Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

A SLIGHT SERVICE. Around the old sycamore to which the miser is said to have tied his horse, Dan began a desultory search. He turned stones and clay roots till after midnight without results, and then went home. Nor was the second night any better. But he was not discouraged: one can afford to ex- ercise patience for fifty thousand dollars. He had thought the place safe from other intrusions, but when, some time after mid- night of his third exploration, he went down to the spring to quench his thirst, a young man was there before him. The young man boreshimself with ease and self- possession. . “ Dropped by for a drink,” he explained. “What you doing—hunting for buried treasures?” Dan was embarrassed, but he saw no. reason for fabrication. Dissimulation al- ways came hard to him. He admitted his folly. “ The thing to do,” said the intruder, “is to be systematic and thorough. The trouble with most of you fortune-hunters is that you go about it in a haphazard, desultory manner, if you know what I mean.” “Sure. I hadn’t thought of it that away,” responded Tucker. “Well, that’s the dope. Good luck, old sport. And remember,” he threw back over his shoulder, ‘‘ perseverance counts.” Tucker, always as good a judge of “quality folks’ as a white man’s nigger, watched the jaunty stranger admiringly. ‘Some rich young gen’man,” he thought, “ but as friendly an’ common as a ol’ shoe. He’s right; I gotta go about it systematic like an’ keep on keepin’ on.” Then, beginning with the very next eve- ning, things began to happen—strange, mysterious things which Tucker, in his slow, ponderous way, was never able to fathom. As he was leaving the springs a rock detached itself from a clump of bushes and hurtled itself at his feet. As if to pre- clude the possibility that it had defied the law of gravity and come of its own voli- tion, it was followed by another. Instantly Dan thought of the young man of the previous evening. But no, that was impossible; the young man was a gen’man 685 and his friend. Perhaps it was a crowd of mischievous boys throwing at random, not knowing that he was anywhere near. Any- way, the throwing ceased when Dan called out to “ be careful with them there rocks.” But the mysterious occurrences followed him into other nights. On the following evening as he prodded limestone ledges with his pick and explored the fissures of clay roots, he heard some one running in the road. And such running! In the still night air Dan could hear the clickety-clack of feet on the paved road for a mile. Two nights later, at about the same hour and near the same place, there were six pistol shots and the clatter of feet again—this time of many feet. On Saturday night of that week, Dan was eating a late dinner preparatory to go- ing out on his last search. J. C., with an open book at his side, was cleaning his father’s lantern; Rob, the second oldest, was loitering in town as usual. ‘Then, hat- less and breathless came Rob, his round, rosy face beaming with excitement. ~ ‘* A—a man’s j-just been k-killed,” he stammered. ‘ A-another m-man shot him through the heart.” ‘‘'Where’s your hat?” asked his mother. Rob did not know; till then he had not missed his hat. He had also omitted to buy a spool of thread for his mother, and. could not account for the nickel she had given him with which to make the pur- chase. Appearances were against the boy; though -he disclaimed all knowledge of what became of the money, it was evident that he had spent it on his own voracious appetite. She was about to punish him for breach of trust and lying when Dan interposed. ‘“¢ Aw, let the boy alone; here’s another nickel. Was either one of ’em_ blacks, Rob?” A negative reply. Tucker finished his supper undisturbed. What was one life more or less in a world of change? Still he did not connect the killing with the mysterious occurrences of which he had been a nightly ear-witness near the Kelley Springs. That would have required a de- gree of thought, and thought, to Dan Tuck- er, was a burdensome process, STATE (SOLAS DOO