Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

JERRY THE SPIRITED. He was stopped by the cold muzzle of a revolver being pressed against his temple. He looked up. The leader of the criminals was stooping to him, holding a revolver in his right hand. “T told you them two things didn’t mix,” the man said in icy tones. “If you're going to do,business with us, let that fellow up and get him an’ his friends out of here. If you don’t, we’re done, and when we quit we'll have a little bill to collect from you for our treuble.” This was Jensen’s first association with professional criminals. Heretofore he had dealt with thugs. He saw that he was op- posed by a man of a new type, a harsh, cold, merciless man. He released his hold of the thug and got to his feet. “ Get out of here, all three of.you,” he said. “How about our money?” one had the courage to ask. “To hell with you and your money,” Jen- sen ground out. “ Go!”’ One of the men opened the door cau- tiously. He was afraid of Jensen and his companions and he was also afraid of the gang of honest men whom Dayton had conjured up as waiting outside. But they had to go and they stepped outside and closed the door. Pat and Jerry saw them. Pat took a forward step, but Jerry restrained him. He let the men get away from the building and then he ran , after them. ‘“ Just a minute,” he said briskly. The men turned. “You came within an inch of having your heads blown off when you came out of that door,” Jerry said. ‘ How did Jen- sen take the girl’s disappearance?”’ “ He’s wild,” one of the men answered. ‘“ What did he say to you?” The man rubbed his throat. “ He’d have killed me if it hadn’t been for one of them criminals he’s got in there.” “Who are they?” Jerry asked. “T never see ’em before an’ I hope to Gawd I never see ’em again.” There was no doubting his sincerity. Jerry perceived that these men had been hired by Jensen merely to kidnap Mamie. Now Jensen was through with them. — 301 ‘““Where are you going now?” Jerry asked. a ‘* We're goin’ to get out of this town as fast as we can go,” the spokesman replied. “ Don’t be around here in the morning,” Jerry said. ‘Not us,’’-they chorused, and they sped away through the snow. Jerry was sure they had had enough and he was glad to see them go. He saw that he and his friends would have all they wanted to do to concentrate on Jensen and his new associates. It was a full hour before Jensen left the club. He came out alone and hurried off. “This minute,” said old Pat, a warrior by birth, “ would be a good one to nab them fellas inside there. Me an’ you couid put the guns on them and Dayton would come hurryin’ to our aid most joyful.” “We can’t do that,” Jerry said. “ It’s not so simple. We've got to know from Dayton what they taiked about.” “Tl bet Dayton’s ears are as big as his body,” Pat said. In fifteen minutes the three men came cut. They stood in the doorway glancing abcut after the furtive manner of their kind. “Dut Pat and Jerry had withdrawn to a safe distance and the men could not see them. The men ceparted. Pat and Jerry waited. There was no light in the club now. They went up to the door and stood outside it. Dayton was alone in there, but Jerry was fast learning caution and restraint, and he wanted Dayton to make the first move. But Dayton, too, seemed to have grown cautious. He waited what seemed to Jerry a long time before he opened the door and whistled softly. Jerry whistled back and spoke Dayton’s name. Dayton stepped outside and they anoved closer to him. ‘ Coast clear?”’ Dayton asked. ‘All clear,” Jerry answered. ‘Come into my club, then,” Dayton grinned. “Come in and be my guests. We have a nice fire here.”’ “It “ll feel damn good,” Jerry said. They entered the room which Jensen and his men had lately left. For a while Jerry and Pat hugged the fire and then Jerry turned about to Dayton. CoOmmicloool< (©