Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-23

may tillIk.
At the same moment I heard the
shuffiing feet and the low. excited
young voices on the other side of the
door and a faint light shone around
Raffles' wrist.
well done. Beefyw
Hang on to him.
Good old Beefyr'
'Beefy's got him.
$50 have /. So have r."
And Rafties caught my arm with his
one free hand. They've got me tight"
he whispered. I'm done"
''BlaZe through the door" l urged
and might have done it had I been
armed. but l never was. 1t was Raj
files who monopoliZed that risk.
Il can't-it'S the boys-the wrong
house, he whispered. Curse the fog
its done me. but you get out. Bunny,
while you can. Never mind me- Ita
my turn, old chan"
Ills one hand frightened in affection
ate farewell. l put the electric torch
in it before l went, trembling in every
inch, but without Il word.
Get out. His turn. Yes, would get
out, but only to come in again, for it
was my turn-mine, not his. Would
Raffies leave me held by hand through
a hole in u door? What he would have
done in my place was the thing for
me TO do now. l began by diving head
first through the pantry window and
coming to earth upon all fourS. But
even as / stood up and brushed the
gravel from the palms of my hands and
the knees of my knickerbockers L had
no notion what to do next, and yet
was halfway TO the front door before 1
remembered the vile Grape mask upon
my face and tore it off as the door flew
open and my feet were on the steps.
Hes into the next gardenr' 1 cried
to bevy of pajamas with bare feet
and young faces at either end of them.
WHO? Who?" said they, giving way
before me.
"Some fellow who came through one
of your windows head first"
The other Johnny. The other John
n.y. the cherubs choruSed.
"Biking past; saw the light - why,
what have you there?'
OF course it was RaffieS' hand that
they had, but now l was in the hall
duiOllS ~ ItNl IaNtl DiliNi VI a
boy did all the holding. one hand round
the wrist, the other palm to palm and
his knees braced up against the panel.
was rendering ostentatiouS but
aid, and three or four others
danced about IN their pajauus. After
all, they were not more than four to
one. / had raised my voice, so that
Raffles might hear me and take heart.
and now 1 raised it again, yet to this
day l cannot account for my inspira
ton. that proved nothing less.
Don't talk so loud,' they were cry
ing below their breath. Don't wake
'em upstairsI This is our shown
Then / see you've got one of Them"
said 1. as desired. well, if you want
the other you can have him too. 1 be-
lieve he's hurt himself"
after him! After him. they ex-
claimed as one.
But think he got over the WALL
"Come on, you chaps; come on!'
And there was a soft stampede to the
hall door.
Don't all desert me, 1 sayr' gasped
the red faced hero who held Raff1eS
prisoner.
1--WE must have them both, Beefy."
That's all very we'll
Look here" 1 interposed, "Fll stay |
by you. I've friend outside. I'll get
him too"
Thanks, awfully," said the valiant
Beefy.
The hall was empty now. My heart
beat high.
I,<o y, it,f ir.a1
ny eye running over him.
1--WE were down having drinks-game |
o. nap-in there"
Beefy jerked his great head toward |
an open door. and the tail of my eye |
caught the CLINT of glasses in the fire
light, but the rest of it was otherwise
engaged.
LET me relieve you." I said, trem-
bling.
mo, I'm all right"
"Then 1 must insist"
And before he could answer l had |
him round the neck with such will that |
not gurgle passed my fingers. for they |
were almost buried in his hot smooth |
flesh. Oh. 1 am not proud of it; the act |
was as vile as act could be; but I was |
lOi 2OlIlS W SIT Wy OhC |
desire was TO be the saving of him, and |
I tremble even now to think of what |
lengths / might have gone for its fulfill /
ment. AS it was, 1 squeezed and tug
ged until one strong hand gave way |
after the other and came feeling round |
for me, but feebly, because they had
held on so long. And what do you sup |
pose was happening at the same mo-
ment? The pinched white hand of
Rallies. reddening with returning blood |
md with clot of blood upon the wrist, !
was craning upward and turning the
key in the lock without a moments |
oSS
STEADY on, Bunny
And I saw that Beefy's ears were
blue, but Rallies was feeling in his
pockets as he spoke. Now let him
Dreathe,'' said he, clapping his hand
zerchief over the poor youths mouth. |
An emnfv vial was in his other hand