The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. 255 own position while he stood where he was and acted as a target for Midnight. Clubbing his rifle, he sprang forward through the smoke towards the spot where the outlaw had been a moment before ; but when he dashed through the thin cloud, he found that Midnight had fled. He plunged through the undergrowth and round the boulder from behind which Midnight had ap- peared, and glanced keenly and quickly around, but without seeing anything: save bushes and rock. He was for the moment nonplussed, and paused, hesitating whether to proceed or return to Wilton ; then he heard the sound of a shout from down the gully, and Wilton’s voice calling him. ‘It’s Warrigal,’’ Wilton exclaimed, as he reappeared. ‘‘ Load your rifle and mine. ‘There’s treachery in this.’’ ‘You are badly hurt,’’ Johnson cried as he caught sight of Wilton lying ou his side with a blanched face and a red stain spreading over the front of his shirt. | ‘“ Never mind now. Quick and load,’’ Wilton gasped, as the shout came again from down the gully, nearer and more distinct than it had been be- fore. | Johnson rapidly completed the operation of loading both rifles and then turned to his friend. ‘“Let me help you under cover,’’ he said. ‘‘It is no use waiting in the open for those brutes to pot at you.”’ He stooped over Wilton and raised him to his feet; but the exertion was too much for the wounded man and he stumbled forward, slipped from his comrade’s arms, and fell heavily to the sround. The sound of some one crashing through the undergrowth behind him caused Johnson to,turn just as Watrigal and Douglas leaped out on to the open patch where he was stand- ing. He made a dash at his rifle, and, seizing it, aimed at Douglas as he cried, ‘‘ Stand off or I fire !’’ Douglas stopped and looked at him steadily. ‘“‘ Fire if you like, Johnson; though it would be a poor testimony of your friendship to kill me at the moment of my escape.’’ Warrigal hac slipped past Johnson as he challenged Douglas and knelt down by the side of Wilton, calling upon him, in his broken English, to speak and say he was not dead. “Your escape ?’’ Johnson exclaimed. ‘‘ Certainly ; my escape from the gang that captured me the day we were out. ‘That black fellow there did the trick for me an hour or so since, and told me you two were waiting to shoot Midnight——’’ ‘*But—but you are Midnight. We heard you in the cave. It is no use hiding it now,’’ Johnson interrupted savagely. Douglas threw down the rifle he was carrying and held out his arms. “If lam Midnight, then shoot me where I stand,’’ he cried. ‘* Baal it Midnight ; baalit Midnight ; that pfeller, no, no,’’ Johnson heard as Wartrigal sprang in front of him. ‘‘ Poor Massa Meleelee, ’im dead, sure.”’ ‘* Shoot me if you don’t believe me, Johnson, and then look after Wilton,’’ Douglas said quietly. GOMIGDOOKS |