Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

134 W. R. BURNETT puzzled him, and then Grimshaw released him and said: ‘‘ The landing. Hit me! Hit me!” And Michael swung from the waist, and his right fist landed with a terrible impact on Grimshaw’s unprotected chin, and a look of wild surprise showed in the big man’s eyes for a moment, and then slowly he sank to the floor, sat down, stared foolishly, and lay back with a sigh, unconscious. Michael rushed down the spiral stairway, stumbling and almost falling in his haste. ‘The small metal door on the landing was being taken off its hinges from the outside. Sweat poured from Michael as he waited, looking about him warily from time to time. And finally the door gave, with a violent, wrenching sound that sent long, sinister echoes through the corridors, and then the blunt end of a big oaken four-by-six made its appearance, and at last the door was bent back far enough for Michael to slip through. He found himself in a narrow stone gallery. Mahony was holding a torch at the far end of it, and Tuer O’Brien and Willie the Goat, who had just demolished the door, were hurrying down the corridor towards the torch. Near the door Trim was standing with a pistol in his hand; and just beyond him was a slim boy with cropped black hair, also holding a pistol. Now the torch was put out. ‘Down the gallery, Captain,” cried Trim, giving Michael a gentle push. ‘“‘ I’ll cover you.” In a few hurried paces Michael encountered the mysterious boy. A small, slim hand reached out and took one of his, and a light, familiar voice whispered eagerly: ‘‘ Mick.” ** Good lord! Ara!” cried Michael, staggered. “‘ And what in heaven’s name have you done to your beautiful hair, girl? ”’ But Ara pushed him ahead of her down the gallery. In a moment Michael encountered another demolished door, and then he slipped through into a space so large that, owing to his long confinement, he was startled and momentarily frightened by it. But he noticed a faint winking overhead—stars, for the love of heaven! He was clear, free, out in the open air once more. He saw dark shapes moving up ahead of him, and followed them. Ara was hurrying on his left, taking three steps to his one. And Trim was behind with a cocked pistol, covering the escape. And now they came to a dark courtyard, and Michael saw the towers of Dublin Castle looming back to his right, with a few lighted windows here and there, and he wanted to shout and leap in his wild delight; but at that moment he noted a great wall rising directly in front of him, and as he hesitated and stared up, a hand reached out of the darkness and he was hustled through a breach in the wall and found himself in a pitch-dark roadway, and off to his right he heard a concourse of horses and men, and before him he could see a few dim lights and the shapes of houses and trees.” Ara came through the breach, then Trim; and at once there was comicloooks.comn