The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

222 ; THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. ‘You would show you had not forgotten him,’’ Farrell continued, not noticing the interruption. With a final outburst of energy the dying man raised himself on his elbow. ‘* And I have not forgotten him, nor her,’’ he shouted, as his eyes lit up again with passionate hate. ‘‘I swore to remember them both, and I have, he went on, with a harsh, mocking laugh. ‘* You want to know, don’t you? Then ask Midnight,’’ and with a laugh that turned into a choked gurgle, he fell back dead. ‘Poor rascal,’’ Wilton said sadly, when they had examined him and found that he was lifeless. ‘‘One of the cruelest scoundrels that ever walked the earth, if he was Sam Plover,’’ Farrell exclaimed warmly. ‘‘ Don’t waste pity on a heartless villian like that.’’ : ‘‘ What’s the yarn about him, Farrell?’’ one of the men asked. ‘Tl tell you tonight round the fire, and then you’ll say, with me, that the shooting of Sam Plover is the best day’s work any man ever did yet. Now we’ll search him and see if we can get any clue as to the rest of the gang.’’ é To make sure that nothing escaped their notice, they stripped the body of all its clothes and examined every pocket and place where anything could be. hidden. But all they could find which was of any service to them was a scrap of paper containing the words, ‘‘ All speared but Plover. At cubby house.”’ There was a long discussion over the meaning of this message. ‘The first half, thanks to the information Wilton had supplied, was intelligible enough, but the last three words were meaningless, and there was also the further question as to whom the message was intended for. ‘‘Tt’s no use puzzling about that now,’’ Johnson said at length. ‘‘It’s enough to know that it will never reach the man, and we are just as much interested, I dare say, in knowing that all the gang were speared except Plover.’’ ‘“And Midnight,’’ some one put in. ‘Yes, I’m afraid after last night that Midnight is all right,’’ Johnson as- sented. ) ‘“In the meantime we had better bury this,’’ Farrell said, indicating the body. ‘* Leave it where it is or burn it,’’ one of the men exclaimed. ‘‘ We’ve had bother enough with him and his mates, without worrying over their bodies. Farrell looked at Johnson. ‘Put a fire over it,’’ Johnson said; and a few minutes later a huge fire was blazing over the dead outlaw, and the party, taking his horse, clothes and arms, rode away past the flat that had proved so eventful a spot for Wilton. They were well on the road to the creek that ran near the blown up cave when a halt was called for the night. When they had disposed of their even- ing meal and sat smoking round their camp fire, some one called for Farrell to redeem his promise and tell them the yarn about Plover. (9) (E(0) nA books (E(0) “~ |