Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

202 “ Boy,” he said, “ we were going to tell you something when you pulled the merry- go-round on Gahagan. It ain’t much of our business, but do you know where that guy is taking you?” “No,” said Johnny. The Professor shook his head sadly, and Gahagan, taking his cue from the leader, shook his also. ‘“‘ Damned if I can figure out what got into the old Bender!” said the Professor. ‘** From what you’ve been telling me, I guess he must have been plumb crazy in some ways. Maybe that sickness of his sort of went to his head.” “Maybe,” said Johnny as he looked from one to the other with wide eyes. ‘“ He Sure acted queer the last timé I'saw him.” “You tell him, Gahagan, what we heard.” The big man stared so long that the Pro- fessor had to kick him to bring him into semblance of life. “You tell him, Professor—you tell him. Honest, I ain’t got the heart to do it.” “Well,” said the old man, with pity thrilling through his voice, “he’s taking you to a reform school.” Johnny jumped to his feet and his face became milk white. His head turned first from one to the other and back agam, and he put his trembling hand on the Pro- fessor’s forearm as if appealing for help. ‘“‘ Reform schools are hell,” said the old man as he shook his head. “ I’d rather be in a regular pen—any day. You get better grub. I’ve been in both—leastways I’ve had friends that have—and they all say they’d choose the regular pen any time. When you’re out you’re marked; the bulls are after you, and after they see you shoot- ing a snipe on the sidewalk they’re onto you.” “Bender wouldn’t send me to any ref,” said Johnny shakily. ‘“ Bender sked me.” ‘“3t wasn’t Bender. It’s this guy Spring- time down there. That night we stayed at the place with the old German we got him to talking and led him on and on until he told us he was taking you to a reform school. They’d give him a bounty for bringing you in. You know I always did reckon that Springtime was a bull or some ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘kind of a mouthpiece. He always has coin to burn, but where does he get it? He .might be a truant officer, because the road is httered with runaway kids.” When he had finished, Johnny was going up a path bent over so that the hazel scrub would hide him. When he got to the top he ran like a rabbit into an open field. Cas- ually the Professor followed—as casually as his excitement would let him—and a hundred yards behind him strolled Gaha- gan. They gained the top, and then they broke into a run after the fleeing Johnny. The fight was running a curious course. Roller had dashed in with what seemed to be unbeatable impetuosity. His short, strong arms flew like flails, but at the end of three or four minutes he did not seem to have done much damage. Durkin backed away before him and re- treated in a wide circle. Blows aimed at the tal] man’s head landed on his shoulders; blows aimed at his body were caught be- tween elbow and ribs and Roller had al- most to put his foot against Durkin and pull before he could recover his fist. ‘ Every blow was delivered with a grunt; Roller’s face and neck were blue from frenzy. It was especially bad when Dur- kin caught a fist between his elbow and his ribs, for then he would put out one long arm against Roller’s other shoulder and turn him away so that the free arm was prac- tically useless. Then Roller raved like a mad dog, or like an apoplectic porpoise; he coughed and snorted and blew. At last he forgot the eminent Marquis of Queens- bury and all his rules, for when Durkin had him stopped that way he lashed out with his foot toward the tall man’s knee cap. “ Now, you're going too damned far!” exclaimed Durkin, and, stepping back, swung his right against Roller’s chin. The blow did not ‘seem to be a very hard one, but Roller’s eyes became glassy, and, throwing up his arms, he collapsed at the feet of the man out of whose hide he had planned to take the ill treatment of many years. When Durkin saw him in that pitiable position he went to the pool and, filling his hat, spilled water on the face of Roller comicboooks C©