The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

518 Deane, for that tingled in every word of his talk. | But he did declare his black sus- picions of Mariquita Mallory, and there was a false note struck again and again as he emphasized his convic- tions. O’Hara loved to drink in the music, but he hated the discord. “Man, dear, but you're out of chune!”’ and he wabbled his red head gruesomely. “ The girl is a fiend, of course. Didn’t Lacey say so? He has judgment and penetration, although, to be sure, he couldn’t find the hole in the mill where the amalgam ran out; but that was simple, and Lacey’s eye was all for complications. It’s human nature and bitter true that we'd rather take a week hunting for something than travel ’cross lots for an hour and pick it up. “ But if there was any doubt o’ the girl’s duplicity, you settled it; Beyond a shadow of surmise, in the twice you talked with her and the once you saw her gallopin’ through the night you smoked out her true char-ac-ter. “Oh, the black trick she played on you there by the town ditch! Forced her horse on you at the muzzle of a gun—made you ride when you could not walk—bullied you into a comfort- able trip back to your hotel! Troth, I’m in hopes to be spared till I can get even with her for that. “Tt was worse, though, when she came here and wanted to be ‘friends. ‘You were right in not letting her speak of the mine or give-you the whys and wherefores of the sorry-work that has been going on here.- She might have exploded some dynamite under that trust you have in Deane. “ Then what? No matter. Where’s the glove? Begorry,” and a wry smile came into the homely face, ‘I'd like to take it back to her myself and tell her a few things. Bremerton, I’ve a mind to camp down on you for a while. You need me. But [ll be no dead- head; [ll work.” “But you don’t understand—” “T understand more than you think. THE ARGOSY. Before long there’ll be more broken heads in these diggin’s than there ever was at a Donnybrook fair. For one of my disposition the outlook is dis- tinctly allurin. I’m going to work here.”’ “Where are you going to work? ” laughed Bremerton. “In the mill. About to-morrow you'll be needing a new amalgamator, and I’m the man for the job.” | “Then that’s settled, and I could ask nothing better. There goes the gong at the chuck-shanty, Mike. Come on to breakfast.” CHAPTER XIIL THE HAND OF THE LAW. BREMERTON planned a ‘surprise for Big Steve and Chombo. The law was to be invoked against them and the case relentlessly pressed. Such a move would constitute an object lesson for all the enemies of Deane. King was sent to Phcenix directly after breakfast to communicate Brem- erton’s plans to the sheriff. As a cover to the real nature of his errand, it was given out in camp that he had gone to town for a couple of carboys of sulphuric acid. In looking over the odds and ends of equipment in the office the superin- tendent had found an old dark-lantern. He had the lantern cleaned and filled by Wun Sing and made ready against the night’s operations. At ten o’clock in the evening Brem- erton and O’Hara quietly slipped out of camp and made their way along the trail to the top of the ridge. Three men were waiting for them on the ridge-crest—Ransom, the sheriff, and two deputies. “T’m mighty glad,” said Ransom, after a few minutes’ talk, “‘ that some- thing is going to be done out here. Thugs and plug-uglies have been do- ing about as they please at the Mari- quita, and the law has had blamed little to work on. COMicdoo S CO@