Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

CAPTAIN LIGHTFOOT 135 a great bustle and grunting and scraping as the breach was plugged with a piece of planking that loomed like an upturned raft in the darkness, and the planking was braced with oaken four-by-sixes anchored in the mud. Michael made for the horses, hoping to find his black thorough- eae nee astride that wonderful animal, no one could overhaul m. But Ara pulled him back and whispered: ‘‘ No! No!” And now an alarm bell began to ring in the Castle, and they could hear a scurrying of men and loud shouts of: ‘‘ This way! Out this way! ”’ And Michael cried impatiently: “ And why the blazing hell are we standing here? ”’ Many running feet, hitting the earth out of time, could be heard clattering across the back courtyard now, and one man, swifter than the rest, reached the wall and began to work at and kick against the breach-plug. At this moment there was great activity among the horses and men down by the wall. Michael heard Tuer O’Brien shouting in a loud, raucous voice: ‘‘ South, Captain. South does it. The rendezvous in Wicklow. South! ” And now the cavalcade started off, southward along by the wall, with an uproar of shouting and hoofbeats, and, covered by the great clattering, Trim and Ara drew Michael across the road and . into the shadows. “In heaven’s name— ” Michael began. But Trim hissed: ‘“‘ The decoys, Captain. The decoys.” And now, as if they could see perfectly in the dark, they led him down an alley and in at a gate and through a courtyard and out at another gate, then down another alley and through another gate and across another courtyard until Michael was completely bewildered, like a man in a maze, and allowed himself to be led along like a child. And finally they came out into a wide alley be- yond which loomed some tall, dark houses, and they were admitted into the servants’ entrance of a big mansion, and a silent flunkey led them through a vast cellar, lit only by a few dim lamps, and up a front stairway to an immense entrance hall where one tall candle was burning on a table. Two flunkeys were standing at attention on the opposite sides of a big doorway, and Lord Clayton was pacing up and down nervously between them in a greatcoat, mopping his brow with a big white silk handkerchief, and as they all emerged, he turned and shouted: “‘ Thank God! ”’ No one wasted any time talking. A flunkey brought Michael a magnificent cavalry greatcoat and helped him into it, then handed him an officer’s helmet with a red crest, and a sword-belt and sabre. Ara was also getting into a greatcoat, as was Trim. Through the glass of the huge front door, Michael could see a big coach waiting with postilion, driver, and boot. comicloooks.com