Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

was playing upon the emotions of ys upon a harp. In passionate language 1e appealed to them to cheat Jim Harper of his prey, to storm his flimsy jail and Jib- erate Rodney Allan. They could easily do _ it, she said. In the darkness Harper would not recognize them. Were they real men, she asked, or only imitation men? Would they allow a help- less woman to be bullied and cheated and lied to by a brute of a sheriff? Would they give their companion worker, Rodney Allan, a chance to earn the money he was charged with stealing and thus prevent his convic- tion, on technical evidence, for a crime he did not commit? She ended up with the greatest oratorical effort of her life, and, quivering like a leaf, awaited their verdict. It came quickly. “We're with you, kid!” ‘Lead us to him!” “You're dam’ right we'll get Allan out!” “'T’ hell with the sheriff an’ the law!” Sherrard said nothing at all. He stood at one side, eying Alice as a cat eyes a mouse within reach of its claws, an evil smirk upon his degenerate features. A great hair giant of a man appointed himself leader of the mob. ‘“ Follow me, boys,” he cried. ‘“ Let’s go!” Pell-mell, the men tumbled out into the street, shouting and singing ribald songs. Alice was at their head. Sherrard remained behind in his establishment. Liquor and excitement had not robbed him of his wits. He would play the fox’s game. His crazy patrons could brave the danger; he would reap the reward. Toward the temporary jail in which __ Sheriff Harper lodged his prisoners before taking them to a stronger one, the mob _ made its disorderly way. Some had lighted makeshift torches, such as brooms and rags ied to sticks after being soaked in kerosene, the flickering tongues of fire from these high into the darkness of the night, » up the marches in weird and terri- > could ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. eckless audience now as a musician’ upon him and grasped him around the neck. — of a mile. While they were still two hun- dred feet from the impromptu jail—a flims wooden structure, hurriedly flung tote’ | at the first influx of the disorderly element — ~~a light flared up inside showing that Harper was out of bed and doubtless pre- Paring for the coming encounter. As the marchers approached, his door flung open releasing a long shaft of light that fell upon the mob leaders and caused them to slow up a bit, and Jim Harper stood there con- fronting them. He was fully dressed, except for his coat. His pistol belt was about his waist, show- ing two holsters with heavy pistol butts sticking out of them. He stood there with a grim smile upon his firm features and eyed the approaching rabble with an ex- pression of contempt that suddenly changed to one of grave concern as he descried the girl he knew as Alice Juno at their head. “ That’s far enough!” he shouted, “ Stay right where you are. I can hear anything you say. Another step and somebody is lable to get hurt.” His fingers played with the butts of his guns. The mob was not too reckless to heed his words. Those in front stopped dead in their tracks. Those behind continued to advance, and for a little while succeeded in pushing the front line forward. Then Harper whipped out two guns and the whole body halted as though their feet were caught by invisible traps, but not before they had arrived within thirty or forty feet of him. “What do you want?” he demanded. Alice, in front, paid no more attention to his guns than if they had been firecrack- ers. She walked right up to him. “We want Rodney Allan!” she pro- claimed. Harper's reply was calm. ‘You know that’s impossible.” ‘We're going to get him,” Alice cried. “You can’t fight off thirty or forty men. You'd better give him up." ‘“‘ What will you do if I don’t?”’ “‘ Storm your jail. Burn it down. thing.” “¢ Some one will get hurt.”’ ‘“‘ Tt ‘ll be you, then.”’ With a spring that took Harper by surprise she flung herself Any- ~ comicbooks.com