Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

LOCAL TALENT. detectives is trained to use our beans,” he admitted. “ T should think so! And nobody helped you, nobody gave you any tip which way they might go?” “Give me a tip! Huh! gave me any tip. Why?” “Qh, I just read somewhere that detec- tives work that way—’”’ “Not Jack Holt, lady!” “And I thought I heard Ed Mears, the deputy sheriff at Hydro, say something about working with one of Atkins’s men on the bond theft case—”’ = “‘ Never heard of this here Mears,” the prisoner declared, looking her squarely in the eye. “ Never heard of him!” he added generously. ‘‘ Not but maybe your friend Ed Mears is all right, y’understand, but us regular detectives don’t get any help out of those hick constables and deputy sheriffs. I work alone—” =z ‘** ‘You seem to have found your men all right,” she suggested demurely. “ 'Y-e-e-e-s—Yeah, I found ’em. I found ’em.” Holt, if it was Holt, wriggled un- easily. ‘ Fact is,” he added, “ they found me! Found me and got the drop on me. Used my own bracelets on me, too. And made me show ’em the trail out to Hydro. Treated me like I was a pack-horse—”’ “Good gracious, they might have mur- dered you!” No, nobody “Planned to. Yep, they figured on that, - when we got close enough to Hydro so’s they’d be sure of the way. Lucky we saw your light-here. And now, they’ve beat it. First thing they’ll do is divide up those bonds and split up. Go two ways and make twice as much trouble running ’em down.” He leaned forward earnestly, beating his manacled hands on the table. “Miss Carr, don’t you believe in me now? Hey, don’t you? Why, you got to believe me! Won’t you please take me to Hydro, where I can get these damned cuffs cut off my wrists and get on the trail of those guys again? Can’t you see how I’ve got tohurry? Why, every minute counts—” ‘Yes, you really ought to hurry,’”’ May Carr agreed. “‘ That is, if you really are Jack Holt, the great detective—” 95 “But Iam. I am Holt! Can’t you see I’m the real thing? Don’t I talk like it~ act like it?” A trace of smile disturbed May Carr’s lips. ‘‘I believe you do,” she agreed with cordiality. ‘“ Yes, I believe you do—you act just like one of Atkins’s famous de- tectives!” Was there any irony concealed in that remark? Holt did not seem to think so. He burst out gratefully. “I thought you'd understand! Thank God, I struck some- body with brains! Why, you—Miss Carr, you're darn clever—for a woman. A clever, smart girl like you is bound to tell a real detective from a phoney. Now you'll take me to Hydro, eh?” “T might, if—” “Please, please, lady! You don’t want them crooks to get away—” Her manner changed swiftly. Her up- raised hand cut his speech in twain. In a low tone she said, leaning*closer: ‘“ Be still. They’re coming back. You do as I tell you—never mind how I know; I do know! ‘Take this flashlight. You can man- age that with the bracelets on?” She thrust an electric torch into his hands, then crossed the room and blew out the lamp. — “In a couple of minutes Poe and Kidder will come in here,” she whispered. ‘“ Don’t talk! Don’t doubt me! because—because I do know. Now! When they push open that door you turn that light on them and keep it on them. Keep it in their eyes. I’ve got a gun and I know how to use it. Ill attend to them and you at- tend to the light—” “Don’t I get a gun?” “You! Think I’d trust you with a gun —and your hands manacled besides: Mind that light. Ready!” Events proved swiftly that May Carr had a sharp ear and some faculty as keen as second sight. The outer door was pushed open with stealthy caution. Two figures, bulking dimly against the faint gray light, blocked the opening. The electric torch flashed in their faces. Poe and Kidder, as the girl had said! On its first rays sped May Carr’s com- mand: “Stick ’em way up, both of you. Go DOOLK I know it’s they” C@