The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

DARING THE DANGER ZONE. straight, and I can put a bullet through a hat at fifty yards.” Derby looked at her gravely, silently. Then he spoke with emphasis: “Nancy, if you hear any struggle in here, stand with your back against the bolted door. If you detect the faintest touch from the outside on wood or han- dle, you may know that I am down and out. Then—then shoot yourself and make a clean job of it!” Nancy Gale raised her clear eyes, and a look of fine scorn lay in their depths. There was determination, without brava- do, in her tone as she answered: “That may be your code. It is not mine. There are different kinds of honor. if I let a man who was fighting in my defense fall without a sign of help from me I should feel more disgraced by such voluntary cowardice than by anything that could happen to me against my will. Don’t worry, however, I promise to keep one bullet for myself. But don’t let us shake our nerve by looking back or for- ward. It is hard enough just from day to day, isn’t it!” “Yes,” rejoined Gerard, “it is hard enough from day to day; but, Nancy, I didn’t know that there was as plucky a girl as you in the whole world. It is worth walking all the way from San Francisco just to see you.” “Men have told me that before now,” Nancy smiled with a touch of her old coquetry which not even all her mis- fortune had been able quite to crush out. After she had left him Derby took from the pocket of the coat which he had not worn that day a couple of letters and a small round photograph which the pawnbroker had removed from his watch. Tearing them into small fragments, he piled them on the hearth and touched a match to the heap. He could scarcely have accounted to himself for the satisfaction with which he watched the things burn. On her side of the door Nancy was sitting, looking into her bit of cracked mirror by the feeble light of her candle. 317 ‘““He said,” she reflected, “that if a girl were in love she would be sure to know it. I wonder—if I—am.” CHAPTER X. A TEST BY TORTURE. S night passed without any molesta- tion from West Symmonds. In the morning Gerard went down to the corral to feed the horses while Nancy was cook- ing breakfast. The bright sunlight made his experi-. ence of the day before seem almost an impossibility in looking back on it. With some difficulty he caught Nancy’s pony, which frisked about the corral, refusing to let him approach. The pinto which had belonged to old Patrick stood quietly in a corner, head hanging sorrowfully. ‘““T almost believe the old boy knows that his master is dead!” mused Derby, as he walked over to him and reached for the rope about his neck. ‘“ And yet some people claim that animals really know nothing!” Holding the rope of the pinto in his left hand, he vaulted upon the back of Nancy’s pony and rode out through the gate of the brush corral to water the horses down in the hollow. While the animals buried their noses in the cool Stream he rolled and lighted a cigarette, whistling softly. Suddenly the horses raised their heads and their ears pricked forward. A mo- ment later Derby heard the sound of a horse’s hoofs approaching on the trail from Esperanza which crossed the gulch a few yards above. « He dropped his hand to his pistol holster. The unknown rider suddenly rounded the bend, and on seeing him, reined his horse up on his haunches. Derby’s gun flashed from the holster and covered the man whom he saw to be Symmonds. The latter’s sinister face turned pale, as though he had seen a ghost. “ Vou,” he gasped, “ you!” CCOMMICLOOOKS (C@