The Argosy, October 1906 — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

rs possess more knowledge sader his. ‘rough exterior than he wished to show. ~ I figured the matter ‘out in my mind to this conclusion: | ; I might, with. such - knowledge as I now possessed, go to the police and ask their cooperation. Admitting that they would be willing to grant it, which I doubted, I had no proof that Dale com- _ mitted a- murder, and did not believe he had. T had no nicer that Bai Rak had com- mitted the murder, and no proof as yet that I had not. Dale could turn on me and denounce me as the man who had — employed him to come to the island and take me away with the trunk after I had killed De Watines. The police could — make a better story out of it than they had before. If Dale had any reason to protect himself, and of course he had, he could state that I had explained ‘the situation to him, and told him what time to be at the island with a boat. I could be rep- resented as planning to prove an alibi by taking © Josephine to the theater, reaching home, chatting with Poggitt and De Watines, going to bed and re- turning to commit the crime when. the” others were asleep. = It might even be stated that in all probability I had not contemplated mur- der at all, But, expecting De Watines to go to bed, my sole purpose was to carry off the trunk of treasure. But, finding De Watines awake and ready to defend his possessions, I killed him because there was nothing else to do. I was in a horrible mess of perplexity. After thinking the matter over I re- solved to hang around in the woods till night, and go back to the village and see if I could discover something more. I spent the rest of the afternoon try- ing to figure this out to my satisfaction, and when night came went by a round- about way to the nearest point to the vil- lage where I could still be covered by woods. The- village + -was lighted by lanterns hung on poles, and I could see there - ‘were more men there than I had seen in the daytime. They were padeny hold- ing some kind of council. = could see the powerful Se of Dale as he stood in the center of the group. == ae KS AGE, OF MADNESS. ~ He seemed 43 be listening to the talk of 2 the men around -him, as though taking od advice, or sifting the opinions of each. I saw him nod his head several times, _and shake it negatively as many more. This lasted about a half-hour. tween them, Two others brought spades, and they _ carried the trunk away from the village and directly toward my hiding-place. — I shrank farther back entered the wood. | Then | I saw two of them enter Dale’s house ~— and emerge therefrom with my trunk be- _ and got into ~~ a veritable thicket of dogwood, and I had no sooner settled myself than they “T tell ye,” one was saying, “I heard it twice. He’s a Frenchman, and is look- ing for the fellow who came here last __ He is staying at the Algon- Bapp saw him. He is a tall fel- low and well dressed. He sailed on the — Lake Bird. Who knows but the Jew October. quin. was a detective?” ‘Or this new. Frenchman himself ?.’ = — added another. _*Tt’s best to be cae 2 ” said a third. “We were too sure of being safe bes 7 cause nobody comes here. That's why I fear that Jew. We never had a Jew: : pedler come here before. And Sade, the fool, must come out and show that blamed gown. in, Dale? ” “Keep Sade in with a dress like that?” Dale laughed. “You ought to know Sade better than that, by this time. It was the first opportunity she had to show herself in it. I don’t blame her; she did look fine.” “She won’t look so fine if that fellow was a detective and comes back with more.’ Dale uttered an oath. “There are twenty of us, not counting the women. pick ’em off. We all have guns.” “You ought to have knocked the Jew down and taken his_ pistol growled one of the men. “Well, I didn’t. I am sorry now, but if I get him again he will know it. aS While they were talking they were ate digging.. They made a hole big eo to swallow the trunk, and then lowered — it. We can take care of all they bring. Scatter in the woods and- Couldn’t you keep her _ SiG ees if eth ya hy my NORE OMe Me ry $y Tar bl Try Ky A i) $ ¥ s iN x y, 4 ; . i ote ef st hey aA rt ALES An BU ¥" 3 Jy aM EAN CE SME DS PC RELAY, Ciel a } TAY, MeL CTE eG BA ON nis Bh | 7; Nit A ait », rhe if4 ay SUM X | AS hie Pa <1 away,” = * I judged from the way they car-— = = Eboo a ea a ere ee > om-