Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

68 of apron and now slumped heavily onto a stool. The wretch who had attacked Amy on the road edged nearer the door. “You think to have revenge, do you not?” began Amy. ‘ And for what? Fora man’s having the courage to uphold his rights when you stole from him.’ She paused dramatically. ‘‘ Stole from him, I say. Do you hear? I am not afraid, you see, to call things by their right names.” Black Pete growled sullenly. “Only a few sticks of that good-for-noth- ing wood,” he objected. “It was little enough to ask.” “Did not monsieur tell you the wood was not common fire-wood?” An _ unbroken silence followed the question. ‘Did not monsieur also tell you that the wood was precious—that it cost much money?” Again no answer. | ‘Did not monsieur,” pursued Amy, “‘tell you still another thing—that it came from a far-away southern country—Honduras by name?” The dogged silence continued. ‘“Ah, you do not answer me!” went on Amy. “ You know well he told you all these things. But one thing he did not tell you. That was his secret and mine. I am going to tell it to you now. You may not listen. You may not believe. You may still carry out your threat and—and—k- kill my hufband. But don’t think for a minute your revenge will be the only one. A worse revenge, more horrible than you can imagine, will fall on your own heads.” An unintelligible mutter greeted the threatening words. Black Pete tried to throw off his anxiety with a contemptuous laugh, but it was hollow and unconvincing. One man stealthily made the sign of the cross. “‘ Monsieur told you, as I have said,” continued Amy, “ that the wood was rare, that it was costly, that it had to be brought from a long distance. All true. But what he kept back was this ”—her voice dropped to a suitable melodramatic whisper—‘ the wood is also magic.” Five pairs of startled, credulous eyes were turned upon her. “Yes, magic,” she repeated, answering the unspoken questions of her auditors. “You wouldn’t think so to merely look at THE ARGOSY. it or to handle it.” She held the stick forward that they might investigate. By a common impulse the group fell back. ‘So we will put it to the test,” she said, ‘“which is this. Where there is crime, the wood bleeds in the presence of the guilty ones. In Honduras they call it the Red Curse. And the sight of the Red Curse “means that the blood the criminals have shed will cry out until ‘their own blood is shed. Not right away, perhaps, but in time—yes. Not one of you ’’—she singled out each swarthy face in turn with a search- ing, stony glance—“ will live to die a nat- ural death in his bed. You can travel to the ends of the earth, but the curse will follow you. So, take care. Think well be- fore you do this thing you have in mind.” Black Pete managed to pull himself to- gether. He was not in the habit of being frightened easily. He was the leader of the band, and he knew full well that unless he took a stand at once, his prestige would disappear forever. And this prestige— though he did not call it by that name— was the thing he lived by. “ Madame talks—talks—talks,” he flung out with an air of bravado. ‘“ That is all. Why does she not show that she speaks true?” ‘That is just what I’m coming to,” promptly returned Amy. ‘“ The charm comes first.” _ She closed her eyes. In vain she tried to recall some appropriate rime that would answer the purpose. None came. The only thing that entered her head were the simple lines that dated from childhood days: | Starlight—star bright— First star I've seen to-night! Wish I may, wish I might Have the wish I wish to-night. ‘““Never mind,” the swift thought ran through her head, “ that will do as well as anything if I repeat it under my breath.” So, in an attitude of solemn detachment almost as if at prayer, she repeated the nursery formula. The Canuck Gulch squatters followed her moving lips with awe-stricken attention. | Aloud, Amy next called out: “ One—two’ —three.”’ Then, holding the logwood stick GOMIIG OOO S (C@