The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 216: what you’re looking at

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

918 contraband, it was equally certain that his failure would serve only to re- double his energies to force her to his demands. With the Federal officer on the one side and this Mexican on the other, how could she hope to escape? Each wanted her. Indeed, instead of the sit- uation. clearing, it had become more intricately involved. And as a result of these thoughts came the threat against her benefac- tor’s life. Machado would-make good this threat, if only to impress her with his strength of purpose. Besides, what better means could he find for the attainment of his evil de- sires than to rid himself of Dr. Len- cia? With the medico out of the way she would be completely in his _ power. The longer she reflected upon this, the greater became her anxiety over her host’s welfare. Regardless of her own danger, she must protect this man who had been good to her, enemy though he was. She prayed that he might come, even while she fought down a score of frightful notions. Machado might knife him in the dark—might have al- ready knifed him! Again and again she lamented the fact that she had no shotgun shells, yet never reasoned what she could have done with them. It was after daybreak when Dr. Lencia arrived. He came up-cafion at a brisk walk, a parcel under his arm. As he neared the wall-tent, she no- ticed that he stepped gingerly as if he feared to wake her, also, that he threw a glance at the interior. A moment after he was shouting into the morn- ing. “Peggy! Where are you, Peggy?” And because of her shattered nerves and her weak state, but par- ticularly because there seemed a real note of alarm in the voice that spoke her name so familiarly, Peggy fell back on the pillow in the teepee-tent and sobbed. THE ARGOSY. He heard her, and an expression crossed his face like that of a man who reaches a conclusion not much to his liking. The following moment he was kneeling beside her, soothing her with gentle words, while his eyes traveled from the heavy breech-loader to her face in perfect understanding. He raised her in his strong arms, and carried her back to her bed, then for a long time he sat and stroked her hand. Later, when she ceased weep- ing, he measured out a draft from a bottle and steadied her as she drank. “I’m a beast to leave you alone,”’ he asserted bitterly. ‘I promise it won't happen again. I took an exer- ciser to the line-rider’s camp, six miles from here. I had ordered strawber- ries for you and was afraid they might go bad. In future, I'll stay at home evenings. Now, tell me the trouble, Peggy. You were armed. It’s fair that I should know.”’ There was but one way to explain the circumstance—deceive him! She had not considered the other side of the question, but it was plain that Ma- chado would henceforth give the lo- cality a wide berth in the belief that she would warn Dr. Lencia of his in- tentions. Therefore, nothing would be gained by the truth. On the contrary, the Mexican’s visit might only serve to fasten suspicion more strongly upon her, or, if not that, to hasten the hour when she must see her benefactor in his guise of Federal officer—an hour she now dreaded as fully as she did that which would bring it about. Un- wittingly, the lie came to her lips. “T had a fearful nightmare, doc- tor,” she said, closing her eyes lest he might read the deception in their depths. “It was silly of me, but I was so sure you were about to be mur- dered, that—well, I stood guard— waited for you. And the gun wasn’t loaded.” He laughed heartily over this last. “And the gun wasn’t loaded, eh?” COPMICLOOOKS (C@)