Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

28 out on the now deserted balcony to the rear of the house. A minute or two later they arrived at the Catholic Church front- ing the plaza, passing unseen behind the buildings. Here the priests consented to take her in, as Dave had expected. “Don’t you worry about me,” he an- swered her anxious question. “‘ No cop that wears a dago sword can pinch me.” When Dave said this he was quite alone in the town except for Clara and the tim- orous negro. He had committed a grave offense against the law; moreover, Calbuco had determined to blot him out. Yet that night Calbuco and his men, with the men of the alcalde, ransacked the town and the boats in the harbor. Punta has few streets and not so many buildings. It would have been impossible for Dave to leave without being stopped. The next morning every near-by ranch was visited, equally without result. Dave was in the one place Calbuco did not think to look for him. Walstrom and Quensel were really an- noyed when they were held up on enter- ing their quarters in ‘the Kosmos Hotel near the water-front hy the same man who had visited Calbuco’s establishment. ‘“‘{ don’t want to hurt you gents,” he in- formed them—Walstrom spoke good En- glish. “ But I got some talking to do, and I want you to Jisten.” “Very well,” assented the giant explorer amusedly. “‘ We don’t owe you anything, though. Won’t*you have a cigarette?” ** Sure. have to do to land me in the Punta cooler is to yell: But you’re a square man—I came down on the schooner with you. ll put away the gun if you'll gimme your word to sit quiet and see we ain’t inter- rupted.” “I agree,” Walstrom smiled. “ But I advise you to do your best to leave Punta while it’s dark. There is no American con- sul within a thousand miles, or any country- man. You’ve—ah—held up an alcalde and robbed Calbuco, who has a good deal of money and influence, besides a ship or two.” ‘“ He’s my meat.” cigarette seriously. Dave puffed at his “You was talking Look here, Walstrom, all you - ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. about the Tierra del Fuego mines when I busted in this evening. Did you see any- thing of the claim of John Bruce when you was over there?” ‘The Isabella? Quensel, on one of his solitary rambles in search of fossiliferous | deposits, saw the claim-stakes on the shore of the strait.” _“ Does it look like a Rance proposition to you?” Walstrom yawned and laughed. ‘“ That is just what I was about to re- mark to your friend Calbuco. These so- called mines were discovered by amateurs. There are no actual gold deposits in Tierra del Fuego. We examined one or two of the sites.” . *Y didn’t think Bruce could pick a win- ner,” the boy sighed. ‘“ But he showed gold nuggets.” “ Gold particles. My young brigand—I don’t know your name—the gold of Tierra del Fuego can, literally, be picked up or rather washed by hand. It is produced solely by the action of the sea on the sands along the coastal barranca. The sea has been washing down that sand for hundreds of years. After a storm Quensel and I would light our pipes and go out and gather a little along the beach. But the gold it- self would nof pay the cost of tools or for- mation of a company—”’ Walstrom shrugged. ‘“‘ Every decade or so the gold craze strikes Punta, and new sociedads auriferas are formed, only to be bankrupt. Now, am I to be shot or not?” Dave met his searching blue eyes fairly. The boy was thinkitg that the gold mine of the Bruces was a myth, after all, and they were badly off as ever. “You're a square man, Walstrom, the only one I know in Punta. I got a girl friend, and she’s in trouble in this burg. Say, you come with me and hear her tell what she’s up against. They won’t stop me, in the dark, if I’m with you, see?” ‘““ My lad,” objected the explorer impa- tiently, “‘ I have other things to do. Such as sleep. We are sailing to-morrow.” _ Quensel, who had been staring at Dave askance, also growled out an irritated oath. ‘Clear out!” he said. ‘‘ Calbuco’s holding her old man a pris- GO NOOK = A C©