Adventure Magazine Cover — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

822 around, facing Keegles. The latter rose, ‘seized a piece of rope and bound Clothes- pole’s hands. Then he caught him about the middle and carried him over near the bed, depositing him beside Pounds. ‘Then he dragged Pudge to a position next to Clothespole. Then he returned to his chair. “Now,” he said, nodding to Pounds, “‘let’s explain things. Why did you come here?”’ ‘““We were looking for a man named Hartley,” said Pounds. ‘‘We were told he - roomed here.” ‘So he does,”’ returned Keegles. “Then how in do you come to be here?” glared Pounds. ‘““You’re an ill-mannered dog,” returned Keegles. “But I don’t mind telling you that I came here purposely to get a chance to slug you. I’m rather sorry I didn’t hit you a little harder.” Pounds groaned again. knew we were coming?”’ he said. have got out some way.” “Obviously,” returned Keegles. “It’s all off!’ declared Pounds mournfully. *““They’ve got me where I can’t squeal.” There followed a bad hour for Pounds. He cursed Clothespole; he made faces at Pudge; he applied to himself one shameful, unprintable epithet after another. And Keegles grinned and smoked. Once Keegles waved the revolver warningly when Pounds’ voice reached a high pitch. While Pounds worked himself into a fury, Clothespole and Pudge sagged against the wall and went to sleep. At five o’clock Pounds began to plead with his imperturbable captor. He cursed, cajoled, threatened. He offered Keegles money—big sums—to let him off. But Keegles grinned and smoked. He was at last enjoying New York. By five-thirty Pounds had worked him- self to the verge of apoplexy, and lay back against the wall, a red-faced, perspiring mass of quivering flesh. Then at six Keegles went over to him and released him. Pounds scrambled to his feet and glowered at Keegles while the latter worked at the bonds of the two others. “You’ve played a——smart game, young man!” declared Pounds a few minutes later, when he stood at the door, his face red and swollen with an impotent rage. ‘Do you know what you’ve done? You’ve euchered me out of a million-dollar con- tract!” 9) “Then Hartley “Tt must Adventure “‘Excellent!”? smiled Keegles. ‘‘ You’ve provided me with that amount of enjoy- ment. I was in danger of going stale. Are you going to tear yourself away so soon?”’ Pounds stopped on the upper platform and looked back at Keegles. His lips worked, but no sound came from them. From the window Keegles saw him as he went down the street, his arms working, making impotent gestures. Then Keegles laughed and threw himself on the bed. III ging AN HOUR later there was a sharp ae knock on the door. Keegles bounded out of bed and opened it. Hartley stood in the opening, a huge grin on his face. Behind him stood Miss Hayden, also smiling. ‘““They’ve gone,” said Keegles, waving a big arm toward the corner where the three visitors had lain. ‘They weren’t exactly charmed with the way I treated them, but on the whole I suppose they got as good as they could expect.” ““They didn’t hurt you?” questioned Miss Hayden, crowding in past Hartley and seiz- ing Keegles’ arm. “Quite the other way around,” laughed Keegles. “You didn’t——” began Miss Hayden. “Of. course I did,” grinned Keegles. ‘‘ Especially the fat one.” Miss Hayden cast a glance full of mirth at Hartley. That young man grinned de- lightedly as he placed one arm about Miss Hayden’s waist, drawing her close to him. “‘T expect you would like to hear the story?” he said. “Well, rather!’’ Keegles grinned. “‘ Pounds —that’s the fat man—said I’d beaten him out of a million-dollar contract by keeping him here.” “You did!’ declared Hartley. ‘“ And here’s the story.” He dragged Keegles over to the big chair and pushed him into it, ar- ranging two other chairs for himself and Miss Hartley. ‘You see,” he began; “I’m engineer in chief for the Midland Construc- tion Company. We’ve been figuring on a big job that’s to be done out West. This man that you have called Pounds is my cousin. He lives out there. ‘““About two weeks ago I wrote him a letter—quite a family affair—and in it I accidentally mentioned the job, giving him CoMmicbook C©