Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

GENTLEMAN “ Maybe. But they’ll never think we went that way. All travel East goes along the Tappaghany.” “Hal, when you lifted the top, did father speak to you?” “He was doped. I saw that when I was at the infirmary. Probably won’t wear off for a couple of hours.” “ Ah-h!” Celesta murmured painfully. ‘““How much money have you got?” asked Hal bluntly. ‘“ About twenty-five dollars.” “T have fifteen. It will do if we don’t break anything,”’ A few minutes later, passing along the higher ground back of the river, Hal called attention to the dark mass of the prison below them. “You mustn’t be frightened if they blow the siren,” he said. ‘“‘ Campas may give the alarm at any time. God knows wheth- er he wants us to get away or to be caught. Who can tell what goes through the mind of a man like that!” As her nerves quieted down, Celesta be- gan to have her own doubts about Cam- pas. Things slowly assumed their proper perspective. “Hal, do you hate me for what I have done?” she whispered low. “ No! No!” he answered. “ You couldn’t know what sort of man he was.” They struck into the river road again, and presently rattled over the loose flooring of the old bridge. They had no more than crossed it when the night was shattered by a hideous shriek. It was repeated over and over, rising to an inhuman shrillness; a sound that tore at the nerves. Celesta clapped her hands to her mouth to keep from crying out. She was shaking like a reel, “ Just a big steam whistle, keep that in mind,” Hal murmured reassuringly. “ It’s intended to break your nerve.” He slowed down. ‘ Mustn’t appear to be running away from it.” Cross country through more or less fash- ionable suburbs of Clayton, over the ridge that separated the two water-sheds, and down to the banks of the Corbyhanna; such was their route. Along the Corbyhanna for mile after mile stretched furnaces and ROGER’S GIRL. 708 mills. It was still early in the night and there were other cars abroad among which they were in nowise conspicuous, bowling along at a rapid but not a headlong rate. Which way the pursuit went, if there was any pursuit, they had no means of knowing. “T don’t think they’ll do anything to- night,” Hal said, “except run down the main road after us. A search by automo- bile is not practicable by night. While they’re stopping to inquire which way we went, we’re always gaining on them.” He listened with a practiced ear to the many voices of a motor car. “ Wish Pd had time to give her a thorough overhaul- ihg,” he remarked, ‘ She sounds all right. That rattle you hear is only a loose starter chain. Good for many a mile yet.” On the whole they had not much to say to each other. Hal was busy planning. As for Celesta, thinking over what they Had done, she was more and more dismayed. “ This will ruin you!” she faltered. *'Nonsense!””’ said Hal gruffly. body can ruin me but myself!” They mounted into rougher couniry, leaving the industria! world abruptly be- hind. They saw no more cars now. Grad- ually the valley narrowed to a gorge. Sometimes the river roared over stones; sometimes for long stretches it lay confined deep and still between its lofty banks. A wasted moor rose over the hills at their left, casting a wan bloom on the opposite c¢ No- face of the gorge. According to the nature of the obstructions that opposed it, the road now ran along the bottom of the gorge, and now crept high around a shoulder of the hills. Dazzled by the headlights, all they could see of the wild panorama was an oc- casional glimpse into a black void as they rounded a bend, and the dark masses of the hills rising against the pale sky. Celesta’s thoughts were mostly with her father. Every now and then she would murmur: “TI hope he’s all right!” Hal said: ‘“ Mustn’t stop to take him out until we have to.” ‘“‘ T suppose they'll telegraph a description of us everywhere,” said Celesta nervously. “Tf everything holds we'll be over the State line before daybreak. : “ Can’t they arrest us in the next state?” CORmMICLOOokKs (C@