Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

116 lord had attempted some mild remonstrance for having his house broken into, his guests roused from peaceful sleep, and his doors battered down. Clovelly had not the slight- est doubt that the squire, with a few weighty gold coins, could make all right and well. Medhurst was too rich to be treated like a common law-breaker. At the same instant a guarded voice panted close beside him: “Mr. Clovelly—in God’s name—off with you! I’ve hunted the place up and down—” It was Dunbar. He gasped out that he had had only a short sleep that night, awakened smelling trouble, and had gone out to saddle the horses and have them ready in case of an emergency. He had heard the disturbance—now the _ horses waited at the edge of the wood. He had “ borrowed ” a third saddle. There would be no driving in the light coach that night. ‘““Go back to the horses,’’ said Clovelly, when their location had been pointed out to him, “ and stand by. I am coming with the girl, or not at all.” There was a startled: ‘‘ Aye, aye, sir!”’ from out the darkness, and then Dunbar was gone. Clovelly instantly threw up the window while the battered door sagged at the center under the impact of the next blow. It cracked from top to bottom and plainly could not hold out against many more strokes. He was ready to enter the room and carry her away by force, but there was no need. At sight of him, she held up her hands in a mute thanksgiving and ran to the window. One frightened glance she cast toward the door; then she was outside and at his shoulder. “ Much as she loathes me and dreads me,’ thought Clovelly to himself, “ she dreads and loathes her father still more.” He helped her to the ground; at the same instant, four men turned the corner of the building at the run. He heard the girl’s moan of terror, felt her sink against him in the weakness of dismay, but he had no time to do more than close his hand strongly upon her shoul- der before the four were around them. “Who’s this?” called one, and another ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. took Clovelly by the shoulder and turned him toward the light which streamed down from the window. Clovelly struck the rude hand away. “What ails you, fool?” he shouted. “‘ The rat hasn’t come this way. Have you had a sight of him yet? Is that why you’re so hot on a trail?”’ The other replied with an oath. “T thought our fortunes were made a second ago,” he grunted. ‘“ And here’s nothing but some of the hotel’s party. But head on, friends. We may round him in later. Keep your eyes sharp. Remember that the man to seize him will never have to work again. The squire has sworn it.” They dashed away, and Clovelly felt the girl straighten beside him once more. ‘““ Brave, by the Lord!” he said as much to himself as to her. “ If you had let them see you wince an inch, they would have had us! Cecily, you should have been a soldier!” As he spoke, he was hurrying her across the field toward the place where he could already make out the glimmer of huge White Harry. But not he alone, it ap- peared, had been able to distinguish the outline of the giant stallion. The door to Cecily’s chamber had gone down at last. There was a thundering shout of rage and dismay when the empty chamber was discovered, and now the window was filled with the head and shoulders of the squire himself, crying: “Look alive on the outside! The bird has flown! The bird has flown! All the devils have come out of hell to help her! A hundred pounds cash to the first who sees them—a hundred pounds cash—!” It was a fortune, and the thought of a fortune will make men see through the very darkness itself. Some one made out the gray horse at the edge of the trees, and, of course, that color was known as the horse which Clovelly had ridden. A shout went up to tell of the discovery, like the opening bay of the hounds when they first cry on the trail, one loud cry to give the signal, and then a score of voices chiming in to take up the trail. “Run!” Clovelly pleaded to the girl. COmicloookKs (C@