Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 200: what you’re looking at

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

882 He started for the door, but she had to call after him. ‘Our clothes! to wear!” He turned back and plumped down on the side of the bed in despair. After a moment’s thought she laughed. “JT have it! While you're fixing the car I'll take our things down to the kitchen and get them dry so quick you wan't be- lieve it. Ill iron the dampness out!” They loaded up with the clothes and stole back down-stairs. Hope of a quick get- away lighted their mood, and once again the whole thing seemed an adventure, a lark. She giggled at their every misstep in the darkness of the stairs. He chuckled as he left her, in the kitchen, putting half a dozen irons on the stove and hanging things The way to the garage was somewhat winding, hard to see beneath the heavy foliage of the trees, and terribly after the storm. Jack negotiated it at expense of wet feet, finding the door slight- ly ajar and stepping in noiselessly. Then he. stopped with the acute consciousness that some one else was there. He sought desperately to accustom his eyes to the darkness. After a moment there was a sharp sound, metallic and yet like the cracking af glass or chinaware. After a short interval the sound was repeated. Then Jack was able to see the dim outlines of a figure bending over the engine of the autemobile. He stole close, his wet shoes making no noise, and at the third repetition of the sound he understood what was happening. The man was deftly breaking the porcelains im all _ the spark-plugs, and when the machine was started in the morning trouble would de- velop that might puzzle the average driver for a good many hours. It was vandalism, maliciousness at its worst. Jack waited for nothing, but seized the unsuspecting perpetrator of the outrage and demanded an explanation. For answer the other man struck at him, and in a min- ute Jack found he had his hands full. The cramped quarters, the darkness, proved a terrible handicap; each fighter re- ceiving more injuries from various objects They are still too amp ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. in Collision than frem his opponent. Final- ly Jack landed a blow which, delivered with all his force, flattened the meddler: and the dull thud of the falling body to the cement frightened him. . He leaned over. The man was breathing naturally. Rising, he rummaged for an electric torch and fqund one. About to flash it on his victim, to see if he was all right, he was arested by a whisper from the door ‘Bob! Oh, Bob!” Jack stale over. A second man started to steal in and he seized him.-: “ What are you doing here?” The answer was prompt. “ ‘ None gf your d——d business! Where’s Bob?’’ Jack was equally terse. “ Hé’s on the floor there where I knocked him, and you can go keep him company, and the beth of you can learn not to steal around at night and meddle with automobiles!” With a well directed shove he flung the second man on top of the first. Going to the door, he closed it, and with a bit of branch wedged the hasp to hold the pair prisoners until the owner of the car should — find them in the morning. The walk down to his own machine, aid- ed by the torch, was easy; and he was able’ to pick the dry spots. Just at the edge of the trees, however, he was startled by an unmistakably human call. ‘““W-sst! W-sst!” He switched off the light. In a mament he distinguished the dull outlines of a third car, hidden from the moonlight near the trees. He stole over; then, stopping, muf- fled his voice purposely. ‘‘ There?” The answer came in a whisper. “ Did you put the car out of commission all right?”’ Jack hesitated only a moment. Com’ere!” The figure which emerged from the shadows was smaller than the other two men and no problem for Jack. He wasted ne words, but with rope which the victim produced himself from the car, he lashed him securely to a near-by tree. “ You fellows will learn not to monkey with other folks’ cars!” he muttered, pleased with himself. ‘“‘ Wait till ‘ New- “ Yeh! ECOMNIC HOG Ss COlini