The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 209: what you’re looking at

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

PAY-DAY. IN PALAOR. which Julian vowed should never be spoken. In addition to the ordinary month- ly consignment of silver coin and bills, there was coming a sum of sev- eral thousand pesos to cover the cost of road work undertaken as a means of relieving local distress. There had been a storm in the north, and the interisland transport might be late. If the money came in time to be deposited in the care of Lieutenant Marker on the first of the month, but too late to disburse that day, the safe in the officer’s bungalow would offer to the bandits a tempting prize. The success of the plan sketched by Julian depended upon this combination of circumstances. | | While on his way to meet his sweet- heart Marker would be off his guard, and a knife in the back under cover of darkness would settle him. The safe was heavy and strong. It was of ancient pattern, innocent’ of secret combination, but its two keys were constantly in the possession of the young officer. These keys must be secured, The loot would tempt the bandits to assist in the murder of Marker and the abduction of Miss Edwards. Julian returned Gabriel’s greeting with warmth and invited the recreant soldier to join him. Very cautiously he’ sounded his man; confirming his suspicions, he proceeded boldly to dangle his bait. For: more than an hour they talked together, and they parted with a thor- eugh understanding. They were to meet on the afternoon of the day ap- pointed for the raid, Gabriel meanwhile securing the cooperation of the hill bandits. The afternoon of the fateful day arrived. Basilio Salazar, body-servant of Lieutenant Marker, was picking some fruit from a banana-tree a little way off the trail. He had forgotten all about his red hour; Cospito was buried, unavenged; suspicion had 679 passed by the muchacho; two new verses which satisfied him immensely had been added to his song. He was feeling quite light-hearted, because it was very evident the lieu- tenant was too happy to think of fining him as much as a half-cent piece this pay-day. The island steamer had signaled her coming. Within an hour or so the constabulary escort would deposit the money at the quarters of the lieutenant. Basilio was about to whistle a bar of his song when the caution inherent in the Filipino of the bosque sealed his lips. He had heard a light footfall and a few minutes later his ear caught the voices of two men talking in the pro- vincial dialect, They spoke so softl? that only a stray word or two was carried to the man behind the tree. But those stray words were ominous. ‘The listener’s jaw dropped and his eyes blinked with fear, He bent low under the tall grass and espied part of a khaki uniforni. As the two in the trail went by he ‘heard one man say: “We'll get him to-night—sure. Yes, but he cannot escape.” Then one of the men mentioned Ba- silio’s name. The voice seemed fa- miliar, but Basilio could not place it. “Some secreto of the Jieutenant’s,” he told himself. How quietly, surely, this American government worked. It was unreasonable. Why bother about a man who was dead? But they were after him to kill him with the slow death after much ques- tioning and the trial in the court-house. He might soon be dead like old Cos- pito! His heart was pounding against his ribs. His teeth were chattering to- gether, Unconsciously he bit his tongue. Sweat rolled off his forehead and cheeks. He felt a peculiar weakness in the middle of his spine. A passing peep of khaki, a vagrant COMicdoo S CO@