The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. 173 Dolph was somewhat excited as the result of his listening. Phin could not understand him, but he lay down on the ground and listened. He could hear the confused sound of voices in a conversation carried on in a low tone. ‘“In the cave,’’ said Dolph in a whisper. ‘“Ves;’’ replied Phin in the same manner. ‘Say no more here,’’ added Dolph - and Phin nodded his assent to the precaution. But Phin evidently had an idea, though he had not overflowed with them before. Without getting up he dropped on his hands, and began to creep in the most cautious manner away from the spot. When he had gone less than a rod, he halted at an opening in the rocks. It was a rent not more than three feet wide ; and it looked as though a quantity of large pieces of the boulder had been dumped into it. At this aperture Phin stopped and put his head down into the rent as far as he could. It was plain to him that the opening extended all the way through into the grotto, though it was not practicable for the passage of even a small boy in its present condition. If the loose rocks were removed, an entrance to the cave might be made. Phin pointed to the rent, but he did not say a word ; and Dolph was pru- dent enough to follow his example. The latter had done some thinking in the grotto while waiting for breakfast that morning. There was a snapping fire at the end of the cave, at the farthest point from the entrance; and the thinker wondered that the subterranean chamber was not filled with smoke. There was no smoke there, and he had wondered how it escaped. ‘This rent in the rocks explained the matter to his satisfaction. As the fragments of the boulder were large, so were also the interstices between them. At any rate, there was an effective chimney. Suddenly Phin, with his head in ie hole, raised his hand, and both of them listened. The voices of Tom and Poddy could be distinctly heard, and they seemed to take no pains to stifle the sounds. They had evidently been silent before ; and Poddy did not seem to take any pleasure in the conversation of his brutal companion. Of whatever crime he was capable, the bank robber was a gen- tlemanly villain, though he was not a whit the better for that. ‘‘ What you goin’ to do with them cubs, Poddy ?’’ was the first sentence which was understood by thé listeners. ‘Knock them on the head when I have done with them,’’ growled Poddy, as though he did not care to talk with his companion. ‘“ You let ’em go about as though they hadn’t no tongues in their heads, nor no legs on their carcasses,’’ added Tom. ‘They can’t get away.”’ . ‘‘T dunno about that. There’s lots of driftwood round the island, and they can make a raft.’’ ‘‘It would take them two hours to get to the nearest shore, and I should see them before they got off,’’ replied Poddy, who was plainly considering such a possibility as Tom suggested. ‘“’The best way is to shoot ’em both, and drop ’em into that hole,’’ added the hoodlum. Comicbooks (S@)