Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 153: what you’re looking at

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

JERRY THE SPIRITED. . 303 snow till he came to his saloon. He was wan and haggard, showing his vitality was not so great as his bulk indicated. It was long past midnight now and there were only three men in the barroom. The negro piano player was asleep up-stairs, lulled by his nightly gin. The three men were doz- ing in chairs by the big stove. Jensen kicked them awake. “Get out of here,” he said. The astonished bums got out. Jensen could make their kind afraid. ‘““Get on your clothes and go and bring Pete Thacker and Joe Higgins here,”’ he told the bartender. ‘“‘ Tell them to bring two guns apiece. Say I have work for them with good money in it.” The bartender put on his overcoat and cap. “One word more,” Jensen said. “ I’m going out to-morrow night. I won’t be back for a long time. You an’ me have been together for years. Will you run this place and keep your mouth shut while I’m gone? If you gimme a square deal, I'll make it right with you. What say?” “Tl give you a square deal,” the bar- tender promised, for he still regarded Jen- sen as a brutal master of men. “T’ll come back and cut your heart out if you don’t,” Jensen stated. When the man had gone, Jensen went up- _ stairs, taking a bottle of whisky with him. In a room at the end of the upper hall, he roused Manners. “ Get up,” he said. ‘“ Get wide awake. I want to talk to you. I got work for you. There’s trouble stirrin’, an’ lots of it.” Manners slid out of bed, shivering, and got into his clothing. Jensen gave him two drinks and then drew the bottle to his own side ‘of the table. 7 “T’ll take care of the rest of this,” he said. “You got to have a clear brain. You an’ whisky don’t agree.” He began to talk rapidly, in low tones. Jerry Donovan thought he was well ad- vised as to what Jensen planned, but he had only an inkling of it. Fear was ruling Jen- sen now. He was afraid because he thought he had brought about Jerry’s death. He was afraid of those men whom he had im- ported to aid him in robbing the pay car. He discovered at the last that he would have to do what he could for himself. He had a prevision of policemen descending upon him to lay almost any charge at his door. And because he was afraid, and because he had been drinking too much and was drinking too much, he was incompetent. CHAPTER XE. MAMIE’S SECRET. T seven o’clock the next night Jerry atrived at the station to see Mamie before he and Dayton and the men whom Dayton had selected started east. They had found out late in the after- noon that the pay car would lie over for the night at Harpersville, a hundred miles to the east. Usually the car had been able to make the end of the subdivision by night, but, together with all other trains, it had been delaved. The snow which had begun the night be- fore was still falling. The temperature had dropped, and there was a whistling wind. Instead of big, soft flakes, the snow was now driving down the wind in icy pellets. The elements were favoring the men who sought to rob the car. It would be much easier and safer to get into the car at Har- persville than in the yards at the other terminal. Only the paymaster and his as- sistant and the negro porter would be in it. At the terminal there would have been yardmen and switching crews and the office force in the despatchers’ room. The falling snow would also enable the men to move about without being seen. They could descend upon the car after its occupants had gone to sleep, break into it, and cover those inside with their guns al- most before they were sufficiently awake to realize what was happening. However, the snow would also shield the railroad men who were going to prevent the robbery. They could hide in the vicinity of the car with little peril of discovery. Jerry and Dayton had made all their plans that day. They intended to drive over to the next station at eight o’clock and board an eastbound passenger train there. COMmicloooks (C@