The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

FOOLS OF SACRIFICE. Open it! Something I can’t tell you more. “Open that door! is happening now. Open the door!” The seeress’s head fell forward and her ball-like shape shook convulsively. From the door of the timber shed the hollow sound again traveled across the room. The overseer was on his feet and had flung wide open the door leading, out into the path. He stood, eyelids fluttering, even before the subdued daylight of the grove, and drew his first deep breath since he had entered the house. He was glad to get away from the woman, whom he thought to be in a fit. Clang! Clang! Clang! There was no mis- taking the sound of the ship’s bell on the pedestal. “Hark ye! Hark ye!” cried William, turning and leaning part way into the house. He accompanied her along the winding path. They found Jolly George at the pedestal. The youth sat on the ground, pressing his arms against his stomach and proclaiming the fact in exhausted voice that he was ‘“‘half-killed with pain.” ‘“Vhat did you ring that bell for, you idiot?”’ William snarled. “You sha’n’t hurt me,” the boy retorted, struggling to his feet and sidling away. “I’ve got something won’t let you hurt me,” and he slipped his hand into his trousers’ pocket to catch hold of the white box. Mother Juliet interposed soothingly. The overseer drew back, glaring vengefully at the boy from small wicked red eyes. “Son,” murmured the seeress, stroking his back, “tell me.” Jolly George pulled the battered straw hat from his-head and excitedly swinging it this way and that, blurted out his message as fast as he could find the words. “Black Henry’s locked up at the big house. I see him, I bet. Captain Neville white like fish-belly with mad. Miss Susan cryin’ and her makin’ believe not to. Every- body in the big house all knocked silly. Whisperin’ and sneakin’ everywhere. Talk about guns and a boat. I listen wherever I can and keep out of the way ’cos everybody want to hit somebody.” “Where is Black Henry locked up, son?”’ Mother Juliet inquired, taking his hand and _ patting it as if to calm the boy. “T’m jess takin’ a little nap in the barn after dinner,” he continued. ‘TI hear yellin’ 675 and bad words awful down-stairs. I wake up and listen. : “Then I looks down from the loft and I see Captain Neville and Michael Sands draggin’ in Black Henry by the hands. Henry he’s kickin’ awful but they have lit- tle chains on his wrists and he can’t get away. ‘Michael throws him down on the floor and puts big chains on his feet. Then they puts him in that old empty box-stall what they don’t use. They locks the door with a big lock and goes away.” As Jolly George went on with his story William’s eyes flashed. His features were distorted with rage and occasionally the breath came hissing between his teeth. But Mother Juliet remained sleepy and sooth- ing, persuading from the boy all he had to tell “T’m scared to stay in that barn,” Jolly George went on. “I wait for a while, though. I hops down the ladder and I bet I slipped some. An’ bump! I lands on the floor. I’m worse scared then. “T sits still and listens. Black Henry moves in there in the empty box-stall. I can hear his chains. He listens, too, I bet. Then he says: “Who are you?’ “He’s wild mad. I tells him it’s only Jolly George and prays to mercy he won’t give me away. “He says he won’t give me away if I'll. run fast to the Settlement and tell you something. “T says I will. So he gives me this mes- sage; I been sayin’ it all the way so I won’t forget. ‘Fle says, Black Henry says: ‘ “Cargo and voyage known. Cargo not all found yet. Steel stores safe. I am in irons.’ ‘Jess them few little words—that’s all he says, Black Henry.” “And that’s what you were fearing, Mother Juliet,” William remarked, omi- nously repressed in his manner as he con- sidered the message. ‘““That’s what the birds told me,” the seeress responded humbly but with assur- ance. ‘“‘The sooner we know bad tidings and bad signs, William, the better.” — ‘“Right-o!” the overseer admitted, and gritted his teeth. He was comforted to learn that the . “steel stores’ —the rifles and the ammuni- tion—had not been seized. EOPNICLOOKS (E@)