Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

JERRY THE SPIRITED. He became the hard-hitting man he had been before he had adopted his new policy. He walked rapidly toward Jensen’s. Before he got there, he stepped into a doorway, out of the snow, and made sure that his re- volver was in good working order. He did not care now whether Jensen dis- covered that he was alive or not. The game had gone so far that he supposed it would make no difference. had abducted Mamie before inj have told Jensen that they had seen hire: At Jensen’s he cast aside hesitation and threw open the door. He strode boldly across the room to the bar. On all sides of him there were exclamations of astonish- ment. The bartenders stopped wiping elasses to stare at him in undisguised dis- may and complete bewilderment. “ Gawd, I thought you was dead,” one muttered. “Tm not,” Jensen?” “He ain’t been here this afternoon,” the man said. ‘“ He said he was going away for a few cays.” = Jerry stared into the man’s eyes, but he found no deceit there. Jerry’s sudden ap- pearance seemed to have startled the truth out of him. “Come out in the hall a minute,” said. The bartender followed him into the hall obediently. Jerry thrust his gun Jnto the pit of the man’s stomach. “ Do you know where Jensen went?” he asked. The man took one look at Jerry’s hard. determined face. “T don’t,” he protested. ‘He just said he was going away for a while.” “‘Where’s the man that calls himself Manners?” Hesitation flickered into the man’s eyes. The eyes wavered beneath Jerry’s stare. “Vou know something about Manners,” Jerry said. “I'll give you about five sec- onds to tell me where he is, if you know.” He pressed on the gun till it bored into the man’s fat. Jerry snapped. ‘“ Where’s Jerry ‘“Manners was here this afternoon and | last night,” the man whispered. “‘ Him and Jensen had a long talk. I don’t know what 10 Arcosy Besides, the man who - 305 it was about, but Jensen’d let Manners have only two drinks and told him he’d take his hide off if he took any more till he got his work done.” ‘“ Did either of them say anything about a gitrl—a Miss McBride?” Jerry demanded. ‘“ Not a word.” “ Careful!” ‘Hones’ to Gawd, not a word, Dono- van,” the man declared. In the fear ‘that was coming to him he volunteered: ‘“ The on’y thing that Jensen said was to tell the liveryman to charge the rig to him. I s’pose Manners was goin’ to get a rig to go some place.” “All right,” Jerry said. “Don’t you breathe a word about this talk to anybody, or Jensen will have to hunt a new bartender before the night is over. Get me?” “TI understand,” replied the thoroughly frightened dispenser of drinks. Jerry slipped out the side door and went ° to the street. He started for the livery- stable on arun. Every second was precious to him now. If Manners had abducted Mamie, he might take her out of town and turn her over to Jensen-if Jensen escaped when the sia robbery was attempted. In the livery-stable he found only the hostler. | ‘How many rigs have you got out?” he asked the man. ‘ There’s two out,” the man said. ‘“ One _went before I come to work, and the other a little bit before seven o’clock.” “Who got the second one?”’ ‘“T didn’t know him.” “What ’d he say?” 7 “Well,” said the hostler, “you don’t own this here barn and the horses, do you? What right you got to shoot all these here questions at me?” _ The hostler was a little gray man with a defiant eye. He didn’t look as if he would scare easily. Jerry pulled a five- dollar bill from his pocket. ‘“T just want about five dollars’ worth of information to keep to myself,” he said. “Can I get it?” The hostler pocketed the bill. ‘All he said was that he wanted a car- — riage for about an hour and to charge the bill to Sven Jensen.” comiesooks CO!