15 Western Short Stories — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

96 rectify his mistake, Kirby’s lead smashed his face in. Masden let out a startled curse. The rancher had been moving toward the door that led to Bowers’ cell. Now he _ whirled, crouching. Kirby was trying to swing his gun around, but was still gripped in the paralysis of bullet shock. Masden fired and the lamp on the desk jumped like a thing alive, then exploded in a shower of glass and darkness came suddenly to the office. Kirby fired, but the flash of his shot Showed that Masden was. already through the door. Hank Bowers was yelling delight- edly. “Over here, Alf! I knew you wouldn't forget—” “Tll say not!” Masden yelled. “I'll shut your big mouth—” His words were chopped off by the roar of his gun. Bowers screamed in terror. Kirby was moving toward the corridor, now. Moving slow, as his iron will tried to pump strength back into his body. | It was pitch dark in the corridor. “Miasden!” Kirby’s voice was a croak. He ducked back as orange flame tongued along the narrow hallway, then thumbed a shot in answer. “Kill 7’?im, Kirby!’ Hank Bowers’ squawied. “The dirty son tried to murder me—kill ‘im, Kirby—” Wiasden yelled something unintel- ligible and turned his gun toward Hank’s cell. Over the roar of two shots, Kirby could hear the slugs strike the steel bars of the door and richochet. Hank Bowers’ cursing was high-pitched with fright. And from a distance, Joe Kirby could hear gun- fire rolling along the dark streets of Tumbleweed City. Then suddenly, things were quiet. Only the thump of Masden’s boots, growing fainter, as he scurried out the back door and ran. Kirby leaned against the door jamb and automati- cally began to reload. A moment later a whisper of sound came from the back door, and a form was silhouetted. Joe Kirby recognized the drooping shoulders of Sheriff Hawkes. He called softly and the lawman stepped inside, pulling the door shut after him. Two shots blasted and two slugs buried themselves in the door. “Tried to whipsaw me—over at the WESTERN SHORT STORIES Golden Chance,’ was the sheriff's only explanation of the gunfire Kir- by had heard. “Who was that went out the back door?” “Masden,’ Kirby said, in a tired voice. “He tried to kill Hank. How are you?” “Never touched me, dhe dirty son—” the outlaw broke off into a stream of profanity. ““Masden’s the kingpin of everything around here, sheriff,” Bowers went on. “He engineered that stage hold up—and it was Masden his- self that killed Sheriff Palmer’s dep- uty, Joe Kirby—cause he thought Kir- by had the deadwood—” He broke off suddenly, realizing what he had said. Te SILENCE began to build up like something tangible that you could touch and feel, and after a mo- ment, the sound of three men breath- ing was loud and rasping. The dep- uty called Joe Kirby felt warm stick- ness dripping down his side, and the palms of his hands were moist and sweaty. His eyes were peerixsg through the gloom at the dark blotch that was Sheriff Hawkes. Down the street a gun blasted, and glass tinkled in the front office. Sheriff Hawkes laughed, a short, bitter cackle. “Figured Masden did the brain- work,’ he said, and utter weariness was in his voice. “But a lot of good it'll do to find it out now. We’re all three slated for boothill—we’ll go out of here on a slab.” Other guns were joining in, now, ‘and Kirby noticed grimly that they had completely surrounded the build- ing. The heaviest concentration seemed to be almost directly across the street, in the narrow alley be- tween Moore’s Mercantile and the post office. During a lull in the fir- ing, they heard Masden’s voice. He was in the alley. Then the firing broke out afresh. Hawkes dropped to his knees at the front win- dow. Kirby saw a man dart out of the alley, saw Hawkes’ lead cut him down. Kirby moved to the side win- dow, thumbed a careful shot at a gun- flash. “Here it comes,” Sheriff Hawkes said. “They’re smoking us out.” A stick, blazing at one end, came from cComicbooks moved past Kirby and CO