The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

820 “Come to the house,’’ Natalie in- vited, alert to learn whatever he might- know and sure she could draw it from him with more ease when the seduc- tion of a fight with a Mesquiter was removed. Silsby tramped off along the trail as Sykes turned with visible reluctance to follow his dominant little guide. “Since when have you not seen M. Radford?” Natalie asked, with a sweetness that covered depths of guile. “Gee, I wisht you hedn’t seen him sence I have!” he exclaimed. “Maybe I haven't,” she said archly, creating hopes she meant to turn to use. “T was mighty much ashamed uv the way I acted. I wanted to come an’ say so, but I couldn’t seem to find no time an’—an’ I wuz afeerd you wouldn’t let me speak to ye,” Sykes confessed awkwardly but with great sincerity. 3 “ But I do, you see,”’ she replied. He had not answered her question, and something in the openness of his manner and his concentration on her made her feel that he had no especial reason to be cautious in regard to Radford. “You ask about M. Radford. You do not know he ees gone—non?” “Gone where?” Sykes asked bald- ly, because he was surprised and re- lieved. “Oh, quite away!’ Natalie replied with a wave of her small hands and a shrug of her shoulders that was a per- fect expression of indifference. ‘You told him ’twas no use a stay- in’?”’ Sykes asked, bending to look into her face. “T say—he might as well go,” she answered, while her heart shrieked with the longing that lived in it—the longing to know where he was, to know what had happened to him. “Say, Natalie, does—does that mean they’se a chanct fur me?” he asked, his somber eyes fixed on hers with a light that almost burned. “You are glad that M. Radford is THE ARGOSY. gone?’ she evaded, giving him the impression that she half enjoyed the evidence of his jealousy. “Glad? Gosh! I should say. I’m glad he’s gone, an’ I hope he’ll keep a goin’ as fast as I hed him runnin’ when I seen him last!” Sykes burst out in a big laugh. Natalie’s little fingers clenched in the folds of her thin gown till she tore holes. But she kept her face calm and looked up at him with eyes that were merely curious. “I seen him a startin’ toward the Mesquite that night I—when I made a fool uv myself. I wuz crazy, an’ I jes’ tuk after him. Ef Td a hed a hoss as fresh as hizzen I’d a ketched him sure.” “You chased him to the Mesquite Ranch that night?’ Natalie asked breathlessly. “Yep! It’s a good thing he’s got out ur Pd a giv’ him his!” he ex- claimed fiercely. ‘What did he do? Where did he go?”’ she questioned, hoping to get some clue from the words of the man who was enjoying his triumph. “ He ran like a good un. They wuz a movin’ a big bunch uv cattle thar, jes’ gittin’ ‘em to the corrals soze I could ride right in after Radford without no one a noticin’. I went purt’ nigh to his shack after him. Ye oughto seen the way he hopped off an’ busted the door down an’ run inside. Bet he crawled under the bed! He must ’a’ bin scared | wuz going to shoot him! Scared silly! He kicked that old lock off with one whack!” Natalie was too much amazed to speak. Radford himself had broken the lock, which had made Silsby think the cabin had been robbed. He must then have broken the trunk open. She tried to think why he should have done it. “Deed you see heem again?” she asked. “Didn't I though. I seen him come a sneakin’ out an’ grab holt uv his hoss. Ef I hedn’t a bin right in the midst uv (E(0) DOOKS AAS —— eee ha a eS ers (E@)