Western Story Magazine, May 12, 1934 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

118 It was three hundred feet across and #t had steep, rocky sides. The -sun was now well up, and its light beat down into the clearing. Parks looked down into the canyon. All the men followed his example, as.1f the canyon held whatever old Parks had brought them here to see. The far wall was illuminated by the light from the mounting sun. The wall below the men _ was shadow-painted. Those shadows extended a little way out from the wall. “Take a Seed look,” Parks told the trailer. _ The trailer was apparently not afraid of height. He leaned over his horn and stared into the depths. He saw nothing unusual. Only silence greeted his ears. However, he was still uneasy. He seemed convinced that a man like Parks would not play with him. “TI don’t see nothin’,” he said. “No?” Parks asked as if in sur- prise. “Well, well, ain’t it a sight in the world how a man will forget what he’s doin’? I reckon I must be growin’ old. I didn’t mean for you to look inta the canyon, fella. But j Wa keep your eyes down there for a*minute. Jerry, gimme your rope.” Jerry took up his rope but held it in his hand. “With you a rope is like a saddle, huh?” Parks said. “It’s a personal thing. Allright! Now, trailer, take a good look at Jerry Hawley’ s rope. Keep your eyes on it tll I tell you to take them away.” The trailer looked at the rope. “You can’t hang me,” he said sullenly. “You’re gettin’ worried, huh?” Parks asked. “Go right ahead. Well, below the far wall of the canyon, they’s a slope like the one we jus’ come up. Recent a bunch ol? be 39 killed King? Gomicbooks.com Street & Smith’s Western Say ee of men rode up that other slope. Fourteen of ’em didn’t come back. Virlee’s men! Fella, if you think they come back, jus’ take a look over there.” The trailer looked first at Parks. The old man was staring across the canyon. His face was stony. The trailer dropped his eyes to the can- yon. Then, very slowly, he let them climb the wall. When those eyes reached the top of the wall, the man’s face was at once ghastly from fear and shock. His body trembled. He put a hand over his eyes to shut out the horror of decorated trees. When he took the hand away, he turned fully to Parks. “OP man,” he whispered, “‘T’ll tell you all I know.” “Why should you?” Parks asked. “Tl tell you. I wanta tell you.” “Tell us what?” — “Everything! On’y let’s get away from here.” | “T like this canyon, ” Parks said. “I can come here an’ still feel my- self yo@ng. Many a time in days gone by, I’ve sat my horse here an’ thought of a lotta things. I won’t leave till I start for home.” “All right, all right! Well, Virlee had Treece killed. You all know why. He spoke the names of two of the men that was in the outfit. One’s Jim Smylie; other’s Tom Poole.” “Nice Pre sneered. “Names Virlee gimme. He gimme them names—tol’ me the story—one daybreak when he was full o’ his privut stock. Boastin’, the pup! An’, ol’ man, the fella that fired the bullet inta Treece was Smylie. . Gunman. Faster’n light. Could shoot a fly’s eye out.” “An’ who,” Parks simple names.” whispered, |