Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

, >. fat the fugitive, unaware of the path’s e istence, was also making his way upward with less speed and more difficulty. At the top, Harper lay prone on the ground for two reasons. He was winded, and, in the moonlight that now lighted up the scene to some extent, he would be able to sight Allan when the latter reached the top. th a moment the fugitive appeared over the rim. Harper rose and ran forward. Allan, hearing the footsteps of his pur- suer, ran also—not away from the rim along the level land, but along the edge of it as though in search of a draw or coulée into which he could escape. To halt his quarry, Harper fired a shot into the air. Allan turned then and fired twice in quick succession. Harper felt a stinging sensation in his shoulder, but he did not halt. Allan had no more cartridges. The pursuit would soon be over. He yelled to the fugitive to stop, but the latter paid no attention. Harper fired again—not at the man, be- cause he was Alice’s husband, but in the air in an effort to frighten him into sur- render. It only caused Allan to dash to the edge of the rim-rock. He stood there for a second and Harper figured that he had him. He approached to within a few feet. He knew that beyond Allan there was a sheer drop of many feet to jagged rocks below. Allan, however, did not seem to know that. Apparently he thought that the rim- rock at this point was formed in the same manner as at the point where he clambered up. He put his hand on the ground and jumped over, evidently expecting to land on his feet two or three feet below. His feet struck nothing. He tried to re- cover himself with the hand he had placed on the rim. In the moonlight that now lighted up the scene to some extent, Harper ghmpsed a frightful look on the man’s face as he grasped at the edge of the rock for a hold. He tried to grab Allan’s hand to pull him up, but he was too late. The man’s fingers slipped over the edge. A hor- rible thud sounded from below. As fast as he could, Harper made his way downward to where Allan lay. He was un- AW. ——_ cor ' t 4 flames from his burning Jal his pathway. The pain in his: was increasing and his strength wi ning to ebb, but still he staggered carrying the unconscious husband of woman he loved. = In the meantime the dance-hall gir known as Babe was also engaged in a des perate effort. When she ran out of the Lone Star and looked back at Alice she tried to think of some way to help the girl who had befriended her. Seeing the lights of a railroad camp in the distance, she de- cided t6 go there and summon help. She ran at first, but speedily found that she did not possess the stamina for such strenuous exercise. Sobbing and gasping for breath, she stumbled on through the darkness. Only too well she realized the danger that threatened the girl who had inspired her to write to her mother for the first time in years. In her queer way, she loved Alice. The typist had been so sympathetie: had not laughed at the palpable lies she dic- tated to her mother; had even suggested additional ones. Anything to make her mother happy, she said. And Babe’s mother had replied! Babe had sent money home then, had reéstablished family ties, had felt almost respectable again when her mother invited her to spend a month or two at the old home. That was an impossible proposition, of course. Only too well, Babe knew that she would unwittingly betray her real character ten minutes after she struck the ald town. But letters from her mother arrived regu- larly now. They were the only bright spots In an existence that she loathed but could not escape from, and never would she for- get the girl who had made them possible. After what seemed hours of labored ef- fort, Babe glimpsed a light in the bunk- house, and toward it she directed her wah- bling footsteps. The door was unlocked and she plunged in. All the occupants were _ In bed and apparently asleep. The oil — lamp was turned low, for some late-con er. probably. ie Babe spied a tin wash basin. She sepa