The Argosy, August 1905 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

n the world were you going to _do with all that plunde ooh enpaek . demanded. “Just in case we ran out of funds, - Tren,” Blinkers explained. “If we're ' to carry our civilization into the Na- | poleonic era, it struck me I’d look after / that end of it.” “'Phis comes of that gambling you » did on the way over,” said Trenwyck severely, “and it isn’t the sort of mis- _ sionary work we’re going to engage in. ' Our business in making a jump back to the beginning of the century, Blinkers, is to look up a few points of history and to benefit the people as much as we ean in our feeble way—not to coax louis d’er from the French camp through the medium of games of chance.” They reached Burgos at ten in the evening, and were hauled to the major’s fonda by a row of three mules attached to a rickety ’bus. The whole force of the establishment came out to receive them, and they had a chance to try the Greaser Spanish they had picked up in Arizona. It proved adequate, and they were eonducted to a dingy salon with two bed- rooms adjoining. The omnibus mules were stabled directly under them—but they were in Spain, and not disposed to be fastidious. They had a late dinner sent up to their rooms. While they were discuss- ing the soup the major stormed in. <T knew you'd come, by gad!” he shouted, shaking Trenwyck’s hands ef- fusively. “And Blinkers, too! Well, well. You’re good to me, boys. By gad! This comes of having friends when you need ’em!” The major was short, but ponderous. The red of his pudgy face was relieved by the white of his large mustaches. His face was a little redder, his mus- tache a little whiter and his hair a little thinner than when Trenwyck had seen him last. But otherwise he was the same tem- pestuous old major. “ How did you know I was in Paris, major?” Trenwyck asked while his friend floundered into a seat and squirmed to get at his cigar-case. Met Dave Gillam at Barcelona—hig Dave. it from the States. He’s _ a — : CR Aare me, - ~, IN 1492, D “ -f 1, = >, ¢ * ne * 99 thinking of taking a bunch of Basques ~ ae or Moors—I don’t remember just which —to the Chicago Fair. Dave said he had met wp with you and Blinkers in London, and that you were to stop in Paris and then come on this way. Sorry if I hurried you, Tren, but I need you to-morrow afternoon.” “< What for? ” The old fire-eater leaned back in his chair and lighted his cigar. “ Duel,” he answered tersely. Trenwyck dropped knife and fork and straightened up with a gasp. Blinkers also showed a profound interest. “You don’t mean to say that you're going to-fight a duel!” exclaimed Tren- wyck. “Who else?” the major returned complacently. “ Don’t be in such a taking, Tren. It’s not the first time. By gad, no Dutchman can jump on the Stars and Stripes and make faces at the Monroe Doctrine while Wickers is around! ” “Ts that what happened?” Trenwyck inquired. “Is it? * the major wheezed. “Js it? The Barcelona papers are full of it. This Baron von Lauderbach aired his views at a little dinner given to the foreign representatives. What he said : —but I won’t repeat what he said, by gad! It was enough. I threw wine in his face, and would have followed the wine with the tumbler if they hadn’t stopped me. “We exchanged cards. If Dave hadn’t been in a rush to get to Madrid I’d have had him for a second. But S when he told me about you, why, I shot that telegram into Paris. “Preliminaries are all arranged. I named place and weapons, and selected Burgos and six-shooters—Burgos, be- cause it’s on your route and [ didn’t te want to put you to any more inconyen- Ss ience than I had to.” * Good Heavens!’ Trenwyck mut- tered. “ Are you mad, major? If you a go ahead with this piece of folly you're ; liable to involve three governments.” 2 *T don’t care a hang if { involve a - dozen!” Wickers bristled. “No for- rZ eigner is going to shake his fist at the — American eagle in my presence without % . . -<?, od. ot é. toe : ‘" “ * at 1, “ Be . ' — 4 ‘ » ae - a . ‘ . ‘ of 7 a oe |) eee oe comicbooks.com