The Argosy, March 1907 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

692 ‘“Darned near everybody else does,” Sherwood muttered. ‘But do you?” “Tt’s the way you've acted, and “Do you?” The sheriff turned and faced him with a grim little smile. ‘ Bert,” he said, “if you want the truth, I don’t! I couldn’t believe your father’s son guilty.” “ Then why s “Why did I chase you?’”’ Sherwood broke in sharply. ‘“ Because it’s the law and my sworn duty, and even friend- ship don’t count when these things come up ! ? “TI know, but aS The sheriff waited for him to finish. Radford, apparently, had nothing more to say. The former went on, more gently: ‘You've given yourself the worst sort of black eye, Bert. Innocent men don’t run away from justice, as a rule, no matter how bad things may look against them.” “They do when it’s the only chance they have to vindicate themselves, Sher- wood!” the druggist cried. “ This man—Catterson’s his name, real or as- sumed, by the way—killed Bandmann. Until I bring him back and make him confess or—or have him where we want him until we have a chance to look him up, well, what chance fave I got?” ‘““Not much, Bert,” Sherwood mut- tered. ‘‘ What chance have you got to get him, though?” “TI was face td face with him last night! He took me off my guard and knocked my senses out, but—I’ll get him yet!” The sheriff twiddled his thumbs. ‘““T’d deduced as much from what I heard at Dunn’s when I landed there this morning. However—he’s gone now, I take it?” ce Yes.” “Therefore ”—Sherwood straightened up—‘‘there’s only one thing left, boy. You'll have to come back with me now and face the music! Ready?” “With even my own brother against me?” Radford cried forlornly. ‘ Sher- wood, whatever turned Bob?” “T dunno, son. Maybe—I dunno.” ‘Don’t know what?” 9 THE ARGOSY. “There was three or four strangers around the Mews office when I left Bondville, early yesterday morning, Bert. Bob and that young chap o’ his were talking to them. They—they may have changed his opinions.”’ Radford swallowed hard and was si- lent. It seemed incredible, yet—there was the paper, still in the dust at his feet! Something choked him and choked hard. He looked steadily at the hot ground, while Sherwood waited. Minutes passed, and more minutes, and still Radford made no move. The sheriff, at last, straightened up abruptly. ‘Come along, boy.” | ‘ Bondville?’”’ Radford asked dully. ‘-There’s no help for it. I’ve got a warrant for your arrest right here in my pocket, Bert. Want to see it?” ‘No, but——” Radford found him- self shuddering’ a little. He gathered himself and turned swiftly to the sheriff : ‘Phil Sherwood, I’ve heard you say, time and again, that you owed a big debt of gratitude to my father! ”’ “It’s the truest word you ever heard.’ ‘And you never succeeded in pay- ing it off—that, you said, was one reason why you tipped me off.” “It was a thing I never expected you to take advantage of as you did, Bert,” the sheriff murmured. ‘Even so—let it go at that,” the druggist hurried on. ‘ You can have the chance now to square all accounts!” ee Eh?P 9 ‘ ‘Let me escape! ”’ Sherwood’s grizzled head was raised suddenly and the hard features were turned on Radford. | ‘Boy, do you know what ye’re say- ing?” Pes, < ‘ You’re asking me to turn tail on the duty I’m paid to do—the duty I’ve sworn to do! have asked that of me “He would under the circum- stances!” Radford cried earnestly; “he’d ask it of you now if he was here to do it! Oh, I know what you're go- ing to say—that it would disgrace you forever to let me escape, when once you’d caught up with me! It wouldn’t, I tell you! It’d be blood on your head if you took me back and I was convicted and {? GEomichbooks.co Your own father wouldn’t m