Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

s heart gave an exultant leap as SE ae Wriittie’ cotinder in the man’s hand. There was a little projection on the boat at the water line, and, working along this th his hands, Mercer edged slowly to- ward the man. He knew he could not be heard, for the murmur of the water slipping past the sides of the boat drowned the slight noise he made. He edged his way along, with not much more than his face out of water, until he was directly beneath the motionless form in the boat. Mercer’s heart was beating so it seemed to smother him. Slowly he pulled himself up until the fingers of his left hand gripped the gunwale hardly more than a foot or two behind the man’s back. His other hand reached forward. He must have made a slight noise, for the man sat suddenly up- right, listening. Mercer’s right hand shot out. His fin- gers closed over the little cylinder and the hand holding it. He bent it inward, twist- ing the man’s wrist. His thumb fumbled for the little button Anina had described. There was a tiny puff of light; the man’s body wavered, then fell forward inert. Mer- cer climbed into the boat. He looked back. Anina was pulling herself up over the stern. A long pole lay across the seats. He picked it up and started with it toward the bow. And then he tripped over some- thing and fell headlong, dropping the pole with a clatter. As he picked himself up there came a shout from the men in the woods. Mercer hurried forward and cast off the rope that held the boat to the bank. It had been tied more or less permanently at this end. As he fumbled at the knots he heard Ani- na’s soft, anxious voice calling: ‘ Hurry, Ollie, hurry!” The shouts from the woods continued. The knots loosened finally. The boat slid back away from the bank; with the pole Mercer shoved the bow around. An instant later Anina had started the mech- anism, and in a broad curve they swung silently out into the river. fe ‘ we Up from the woods shot a for an instant, almost ally buss and Mercer heard the c rackler 1e tops as they burst into flame v der it Then it swung downward, but k could reach the water level pi ground at the bank cut it off. pe | Without realizing it, Mercer 1 holding his breath as he wane? let it out with a long sigh of relief. — “ We did it, Anina—we did ih exultantly. “And we've got al too.” A moment later they coon bend in the river, out of pita an 1 of hearing of their €memies. CHAPTER XXII, THE STORM. N the little stern seat o Mercer and Anina sat side by the girl steering by a that lay between them. They. out. in the middle of the river 1 Bs 5 a ing silently along with its pi They made extraordinary — banks of the river were visible it light—dim, wooded hilis into darkness. The stream widened steadily a vanced, until near its mouth eas a broad estuary. They follo shore now and soon were out in “We'd better go right on a 08S, Mercer. “It’s too early for | ‘lan at the end of the trail. He wa Goal till to-night. We can reach the Gi before he starts.” ee They decided to do that, a straight out into the sea. They bh ad cold, sitting there in the nd the skin. But the boat furry jackets, which the men h i and in the bottom, eer kc al metal box which lighted uj wn . radiator. By this eae. ‘had: dri ALi it inthe Ee > tt eae fur jacket tele ae pn BES “comicbooks. com Ll ae ty;