Argosy, Vol. 112, No. 2 — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

THE SINGLE TRACK. © 293 her off, as sure as you’re born, and when you come. down this mornin’, Miss Jane, me and the store would ’ve been out in the middle of the bay; what was left of us, that is.” ‘But the watchman!” Jane stammered. ‘“ Where was he?”’ 3 ‘Snorin’ like a bull alongside the third pocket. Said he only took one nip out of his flask, though even that ain’t allowable, of course, and just keeled over. Looks like he was tellin’ the truth, too, for when the doc examined his flask there wasn’t more ’n one drink gone out of it, but the red-eye that was left was doped for fair: somebody must have got at it in the bunk-house and there don’t any Unatika fellers dast poke their noses in there.” “One of our own men!” Jane exclaimed. It was on the tip of her tongue to mention the one she had seen skulking about on the previous afternoon, but she thought better of it. Hoyt had known, and he had not taken the loyal but garrulous little store- keeper into his confidence. “Td like to get my hands on him!” Jud erowled. “ It’s bad enough to have a bunch of ornery coyotes like that other gang hang- in’ around to run us out of town, without a skunk in our own yard! When they find him the boys will just about eat him alive!” Still voicing his wrath, he turned the books over to his assistant, and went to the mess-house for breakfast, and when the morning shift changed and the men came drifting in for tobacco and soap, Jane scru- tinized each face carefully as she waited upon them, but the swarthy, sunken-eyed lounger of the wharf did not put in an ap- pearance. There were so many who did resemble him, however, that she despaired more than ever of being able to point him out, and as the mornimg wore on she felt a sense of de- jection and discouragement stealing over her. To have seen the man and not be able to identify him had not been of much service to Barney Hoyt, after all, or surely he would have come in to tell her so, no matter now busy he might be. All unconsciously she watched the door, but only the track-layers and road-builders of the last shift came for supplies, and when Jud relieved her she went slowly home to dinner through the everlasting drizzle with a sense of disappointment which she would not admit even to herself. After all, she was only masquerading up here. In a month or two, if the road went through, she would go back and be Janetta Gildersleeve once more, and dance and play bridge and drive her car and forget that there was such a hateful, rainy, lonesome place as Katalak on the map! Why should it matter to her whether this young engi- neer, this hireling of hers and her brother’s came to thank her for warning him of the man on the wharf or not? She had not done it for him, thank goodness, but for herself and Ollie, to protect their own in- terests. Why was she so silly as to bother about him anyway? She found the midday meal, which in courtesy they called dinner, only half cooked, and Peddar in a sadly agitated condition. ‘“Oh, miss, there’s been a man here to see you, a horrible person, if you don’t mind my saying so.” When they were alone together Peddar frequently reverted to the original status which had existed between them in more normal days, and although the girl usually corrected him sharply to keep him in prac- tise, she had not the heart to do so now at sight of his perturbed face. “Who was it, Peddar? Don’t rattle the stove-lids like that!” ‘““T don’t know, miss, but he said he was a friend of yours, and he asked me ques- tions that I wouldn’t have answered if I could; I’d call them personal even up here, miss.’’ Peddar’s tone trembled with indig- nation. “As for the stove-lids, I’m that shaky I can hardly hold them! He came in and sat down without being. invited, and when he saw that you wasn’t here and he couldn’t get anything out of me—for I as much as up and told him to go at last—he turned ugly.” Jane felt an odd, sinking feeling in her breast, but she would not for worlds have let Peddar know the premonition which his words had brought to her mind. (To be continued NEXT WEEK.) Comicbooks.com —