Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

236 . THE ARGOSY. A sudden gust of emotion seized him. As he stood there before this shrine of a girl’s affections, revealing her love for him, his heart seemed swelled to breaking, and with a despairing cry he threw himself before the dainty little toilet table. “ Come, come!” said a sympathetic voice in his ear; “ it’s not so bad as that. Don’t have a fear for the countess’ safety; the bandits would not dare to offer her any harm. They are after a big ransom, depend upon it.” Henry uncovered his face and looked up at his friend. “ Struthers, old man,” he said in a broken voice, “ you.are as good as gold. But I’m certain there’s more at the bottom of this night’s work than appears on the surface.” “ You may be right, Henry, but we shall track those scoundrels to their lair, and 1f we don’t have a good reckoning with them we'll know the reason why.” “ Aye!” said Cottrell; “I’m with you to the end, but will that bring my love back to me?” Then he added wearily, “ I suppose that is news to you.” “ The fact that you’re in love with the countess and she with you?” asked Struthers. “ Not by along shot. I guessed it long ago! ” Bit by bit Cottrell threw off the stupor that seemed to have paralyzed his brain and his actions, and presently he became desperately anxious to be off in pursuit of the brigands, but Struthers more wisely counseled that they should wait till daybreak and reconnoiter a bit. Then, too, several of the sailors who had been but slightly wounded in the attack could join their party after a few hours for rest and the care of their wounds. Struthers then went down stairs and by a blast of his whistle summoned his men. In the course of ten minutes about twenty of his force of twenty five (including Kent with one arm in a sling) straggled in. Nearly every man of them had some sort of a wound to show as a result of the fierce fight, and as testimony to his gallant defense. It was with a fierce desire for revenge that Struthers noted these casualties. As for Captain Kent, he could scarcely contain himself for rage. It was hastily decided that at dawn the sailors should be divided into two bands, one under the direction of Struthers, and the other under Cottrell, to scour the mountain passes in search of the brigands and their leader. For a body of foreigners (and sailors at that) to penetrate strange forests in search of an enemy of unknown strength was certainly a hazardous, not to say hopeless, undertaking, and it showed clearly the desperate spirit of the men who were determined to undertake it. Possibly two hours had elapsed since the attack, and they were all eagerly watching for the first streak of dawn, when there suddenly appeared in the open doorway of the house 2 SHOT, stout man in the rough dress of a moun- tain outlaw. The sailors and their leader who» were grouped together in the vast entrance hall instinctively reached for their guns. The stranger advanced a step or two towards them and pulled off the slouch hat that shaded his face. comicboao UN ceo