Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

292 ‘““This excitement has sort of thrown you off your balance. You know that I had no idea that Paprika would turn out to be the skunk he is. You know that as well as I do.” ‘Makes no difference, Ellis! through your doin’s that he got loose on this here community. I see in it God’s jedgment upon me—a warnin’ to mend my ways an’ make amends. I’m a goin’ to do it, too. I been doin’ blindly jest what you tell me to do, an’ fer all I know most of it is jest plain, durn crookedness. If what 1 done fer you has been wrong in th’ face o’ th’ law, I been innercent of it, an’ you know it!” Again Turner laughed—harshly, time. ~ “Not to speak literally, Joe, when any of us hang, we'll all hang together. You talk about crooked elections. What the hell do you know about it? Can you come out and accuse anybody of crookedness? Do you know one little thing to charge against me?” “T don’t know nothin’ about th’ elec- tions,’ replied the sheriff, ‘‘ but I do know about this here Paprika. I know-you took ’m out’n th’ jail, an’ I know what you took *m out’n it fer. I know tkhaé much, Ellis Turner—an’ I’ll have Paprika to prove it ef’n you say it’s a lie.” “‘ Now listen, Joe,” said Turner, whee- dling again; “ we’ve been friends too long to come to this. Suppose you just keep quiet about this matter, and after this you this can have a freer hand in things. I'll fix it right with you, Joe, and—”’ | ‘You can’t bribe me, Ellis! I got my resolve up, an’ th’ Lord has gave me a _ warnin’ that I'll take heed of. I’m through with you!” They had arrived by this time at their destination, and now the rest of their party drove up and jumped from their buggies. After a brief consultation they set out in pairs, to work upward toward the Majestic Hotel grourids, combing the woods for the fugitive. The torches they lighted and held aloft changed the inky blackness to a dancing red shadowland, and in its glow the men made their way through the tan- gled underbrush, routing the deep murk It was ARGOSY- ALLSTORY WEEKLY. before their steady advance, and laying bare every possible hiding-place. - They emerged at length into the clearing in which the hotel stood, and again they gathered together for conference. “It’s sure he ain’t in them woods,” said the sheriff. “‘ Reckon we’d better search th’ hotel, b’fore we try th’ grounds in th’ back.” He turned to Bert. ‘‘ Could he git in there, Boom?” Easily,” Bert replied. self, without a key.” “‘ Come on, then,”’ said the sheriff, leading the way. Bert showed them the broken window by which he had entered a short time before, and the men climbed through into the build- ing. ‘* Be keerful o’ them torches,’’ warned the sheriff, “or you'll set this young feller’s place afire.” ‘““Go ahead,” laughed Bert. sured.” They separated again; but soon a sum- moning shout brought them all to the foot of the staircase. “Looka here!” cried one of the men, pointing to the first step. been on these here steps, an’ recent too! Looka these here prints in th’ dust!”’ “TI guess they’re mine,” said Bert. was here the other day.” ‘* Not these,” said the man. had no. foot as big as this’n. Our man’s here, or he’s been here. Come on!” They climbed the stairs, following the clearly defined footprints to the second floor and down the long, green-carpeted hall to where they ceased abruptly at the thres- hold of a closed door. The sheriff tried the door. It was locked! ‘ He’s in here!” he cried triumphantly. ‘‘ He’s in here, all right! Doors can’t lock themselves.”” He pounded heavily upon the panels. “ Come out an’ give yerself up, you varmint! name o’ th’ law!”’ They waited then, but no slightest sound came from within. “You hear me?” cried the sheriff. “Come out’n there an’ give yerself up, or we'll bust down th’ door an’ git you! ““T got in my- “It’s in- ae | “ You never -“ Somebody’s | | Open this here door, in th’ — You’re in there, all right, an’ I’ll count | GON GOO G Ss CO ww