The Argosy, Vol. 83 No. 1 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

HAMPTON OF their steps, but Kingsale halted again, waved his hand airily to the other and sauntered into the open lot, as though strolling idly about for recreation. The dark man went on and disappeared in the direction of Broadway. There was now a chance that Kingsale, strolling, would come upon the spy at a place where cover was inadequate, so Jerry made all haste to conceal the box under a thick clump of weeds, then crept into the adjacent thicket himself and drew the weeds and grasses about him. To his consternation, but nevertheless to his whimsical amusement, Kingsale turned directly toward him. “Tf he finds me,” said Jerry to himself, “the knock-out will not come to me this time; I am no longer a respecter of age or persons!” The man came on and paused within twenty feet of the hiding place, but his object seemed to be a better view of the house-boat on the river. & Suddenly both watcher and watched were startled by an uncanny sound close at hand. A muffled, sepulchral crow rose from the bank of weeds, and Kingsale jumped nervously and stared about him with wide eyes. Jerry was no less startled at the instant, but as realization came he had to choke back the laugh that almost escaped him. The young Orpington rooster, in durance vile, was asserting his independence with the characteristic valor of his kind. The crow was repeated, and Kingsale’s drawn face relaxed in a sort of ghastly — smile. He made straight for the spot in- dicated by the sound and pulled the box from its cover. He stooped and read the printed label on the lid, and his brows con- tracted with perplexity as he noted Jerry Hampton’s name and address. He stood erect again and surveyed the surroundings with care, but he did not go so far as to explore the thickets. His eyes fell on the house-boat, and he smiled grimly and nodded as though arriving at some roundabout explanation. A light burst upon Jerry with the ‘THE HEIGHTS. 53 other’s smile of fancied understanding: Exmoor was on that house-boat, and Kingsale believed that the rooster was cached there for him to replenish his lar- der. Exmoor was in hiding, and he would come ashore after dark to collect his sup- plies. Kingsale meanwhile was busy on his own account. It is the part of good gen- eralship to despoil the enemy in any man- ner possible, and a movement against the commissariat is of vital importance. Therefore, with an expression of unmis- takable glee, he undid the fastenings of the box and threw back the lid. The cockerel raised his head and re- garded his liberator with suspicion for a moment, then hopped upon the edge of the box and went fluttering and scampering away with raucous calls of defiance—to become, Jerry mused gloomily, the auto- crat of some Harlem River back-yard hen- nery, or, less happily, a mere pot-pie for some worthy Italian household. Kingsale was not through with the box. Still smiling, and still turning/the enemy munitions to his own account, he picked it up and bore it farther into the thicket; and Jerry, rashly stretching up and peer- ing over the branches, saw him put it down and sit on it, thereby establishing for himself a more comfortable place of concealment and observation than the owner of the box had dared to secure for himself, : CHAPTER XV. SOME HARLEM HAPPENINGS, HE glare of midday gave place to the mellow glow of afternoon, and Jerry was still crouched in his thicket, uncom- fortable and impatient, but virtually un- able to move. He could hear twigs crackle now and then, but he could not see King- sale without standing up and risking dis- covery. The other man was evidently waiting for something to happen with the heroic patience of an Indian, and it behooved the (EO) 0)(0\) AMG cS (E@)