Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

— now. ing his chair closer, at which the gorilla was careful to keep the calves of his legs out of range. “That’s your lass yonder, is it?” said Red Alec with a nod toward Raymond, the first sign of recognition he had given her, which the girl was quick to notice. “Yes, that’s-my gel.’ Se Well, if she’s yours, why don’t you hold her?’ a ““T hold her, don’t ye worry.” “ Dinna see ony sign o’ yer holding her If I couldna nail a skirt to me no better Pt that, Pd quit.” ace Bolce spat with affected disconcern, All right; ye can rave away for to- night. I'll let ye go it. I know ye, fer all yer blow and bluff. Ye ain’t no better now than if ye was already stinking on some windy shore. Ve are Red Alec Camp- bell, the fool who’s going to sail the Ban- shee straight to hell. drowned corp, I’ll still be kicking my heels in the sunshine and dancing with Tracadie wimmen. “When I was in Sing Sing, they used to give the guys in the death cell extra rations, and since yee on your way to drowning I’ll give ye yer extras too just fer to-night.” Later Ace Bolce was sorry for his gen- erous offer. It was the midnight dance, the dance where sweethearts coupled. This dance he had come to regard as his with Little Raymond by divine right. With eager eyes he dodged in and out among the crowd in search of his antici- pated queen. But she was his no longer. Coming dewn to the far end of the sanded floor, he was just in time to see Red Alec leading the lady of his choice out onto the balcony. — » The gorilla stalked behind the door gray with rage, grasping with burning fingers for his ce knife. y the hell didn’t I stick ’im at the spice he muttered. Outside in the cool night wind a little Tracadie girl shuddered beside the man who was doomed to die. “Why do you tremble, little one?” a4 Listen? ”’ +3 Red Alec bent and listened. From afar ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, When youw’re a bloody. there came the thunder of the N orthern Murder behind, waves of death be- — Sea. fore! But what was that to him? Up went the haughty head with its old con- temptuous fling. Aren’t you afraid?” ‘* Afraid of what, little one?” “ Oh, I don’t know, but I’ve heard the men say things to-night that made me jumpy, and when I hear that roar it makes me ‘frightened. Aren’t you afraid?” “Tm afeared o’ neither God, man, nor St. Michael.” “Oh, but you shouldn’t talk that way, because it makes me tremble just to hear you say such awful things.” “What!” Red Alec was startled. It was surprising to him to be chided for blas- phemy by a“ little bit of fluff.” ‘“T never expected any one to mind my talking straight at the Starboard Light. This balcony ain't a confessional, is it?” asked Red Alec. Little Raymond was stepping along at. his side, her arm clasping his. She did not speak, but the Campbell was struck by something plaintive in the eyes that _ searched his own. The complete helpless- ness and trustfulness of the little girl beside. him suddenly disarmed the man. As they paused and listened again to the distant roar of the sea, Red Alec felt strangely awakened within him the sense of guardian and protector, all because of the trustfulness imparted by a girlish arm that clasped his own. “A man couldna be a man, if he laughed at the trust of such a little one,” he thought to himself, as they resumed the walking. “What makes you so glum all of a sud- den? Why don’t you talk?” “You knocked all talking gally west.” “ Well, I don’t know why I should have asked you not to speak the way you did. None of us are saints up here. With the most of us it doesn’t matter what you say or what you do. But after all that Ronald Donn told me to-night about you being the man who was doomed to die, to come out here in the dark alone with you and hear that awful roaring of the sea made me ter- _ rified. That’s why I couldn’t bear to hear you speak those terrible words. If you Ss i” (EO) Comicboo!