The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

250 THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. ‘Did you hear them ?’’ he asked as he landed. ‘‘It was you and me they were talking about.”’ ‘‘T suppose it was,’’ Johnson answered.’ ‘‘ And I suppose, too, that the man who passed us was the boss.”’ ‘Midnight !’’ Wilton exclaimed. ‘‘ And we did not shoot him !”’ ‘‘Just as well, I think, for we should have had the whole gang on our heels direetly after. But it’s lucky we’re here and not camping up above. They mean business all right.’’ ‘““We are not out of it yet, though. What are we to do now we are here?.”’ ‘‘T fancy we had better wait where we are for a time. , From what that chap said about the horses, I believe there will be a move down below before long. ‘They may be all off, and then we can travel more comfortably.”’ ‘We might try and get a little nearer that fire. If we keep under the shadow we may be able to see who they are.’’ It was a risky proceeding, but they managed to make fair progress, until the gleam of the fire showed more distinctly and they could catch sight of the smoke as it slowly rose and curled along the broken rock. ‘* It looks very much like a cave to me,’’ Johnson whispered. ““Tf we could get up there we might be able to look down on them,’’ Wilton answered, indicating a point which stood forward above the gleam. “We'll try,’’ Johnson whispered. 3 They decided to climb up first and try to reach the track which they believed was between them and their goal. It wasa terribly hard climb in the darkness, and with the necessity for absolute quiet, but they managed it, and struck the track just where it curved in its downward path. On the other side of the curve they found the rock more broken, and were able to squeeze and crawl along, helping each other and themselves as best they could, until they reached a point directly above the smoke. As well as they could make out, they were on a rough ledge which jutted out from the main wall of rock and rose along its edge into an irregular parapet on which there was a thick growth of rank herbage. But the climb they had managed had tried their strength so much that for some minutes they could only le pant- ing at the back of the parapet. When he had managed to get his breath again, Johnson whispered, ‘“Tf we’re found here it will be a case of fight to the last.’’ ‘The odds are in our favor. The situation will enable us to withstand their attack,’’ Wilton replied. ‘* All the same we shall have to take care what we are doing. A false step and it is all up.” ‘*T don’t hear anything,’’ Wilton said after a few minutes’ silence. ‘We must creep to the edge and look over,’’ Johnson answered. They wriggled nearer to the edge, and peering through the tangled vegeta- tion which grew along it, they saw below them what was evidently the mouth of a fairly large cave. A fire was burning slowly in front of it, and beyond that soine saddles and rifles were thrown ina heap. The bush grew to withina few yards of the opening, and, as they looked, a man appeared leading two 3| 0 (0 (0) a Ss a S) (E(0)