Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

206 harsh command followed by a loud knock- ing at the door. One swift look round to see that every- thing was all right—that the door at the far end of the room was closed—then Katje Seated herself before the fire and called lazily: “Come in.” The door opened, slowly, and after a little delay the muzzle of a revolver ap- peared, and then the hand holding the re- volver; finally Smithers stepped into full sight, and, taking cover behind him, the fat, roly-poly Isaacs. ‘“So you are all alone, Katie,” Smithers said sourly. ‘“ And all dressed up.” ‘“T always dress up at night,” she an- swered coolly. ‘‘ What do you want?” “ That’s a nice question, ain’t it?” Isaacs asked, coming from behind Smithers. ‘“ We have come to warn you, my girl.” He shook a fat finger at Katje. ‘‘ You'll go to prison, yes, if you are not careful.” Smithers put his revolver back in its hol- ster and swaggered up to the girl’s chair. ‘““You’re looking very pretty, Katie,” he said with a mocking bow. “ Give me a kiss.” 3 “What do you want?” she repeated. “A few words with you, my dear.” Isaacs leered at her, rubbing his plump white hands together. “About the claim, you know,” he con- tinued. ‘‘ You haven’t been nice about that. You have fooled us, yes. All this way we have come to go prospecting, and no gold is there.” She looked at him in innocent surprise. “Why, of course not. You told me that the land was worthless and—”’ “That’s enough of that,” Smithers snarled. ‘‘ You are not such a fool as you would have us believe. We are here now to get the land we paid for—the land on which you found that quartz. We want the reef, and if you don’t tell us where it is—why, we'll treat you a damned sight worse than we treated your father. See?” His jaw stuck out menacingly, and she shrank ever so slightly from him. “Why,” she exclaimed, “ what do you mean? I don’t understand. I thought you were father’s friends—that you were my ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. friends.” Then she laughed—a frightened little laugh which broke like a child’s whose tears are always near to laughter. “TI see; you are just pretending. You are my friends, aren’t you?” “Yes, my dear,” Isaacs said smoothly, and spread his fat, chubby fingers to the warmth of the fire; the diamonds on them reflected its glow in little pinpoints of blood- red flame. ‘‘ Yes,” he continued, “‘ we are your friends if you are our friends. Fifty~ fifty—that’s a fair enough business propo- sition, ain’t it? So be a good girl and tell us where the reef is.” ‘“ T—I don’t know.” Smithers smiled sardonically. “You're a liar,” he said roughly. “ But we are going to stay here until we find out. And we're not going to look for it, either. You are going to tell us where that reef is.” She did not speak, and Isaacs took up the burden of the conversation again. “Yes, my dear,” he said, and his voice was oily, mock-paternal, but his eyes glinted avariciously. ‘“ You must tell us where the reef is, so that we can start men working on it. If you don’t tell us, you'll be a swindler and a cheat. So you will tell us, not? That will be nice for us all. Perhaps we will give you a little present—a hun- dred pounds, eh, Smithers?” “Two hundred if she speaks quickly. Hell, if she keeps us here much longer.” Isaacs beamed. “There. Ain’t he generous, my dear? Ever so much more generous than you de- serve. But if you’re a good girl and speak pretty, IH give you another hundred pounds out of my own pocket. What do you think of that? Nice, ain’t I?” He leaned toward her. “ Come now, tell old Isaacs where it is?” “No,” she said flatly, “‘ I won’t tell you.” Smithers moved impatiently, but Isaacs put out a restraining hand. ‘There was a suggestion of menace in his voice when he spoke again. “You had better tell us, my dear. We are both very busy men. We can’t waste time talking to a silly girl. We want to be good friends, but ”—he shrugged his shoul- ders—‘ you see there’s two of us, and we’re armed, an’ we’ve got fifty blacks outside— CORMICLOO© SS (C@