Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

a 212 “Cattle off the range!” rasped Steve. ** Mavericks! Strays! Angels of dark- ness—”’ “?S’ wrong!” corrected Shorty, gravely. “ We're lit!” “ They’re men off my ranch!” explained the irritated Steve. ‘ They came to help guard my money belt! Ha-ha!”’ Suddenly a wild idea gripped him. He grabbed Shorty by the coat lapel. “Listen! How much money have you got?” “We got plenny. Leggo. Sheven, eight hundered dollars. Why?” Steve bawled triumphantly to Paula: “Order up a bucket of black coffee! We'll get these lost lambs back into condi- tion! I’m going to rufi a health resort for bootleggers down in Arizona!® There was a moment of stupefied silence. Then: : ““What on earth are you talking about?” demanded Paula, piteously. “ Have you gone crazy?” “Crazy, nothing! These two fellows will take my prisoner back to Arizona! They’ll make him decoy the rest there! I can’t fight this bootleg gang here; neither can you! All right! We'll play this game on the home grounds!” VI. It is no small job to buy a second-hand automobile at midnight in a strange city, especially if one desires a closed car and ‘not too many questions asked. Steve rum- maged around desperately, going from lot to lot, until at length he achieved a heavy, rattling old cab with suspiciously white tires and gleaming blue paint, the entire wheeze costing about four hundred dollars. Luckily it carried license plates, so Steve drove it home. Paula made a dubious in- spection of the thing and then led the way into the house. “Tt’s no bargain,” admitted Steve, be- fore she could get in her criticism. “Stephen! Do you know what you are doing? Do you realize that this means kidnaping — violence — toying with the law?” : “Oh!” Steve closed the front door ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. slowly. ‘“ You think it would be better to call the police?” “No! Never! But we cannot go on with this! It’s dangerous! It invites dis- covery and retribution! Ah, Stephen, I fear your cure is worse than the disease!” He stared at her, not without resent- ment. ‘““ Suggest something better, then!” “JT wish I could! Ah, what a tangled web I’m in!” She faced him squarely. “Stephen! I cannot turn against these men—these bootleggers! I cannot!” Steve’s blue eyes narrowed. — “Oh! Your change of heart, then, was only temporary. It wasn’t sincere!” “Sincere!’’ Her voice vibrated. “Is a trapped animal sincere in wanting to es- cape? Ah, it isn’t that. I have a deeper sincerity! Can I turn traitor to these men after taking their money—after living on their illicit operations? Is that fair? No! I could not respect myself!” Steve slumped weakly into an armchair. His sun-tanned face looked weary. He blurted: § ‘“‘ It looks like you want to be pulled out of the fire unbeknownst to yourself!” She was forced to smile. “ But how can I betray these men? Can I lead them on, treat them like friends, cajole them while trying to stab them in the back? No! How could I start anew with a clean conscience if I have been dis- honest in this?” He caught the appeal in it, but he couldn’t give way to it. He considered the red-black-yellow pattern on a glorious Asi- atic rug. “Then you’d leave.me to carry on the battle?” he inquired. She sank into a chair. He noted how carefully each black hair was parted away from an exact line which ran along the cen- ter of her well-shaped head. “Go home, then!” she urged, looking up suddenly. ‘“ You’ve done your part. I'll fight this thing alone!” “T can’t. Those burglars still have your money!” : She said no more. A twinge of compas- sion smote him. He arose hesitantly and laid a hand on her shoulder. (EO) ‘S (E(0) 000)