Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

DOGGIE. astonishment. While a man could breathe twice those above and those below stood motionless: then the girl fired. Simultane- ously Tatro and Walker meited from sight —one into the library and the other down to the floor in the meager shelter of the stairs and the newel post. The front door answered to the thud of bullets and a splinter whizzed from the banisters. Si- lence, with the girl «still pointing her weapon. ‘Give me that gun and another clip of cartridges!”? demanded Doggie hoarsely. “T’ll get ’em out of here in jig time!” She turned frightened eyes toward him; and the pistol trembled in her hand. ‘“T haven’t got any more cartridges,” she whispered. ‘“ I’ve shot them all away!”’ So she was human, after all—which Dog- gie had bégun to doubt. However, that was Of little moment now: he had let him- self in for something and he knew it with a knowledge which grew more vivid to his imagination every instant. It depended mainly on luck and the temper of Mose Tatro whether he got out of that house alive—unless he wanted to run or go over to the enemy. He toek the flash-light into his own hands. ‘What will they do?” asked the girl. “Tf don’t know,” he murmured. “ What are they after?” He glimpsed her round, white arm to the elbow as she made a gesture toward the girl called Rosine. He saw now that Rosine earried a big, square leather case hugged close to her. “Some jewels,” she replied in a low voice. Them she added, as though it were an afterthought of no particular impor- tance, “ 1 am Mrs. John Gardner.” Doggie Bull took an involuntary step ‘backward: he found it a relief to lean against the wall. : So the girl for whom he had been on the point of risking his life was the wife of an- other man—the wife of a rich man, and of that same rich man whom he hated because of posted acres of woods. A hog too mean to let people hunt or fish on his land! She had made a fool of Doggie Bull— or had he made a fool of himself? He looked at her to see what it was that had 231 led him into such a scrape, and met a ques- tion in her eyes. The flash-light was sag- ging in his hand: he straightened up. ‘Are you ill?” she whispered. “No!” He-swung the light searchingly downward and revealed the head of Mose Tatro peering out of the library doorway. Mose was taking a chance. ‘Get out of sight or Ill drill a hole in you!” yelled Doggie. But Mose remained where he was, looking steadily up into the light. ‘Why don’t you take a shot now, Dog- gie?” he asked grimly. ‘I guess most likely something’s happened to your gun, ain’t it?” ” ‘Come on and find out!” ‘* We’re coming, all right!” Tatro, hold- ing himself poised for a leap backward if his guess should prove incorrect, stepped full into the hallway. “ Get up, Turkey! You ain’t in no danger of dying to-night!” Walker’s puffed lip appeared over the top of the banisters. He blinked at the group at the head of the stairs. “I told you we’d ought to brought a revolver, Mose!” he complained. “Shut up, you rummy!” commanded Tatro. ‘“ How did I know Bull was going to make a sucker of himself?” But Doggie had not yet decided to make a sucker of himself. He had, as a matter of fact, almost decided to bolt out of the back door and let the situation take care of itseli—let Mrs. John Gardner and the pretty girl she called Rosine take care of themselves. Why should he risk his. life to save jewelry that Gardner’s money had bought? Risking his life. was exactly what it amounted to. Of Turkey Walker he had no fear. But Mose Tatro was a sinister enemy. Doggie had always tacitly acknowl- edged Tatro to be the better man in a fight, as had many another husky man of the neighborhood. Moreover, he was capa- ble of pretty nearly anything. Bull felt certain that Mose would not hesitate to kill the three of them if that seemed the best way to cover up his trail, and he weuld not be pressing the robbery to a finish if the booty were not worth all that he had to risk. The best the defender COPMIEOOOKS (C@