Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

THE LIGHT IN THE CABIN. assisting him to escape the law, to cheat it as he had done so many times before. To Rork’s warped sense of humor it was a rare bit of irony. He chuckled again and then he laughed aloud. Crazy Preacher Job saving the Killer! Haw! He, Rork, would have a good bit of fun out of it, too. And if the old man got funny he’d just hand him a few doses of hot lead before he left. With renewed energy Rork kicked his way through the drifts to the cabin. With a hamlike fist he thundered a summons on the door. ‘“‘ Hey, old man, open up an’ do it dam’ quick,” he bawled above the storm. He waited for an answering hail from within the cabin. None came. Nor any sound that denoted the presence of a human being. Steve Rork was not one to stand on ceremony. Fumbling in the darkness he found the latch and lifted it. A mighty blast of wind tore the door from his grasp, whipped it open with a crash and flung him headlong into the room. Only by a superhuman effort was he able to swing the heavy planks on their hinges. Exercising every ounce of his brute strength he forced the portal slowly against the gale and shot the bolt. And then he turned. In his varied career Steve Rork had been in many strange places. Some of them passing strange. But never had he seen anything so strikingly grotesque as this long room in which he now found himself. From the farther end a leaping log fire threw a weird, flickering light over the rough walls, lighting up now this corner, now that. The cabin itself was better built than is usual, the logs having been pains- takingly hewn square and laid flat together. It was this rough hewn surface that pre- sented such a bizzare appearance. The entire interior of the cabin, includ- ing even rafters and roof boards, was cov- ered with a hodge-podge of queer lettering ~—biblical quotations and allusions of every conceivable sort. EEmblazoned on the dark walls in letters of shining white they marched up and down and across in bold relief. Nor did they stop at the walls, but 947 reaching out they encompassed the very rafters and straggled across the roof boards at every possible angle. There was neither rime or rhythm in the arrangement of this crude lettering. One burning exhortation might preserve some semblance of the horizontal while the next would start out at an impossible angle and end in a flourishing reverse curve. Only one rule was observed—every single square inch had been utilized; no available space was without its righteous command. There seemed to be no continuity or plan to this wholesale signboard of the gospel. “Jesus Saves” marched alongside “ Hell Calls.” “ Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself ” held close communion with ‘‘ The Times Be Evil.” In a far corner “‘ God Is Love” jousted at an acute angle with “ Vengeance Is Mine.” Perhaps the space over the fireplace pre- sented the most striking appearance. In huge letters more than a foot in height the two words “ Jesus Saves,” had been crudely worked out by nailing short sections of tree branches to the logs. In each case the “S ” was reversed. Painted white and opposing each other at ludicrous angles these jagged letters caught and held a sententious maxim that instead of being hopeful and calm in its sentiment seemed in its harsh surround- ings to be grim and foreboding. As if to accentuate this impression directly beneath the rustic motto on the wide stone mantel three grinning skulls in a row held silent watch over the ghostly flames. Steve Rork was too insensible to the ordinary gravities of life to be easily affec- ted, but this fantastic scene produced a tumult that still further unsteadied his al- ready shaking nerves. In his entire make- up there was not a whit of religion or respect for the cloth, yet now he experienced a sense of dread that was inexplicable but none the less potent. This increased as his eves swiftly swept the room. When they encountered the crude motto above the mantel and then came to rest on the grinning skulls he shuddered. Then for the first time he became aware of another persoi. present. A man stood in the doorway to the right of the fireplace, COMED OOo! S (©