Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

ch iy ag Co! - Se re: 96 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY “ Theylll be plenty more, rovin’ here- abouts, suh,” Pythagoras Awls said, look- ing at us over the rims of his spectacles. “Oh, you know that, do you? You know something about that?” “It’s mah specialty, suh,” Pythagoras said. “And I’ve been given the power, handed down through seben generations, to do a little prognosticatin’.” “ What do you prognosticate?” the doc- tor asked, trying to cover the note of scorn in his voice. . “The dead shall arise.” We both looked at the old darky and scrutinized him carefully. I had the im- pression, which struck me whenever we interviewed this grotesque character, that he would capitalize the whole mystery for his own gain. He was first and foremost a trickster. “You said you believe the dead can rise,” the doctor repeated. “Do you think you yourself have the power to raise them?” : We both believed he would say yes. But he was. hesitant. ‘“ There are charms, gen’l’men, and there are medica- ments, and drugs known to African witch doctors. My great-grandmother come over fum Africa, gen’l’men, f’um the Congo. | She wasn’t ’zactly what you-all would call a slouch in these heah miracles.” “ She taught you something about raising the dead?” I asked. He was again hesitant, but he must have reflected that it was more advantageous to | his name and fame to answer in the affirma- ’ tive, even though it might in some way in- criminate him. Now that the deputy sheriff was not on the scene, he seemed to be more concerned with boosting his stock as a snake doctor, and less concerned with getting into trou- ble. “ Do you think you could raise the dead —now?” I asked. “‘JTt depends, Mr. Boss,” he said, taking out a plug of tobacco and gnawing off a big hunk. “It depends. I should say, suh, it all depends upon what fo’m the death gets a-goin’ in.” = | cE cola Semaine pecs Seeres WEEKLY. I saw that a peculiar light had come over the long jaundiced face. The doctor understood Negroes better than I. I took the attitude of washing my hands of this old fakir Pythagoras Awls. He was a quack doctor, and therefore he was Dr. Zobel’s particular charge. I left the matter to him. And apparently Dr. Zobel had made some sort of discovery. He nodded as our eyes met, and then abruptly te the old man. “ Stay around here if you wish,” he said. ‘““T would like to have you within calling distance, as I believe your ideas on these matters are valuable.” That was the old gentleman’s way of dealing with the Negro, making him pleased with himself, but al- ways keeping him in his place. Pythagoras Awls seemed pleased and tre- mendously self-important. He raised his silk hat. “Very well, gen’l’men. I'll walk to and fro in the patio, and contemplate over these here now spirit matters. For it’s mah prognostication that the spirits will be hov- erin’ about this house like hoss flies around the boilin’ sugar cane! Good mawnin’ to you, Miss Scudder, ma’am. Good mawn- in!” And he bowed himself out, put on the sik top hat at something of an angle, and strutted off to the pomegranates and crape myrtles and banana trees of the patio. ‘Go back to Zopot’s Bayou,” the doctor . said to me hurriedly. ‘‘ Go straight to this fakir’s cabin and search it through and through. What I’m looking for particular- ly is a hypodermic needle.” I stared. ‘“‘ You mean you incline to the theory that those black dots are not caused by a cottonmouth?” ‘Exactly. They are needle marks, and that quack knows something about them. Examine his effects.thoroughly. I'll write a note for you which, coming from me as coroner, will serve you in lieu of a search warrant.’’ He turned to Miss Shirley. “TI think, my child, we’ll have this whole mys- tery cleared up by to-night.” Perhaps when pes Sage the doctor aad = + ry re “$5 ~~ @ ‘ od re . ~ “eh @ E ~ tp 80 cade ; at J 5 : ae a ee Se aad LC Sees ~ Se) a - ae a> ~ os = =F ght fe. ¥ A = : ape * —J \ : 5 Sees = Sa pata Sine SS Fe ee eee rate —> < ee Patents St ze 2a Ss eS ee ye = ~ a Saa te 4 * 3 ae = . 7 —— —»- ~e - —_ ~ < ~ ~ comicbooks.com