The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

DARING he may be. Wouldn’t it be a coincidence if he were found through the accident of Carrington’s reading Derby’s letter and his reference to the I. O. U.?” ‘While Talmadge was speaking he and Carrington slipped into their coats. ‘Dick pretends that he is obliged to go down to Bellevue because it is his turn to buy the drinks,’ commented some one cheerfully. Carrington dropped back on the settee resignedly, and reaching out for the bell twirled it till the boy came. Gregory the irrepressible, amid shouts of laughter from the others, solemnly or- cered the boy to bring seven Vampas cocktails. The boy went on his way, to return gravely in a minute’ with the query: ‘Bartender wants to know how to make them.” “Oh, don’t be an ass, Gregory!’ inter- posed Carrington. “I am in a hurry. Really I am. Come on, Talmadge!” ‘“‘ Oh, all right, crime doctor!” As soon as Carrington had signed the check he and Talmadge again rose, and bidding their companions cheerfully to beware of the demon Rum, set forth for the hospital down by the river. When they had left, the others amused themselves with humorous conjectures as to the result of the quest. “ Carrington is the worst man to jump at conclusions. I don’t see how he holds his job down,” observed Gregory. “Still, it would be a joke on us if General Grant really turned out to be the man for whom he is looking. Just Derby’s luck, too! Trumps always seem to turn up to suit his hand.” CHAPTER XII. AT THE MERCY OF THE MERCILESS, N the same day on which his letter reached his friends in New York, having finished what development work he could do on the claims, Derby took the horses down to the brook to water THE DANGER ZONE. 323 them. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon, and the intense heat was just breaking. He buried his head gratefully in the cool water of the stream and opened the neck of his flannel shirt wide, then started back to the corral. As he crossed the Esperanza trail he met a party of four Mexican vagueros headed toward Esperanza, leading with them an extra saddled horse. Derby greeted them with a careless “ Buenos dies, amigos!” and was pre- paring to ride on when one of the men spurred his horse close to him and, after returning his salutation, questioned him as to the distance to Esperanza. . The other horsemen also crowded about him. His interlocutor was apparently unable to understand Gerard’s instructions. ‘Perhaps the senor will show us part of the way?” Gerard looked at the stranger sus- piciously. He knew that men born to the range would not be likely to ask such a question. He whirled his horse suddenly and, ducking low upon its neck, in a flash broke loose from the men who surrounded him. Right at his heels he heard the thunder of hoofs and knew that his suspicions had been justified. Glancing back over his shoulder and seeing that he was gaining he exulted fiercely in the speed of his mount. Then without warning he heard a swish through the air, and for a brief moment was conscious of the spinning circle of rope above him, before the noose of the lariat tightened about his neck, and he was flung violently to the ground. For- tunately for him he had not bothered to saddle his horse, as he was only taking him to water. Otherwise the jerk of dragging him from the saddle would have broken his neck. As it was, he lay half stunned by the fall, and his captors were on him in a trice. One stuffed his mouth with a hand- kerchief filled with dirt, while another bound his arms behind him with the lariat. They lifted him onto the spare horse, COMMICLOOOKS (C@