Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

570 up minute after minute, yet it seemed to amuse them, for the band had not yet start- ed work again. Still Thomas merely gazed and—a mighty shock ran through him and brought him back to life at last. What was the matter with him this evening? He had considered himself a persan of infinite re- source and force, but he had let them take Mary away from him, and now, helpless as any oyster, he was letting them torture her! A hot flush surged up under Mary’s late mask, and young Mr. Henning, with a com- ment upon his own intelligence that was no less than shameless, bounded forward, down the reom and through the crowd, pausing only before the Zulu, who still supported Mary. “Sorry to break into the fun,” he said quickly and as naturally as might be, “ but —my friend here—”’ ‘“‘ And therefore, friends—say, what's the matter with that shipwrecked sailor?” the coclie demanded, breaking his oration. “Will you please just merge yourself with _the merry villagers until I’m through, sailor? King Arthur here’s going to make a speech as soon as I finish!” “T know, but this is business,’ Thomas said. “ Business with a knight, on this night of all nights, will have to wait.” “Tt camnot—really,” Thomas said frm- ~ ly. “This is an urgent matter we were just slipping out to discuss when you broke in:’ He edged the giant Zulu aside and laid a hand upon Mary’s hmp, swaying arm. ‘“ Come, Sam!” said he. He had récaptured her at last! And there was at least a shred or two of civiliza- tion left among them, for they parted rather reluctantly to let the pair pass. Only-the aggressive coolie stared down disapprov- ingly from the stool he had appropriated for a rdstrum—and he was disposed of now as, for no obvious reason, the ruddy young Puritan stepped to him and said softly: “Go right on with the speech! funny! Keep on—please!” One vast sigh of relief escaped Thomas Henning. They were free! Yes, they were free even of the coolie’s attentions. It’s ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. —— He took a firmer grip upon the uncertain figure and marched it on. She still could walk! And behind, apparently, some one else could walk and was doing it, to the extent of hurrying after Thomas and his charge. He glanced up swiftly, to find the rwddy Puritan beside them, unsmiling, strangely disturbed. “ Hold on! manded. “Eh?” said Thomas. “Ys that Sam Risdon?” ‘“Certainly!’” Thomas said readily. “And we're i a hurry and—”. The Puri- tan did not even hear. His full mouth opened in plain, undisguised horror. . ‘Good Lord Almighty!” he gasped. “And with his heart!” “What?” said Thomas. “Hey? You know me, don’t you?” the Puritan asked, quickly, and whisked off his mask. “I’m Dr. Leslie and—bring him into one of these ‘smaller rooms.”’ “He doesn’t—” ~ ‘“ Never mind what be wants or doesn’t want,” the doctor snapped, energetically. “Ive been treating that boy for six months and I'd no more idea that he'd try a fool trick like coming here with a thousand pounds of iron on him than that he’d try to fly! ” rT Why, he thought—”’ “And the way they’ve heen hammering him around and kicking him areund—and the racket there must have been inside that damned armor, too!” pursued the medical man, who did net know that he was in the presence of a lady. « “ Sam, you're nothing but a plain jackass! Upon my word, you are! A plain damned fool! ‘““ Month after menth, bit by hit, I've been trying to build up a nervous struc- ture for ‘\you—and you come here in that walking boiler-factory and let them play hell’s own tatteo on you!” Sheer rage caused his big fingers to snap loufly. Thomas contrived a sort of smile. ‘““He&—he—he—he came out of it all right, though, you see,” he said. “If youll just let us get on to the little business talk we're trying to have?” “Do you suppose for an instant that What Sam is that?” he de- NOOK Original froma . 6 C