The Argosy, August 1914 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

44 with my boat without so much as. ask- in’ leave?” the Simeoxite welcomed him. : Jack beached the boat and jumped out before replying. Then, with the painter in his hand, he turned to face his inquisitor. “T knew you wouldn’t hesitate at a neighborly favor like that,’’ he returned blandly. “ Fact is, we needed a dory to use, and seeing this one idle we bor- rowed it.” ‘“ Borrowed it, did ye? You rented it—that’s what you did!” roared Pot- ter, who had worked himself into a pas- sion. ‘‘ And now, by cripes, I’m goin’ to make you pay for it.” Buck Potter’s reputation as a bully was so well known throughout Bar- ratry that any other member of the Hooper gang than Jack would have anticipated his attack. That one of his mates, at least, had felt disinclined to take the chance of Buck’s absence when Jack returned the dory, the latter gath- ered on seeing Herb Mann running toward him along the beach. He was still too far away, however, to render assistance. “T’m willing to pay for it,” Jack re- plied. “* How much do you want? ” “You're going to pay for it with your hide, that’s what,” was the bully’s rejoinder. He interpreted his words by a rush at the young fisherman. Herb Mann, anxiously watching the interview as he pressed forward, saw Jack drop the dory’s painter and leap backward. CHAPTER XI. A NIGHT MEETING. “Tr I don’t hurry up ’n’ git there, Buck’ll about half kill him,” was the thought which flashed through Herb’s mind. “And Jack just in from a twenty-four-mile pull an’ out of bed for pretty nigh forty hours. He ain’t more’n three-quarters as big as Buck, neither.” ‘This was the channel his mind pur- THE ARGOSY. sued as he plowed through the heavy sand. ‘To his anxious eyes the mena- cing figure of the enraged fisherman towered over Jack Garrett like a Goliath over a David. He feared total annihilation before he could reach the scene, . That nothing less than severe bodily chastisement would satisfy the bully’s mood was written clearly in his fagg. He was an unprepossessing man even in his most cheerful moments. The nature of his employment had exaggerated the disproportion between his heavy shoulders and his legs. Arms like gnarled oak limbs terminated in immense, hairy hands, now clenched into fists. The snarl on his face dis- closed the prominent yellow tusks which had contributed to the selection of his nickname. He confidently expected the object of his wrath to seek safety in flight before he could ireach him, which was the reason he advanced with the direct- ness and lack of caution of a charging bull. It was quite outside of his cal- culations for this rather slender strip- ling to offer forceful resistance. Herb Mann shared in this expecta- tion. He guessed that Jack had ob- served his approach, and wondered why he did not hasten toward him for a juncture of forces. “Why don’t he run? Why don’t ue run? ”’ was the question which repeated itself as he labored through the detain- ing sand. “ Buck’ll pound him to 4 jelly before I kin git there.” The last word had barely taken form in his mind before the clash came. Herb Mann stopped short in surprise, doubting his own eyes. He had seen Buck Potter fairly on top of his fellow fisherman, reaching to grasp his clothing, the better to execute his amiable plan of ptinish- ment. Then, just at the instant when the smaller man appeared to have been pinned, he had leaped lightly aside. His assailant’s blind, charging weight carried him past his would-be victim. It all happened in the twinkling COMMICLOOOKS (C@