Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 3 — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

THE TORCH. ‘And what a day it will be,” declared the weaver ecstatically. “I don’t mind saying I’ve got my eye already on a certain tower where the loot is going to make a rich man of me—”’ “No better than mine, the place I choose,” chuckled the armorer. “ There’s fine stuff there will be ready for the taking —and a certain woman, a High-born, mind you. I’ve marked her for mine—”’ ‘“Not so fine as the one I’ve chosen,” boasted the weaver. ‘‘ Loot, eh, comrades? That makes your eyes bright! You say soP”’ “ Here, here,” growled Shard anxiously, - “we'll have to keep order, you know— keep discipline till the job’s done and we’ve set up government.” “No looting,” murmured ‘Tringe, shak- ing his head. “‘ Let the Folk dispose. There must be government—”’ Kinst nodded sagely. “Well, government surely,” the weaver agreed. ‘‘ That’s all right, and none will obey quicker than I, but mean time, for that little space when the Tower People go down and the air is filled with the dust of their fall—ah, a wise man can do much then!” “J know one wise man who can,” the armorer agreed, laughing. “JT don’t like that weaver, nor that armorer. They talk too much of looting.” Shard made his complaint to Tringe as they were taking their way back to the Isle of the Great Woman. “Nor I,” Tringe agreed. ‘ Yet where there are many men you'll find many no- tions. Freedom! None of us quite agree what it will bring, my friend. One talks of taking a tower for his own; another of drinking all the wine he can hold; another of a woman. Kinst sees his son born into a better world; you grumble about a field to plant and have for your own; and I? Well, I’m not sure just what I'll have— a better place to put my workshop, I think, None of us see the thing alike—” “Will we ever agree, then?” the giant gloomed. “No, but there’s one- blessing on our causé—” “And that?” All ‘¢ A man to lead us wise enough to choose the right path and strong enough to keep our feet from straying—we have Zorn.” “Gods be thanked.” ‘* Amen to that,” nodded Tringe. So the month of June passed on. The Directorate buzzed with secret ac- tivity. Wolff’s adherents and powerful friends met in counsel, and preparations began to gather the armed forces necessary to check rebellion. Alda’s white cheeks began to borrow the color of excitement as she planned and di- rected in anticipation of triumph. And in the tunnels of the Under City, wherever the Folk gathered by night, sped the whispers of hope. June ended and July came in. With it . came definite word of the great meeting. From mouth to mouth instructions passed. Men were named to lead the delegations to the secret place chosen by Zorn, From hand to hand passed the little metal torches Kinst was fashioning, talis- mans of freedom. And wherever they passed they kindled a spark in hearts long cold. Men were ready now to believe. After generations of darkness; when the dream itself had almost passed; emerging from the mists that veiled the time before the Great Catastrophe, came the Torch, The fabled symbol of freedom—the sym- bol that legend said once was held aloft by the Great Woman of the Isle, had re-. turned to despondent men. The Torch would burn! Already thousands of eager eyes watched for its flame. CHAPTER XII. THE BLACK MORNING. N the West Side of Manhattan, in what must have been in its time the most crowded district of the ancient New York, stood a huge ruin of gray stone, almost entirely obliterated by the jungle growth. It had been one of the great train stations of the ancients. Against this massive structure, built se that it would seem that time itself could CORMIGLOO© S (G (C@