Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

A CAMPAIGN OF STRATEGY. 583 ‘True, why didn’t I think of that?’ exclaimed the alarmed Atwood ; ‘‘ there are no women here, but at Bozeman’s are Al’s wife Molly, and:her sister, Kate Warren. Probably this band of Apaches know all that.’’ ‘‘ There is no doubt of it, and they’re planning to kill the women.’ ‘But how can they do that when there are so many to defend them ? There is Al himself, Tonto Jack, Shorty Sam, and Bronco Brisbin, to say nothing of that young man Harvey Kingsford, who is expected over: from Ehrenburg. They together will make a force that need not fear a band twice as numerous as the one Geronimo has probably taken with him.’’ ‘Are they all at Bozeman’s ?”’ 3 ‘‘ By heavens !’’ gasped Atwood after.an instant’s reflection ; ‘‘ these ‘isn’t one of them there! ‘Those women are doomed! We must go to their thelp, Gannet! There’s not a minute to lose !’’ Now that the fearful peril may be said to have fully developed itself, Austin Gannet became the cool, self possessed man who had passed through a score of dangers unscathed. Apparently he was no more ‘agitated than when lazily smoking his pipe and watching the slow approach of ‘the photo- grapher. ‘Don’t suspect that I don’t mean to strain every nerve to help those poor women, but we must take time to make no mistake. In the first place, tell me how it is that none of the boys is at Bozeman’s ranch.”’ “I stopped there this forenoon and found Al -and Tonto Jack at home. Shorty Sam and Bronco were off with the cattle to the northward, and were not expected back for two or three days and:maybe longer. Al had received word from young Kingsford at Ehrenburg that he would soon be out to make him a visit, and I could see that Miss Warren was in a flutter of antici- pation. Al had heard rumors that a little way to the north and further in among the foothills was a stream of clear water and a big stretch of fine pasturage, which he and Tonto Jack meant to inspect, with a view of making use of it.”’ ? ‘“ When did they intend to leave?’’ “They left while I was there! The women urged me to stay till themen returned, or Harvey Kingsford arrived, and I was half disposed to do'so, but there seemed to be no reason why I should ; so, after taking their pictures in several different poses, I bade them good by. When I.came away the two ladies were left alone.’’ Austin Gannet’s bronzed countenance became pale and he compressed his lips. Those who had seen him in the swirl of the deadly fight had noticed a péculiar gleam of his gray eyes which, somehow or other, seemed to be the glitter of death. ‘That glitter was there now. ‘The chances are a hundred to one that Molly and Kate will never see another sunrise, but there is just the one chance that they may.”’ ‘What is that ?”’ ‘Al may get word of the danger and hurry back home; it may be the same with Sam and Bronco off with the cattle, or Kingsford may arrive soon enough from Ehrenburg to stand off the imps till help reaches him, but ‘you can see that all these chances are mighty slim.’’ Eomichbooks zy) (S@)