The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

SOUTHWEST OF THE LAW, Dr. Pinhon would be eliminated, so far as any danger to herself or her father was concerned. There were not: to be even minutes. She heard the quick shots, the yell of pain, other yells of rage and triumph. [f seemed almost impossible that Phillips should have led his men around to the in- firmary so quickly. More likely, she thought, he had encountered the doctor on the way. Then came the loud cries of the men pouring forth from the stockade. She saw glimpses of their torches. She was decidedly puzzled by this, a little worried. Yet she recalled that Phillips’s whistle for the police had brought the whole outfit out on one other occasion. “He hasn’t got discipline among them yet,” she sighed. Then, as she listened, it became evident that the whole crowd was rushing off across the cleared ground. It occurred to her that Pinhon might have started for the jungle, that Phillips might have called all hands out in pursuit of the poisoner. Suddenly she got up from the seat in thé cogkpit. It flashed upon her that there might be need for her services. She was skilled in minor surgical work, and had the art of bandaging well learned. And now there would be no doctor in the camp. A moment in the cabin enabled her to secure a roll of gauze and another of lint. _ She thrust these into a little bag, together with two or three bottles of antiseptic so- lutions and a flask of brandy. It did not occur to her to fear for her- self. She had her pistol, and knew how to use it. She paused only long enough to ascertain that her father was asleep, and then clambered to the wharf and hur- ried along it. The yelling had passed sisacet from earshot behind the buildings which all faced the river across a narrow plaza. In the misty darkness she could see no one as she turned to the right in the direction from which she had heard the shots and uproar. 231 Though the lighting plant was equipped to give all this street abundant illumina- tion, it was arranged so that only a few lights burned except in emergencies. To- nigat the yellow incandescents hardly served to do more than emphasize the darkness between them. But she was familiar enough with the walk. She had soon reached the spot whence the rumpus of a few moments ago had seemed to come, but a few feet from the front of the little carcel building with its windowless walls. She was about to turn a little nearer to the light which shone on the open door of the building when a groan on her other side caused her to wheel about. Luckily she always carried a very small pocket torch in her “ working ”’ clothes. By its light she now made out the pros- trate figure of the wounded policeman. She spoke to him, got no answer. Then she bent over him and began to search for his hurt. lying in a pool of blood. He was the man who had clung to Phillips’s back and had caught the bullet meant for the manager as he was swung about in Phillips’s at- tempt to free himself. The bullet had entered his side just be- low the ribs. A feeling of hopelessness came over the girl as she located the source of the little stream of blood. Bandages she might manage; she was familiar enough with the commoner ail- ments of the tropics to give the medicines a doctor would prescribe; she could draw a splinter or even lance a boil or a felon. And here the first case was one for the probing after a bullet, internal packing, drainings, stitchings—a regular operation. Then she braced herself. She called for help to shift the injured man’s position. If possible, she would move him nearer to the carcel’s light before attempting any bandaging at all. When her call brought no response, she called louder. Again her heart sank. Phillips’s discipline had been short-lived. Surely, if he had not lost control of his men in the excitement of chasing the doc- COMMICLOOOKS She soon discovered that he was - (C@