Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 13, 1925 — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

O10 ‘No,’ whispered Bud. ‘ Wait!” They waited and saw the man open the door of the office building and disappcar from the purple shadowed streets. As this wayfarer with the bandanna handkerchief disappeared from Bud Halli- day’s view he automatically appeared to the view of the little company within the cage. He appeared in the form of a sil- houette, outlined against the violet back- ground of the night. Then the door closed and he disappeared. As the blackness regained its sway with- in the room, Marion suppressed a gasp of overwhelming excitement and of doubt, She knew; she felt sure she knew; and yet, sup- posing something went wrong? Suppose the superb self-confidence of Fenton failed him in the crucial moment! Suppose there was gunplay! Fighting! She had brought her father into this. Suppose he, in his splendid spirit of a bygone age, should fight! She was filled with doubt and fear as she heard the gate click. The intruder had en- tered the cage. Then: “ Stick up your hands! The game is up!” It was the superb, icy cool voice of J’en- ton; and swiftly the bght went up. She saw a slight figure, a man with a blue handkerchief across his eyes. He had ad- vanced to the desk where the lamp was, and for an instant laid down his gun, intent upon lighting the lamp. It must have been at that instant that Fenton had shipped upon him from behind, covered him, caught him red handed, and himself turned up the lamp which had not been totally extin- euished. Fenton looked very fine, impvessively commanding as he stood there controlling the situation, and Marion could not with- hold her admiration. For that matter, neither could the men who leaped forth from all corners of the stage, their weapons alert to exact from the intruder the utter- most penalty should he resist. But he did not resist. When Fenton whipped his gun from the table and the handkerchief from his eyes, the intruder only smiled. Then Fenton turned to the company behind him. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. * Put up your guns, gentlemen,” he said, as he poked the unmasked bandit lightly in the ribs with his weapon. “I think I have him in control.” There was an instant then when the muz- zle of every gun wavered and dropped. In that instant Fenton had magically changed. After the manner of a protean actor, he took upon himself a voice of steel and he leveled the two guns which he held in two unwavering hands. He leveled them upon Grover, Mason, Hedge, and all their men. “Stick up your hands, gentlemen!” he ordered. “ Quick!” And because of the metallic tinkle of his voice they obeyed, knowing what he meant. ‘““ Drop those guns!” Grover cursed vividly, but his gun dropped to the floor, and every other gun save Fenton’s followed it. No man there needed prompting before the clangor of that voice. “You're Conway?” rumbled Grover. “ Black Conway,’ grinned Fenton. “Jimmy, pick up those guns.” The intruder, now identified, coolly made his rounds, and under the muzzle of Fen- ton’s weapon collected all the weapons that had been dropped. Moreover, he searched the fuming guardians of the pay roll. ‘“ Now take him over and get into that safe,” directed Fenton. He indicated Hedge with the barrel of one gun; and Jimmy, armed with pockets bulging and a gun in each hand, urged the superintendent toward the safe. ‘“] know him!” swore old Grover, as he watched the apt Jimmy make Hedge work fast upon the combination. “‘ He works at Harker’s livery.” ‘“ Sure,” smiled Fenton. “‘ But don’t make all that noise again. You look prettier when you're silent.” Then after a pause he made conversation for them, but held it strictly one sided by dint of a waving gun in the direction of any mouth that opened. ‘‘ Jim’s been a great help,” he explained. “Jt was hard to keep posted way out there at the old Peabody Mine.” Then, again: ‘“ Mavbe vou recognize the voice I’m using now. It's my own. That was a hard bit, changing around my voice. Hurry up, Jim.” cCOmiclbool. CO