The Argosy, Vol. XXIV No. 2 — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

THE TRACK OF MIDNIGHT. 259 realized my mistake. As it was, we turned our attention to you, and while doing so, that cold blooded fiend Midnight picked off poor Warrigal with a rifle shot fired from up the gully. Douglas and I saw that it was no use staying where we were, unless we also wanted to be picked off, so we started for home.”’ : ‘But how did I get here ?’’ Wilton asked. ‘‘Oh, you came along all right,’’ Johnson answered. ‘‘Ves, but how ?”’ Wilton persisted. “We hauled you up the gully,’’ Johnson answered. ‘‘It was easy work after that.’’ The memory of being lifted up and carried slowly and laboriously, and of the voice exclaiming, ‘‘ Thank God, we’re at the top,’’ come to Wilton, and reaching out his hand he gripped that of his companion. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and he could only gaze at the fire and pull hard at his pipe, and for some minutes the two men sat in silence, Wilton reviling himself because he could not express all the gratitude he felt to the man who had saved his life, and Johnson blaming himself for having owned up to it. ‘‘He would have done the same for me,’’ he mused. ‘I need not have rade a song about it.’’ The silence continued until it became oppressive to each of the simple hearted, plucky Britons, who shrank instinctively from anything approaching a scene. ‘Then Johnson reached down forthe pannikin that stood near the fire. ‘‘ Have some more of Dick’s stew,’’ he said, as he handed the pannikin to Wilton. “Tt’s good stuff,’’ the latter answered as he took it. ‘“Ves; it’s what saved your life,’’ Johnson replied. The following evening saw Douglas again at Toombul. Johnson had not explained that he had ridden over to Billah tolet Mary know what had be- fallen Wilton now that he seemed to be recovering, but had said he had gone away for a day or so incase his presence worried Wilton during his early convalescence. “Why should it ?’’ Wilton asked when Johnson told him. ‘Well, you were a bit queer in the head once or twice, and you raved about Midnight and Douglas being one, as we thought, you know.’’ He might have added that it was his own idea that if Mary would come over, her presence might do more for Wilton than anything else. Expecting to see her, he wondered when Douglas did not return as early as he should have done. He wondered more when he saw Douglas ride up alone and with a terribly hard set face. ‘“Where’s Wilton?’’ he exclaimed quickly. ‘Over at the house. Where’s the girl?” ‘ Billah’s in ashes,’’? Douglas answered, ‘‘and Giles has gone with it.’’ ‘You don’t mean it !’’ Johnson cried. ‘“ And I found this,’? Douglas went on, producing a white handkerchief on which there had been stained in red the words, ‘‘ Account settled, Mid- night.’’ CONNICGOOKS.eO) 3