The Argosy, August 1905 — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

_ - mule himself 106 ‘clamation from Blinkers, drew his at- tention. E Zimmerman, astride a mule, was gal- loping after them up the barranco. Mounted on horses and following him closely were two alguazils, their white hats bobbing excitedly as they rode. “Vait a leetle!* shouted Aimmer- man, rising in his stirrups. The gens d’armes repeated the com- mand, in their own tongue, emphasizing it with a wave of their drawn swords. “ Christopher!” growled Blinkers, reaching for his guns. “ They're after us, Tren!” “Teave your guns where they are,” said Trenwyck, “‘and get up to that old tower as fast as you can. Unload the mule and make everything ready—I’ll stay here and parley with them while youre doing it. Sing out when you've got things in shape, Blinkers!” As Trenwyck finished he handed his. friend the packet of seeds. The Texan was all activity on the in- stant. Anselmo, frightened by the hos- tile manner of the alguaztls, grabbed his mule and was for holding it in that spot until the officers arrived. Blinkers lifted him from his feet and east him aside, then took hold of the and scrambled for the tower. The fact that Trenwyck was re- maining to talk with them in a manner calmed the officers and acted as an off- set to these warlike proceedings. The muleteer, rising from where he had fallen, stood inert, dividing his be- wilderment between the vanishing mule and the approaching riders. Blinkers was at the tower and unloading the plunder when Zimmerman drew rein in front of Trenwyck. “ Herr Trenwyck,” said the German, “you und your friend vill haff to go back by Granata, under arrest.” “Why so?” returned Trenwyck, dis- sembling to the best of his ability. _ “You haf been suspected oof know- ing someding aboudt vat has happened mit Baron von Lauderbach, by Burgos. Und it is believed dot you can also make some explanations concerning der vere- abouts oof der baron’s enemy, der Herr Major.” (To be continued. ) THE ARGOSY. “Nonsense!” cried Trenwyck in great indignation. “Major Wickers was my friend, man! As for the baron, I never saw him in my life.” “No? Vell,. your friend saw him, und aboudt der time vat he vanished away. J haf been followmg you, Herr -Trenwyck, und in your stateroom on der boat, between Cadiz and Malaga, I findt me dot you carry two refolfers marked mit der initials oof der Herr Major, Ha! Iss it nod so? You must go mit us by Granata! ” The alguazils had dismounted and now came up, echoing in their own tongue the statement that he must return to the town. “ Everything’s ship-shape, Tren!” came booming down the hillside from the tower. “This “is an outrage!” Trenwyck fumed; “but if you insist I suppose there is nothing for us to do but to yield.” Then in Spanish to the officers: *“T will accompany you to the ruins and explain matters to my friend. He is a little hot-headed and might make trouble for you if you went alone.” This appeared like a reasonable sug- gestion and they all aseended the slope, the alquazils still keeping on either side of Trenwyck. D Blinkers stood in the doorway of the tower, a cup in each hand. “Here’s that drink you wanted, Tren,” said he, handing his friend one of the cups. “‘ What’s the matter with these lads, anyhow?” he added, sweep- ing his eye over Zimmerman and the alguaztls. Zimmerman began to talk, but Tren- wyck cut into his remarks with the word “Now!” accompanied by a significant look at Blinkers. At the same instant the two cups were lifted and draimed. A sort of haze caught up everything within Trenwyck’s line of vision; his ears roared as with deafening thunder, blackness descended - and closed. him in, the earth shook under his feet, and he felt himself hurled outward and down, down, down, until sensation failed and there was nothing but oblivion, -.. “= . é 5 a oe i ‘ ~comicbooks.com > \ ; 4 : :