The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

270 “What does this mean??” he. cried, “How dare they leave me like this with- out one word of explanation?” ‘“Me no know,” replied Suka. ‘‘ Velle strange.” “The strangest part of the whole af- fair,’ went on Harvey, “ is the fact that I didn’t hear a sound to make me sus- picious that anything unusual was going on.” He ran up a window shade. blackness rewarded him. Evidently they were in the midst of nowhere. ‘““T wonder if we somewhere near dat place I read— Green Gap,” ventured Suka. “Green Gap, nothing,’ replied Har- vey. ‘It looks to me as if we were miles from civilization. There would be a dis- tant light somewhere if we weren’t.” “Well, well,” suggested Suka. “I think best thing to do is Mr. Bowyer get dressed.” “ Bully idea,” exclaimed Harvey as he glanced at his present attire. “ Get my things quickly, Suka.” The valet hustled about and soon as- sisted his master into his street clothes. “By the way,” said Harvey, stopping suddenly as he was about to put on his coat. ‘What about my _ valuables? Suppose I had been robbed! ‘That would account for everything.” The two made a hasty search, but found that everything was in its accus- tomed place. The young millionaire possessed all sorts of expensive trinkets, besides a big roll of bills such as no self respecting highwayman would spurn. “Tt wasn’t robbery,” asserted Bowyer in tones of conviction. “‘ What was it then?” He thought for a moment. “Come, Suka,” he said. ‘“ Bring the light. We will go outside and see why we are at a standstill.’ ‘“ But, Mistah Bowyer. Be careful,” pleaded the Jap. ‘‘ Do not go. Maybe you get kill.” Inky THE ARGOSY. “Nonsense,” replied Bowyer bravely. ‘“T’m going to solve this mystery even if I do get killed.” CHAPTER V. WORSE, AND MORE OF IT. AUTIOUSLY the millionaire, fol- lowed by his valet, made his way to the outer door. Suka carried the light, which fortu- nately for them had had its battery re- plenished just prior to starting on the trip. Without its aid they would have been compelled to wait until morning before making an investigation. Bowyer looked at his watch. nearly three o’clock. “Tt won’t be long until daylight,” he muttered with some satisfaction. ‘“ Now let’s have the light, Suka,” he ordered when he had reached the vesti- bule leading to the next car. ‘““ Why, it’s gone!” he added in amaze- ment. “Who gone?” asked Suka. “The rest of the train.” The valet laughed good-naturedly. ‘Qh, don’t you worry, Mistah Bow- yer,” he advised. ‘‘ They not gone. Tha’s jus’ one leetle joke.” “What do you mean, Suka?” demand- ed Harvey, a faint hope beginning to stir within his breast. ‘“‘ Jus’ one leetle joke,” repeated the valet. “Tt doesn’t look much like a joke to me,” said Harvey. : ‘““Haven’t you seen the train when it leave and then it come back, puff, puff, and catch on again, an’ off we all go?” “Oh, no, Suka,” said Harvey. “I know what you mean. But it isn’t so in this case. They’ve left us here for good. Come to think of it we must have been standing here for a long time. It was on account of the noise of the train that I was unable to sleep. So, I suppose that I did at last get to sleep just about the time we stopped. That accounts for it. It was COMICOOOkK ’ (C©@