The Argosy for May — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

THAT STICK AND SINGLETON. A few clouds had gathered, the sun was obscured, and soon a few large _ drops fell; then a few more in quicker cadence, and a roaring summer shower broke over the valley. ‘There was no hope of avoiding a soaking; but Single- ton turned up his collar and raced for the nearest shelter, which happened _ to be a deserted shanty that had once done duty as a farmhouse. As he neared it he saw that the cracked and shrunken door was closed ; but he was thinking solely of escaping as much of the rain as possible, and he went at the door like a battering-ram. It was apparently fastened with a rusty old bolt; but the wood gave way, and he landed inside. | It was quite dimly lighted by two small windows, shaded by the _ wild growth of lilacs outside, and he did not see Clearly for an instant; then he looked about him and discovered that he was the center of a group of three. They had none of the air of peaceable rustics,-ready to welcome him to shelter ; one black-visaged fellow stood glower- ing at him and training a vicious-looking derringer menacingly; the other two were prepared to make flank attacks at any moment with a long knife and a black-jack, respectively. “. fear I intrude; gleton. ‘Well, that’s about the size of it,” said the man with the gun; ‘“ but you’d better stay right where you are, and don’t move your hands round too much. I’m pretty nervous, and I might let the gun go off accidental.” Singleton leaned against the table in the middle of the room and tried to pre- serve some nonchalance, fingering his walking-stick idly, but prepared to grip it firmly and defend himself at any mo- ment. ‘“What we goin’ to do with ’im?” asked the man with the knife. The man with the.gun deliberated for a moment. “Gag him and tie him up in the garret, I guess,” he suggested. “Pah!” said the fellow with the black-jack; ‘‘they’d find ’im_ within twenty-four hours, and he’d give the police a full description of our mugs and our clothes and everything.” remarked Sin- 221 “Well, you tell us what to do with him then,” said the first speaker. “‘ Maybe you'd like to take him along with us for a pet.” The desperado thought deeply, glan- cing over the athletic form of Singleton ; then he looked at the walking-stick, the knife, and the revolver, each in turn. “ Kill ’im!” he growled gutturally. ‘“ We’ve done one already; might just as well do two.” The other two flinched slightly, but Singleton held himself together. “ Sir, you are a man of action. There is nothing like thoroughness,” he ob- served coolly. ‘Pretty fresh at that,” said the man of the gun; “ you’d better shut up.”» At that. moment voices were heard echoing faintly from the valley. Sin- gleton and the robbers started nervously and listened. ‘The posse must be within five hundred yards of the shanty, and the men would be-sure to notice that the door had been forced in since they had inspected it in the morning. “You let out one peep and you're a dead one,” said the man with the gun, brandishing it slightly. “My God! ye’re not goin’ to stay here like this and wait to see if -they’re comin’ to call, are yer?” demanded an- other fellow. “No,” said the first; ‘‘ we'd better gag this lad now and take ’im up in the garret and keep quiet.” The man with the knife set about searching for a rope and a suitable gag, while the other two eyed Singleton as though dreading to lay hands on him. His stick was stout and his eye deter- mined; but he leaned calmly against the table, apparently indifferent to what they were saying or planning. The voices now sounded much nearer, and Singleton knew that he could make his friends hear if he shouted loudly ; but the derringer in the hand of the’ stupid brute before him had to be reck- oned with, as well as the long knife and the bludgeon. He still toyed with the stick idly to conceal his agitation, and he wondered how far he might depend on his old training as a fencer to defend him with a cane against three more dangerous weapons. If luck were on his side, the MICLOOO© C S (C@