Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 7, 1928 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

By JOHN H. THOMPSON How Bill and Jim, in a good cause, came to be cornered like a couple of rats in a trap HE policeman standing in the shadow of the big marble-front- ed building eyed us appraisingly. “T don’t like the way that cop is looking at us,” I whispered uneasily to Bill. “We're lucky he doesn’t shoot us,” said Bill reassuringly. ‘“ We're below the dead line now; and two suspicious looking characters going through the street at 2.30 A.M. are apt to be killed first and identified later.” “We're not suspicious characters,” I protested. “ Just a pair of honest drifters looking for a low-priced lodg- ing house.” “T didn’t say suspicious characters,” replied Bill. “I said suspicious-look- ing—and any birds perambulating through this part of the city at 2.30 A.M. are considered suspicious- 143 looking if they aren’t wearing brass buttons and swinging a club. There’s been so many safe robberies and hold- ups in this section that any cop who drags in a bullet-riddled thug is pro- moted on the spot and given a medal.” “Where’s that lodging house you were telling me about?” I demanded nervously. “We've got about eight blocks to go,” said Bill. “If that guy who gave us a lift hadn’t had those two blowouts we'd have been in the bunks four hours ago.” The deserted streets echoed eerily with our footfalls. Not a light peeped from any of the buildings. We had seen only the one policeman. Of pos- sible safe-breakers we had seen none. “Yes, sir,” remarked Bill cheerfully. “The city is offering a thousand dol- COPMIECLOO (c <S) (E@)