Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

126 W. R. BURNETT Kevin, whose eyes were growing bigger and bigger. ‘‘ Yes, sir, and thank you, sir,” he said, taking the guineas and bowing. ** And what can I do for you, sir? ” * Where do you live? ” “Not more than a quarter of a mile back beyond those trees. ~ I have a shack of my own, though it’s not much. I was working at the Hall till the trouble. I’ve been discharged. Will you honour me by coming? ” Michael was a sick man, and the knowledge of it irked him so that he wanted to curse his fate and damn his luck, but did neither and contented himself with sitting in front of Kevin White’s small peat fire, wrapped in a blanket, sipping hot grog. His head pounded and thumped, and his swollen right thigh was as sore and bother- some as if it had been covered with boils. Remembering Doherty’s wound, Michael had forced the Black One to cut the ball from his thigh, and it had been a long, tedious, painful procedure. At last it was out, and the bleeding stanched, and then Michael fainted, and the Black One’s big, ungainly, black-haired daughter put him to bed and looked after him with a mixture of familiarity and awe which kept her alternately flushing and paling. The Cap- tain was such a lovely young man, with his blue-black hair and his white skin! Perhaps he would be very ill indeed and stay with them for months! But Michael had risen from the bed as soon as he’d come round, in spite of the protests of Kevin and his daughter. ‘“‘ I’ve got no time to be lying in bed,” cried Michael irritably. ‘‘ I’ve to get back to Dublin at once.” “‘ Easy, man, easy,” said Kevin. ‘“ I'll get you back, but there is no sense in fainting dead on the way. You must rest.” And so Michael was trying to rest, sitting by the fire, sipping his grog, while Kevin was away somewhere and his big daughter, Maureen, puttered about in the cabin, too timid to make conversa- tion with the great Captain from Dublin, but moving near to him from time to time, hoping he’d notice her. ‘Towards evening, Kevin came rushing in, slamming the door, making a great breeze and to-do in the cabin. Michael, still at the fire, wrapped in a blanket, turned to look at him. ““ Captain,” cried Kevin, violently agitated, “‘ it’s a disaster, a great disaster.” “What? What?” “It’s all over the countryside, Captain.’’ Kevin was almost incoherent with excitement and shock. *€ What is all over the countryside, man? Don’t yell. Explain.” *'They’ve taken him. They’ve taken him.” Michael jumped up impatiently, but his right leg buckled and he just barely saved himself from falling by grasping the back of the chair. He roared: ‘‘ Taken who, for the love of heaven?” * ‘‘ Why, the Leader. The Lobsters have taken him.” comiclooks.comnn)