Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

64 side partner in this Beach venture and if there are troubles, this member of the firm intends to share them.” Neil silently crossed to the dimmer-table. Amy blocked the way. ‘““No confidence, no eats, dear,” she in- sisted playfully. “ Better ’fess up.” ‘‘ It’s really nothing worth getting worked up over, sweetheart,” young Beach tried to reassure her. ‘“‘ Just a trifling annoyance, that’s all.” “ With your men?” “ No—outside.” “Canuck Gulch, then?” Though put in form of a question, womanly intuition sup- plied the answer before Neil had time to reply. ‘‘ Yes—the miserable squatters!” he said. ‘“‘ Great Heavens, do they think I’m made of money, I wonder? You'd think, to hear that Black Pete talk, that my sole purpose in coming to the place was to keep him and his gang supplied with fire-woed. But, by Jove, I’ve put an end to that!” Neil pushed back his chair in disgust. Answering Amy’s questions, he then went on to explain that the week before, Black Pete and two or three disreputable-looking retainers had put in an appearance at the wood-yard with a wheelbarrow and calmly demanded some logs. Upon being refused, they had grown abusive, then threatening. “Did you tell them,” interrupted Amy, ‘that it was pretty costly fire-wood they were begging? That the logwood had come a long distance, even from Central Amer- ica?” Neil nodded curtly. “Yes, and got nothing but a string of curious French oaths for my pains,” he re- plied. “ But I set my foot down just the same, I answered threat for threat. Told them I wasn’t going to be bamboozled out of my rights by any nonsense of theirs, that if they helped themselves, as they declaréd they would do, I’d see that the law took its course. Their state of mind on leaving was not what vou’d call angelic. I expected trouble. Well, I got my expect all right.” ‘““Oh!” Amy couldn’t restrain a little cry of alarm. ‘‘ They haven’t tried to lay hands on you, have they, dear?” “No,” answered Neil, grimly adding, THE ARGOSY. “not yet. But last Monday night they boldly carried away what they wanted. Tuesday night the theft was repeated, and last night they made the biggest haul of all.” “ But the night-watchman?’’ * Claims it couldn’t possibly have been going on while he was on duty. My private opinion is, though, that he didn’t care to take chances with the Canucks. One against three or four and those three or four des- perate toughs—well, it didn’t present an ex- actly agreeable situation. There was only one thing left for me to do and I’ve done it.” “Oh, what?” Amy nervously clasped and unclasped her hands in a fever of appre- henston. ‘Got out a warrant for Black Pete’s ar- rest. He’s cooling his heels in jail at this moment. I couldn’t swear to the stealing of the others, but I got the goods on him ali right. The rascal took the trouble to come around and openly flaunt his theft in my face. Boasted, too, that if I made trouble for him, he’d fix me all right. Well, my gentleman got the only answer pos- sible.”’ Amy went white. Still she tried to put into words the courage she did not feel. “You did exactly right, Neil,’ she agreed, “it was the only thing possible. We cannot go bankrupt for those creatures. 50 don’t you worry, dear. Your side part- ner isn’t going to.” But the side partner did worry, not alone that night, but every succeeding day and night for the entire length of Black Pete’s term, which was three months. In facet, she thought of little else. A bad, revengeful man was behind the bars. He had made threats—vague, it is true, but all the more disquieting on that very account. And the man against whom these threats were directed was Neil—her Neil. How could she help worry? The 9th of June—the day of Black Pete’s release—was a black date in her mental calendar, daily and nightly anticipated with sickening fear. When it finally arrived, she made one transparent excuse after another to keep her husband at home. Her eyes followed his every movement. She clung to him passionately. GoOMmicsoo SS (CO