The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

798 breast as the man started at the un-. welcome interruption. But it steadied, to his relief, as the hold-up man got over his surprise. The light, firm voice was more as- tounding than a shout. would have been. Even Ted, familiar as he was with the two doors and the windows of the room, could not tell exactly whence it came. He could guess from the slightly changing pressure of the gun that the man was peering about in the darkness and trying to locate it. “IT see you plainly because of the window behind you!” Natalie went on with quiet confidence of holding we situation in her own hands. “T reckon ye cain’t see me slain enuff to know I’m ’bout to pull the trigger of this hyah gun I got nailed to yer beau’s hide!” Radford shut his eyes and clenched his teeth. The man’s infernal clever- ness warned him that he might as well prepare for death if any impulsive move of Natalie’s threatened discovery of his identity. Ted understood by a flash of intuition that the man would do anything to avoid that. If Natalie made one false step, lost her nerve for a second, and broke the tension of the situation suddenly, he was sure that the report of the gun would follow in- stantly. He lay there stiff with hideous anticipation. “Hef you were to shoot thees man eet would be bad for you—M. Geell!” The man swore as the name dropped coolly from the invisible lips. Ted opened his eyes and his mouth in sheer wonder. Natalie had guessed who the mid- night visitor was. Gill of the Double X was holding a pistol at his heart and demanding something of which he had only heard the name. Why? CHAPTER XVII. RADFORD HEARS AN AMAZING QUESTION RapFOoRD came back from the shore of death in great leaps. Somewhere in THE ARGOSY., the darkness Natalie was aiming at “M. Geell.” And M. Geell was poking his gun into his chest muscles with a neighborly insistence that was more obnoxious the longer it continued. “Say, you two. Listen to me!”’ he commanded, the irritation of the gun infusing such force into his words that both Gill and Natalie listened with half their attention while the other half was concentrated on each other. “ Gill, you’re punching your gun into my ribs; and Mile. le Fevre’s got hers trained on you. Whatever you do to each other, you’re pretty sure to finish me. I tell you to call a halt and ex- plain what it is you want about this deed business! Let’s talk business! ” “Suits me ef the lady’s willin’,” Gill answered gruffly. “I'd be a fool to shoot you when they’se somebuddy so sure uv wholam. Anyway, it ain’t up to me to git hung fur doin’ another man a favor!” “Not a bit of it!” Ted agreed with enthusiasm, a little misty about the favor part, but certain of anything that promised the removal of the pistol. His spirits rose to such heights that he lifted his hand and gently pushed aside the gun. Gill let him do it, which was a still further advance from the dead-line where he had tottered a moment since. “What’s this Cochinino matter you've been talking about?” he asked. ‘“T want that paper ye’ve got!” Gill said. Suddenly a light sped like a fine sword of silver through the gloom. It rested on Gill’s amazed face, holding him silent and dazed for a_ second. Alice Thorpe, in the darkness behind Natalie, had’ leveled the ray of a pocket electric lamp at him. Radford could have laughed. The women had the amateur hold-up man so completely at a disadvantage. They both saw his face and could possibly identify him. “ Mile.’ le Fevre, will you light the lamp?” ‘Ted requested, still keeping his hand on the barrel of Gill’s gun. COMIC OOOKS (E©)