Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

Tht * Hy lc -_ ee I thrilled ‘Ss # eat around it. He seemed the *n he turned and, slowly eross- >, looking neither to right nor the stairs out of our ~UIGeU > ‘an d done what he thought was best, x done it, had withdrawn imme- sly from further participation in the y have been the absence of his dom- 3 per sonality, or the grasp of my hand "ge 5 little metal cylinder, but now I a ar = wed sense of responsibility, and ta feeling of power that swept aside subts and all fears. Now I could com- yon guide and control, the destiny is nation, and could, thank God, save v1 wn world. ; Mi a,” I said, “‘ tell the queen her son be king. I am about to proclaim him 2 the people, and I, as regent, will Tel her that, and bring him here now = “i ¥ - ( a made no answer, save a slight Seaton Caf her head. But I saw that 1ac d recovered composure. She pushed 3 away from her, and I strode ‘d to meet him. isi Miela, he is a man now, and > no fear, for he is the greatest man is land.” i his shoulder as he stood beside id he looked up into my face and yravely. - to > of the parapet was flat and ea apeed the little boy up and stood mn aa Instantly another tumult of FeY ’ E2 ee down and saw the figure of e stalked unheeding across the people respectfully opening up ore his advance a 1 and derision seemed mingled in es tha at greeted the appearance of the ince - :. | my hem if f you can, Miela,” I said. ; ~ ™ oa Sat c os boy with my hand, and , unafraid, a sturdy, manly peels 2) bee sect ee mS aia e . nage —< = 3, a < , cA <2. Py a ies seh k= ail Sa - _ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. LY st : denly a stone struck the parapet i in front of us. on A sudden rage possessed me. JT fumbled at the cylinder I held. It was very much like a little hand flashlight, and seemed to have a knob at my thumb. Miela stopped speaking and turned to me. “There—press that, Aim it there! See! those palms.” I held the thing up and pointed it to- ward the huge royal palms, aiming at their graceful fronds high over the heads of the people. My hand pressed the knob; the little cylinder seemed to thrill in my grasp, A tiny beam of light shot out—quite plainly visible—a green, shading into red. Tt struck the palm branches, and silently yet rapidly, as though they were under some giant blow-torch, they shriveled, crackled, and burst into flame. Miela’s fingers bit into my arm. “Enough, Alan! Stop!” My thumb yielded to the upward pres- sure of the tiny knob against it, and ab- ruptly the light vanished. A narrow swath had been cut through the palms—a furrow of death plowed by the pressure of my thumb against a bit of metal! The crowd had frozen into the immobil- ity of terror. Now, as the dreaded ray van- ished as suddenly as it had sprung forth, they turned with cries of fright to escape. No one had been hurt. I shuddered as I realized now that many girls had been in the air, and through no thought or skill of mine had they escaped. “Speak to them, Alan,” Miela cried. “There must be no panic. Here must they stay and listen to what you have to say. Speak to them; stop them now.” I handed her the cylinder, lest the dia- bolical thing spit forth again its fire from my unskillful fingers, and leaped to the top of the parapet. “Stop!” I shouted at the top of my voice. “ Stop—all of you! At once!” I waved my arms violently: I knew my words meant nothing, but my voice far. The excitement continued. But a few stopped and stared at me; then Sig.) and gradually there was Tess confusi se Alan. Careful! Over there against