Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

294 pointed at the door, questioning her thus silently as to the number of men in the other room. She understood and nodded. Jerry held up his three fingers again, pointed to himself, and nodded at the crouching men beneath him. Again Mamie nodded understandingly. Jerry wished to convey a further mes- sage of assurance to her, but he dared not speak. _ He fumbled in his pockets and found a scrap of paper and a stub of lead- pencil. He wrote: Don’t be afraid. We'll have you out in a minute. If you hear a noise in the room beyond, don’t pay any attention to it. Are you all right? He held this against the pane till she had read it and once more she inclined her head. Jerry put his fingers to his lips and tossed a kiss to her, and she smiled down at him, He knew that he had lent courage to her and he wished to act while she profited by it. He stooped to Dayton and Pat and whispered to them to follow him. They tiptoed around the corner of the building and came out in front of it. A light was burning in a lamp which hung down from the ceiling. The three men were sitting about a table beneath the light. They had a bottle of whisky and glasses. As Jerry stared into the room, they poured and drank, Then they leaned to- gether and began to talk. Jerry observed that the hands of all of them were above the table. There was no weapon in sight. The men apparently felt so secure that they had not thought it necessary to have revolvers handy. ‘We'll creep up on the porch and throw the door open,” Jerry said. “‘ There’s a bare chance that it will be locked, though I don’t think so. Those fellows don’t be- lieve there’s anybody within a mile of them that will bother them. If the door is locked, be ready to put your shoulder to it with me, Jim.” “Go ahead,” Dayton said. They stepped up on the porch, keeping out of the light which came from the win- dows. Jerry put his hand on the knob of the door when they gained it and turned it slowly and softly. When he knew the THE ARGOSY. latch was out of the lock, he pushed against the door. It gave immediately, and he threw it wide and leaped into the room. Dayton and Lavin were just behind him. The startled men at the table reached behind them, seeking hip-pockets. “ The first man that makes a move except as I tell him gets bored!” Jerry said. He stood just within the door, a tall, erect figure. His face was a little pale from his recent illness, but the hand that held the big revolver was as steady as if it had been the hand of a statue. “Up with your hands!” he commanded. “ You ”—indicating a man at the far end of the table—‘ if you push that hand one inch nearer your pocket, [ll drill you! Three pairs of hands went aloft. The man nearest Jerry stared at him with sud- den incredulity. ‘“ Good. Gawd!” he said. “It’s that fel- ler Donovan. I thought you was dead!” “Ah!” said Jerry softly. ‘“ You’re the lads that threw me into the river, are you?” “ We didn’t,” they chorused. A smile as hard and cold as ice twisted at Jerry’s lips. He moved his revolver’ so that it covered the breast of the man who had recognized him. -“ T remember your voice,” he said. “ You spoke to Jensen in the boathouse. You tried to kill me. I don’t know of any reason why I shouldn’t kill you. Do you?” ‘JT never dumped you into the river,”’ the man declared. Beneath his cropped, black hair nS face had become the color of moldy paste. His lips had dropped apart as he labored for ‘his breath, and his broken, decayed teeth were revealed. “You're a bird of pretty plumage, ain’t your” Jerry sneered. “ Get to your feet.” ae man rose on trembling legs. ‘“ Move away from the table.” , The man obeyed, but he broke out: ““ For Gawd’s sake, man, you ain’t goin’ to shoot me, are you? You ain’t goin’ to murder me in cold blood, are you?” Jerry surveyed him with a cold and cal- culating eye. “Tt all depends on what you say when I question you,” Jerry said. “If you tell CORMICLOOOKS (C@