The Argosy for May — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

300 across them down there, they probably wouldn’t hesitate to put daylight through us this time.” “Pshaw! I’m not afraid of that,” exclaimed Leffingwell. “It'll take more than a gun to scare me next time I get within hailing distance of that cad. I didn’t think you were such a coward, Simple.” “T don’t think Tm a coward. I guess I’ve got as much courage as the average man; but I can’t see the sense of throwing our lives away; and, in my opinion, any unarmed man who deliber- ately goes up against an enemy who has a loaded gun is doing just that.” : Pooh! You weren’t always so pru- dent, Simon. I haven’t forgotten the circumstances under which we first met you. You broke up that meeting of rabid anarchists, and were willing to fight the whole savage crowd by your- self. And to think that it is such a man who now has the nerve to preach pru- dence and caution to me!”’ “That was different,” replied Simon earnestly. ‘I only had myself to think of then; and in my rage I didn’t care what happened to me, but now we've got to think of our messmate in prison. Re- member,he relies on us to help him out of his trouble. ' “By a rare stroke of luck, I’ve man- aged to find out where that there young woman lives. ‘To-morrow we must get an interview with her, and do our best to persuade her to go to court and testify in his favor. That’s more -important than capturing that deserter, to my mind. If we come across those fellers, and get shot dead by them, what’s going to be- come of our messmate? Who's going to look. out for him?” ‘“Well, we must take care to see that we don’t get shot dead,” replied Lef- fingwell calmly. “If we find Mitchell and his one-eyed companion in a dope- joint, the chances are, as~that police sergeant said, they'll be so much under the influence of the drug, when we break in on them, that they won’t be able to move a hand, and we’ll‘have no difficulty in taking their weapons away from them. “ Besides, I’ve got some good news for- you about Al. I have not told you yet that R. A., who is a very rich man, THE ARGOSY. , has promised to,come to his rescue, and is going to put@is case in the hands of a good lawyer, and pay all expenses. - “You see, therefore, that even if anything does happen to us, Al will be looked out for. If you wish, however, you can stay here and try to get an in- terview with that girl in the morning, and I’l] go down there alone.” ‘I guess not,” replied Simple Simon indignantly. “If you go, I’m going too, of course. After all, there’s some consolation in knowing that even though those fellers have got guns, they ain’t got that there confounded bulldog with them this time. Besides, we may not succeed in finding them,” he added hope- fully. “Oh, we'll find them, all right,” de- clared Leffingwell confidently. eAeteel it in my bones that we’re going to get that cad this time. Well, if you insist —on coming along, old man, let’s be start- ing. We haven’t any time to lose.” Half an hour later, they found them- selves in that queer section of New York which the resident Chinese have trans- formed into a town of their own. They walked through the narrow, crooked streets, staring at the odd-look- ing buildings, and boldly entering every dive, chop-suey joint, and “ gin-mill” to whieh they were able to obtain ad- mission; but not a clue could they dis- cover as to the whereabouts of the man for whom they were searching. At one time their hopes mounted high, for their nostrils suddenly caught the pungent odor of opium in process of burning, and eagerly they rushed up a rickety, uncarpeted stairway, confident that at length they had found the de- serter. ‘Careful!’ whispered Simple Si- mon to Leffingwell, as the latter placed his hand upon the latch of a door from beyond which the opium fumes were issuing. “‘ Remember that they’re armed, and they may not be thoroughly under the influence of the dope yet. Hadn't we better wait until they’ ve smoked a little more. We— But,, paying no heed to this prudent warning, the eager Leffingwell turned the handle of the door and rushed into the room. (To be continued.) DOOLK (CO)