Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

192 they would be free to pursue their op- erations unhampered. Big Bill, who came in just about the time that the summary was completed, nodded his agreement to it as he read it over, and for the first time gave Nor- man a glance of admiration. ‘““Some headpiece on you, boy,” he granted with a touch of surprise. ‘“Reg’lar Shylock Holmes, ain’t you, or whatever it is? “You've got it doped out just about the way the dern greaser figgered. Chances is, ’twould have worked like that too, if you had not started for him and gave that squawk ‘t deflected his aim. “ Fixin’ to have you lynched, was he?” he added grimly. “ Well, mebbe we'll find a better use for the rope when we git our hands on him.” “No trace of him yet, then?” ques- tioned Norman, Big Bill gave a shake of the head. ‘““Nothin’,” he said, “ ’cept that the Chink cook seen him hooking it out the back of the house, and things at his cottage was tossed topsy-turvy, like he had done a quick get-away. + “ Probably he believed, when he saw you faint, that he’d croaked you with his wild shot; and cale’latin’ that sus- picion was apt to settle on him, he did not waste no time in skipping. “ But there ain’t no risk of him get- ting off,” he as.:rted. ‘‘ He couldn't have made clear of the grounds yet, and I’ve got every pass out guarded. He’s hiding in the shrubbery some- wheres, or else parked up a tree, and we'll round him up soon’s daylight comes, if not before. ‘What I came back for ’—he hesi- tated slightly — ‘“‘ was to fix it so he can’t sneak into the house. Now, don’t you get nervous, Miss Molly,” as she gave an apprehensive start. “I had to tell vou, because I knew you'd see the boys patrolling outside and would be wondering what they was there for. But you can rest easy, all right. ll guarantee you that not even a mouse ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. could slip through the line we've set. ‘Sides, it’s ten to one we'll have the varmint before you're ready to turn in. With that assurance, he hurried off to resume direction of the search, leav- ing Molly and Norman once more alone. They were in the library—a large room with leather-covered furniture, book-lined walls, and an open fire burning on the hearth—whither she had conducted him after he had recovered from the effects of his swoon. Norman, fed and established in his big easy chair before the cheery blaze, was serenely at peaee. But Molly, in contrast to her usual breezy poise, was plainly troubled. As the ranch manager left them, she stepped hurriedly to the window and, drawing aside its heavy curtain, glanced out. But the sight of a shadow, sentinel- like figure pacing back and forth across the garden path below did not seem to reassure her. With a little shiver she let the cur- tain fall into place and turned back into the room. Pausing beside the table, she glanced down at the notebook with its penciled summary, which Big Bill had left lying there when he had finished reading it. A frown creased her torehead. ‘Mr. Rich, these people are evident- ly more dangerous than I had imag- ined,” she said in a worried voice. “The fact that they could corrupt Da Silva frightens me. It shows how cun- ning and powerful they must be; for | would have said it was all to Da Silva’s advantage to go straight with me. Now I scarcely know whom to trust. ‘And here ”—she tapped the note- book with her forefinger—‘is proof that they do not even stop at mur- der. 4 “But perhaps,’ she broke off in compunction, “1 shouldn’t go into this now. You have had a grueling A EOPMNICL OO KS (E@)