The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. 177 ‘‘ Hush !’’ whispered Phin, as he heard a sound near them, and expected to see Tom Sawder the next instant with the revolver ready for use. But, instead of Tom, Andy Lamb showed himself. CHAPTER XXIX.—AN’ OBSTINATE AND INCREDULOUS *OFFICER. Anvy LAmB, on the morning of the robbery of the banks, had been obliged to remain at home later than usual on account of the absence of his father, who had gone to the Montoban Mill at three o’clock to start the fires under the boiler. His son had carried his breakfast to him at half past eight, for the engineer did not want to eat it till he had the mill in good working order, and had taken a little food when he left the house. On his.return, shortly after nine, Andy heard of the robbery of the bank. He had almost jumped up into the air when the news came to him. He was startled, as everybody was, and the thoughtof the man he had seen on Bunkel Island was his first consideration. Of course he could not say that the mys- terious stranger he had seen was the robber, though he felt almost sure of it. He went to both banks, and gathered all the news there was to be had, and then returned to the engine room of the mill to relate it to his father. Mr. Lamb told him to go home with the pail and tell his mother what had happened, and by that time the officers would be ready to hear him, for they were busy then looking up the facts. The engineer owned a very fine revolver, which had been presented to him by his associates in the shop when he left his former situation. He told his son to take this weapon, for after the display of arms the day before at the island he thought Andy should be provided with the means of defense. The young man had practised a good deal with this arm, and he was prudent and discreet, so that he could be trusted with it. It was rather large, but Andy put it into his hip pocket, and took a box of cartridges. On his return to the lower part of the town it had come out that Dolph and Phin were missing, and that each of them must have taken the keys of the bank from his father’s house. This discovery seemed to upset Andy’s theory that the mysterious stranger was the perpetrator of the robbery. His father, too, was confident that the two boys were the guilty persons. Andy was somewhat staggered in his belief, but it still seemed to him that the stranger must have had something to do with the *robbery. What was he doing on the island? Why had he taken so much pains to conceal himself if he was an honest man? But the machinist told him to give his information to the officers. Andy left the mill, and then he saw one of the policemen examining the Dragon. He decided to see him, and hastened to the boat house. He felt that half the strength of his case had been removed by the absence of the boys, but he cudgeled his brains to recall all the events at the island. Suddenly it occured to him that Tom Sawder was missing as well as Dolph and Phin. The hoodlum certainly had some connection with the mysterious stranger. He had conveyed a considerable raft of boards to Bun- kel, which must have been for the use of the man he had seen. ‘Then Tom (1) Conmmiclboolk (S@)