The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

COCHRANE HANDS OUT A LEMON. “YVe'll no be affrontit be onything Ah’ve said, Maister Cochrane. Ye ken Ah hev ta see whit wey Ah can obligate ye. Ah’ll be oop tae see ye th’ mor-r-n, an’ mebbe Ah’ll hae the bit siller ye need, an’ we'll talk a whee ower yin or twa maitters that’ll intrest ye.” He patted the sullen shoulder of Coch- rane into amiability, as he guided him towards the street and sped him on his un- certain way. As he walked back to the shady pub, he smelt his fingers curiously, and the sniffing made him smile, as he softly rubbed his oily digits together. “7 bet the old fox will be around the place to-night looking for evidences of oil. And Vd put over another bet that he won’t know what to look for. He must have a clear coast. Bunny is some little actor. When he sends his telegram there will be something doing, if Sandy has checked me up properly, and trust the old dog for that.” Jim, well satisfied, smiled to himself. Jim’s somewhat reckless career, if it had been productive of no other benefit, had provided him with a good working knowl- edge of what would be the likely mental processes of a not too scrupulous indi- vidual who was trying to take an advan- tage of a fellow-being. He deduced, with a fair amount of cer- titude, that Sandy’s first move would be to do a little first aid work, and satisfy him- self that he was building a sure founda- tion. He would therefore take the earliest opportunity of trying to examine the bore that was in progress, which naturally was the site of the strike, if strike there had been. And here, be it remarked, the crook, or potential crook, lays open his defenses wide. There is no member. of society who is victimized so often as the confidence man, using that term to describe every kind of rascal, from the poor of the species up to the millionaire. Each one will, if circumstances are un- * propitious, fall for the graft of a different sort from his own. 163 Sandy, Jim therefore felt sure, would be so full of admiration for his own cleverness at smelling a rat, and successfully eaves- dropping, when the others around him were still wondering what was happening, that it would be unlikely he would exer- cise his ordinary business acumen. The wish would be father to the thought of success, especially as his only idea would be to make a quick profit through the or- ganization of a syndicate among his neigh- bors who were ripe for plucking. That night, then, Jim again made his way to the pub, and with noisy friendli- ness greeted the: mixed crowd that thronged the place. With every fresh round he seemed to be on the point of revealing a secret, but questioning only caused an excess of sud- den caution, and he would cover his mo- mentary confusion by calling for the bar- man ‘‘to set em up*again.”’ His eye was on the old Scotchman, who, after half an hour, when it seemed that Jim was anchored for the night, slipped out of the bar. A few minutes after, Jim laughingly ex- cused himself, promising to be back later. It was a brilliant moonlight evening, and the long lean figure of Sandy Mc- Kechnie could be plainly discerned mak- ing his slow way up the hill that led to the homestead of the Americans. With a low laugh of appreciation of his own powers of discernment, Jim proceeded to follow at a distance. Sandy proceeded to the bore already de- scribed, and with infinite care clambered amongst the machinery, and behind the shed. After a few minutes he emerged, and then Jim hurried back to the bar, where Sandy found him when he entered later. The old man was plainly excited, and there was a sparkle in his eye that pleased Mr. James Cochrane. Tit. NEXT morning, bright and early, the sole Australian representative of the Clan McKechnie called on Jim. Gomichbook (C@)