Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

THE PRANKS didn’t 1t?”’ exclaimed the excited youth. ‘* Didn't they run, though!” “Yes, and that’s what we'd better do, I reckon,” declared Ben, and hurry- ing through the ravine they recovered their own horses, and, leading the cap- tured ponies, started across the valley for the opposite mountain range. They struck the cattle trail about noon, and not long afterward descried a great dust cloud approaching from the south toward Bowker Pass. In a short time the cloud resolved it- self first into the drove of stampeded cattle (or such of them as hadn’t been killed for food by the Indians) in the care of Dan Luther and the other three silver Bend herders. Behind the cattle OF DESTINY. 135 came the United States troops sur- rounding the disarmed Indians, and meeker looking red men were never seen. ‘Tt turned out jest’s you said, Ben,” said Dan, after greeting the newly ar- rived trio, and Phil had made his “ re- port” to the captain. “ The so’jers ketched the scamps jest arter sun up this morning, an’ there wasn’t a shot fired. Just rounded ’em up like er drove of beef critters. We got there jest too late fur any of the fun. Dern these blue coated chaps, any way! If they hadn’t been snoopin’ ’round we might have paid the red fiends off a little for all the trouble thcy give 33 us. OF DESTINY." THE PRANKS BY FREDERIC VAN RENSSELAER DEY. The terrible pass to which Felix Parsons finds himself reduced, the awful resolve he takes, and what swerves him aside from acting on it. The mystery about Rita Ortega and the great game of Pike Millington, played at double quick tempo CHAPTER XXIV. THE PUNISHMENT OF FELIX PARSONS. | is not necessary to describe at lerigth the hours of bitter mental struggle which took place between Felix Parsons and Pike Millington when the former discovered that his friend was not hurt at alli—that he had been shamming all the t1me—that the doctors, the servants—everybody, in fact, who was in any way connected with the matter, had been acting under an agreement with the young financier, although Edna was the only one who was not ignorant of the object to be attained. Felix was very angry at first, but bit by bit he was brought around to the point where he could see the humor of the thing, and at last he laughed as heartily as his friend; but it was by no * This story begau in the August number of THE ARGOSY. matled to any address on receipt of go cents. means as easy to prevail upon him to keep the secret of his own sin. He in- sisted that he must go to Sam Milling- ton and confess all, and then, if the millionaire chose to overlook the mat- ter, he would be content to let it rest. But Pike was not of that mind at all. ‘ Look at the position you will place me in, to say nothing of Ned,” he said. “The governor would forgive you all right, clap you on the shoulder, tell you that you are smarter than lightning, offer you opportunities, and make you a millionaire again in less than no time.” (Felix had told him about his losses, and the entire history of that night when Trevor requested the loan of him.) “ I don’t think that you ought to profit out of my father, because of your confounded theft—that’s what you like to call it—and that’s what you would do if you should go to him with The four back numbers will be ecomiclooolKs eo