The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. 181 Andy was almost carried away at the idea of being instrumental in restoring the money to the banks. But Dolph and Phin did not wait for him to subdue his emotions. They went on talking about the situation, and Phin, who had the floor, painted a terribly black picture of their immediate future. He listened to the entire conversation till the prisoners had decided to rebel against the fate in store for them. At this point Andy crawled out of his place of concealment, and walked toward the spot where the conversation was going on. Of course, he had received a new revelation from what he had heard. It did not appear that Dolph and Phin had robbed the banks. They were prisoners in the hands of some other persons, who were doubtless the real robbers. How the sons of the magnates had been carried off, if they were not concerned in the crime, was a puzzling problem which Andy could not solve, and he gave it up, for he had not a single fact to bear upon the question. As soon as he could crawl out of the shelter of the savins, he stood up, with the revolver still in his hand. The two boys heard his steps and were alarmed. ‘““Andy Lamb!’’ exclaimed Dolph, as soon as he saw the son of the machinist. . ‘‘Andy Lamb,’’ repeated Phin, and it is safe to say that he felt none of the malice he had nursed the last time they were together. ‘‘T did not expect to find you here,’’ replied Andy, looking from one to the other. ‘‘I have heard what you have said during the last half hour.’’ ‘“Then you know all about our situation,’’ added Phin. ‘No, I can’t see through it at all. I know that you are here—that you are in danger of being shot or starved to death,’? Andy explained. ‘‘I have not the least idea how you happen to be here, or who is going to shoot or starve ‘you. Jam utterly astonished to find you here, for your father, Dolph, has telegraphed all over the country to find you.”’ “That is what I supposed he would do,’’ added Dolph. ‘“Everybody in town is satisfied that you two robbed the banks, and that you have got away with all the money,’’ continued Andy. ‘‘’They are all mistaken; we did not rob the banks, though I won’t deny that we intended to do something of that kind in a small way,’’ added Dolph, hanging his head, for he had made progress enough in his misery to be ashamed of what he had tried to do. ‘‘ Who did rob the banks?’’ asked the newcomer, his wonder increasing. ‘“A man that Tom Sawder calls Poddy, though I think, from one of Tom’s slips of the tongue, that his real name is Ben Podgate,’’ answered Dolph. ‘‘ What has become of the money ?”’ ‘‘Tt is in a traveling bag in the cave.”’ ‘In the cave! What cave ?’’ asked Andy. ‘‘T never heard of any cave on Bunkel Island.’’ COMIC OOokxs (S@