The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 172: what you’re looking at

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

172 THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. ‘That depends,’’ replied Dolph, looking earnestly into Phin’s face. ‘; Depends upon what?’’ asked Phin, suddenly animated by the possi-., bility of a change in the current of their affairs, for there was something in the expression of his fellow prisoner which denoted the presence of activity in his mind. ‘‘Upon ourselves,’’ answered Dolph, in a low tone, after he had looked all about him to make sure that Poddy was not near them. ‘‘ What do you mean ?’’ asked Phin, in the same low tone. ‘It looks as though we might be kept here a week, or perhaps a month ; and we may as well do something in the beginning as in the end,’’ added Dolph cautiously, for he distrusted both the discretion and the pluck of his associate ; but it was because he knew less about him than of any other boy in Montoban. ' What can we do?”’ inquired Phin, to whom the idea of doing anything was a new revelation. 3 ‘‘ One and one make two, on one side; and one and one make two, on the other side,’’ replied Dolph, rather mysteriously, though his looks expressed more than his words. ‘That makes two on each side,’ added Phin, who had no difficulty in comprehending as much as this. ‘‘T see that you know what I mean.”’ ‘‘Poddy and Tom on one side ; you and IJ on the other.’’ ““Just the idea.’’ : ‘‘ But—one and one make two, again,’’ added Phin. ‘What ?”’ ‘“ Revolvers.’’ ‘“ Just so.’ ‘‘ One plus one equals zero plus zero : bad equation.’’ ‘Two plus two equals two minus two. Change all the signs and the value of the members remains the same.’’ : But Dolph had come to the end of his algebra, and he had made a blunder. Phin understood him, however. ‘The other side had two revolvers, and they had none. If they could get possession of both weapons, the forces on the two sides would be reversed. Dolph had ascertained that his hereditary enemy was willing to listen to him ; and this was all he wanted. ‘“ How to get the shooters,’’ continued Phin. ‘Take them,’’ replied Dolph. ** Not easy.’’ ‘“Can be done.”’ ‘“ Perhaps,”’ ‘“ Hush !7? Dolph rose from his sitting position and looked all around him. ‘Then he listened. A very indistinct murmuring sound could be heard by both of them. Dolph dropped upon the bit of earth under them, and put his ear to the ground, for he had read Indian stories enough to know how it was done. He listened for a few minutes, and then rose from the ground. Eomichook (S@)