Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

SHELBY’S HEAD-ON CRASH. The rain had ceased altogether now and the clouds had drifted out of the sky. Shel- by could be discerned from the front porch. As he waited in indecision a woman’s voice suddenly broke the silence: “There he is, officer. That’s the man, Standing right down there.” CHAPTER IV. HUNTED. HE policeman turned, looked at Shel- by, and then came swiftly down the steps. There was aggressiveness in his manner. ‘Hey, you,” he said. “ Just a minute. I want you.” Shelby had’ a few seconds of paralysis. This sudden change in the state of affairs left him for that space incapable of action. The policeman was half-way down the walk when it dawned upon Shelby that the policeman intended to lay restraining hands on him. He could tell that by the police- man’s manner. , That left Shelby with a single idea. He forgot about Thornton; he forgot about the girl. He only knew that he was not going to let those big, red hands fall upon him. He turned and fied. He had no notion except to put as much space as possible between himself and the policeman. He believed he was fleeter of foot than the officer. ‘The latter’s size would not be calculated to make him speedy. At first it seemed as if his task would be easy. Behind him he could hear the heavy pad-pad of the policeman’s feet. His own tan shoes were click-clicking, four clicks to one pad. He heard the policeman cry out and cease running. Shelby looked back. The policeman had stopped. Shelby could just make out his figure. “Hi,” said Shelby to himself. ‘“‘ Winded already, are you?” He thought his getaway was assured, but he had not reckoned with the powers of the police in an emergency. ‘There was the sound of a shot. At the same instant he felt as if he had been bitten in the left shoulder. 65 ‘Great guns, I’m shot!” he said aloud. He stopped for just an instant. He had never been shot before, and he didn’t know but that he might suddenly pitch forward on his face, or crumple slowly to the ground, or slip into a black pit, or do one of those disconcerting things that people do when they get a bullet into their anatomy. To his surprise he found that he was as strong as he had been. His shoulder smart- ed a little, but that was all. He put his hand on the shoulder, but there was no blood on it when he withdrew it. His coat was free from any widening red stain. ‘““T guess I’m still all here,” he said. ‘But that cop is coming fast again.” He dodged beyond a tree and saw that he had put a line of them between him and his pursuer. He ran at top speed on the grass. There was the sound of another shot, but he did not hear the bullet. He guessed it must have buried itself in one of the trees. He was nearing the street car line again now and he had to make up his mind quick- ly what he was going to do. He recalled that the car on which he and the girl had ridden had been bound toward town. That direction, he supposed, would be the most dangerous for him. What lay in the op- posite direction he did not know, but he assumed that open country was not far off. The railroad offices were in the manu- facturing district of the town, and that he was aware in a general way was in the out- skirts. He decided to turn to his right. To do so he must emerge from the shelter of the trees and be revealed by the arc light. He took the chance. Back of him he heard the policeman’s revolver speak again, but the sound was fainter than it had been. He judged the policeman had stopped or else he was slower even than Shelby had supposed him to be. He found himself now on a hill which sloped gently for some distance. He did not slacken his speed, but as he ran he tried to remember what policemen did in cases like this. All he knew was what he had read in the newspapers from time to time. That reading had been indifferent. He supposed there would be a general] alarm for him. comicloool C©