Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

68 “Nope. We'll swing ’em right ahead.” ‘When will there be another train?” ‘Oh, not for a long time,” Sweeney lied. “‘ Business is kind of light to-night. Prob- ably won’t be anybody stopping here again. This is only the quarry siding, you know. The despatcher stuck us in here because we’re runnin’ light. What’s up, officer?” “Oh, a little fuss up the street,” the po- liceman answered. He went back to the patrol- wagon anid talked to his companion in tones too low to carry to Shelby. Shelby crouched back among the trees, afraid to make a move. The westbound came along presently and the light pulled out. There was silence, save for the running motor. The police- man on the ground stood looking about him for a moment. Shelby felt that his eyes must find him there in the dark, but at last he climbed back to his seat. The man at the wheel turned the machine about and it sped back toward town. Shelby took off his hat and wiped the sweat from the band. He could feel a trickle of it running down his spine. For half an hour he lay still, but no one came. He turned then and walked back through the woods. In the shelter of the trees he took off his suit and collar and tie and donned the overalls and jumper. He rolled the near-Panama inside the suit and put on the cap. Then he dug a deep hole with his hands in the leaves and the soft loam and buried his bundle. With his dinner bucket in his hand he stole away through the woods, seeking only to put as great a dis- tance as possible between himself and his pursuers. He came presently to a field of stubble with a wire fence running along it. He climbed the fence and set out to follow it. He judged that he was headed straight west now. The fence ended at a road. This, he supposed, was the road which led to the company’s offices. He crossed it and came to another field. He crossed several fields of stubble and one of shoulder-high corn, and came to another wood. He entered this and threw himself on the ground. He was utterly weary, and as soon as he relaxed he fell asleep. When he awoke the sun was shining in the treetops. He sat up - bountiful fare. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. and looked about him and then at his rai- ment. The jumper and overalls fit him a bit snugly, but the cap happened to be his own size. He felt he might pass for a laborer. With a handful of loam he effaced one or two lingering, bright spots on the tan shoes and smudged his face, as Sweeney had di- rected. Then he left the woods. He saw that he had stopped just this side of a road. Making sure that no one was in sight, he stepped into it. His watch showed six o’clock. He was desperately hungry and a little stiff, but he was more cheerful than he had been the night before. He determined to find a res- taurant, have some breakfast, and then phone to Silent Simpson. With this definite plan in his mind he set off down the road. In half an hour he came to the railroad, which was lined with factories here. As he neared the tracks the factory whistles began to blow for the change of shifts. Just ahead of him Shelby saw a sign: “Eat.” As the night force began to pour from the factories he turned into the restaurant. He was ordering his breakfast at a rear table when several men came in. He timed his meal so that he would finish with them. If he left the place when they did he would have at least more ease of manner. Possibly he would have more security. A good appetite had always been his, and he ate heartily of the restaurant’s plain but The ache left his body and he grew quite cheerful. He was of a mind now to make light of his experiences. Perhaps the best thing he could do would be to face the situation squarely and take whatever was coming to him. It was rather foolish to be mas- querading in this way when all he had done was to punch a man who had lied about him. Of course they might send him to jail, but since he was jobless that would not be so bad as it might otherwise have been. He finished his coffee, and with this idea in his mind pushed back his chair. As he was about to rise a newsboy came through the front door, calling the town’s morning paper. Shelby beckoned to him and set- comiclboooks C©