Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

GOLD. revelation which brought her here. He had told her that he would take her to the City Hotel, and here—as if trans- ported by magic, she found herself be- fore him. Immediately upon setting foot upon the shore she had thought of him. But that was all. She did not for a mo- ment consider telling him what had happened. ‘That was a taboo that could not be broken except on pain of death—death to her beloved father. And yet something had forced her to go to Dorsey’s Hotel. It was as if an unseen power had taken her by the hand and led her there without a fal- tering step. Just what he could do she did not know. He could not go aboard and fight those killers. They would see him coming. But he must be told. There might be some way, opened to them by the mercy of Heaven. He had an uncanny power at win- ning gun fights. But who could he fight? And when? And how? As she looked up out of fearful, pain-ridden eyes, and saw the baffled adoration reflecting back, she won- dered: Could she dare tell this one man? Would he be wise and self-con- tained and crafty? Or would he blunder right out there with his pistol with which he solved all problems, and hound those rats to their death? He was hot-headed— that he had shown when in the cantina. Wouldn’t her story throw him into a fury? “You'll help—I know that—” “Of course I will. But if it’s an urgent matter, 1 suggest we hurry. What do you want me to do? No matter, I’ll do it. I’ll go to the end of creation. Just command me. But why take so confoundedly long about i ge “There’s plenty of time,” she said, trying hard to collect her wits. “here’s an hour or more—before | can go back. And until then, we can only wait.” 243 “ At the end of an hour what do you want me to do?” he asked eagerly. ‘“T don’t know, I can’t think. It’s impossible to find a way out. I’m crazed. I can’t dare to say a word about it. But I must. You're the one that’s got to hear. If I could only get my thoughts together. “Tf I tell you, you'll go out there to the Cape Cod and start fighting. But that’s just what you mustn’t do. If they see you, they'll kill my father.” “They? Who do you mean?” “JT mean Swope—he’s back.” “My word!” Having blurted this out, she seemed to regret. She got up, wrung her hands in despair, paced up and down the room. ‘My word!” Dorsey repeated. Then he began to chuckle. ‘“‘ Swope back. Well, well. But what of it? Quite a simple matter to dispatch Mr. Swope.” “And three of his cutthroat fore- castle rats,” the girl went on. : “Tsee. Three of them. Well, I’ve already shot three of Mr. Swope’s rats. And I fancy I could pick off three more.” He chuckled in genial good humor. “‘ My child, stop that sobbing. I'll finish all four of them. Quite sim- ple. But dash it all, why wait an hour?” She went to him, her heart sudden- ly opening to him. He was a refuge, a strength, a pillar of rock to cling to in time of storm. A feeling of bound- less confidence, adoration, love, swept over her. She grasped him tightly, throwing her arms about his neck. “Tf only you could come back with me!” she burst out. 7 “Of course. Intended to right along. We'll wait an hour, as you say, if such a ridiculous rule has been made, and then we'll go aboard. simple.” “No, no. If they see you—they’ll kill my father. Can’t you understand? They told me to come ashore and sing at the gaming house and get more nug- gets, then bring the gold to them. But Gomichboo Quite <S (EO)