10 Short Novels Magazine — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

, ms ee YS Pe ee BAP) yy 36 - CHAPTER III DEAD MAN RINGING his hands up, Ruff sought to grip the rope and ease the throt- tling pressure. He succeeded only par- tially. There was absolutely no possibility of his climbing to the limb, or even high enough to free the throttling noose. His ears began to roar. His eyes pro- truded. Suddenly there was a crashing in the sagebrush near-by. Diminutive Dawn Lorde appeared. She ran to the pifion, tore at the knotted rope. The hemp slackened abruptly, letting Ruff down in a pile in the sage. He felt the six-gun gouge into his hip, and had presence of mind to jam it into his shirt before the girl reached his side. “We thought it was a trick!” she gasped. “It looked like a fake hanging —gso we could rescue you.” Ruff kneaded his throat, groaned loud- ly to cover his surprise. So they had seen through the ruse! “Where’s the big gent?” he croaked. She pointed. “Over there. Watching.” Titanic Harrison had appeared atop a boulder some three score yards distant, gripping a Winchester, staring about alertly. Ruff scowled—not entirely because of the agony in his throat. The giant’s posi- tion was such that he could have crept up, unobserved by the girl, and thrust the stick in the rope knot. It had been Dawn Lorde moving which had attracted his attention, Ruff decided. She had come from a spot near where he had heard the sound. He squinted at her, wondering if she had pulled some sort of a grotesque prac- tical joke on him. No. Her face was strained, serious. “Let’s hike outa here!” he grunted. Huge Titanic Harrison got off his rock and came over. Together the three of them sought shelter in a near-by gully. “Why did they do such a thing to you?” the girl demanded. Ruff stroked his neek, worked his jaw gingerly. “You still figure me as a Boxed- Y hand?” “No—not now.” “Well, I ain’t. But what I told you about bein’ a ranny siftin’ through on the scout for a job wasn’t exactly the — Old Zeke McCann is my grand- Gy “Oh! You told Stan Yonkel that?” “Uh-huh.” “Then that’s why they tried to hang 1?? Ruff’s homely face registered stark ote ee eee Se — occ ee ee Pye eae ~<: cm ees — a — i _ i i “4 a ——_ puzzlement, “Stan Yonkel claimed old Zeke McCann was about his best friend. Somehow, I believed ’im. Yonkel didn’t seem such a cultus hombre.” Viystery Range * * * 75 The girl stared at him curiously. “You | say that—after what they did to you!” Ruff blinked. He had almost betrayed the fact that the hanging was his own idea, He got a grip on himself. “IT wish you’d tell me what’s behind this!” he said hastily. » “Zeke McCann is a splendid old man,” the girl declared. “I have been grubstak- ing him for years. A week ago he came to me and said he had made his strike. © He said it wasn’t gold or silver or the usual metals, but wouldn’t reveal more than that. He rode off, saying he was go- ing to tell Stan Yonkel, who had also grubstaked him, then ride to town and file his claim.” She grimaced angrily. “Late that night one of my punchers went to the bunk- house door and somebody shot him in the shoulder. A little later Stan Yonkel and his outfit rode up. They accused us of kidnapping Zeke. There was a fight. Silky Ed Crowder shot one of my men. Since then they’ve had my Broken-Stirrup ranch surrounded.” Ruff nodded slowly. This story dove- es with the one Stan Yonkel had told im. OR the space of two minutes Ruff thought deeply. He made a decision. “Listen!” He pointed off to the right. “Don’t you hear somethin’?” The girl and Titanic Harrison looked where he pointed. Leaning over, Ruff wrenched the girl’s Winchester out of her hands. Pivoting, he jammed the octagon barrel against Titanic Harrison’s expansive chest. Titanic choked, fluttered his hands at his six-guns, then thought better of it. “What’re you doin’?” Ruff scowled warningly at the girl. Rage was in her eyes. She seemed about to spring upon him. “Behave an’ you won’t get hurt!” he told her. “I’m gonna start bangin’ this thing around, That hangin’ was supposed to be a fake, like you thought. But some- body sneaked up an’ tied the knot hard in the rope. It could’ve been one of you, but danged if I see why you’d do it. It could’ve been one of old Stan Yonkel’s outfit. But that ain’t reasonable because I’m bettin’ Yonkel ain’t the kind of a gent to do a trick like that. Anyhow, I don’t savvy why they’d want to scrag me.” “You—you—” The girl was almost incoherent with anger. “You’re one of Yonkel’s gang!” COMM EMOOKS Eom