The Argosy, June 1904 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

IN THE DRAGON’S CLAW. oe 535 sided. But he wadded another quid of fine-cut into his cheek, which already bulged like a squirrel’s. He was an in- veterate consumer of the weed, and when excited his capacity seemed with- out limit. It was growing lighter. He took out his knife and cut the fastening which bound the prisoner, who had swooned again. As he was removing the gag Romeo looked up. In the doorway stood Punk, with his razor heel down between the knuckles. The slam of the unlucky board had brought him back! And Romeo was no fighter. The little man never stood in greater peril of his life than at that moment. But for one thing Punk would have slashed him to ribbons at once. He hesitated only because he did not know that Holden had lapsed into un- consciousness again, and he dared not risk it, since Holden would inform the police, who would be glad of any chance to ignore his claim to the reward. But it would never do to allow the in- truder to escape and carry his informa- tion to the authorities. Punk must get him away from the shanty and dispose of him, trusting to the prisoner’s weak- ness to prevent his running off. All this the tramp resolved during the moment he stood in the doorway. Romeo dropped his eyes and peered about him for a weapon. ‘There was none. The window was inaccessible. He was trapped. The little man’s jaw had dropped at the other’s appearance. He had been, for the time, wholly unnerved. But the instinct of self-preservation sharpened his wits. He raised his head and looked past Punk over the latter’s shoulder. “ All ready!” he sang out, clapping his hand to his mouth. Like a flash the tramp wheeled, pre- senting his back. With a bound Romeo was upon him; an instant later he was speeding down the dry ditch with a slashed and bleeding shoulder, while Punk cursed in front of the shanty, his hands groping blindly at his face. For the little man had plastered him across the eyes with a quid of fine-cut tobacco. In vain the tramp tried to pursue; he was not only sightless, but in such agony that when he stumbled and fell he could only roll upon the ground, al- ternately clawing at his face and dig- ging his hands into the sand. When his paroxysms had in a measure subsided, he managed to blunder to the new ditch, in the water of which he found further relief. But a good halt. hour had elapsed before he could think of aught but his sufferings. Then, blinking and stumbling, he ran back to the shanty. His only idea now was to get the prisoner away from the vicinity, for it had grown quite light. If he could only drive or drag Holden to the abandoned marble quarry, he would gain a respite in which to plan the next move. lor he never questioned that the man who had freed Holden from his bonds would speedily return in the company of officers. Entering the shanty, he shouted out a tremendous imprecation. The bird had flown! He tore up the floor. He ran crash- ing around the place through thorns and nettles; he scanned, with eyes that ached and smarted, the low sage-brush crowning the hills. No living thing was visible save here and there a rabbit, frisking or browsing in the light of the rising sun. It was impossible for him to fix his gaze upon any object for more than a second or two; then they swam in a blurr of tears. Otherwise he must cer- tainly have overtaken the fugitive, who, in his weakness, could barely crawl. Well it was for Romeo Powers that he did not fall into the hands of Punk; if curses bore weight, he must have been crushed flat under those launched at his head by the tramp. He stood up, and raising his clinched fists above his head, frothed at the mouth with the vehemence of his anathemas, while the tears streamed down his cheeks from his bloodshot and swollen eyes. Thus he failed to see two men who, drawn. to the spot by his declamation, stole up the dry ditch and presently seized him from behind. He fought like a trapped rat, and managed to draw his razor, but the blow PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG COMMiclooo ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED CO