The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 210: what you’re looking at

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

680 whisper, “ We'll get him to-night; he cannot escape .. . Basilio,” had stripped from him his brown skin of stoicism and bared his miserable nature in all its naked cowardice before a troop of threatening fantoms. “ We'll get him to-night!’ dinned into the ears of his craven spirit. He dropped the fruit he had plucked and fled at random into the bosque. As suddenly as he had followed the instinct of his kind to hunt cover, so did he pause and then retrace his way to the trail. The fever of fear exhausted, the craft of the barrio servant came to the aid of the bosque savage. - Before his mind a plan flashed which he told him- self would confuse the pursuing con- - stabulary and at least give him a good. start to. seek the hill haunts of a bandit friend. No twitching of conscience troubled him. He had not a thought of regret for the blood he had shed. But the gooseflesh was on his neck as he felt around it the thick hempen cord of the hangman. As he hurried in the direction of Lieutenant Marker’s bungalow he per- fected his scheme for flight. There was a banca, or small native dugout, tied up at the landing a few rods beyond the point where the trail ended on the shingle beach. He would take the banca. Once across the lake, his way would be clear and easy. The bandits would welcome a recruit who could give much infor- mation as to the methods and forces of the American officer. And then would come the free life of fhe outlaw, which he had always en- vied and looked forward to. would be no more cleaning of mud- spattered riding boots for the Ameri- can lieutenant. He could drink his fill of the native brands of “red eye”—bino, tuba— kill, kidnap, and plunder to his heart’s content. He smacked his lips at the prospect. Stealing silently up to the rear door of the bungalow, he entered. There - THE ARGOSY. ‘Meanwhile the two men who had hurled Basilio from the pleasant plateau of placid forgetfulness into the bitter waters of fear continued their walk toward the village. They parted company at Pascual’s place after Julian had treated his ac- complice, Gabriel, to a bumper of bino. Julian had insisted upon trust- ing to a knife-thrust from behind, the bandit bolomen lying in wait to finish the job if necessary. He felt brave in the assurance of numbers behind his arm, ‘and hate made him eager to monopolize the murder of the biz man who had cowed him by a look and a word — who possessed the heart of the beautiful teacher. Gabriel urged caution and the bullet. “He is very strong, very brave,” said the recreant soldier. “ You had much better shoot. But it is your affair. I will hoot like the owl as he leaves the casa.’ “That is good,” Julian nodded. ““My knife will strike between the shoulders—so.” He made a gesture with his right hand. ‘“ Then, we shall throw the body into the ditch and go with the keys to his casa. “Basilio must be silenced —he is not to be trusted. All he thinks of is his song-making and the seoritas. A man will talk to the woman and she to the town. The money will be shared equally, but I must have the papers and the girl.” “She will scream and spoil all. Why bother? There are many women.” “ “J shall tie her mouth—leave her to me,” Julian directed. “Go, now, and keep watch.” Gabriel left the wine-seller’s to loiter near the lieutenant’s house. With much satisfaction he saw the constabulary escort deliver the sealed bags containing the money, Lieutenant Marker in personal charge of the little party. Julian walked on toward the lake. Night settled down, dark, starless, COMicdoo S CO@