The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. 249 Johnson carefully lowered himself down on to the second ledge, and, going to the end of it, found that he could easily reach the lower branches of the tree, the trunk of which glimmered through the shadow below. ‘Come along,’’ he whispered to Wilton, and in another moment the two stood together. ‘(We must swing into the tree and slide down the trunk,’’ he continued. “Go ahead !’’ Wilton replied briefly, and Johnson caught the nearest branch and clambered up and along until he reached the main stem. There he turned to call to Wilton to follow when his heart stood still, for his eyes could just make out two or three dark figures rapidly moving along the nar- row track they had so recently left. Fearful of discovering his hiding place if he made a sound to warn his companion, and trembling lest he should not have noticed or heard the approaching figures, Johnson clung to the tree, pressing himself closely against the trunk, and striving to pierce the gloomy darkness. : The figures came on quickly, moving so silently that he felt convinced they were walking barefoot, but he was too far off to be able to make out more through the darkness than that they were moving rapidly. They passed above the lower ledge upon which he had left Wilton standing, and he breathed more freely, for he felt that they had not seen Wilton or himself. He followed them with his eyes until he could see them no more, and then glanced towards the ledge again. From out of the deep shadow cast by the bank upon the second ledge he just caught a glimpse of Wilton stepping forward when he heard voices far- ther down the track. Wilton also heard them, for he sank down into the shadow again-and lay close pressed to the wall of rock. Two figures, walking more slowly and making more noise as they went than the first batch, loomed through the darkness. ‘Their voices were in- distinct until they arrived opposite the tree where Johnson was hid. There they stood talking for a few moments. ‘*T’ll go back and take the horses round now,’’ one of them said. ‘‘ Both of them will be asleep, and the niggers will have spears through them by the time you get up there, so I shall want all my time to get round by the creek,.”’ ‘It’s a poor sort of way to settle old Plover’s account,”’ the other an- swered. ‘‘ Wecould easily have brought them down here and made them run for the niggers to have a go at. I’d have burnt the chap that shot Ployer.’’ ‘““Well you can bet the boss has something else in the wind. It'll put the fear of the gang into the rest of them when they find their new leader served the same as Doolan.’’ ‘* And in the same place, too,’’ the other laughed. ‘‘ But I'll be hurrying, or the job will be over before I’m there to superintend.”’ He turned and strode up the track, and the other went down. When the sound of their footsteps had died away, Johnson saw Wilton creep out of the shadow and reach up to the branch. As he scrambled up Johnson slid down the trunk to the ground, where Wilton joined him. 3 GOmiGchoooks-co