Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

152 animes shone through iy ie office windows, making enough light for him to find his way about in hy serial office. He opened the train wire key. “She's broke!” he said to the dispatcher. “The fight is on! Started up-town and is working this way fast. . How's the special coming?” “She’s getting along,” replied Potts quickly. “Ought to show up there inside of ten minutes.” “If she doesn’t do better than that, she’s liable to find nothing but pieces left,’”’ said Andy, “She's rolling!” assured the dispatcher. “Anybody hurt?” “Can’t tell—hope not,” answered Peck. He paused as a sudden fusillade of shots rang Out somewhere up around the camp- cars. “They’re shooting now!” he said to Potts. “They are!” flashed the dispatcher. “Are you in any danger yourself, boy?” “Guess not,”’ lied Andy, and he smiled a little. He had heard several things plunk against the station right after the volley of shots. The marksmen. were shooting high and wild and hitting the depot. “Watch yourself,’ began Potts—and that was as far as Andy paid any attention to what the dispatcher was saying. There was a sudden crash at the rear window of the office. Glass flew in a shower over the office floor. “Hoky!”’ breathed Andy and at once dropped to the floor, crouching down in the obscurity and protection of the corner at the end of the telegraph desk. Several lesser crashes followed at the window, as if something were being used to knock out the ragged pieces of glass left sticking there after the first blow. Then a black blur abruptly appeared between the broken sashes,.and a figure dropped quickly inside the office. A faint ray of light from the platform lamp outside fell on the intruder’s face. Steamboat Jackson! THE agent crouched lower in his comer, astonished but silent. 2 Without an instant’s delay Steam- boat moved to the stationery cupboard. He jerked the doors open, reached in and pulled out a bunch of big envelopes. He reached in again, brought out something Adventure wo the Cine ee a Dark as the office was, the agent what the money! A sort of savage ejaculation of pleasure came from the steel gang man as he put down the package of money, But he did not linger over his rejoicing, From the cupboard then he quickly pulled out envelopes, tissue sheets and various sizes about the corner of the wooden cupboard, There was the scratching of a match, and a little burst of flame flared up. Steamboat ig down ype touched the flame to the ge of a sheet o r in the heap that he had made. ait eb Steamboat’s back, as he stood at the cupboard, had been turned to Andy Peck. The agent’s amazement at the colored man’s entrance had only been increased by his further surprize at Steamboat’s bringing forth of the money—by his sur- prize that the man should have knowledge of it and of its hiding-place. And then, as Steamboat piled the pa on the floor, some fiash of explanation came to Andy—some perception of Steam- boat’s true reason for inciting the riot. If Steamboat had started the trouble pay-day night after receiving his wages, the agent would not have been so perplexed. Andy had wondered, though, why the fellow had cut loose tonight, the night before pay-day. But now he knew. i ie Up around the camp-cars the shouts had yes in volume, but so far there had been no repetition of the shooting. As Steamboat. struck the match and bent forward, Andy Peck, silent as a cat, rose on the balls of his feet. As the match flame was touched to the paper, he grabbed his stout-legged office chair from the floor beside him and swung it in the air. “You treacherous devil!” cried Andy and brought the chair down on Steamboat’s head. The blow was true, but the colored man’s head also was true—to type. The steel ganger staggered erect as the swiftly spread- ing flame on the floor lit up the office. Surprized and slightly bewildered he was, but his eyes flashed wickedly as he faced the agent. — —_ 4 i -comicbooks.com |