After a moment he mumbled to himself, picked up the cigar absenthy and re- sumed his smoking. “Just as I’m beginning to feel toler- ably comfortable,” said he, ‘* something like this has to happen.” “Mr. Plunkett,” spoke up Lumley, “this gentleman is Miles Jernyngham, of the weather bureau.” THE ARGOSY. Plunkett acknowledged the introduc- tion with a scowl and a nod. Jernyng- ham lifted his voice and called for Simpson. “Duplicate that breakfast order, simp,’ said he, “and see how quick you can do it.” He turned, to Plunkett. ‘Lumley and I,” he went on, “ had just made up our minds that you had been recaptured, so your appearance here was in the nature of a pleasant surprise. How did you get away from the guards? ”’ “Miss Kennedy attended to that,” answered Plunkett. ‘“ She dropped me through a grating in the dining-room and then led me up to the roof in a roundabout way. ‘There we boarded the family flier. Miss Kennedy let me off on top of the weather bureau and told me to go down and look for friends.” | A derisive smile dug creases in the drummer’s face. ““And I don’t think,” he finished, “that I gave you a pleasant surprise when I showed up here; it was a sur- prise, all right, but the pleasure was mostly mine.”’ ‘“T’ve got to hand you a piece of my mind, Mr. Plunkett,” observed Jer- nyngham, “and I might as well do it right now. I hope you'll take it kindly, but you’ve got to take it, whether kind- ly or no. “Your conduct toward those who ‘came with you to these times has been most reprehensible. You seem, Plun- kett, to be constantly on the lookout for opportunities to betray your com- panions into the hands of their ene- mies. Now, we're a little band of cast- aways who, by our native shrewdness and ability, have succeeded in getting a strangle - hold on our environment. We’ve got to hang together, under- stand? Eternal vigilance is the price of our success. Your brother, Tod, is the boss dictator, and on his account, if for no other reason, you ought to be with us rather than against us.’ If Plunkett was impressed with these oO cComicbooks CO