The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

510 ‘THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. other pointing a pistol at his head. He could not even say that he would submit, or beg his assailants not to kill him. He did not feel much like buy- ing a steamer just then, and the Lily was likely to remain for the present on the waters of Lake Modogo. . It was plain enough to Dolph, as soon as he was in condition to have any- thing plain to him, that the Montoban Bank was in the possession of a couple of bank robbers. ‘They were not amateurs, like himself, for they did their business thoroughly as they went along. It goes without saying that Dolph was sorry he had undertaken the job, for he had already made a failure of it ; and he would have been content to do without any steamer if he could only get out of the scrape. He could see now that he had shaken the bush while others were to gather the fruit. In other words, he had been kind enough to save the rob- bers the trouble of blowing up the lock of the vault, for he had brought the keys and opened it for them. Of course they were very much obliged to him, though they did not take the trouble to say so. But they did not kill him, as he thought at first they intended to do. The sight of the revolver, within a foot of his head, had thoroughly subdued him, and he did not appear at all like the young fellow who had been so overbearing and saucy to his father. The two robbers, after they had tied his hands behind him, took no further notice of him, but returned to the vault, in the contents of which they had more interest than in him. As soon as they were at a convenient distance from him Dolph began to feel better. One of the robbers had a dark lantern attached to his belt, which he closed as soon as the prisoner was secured, and the room was as black as a load of charcoal. ‘The prisoner raised his head when he felt like himself, and looked around him. He had been left on the floor, and there was nothing to prevent him from getting up, if he could do so with his arms tied behind him. He could see nothing but a faint light in the vault, for the operators had partly closed the doors. Dolph rolled his body a little way, and then thought he could get up; at any rate, he decided to make the attempt. It was not an easy thing to rise from the floor when bound as he was, as any one may know by trying it. It required a struggle, and he made some noise by hitting the leg of a table. Oneof the robbers came out of the vault, with Dolph’s lantern in his hand. -When he saw that the prisoner had changed his position, and was trying to get up, he gave him a kick, which hurt. ‘“Don’t you move agin! If you do J’ll break every bone in your car- cass !’’ said the robber. ‘‘ What are you about, Tom ?’’ demanded the man remaining in the vault, in a loud and earnest whisper. ‘‘He’s tryin’ to git away, Poddy,’’ replied the one who had kicked Dolph. ‘“Douse that glim, and don’t speak a word!’’ said the man. It now appeared that the other was only a boy of good growth. Poddy, as the one in the room called his companion, gave no further at- GComichooks 3