Pulp Fiction, 1934 · page 29 of 148
Western Story Magazine, May 12, 1934 — page 29: what you’re looking at
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# Page Analysis **Page Type:** Story prose from a pulp fiction magazine **Content:** This page from "Outlaws Of Calico Hole" depicts a dramatic shift in a character's intentions. A man and woman tour a remote, fortified location that could serve as an ideal ranch—he becomes momentarily captivated by the prospect of building rather than destroying. However, the outlaw leader Sanchez arrives and demands the man reveal his plan to rob the Wagon Gap Bank, interrupting this brief respite. The narrative emphasizes the danger of trusting Sanchez, a man capable of smiling while wielding a knife.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Outlaws Of Calico Hole Away from the slope and its graves; away, too, from Sanchez and the sinister E] Mudo, the Hole lost much of its menace. It took on its real. purpose in the scheme of things—an area several miles square protected from violent storms and offering a rock fence a thousand or more feet high to inclose cattle. The soil was black loam, several feet in depth, and it was almost pos- sible to hear the grass and vegetables growing when the sun was shining. “In the wintertime,” the girl was saying, “those crests are covered with snow. I know, because I’ve seen them from the other side. And when a blizzard strikes, the cattle can’t run miles and miles, to fall exhausted and freeze to death. What a grand place for aranch. It’s nicer, even, than our place at Calico Springs.” “T could do a lot with this,” he said half to himself, but she heard him. “Then you’ve not been an outlaw all of your life,” she cried in tri- umph. His past life and his present purpose kept intruding. “No,’ he answered. “I could make a ranch of this, and—I’d like to do it. This would be the home ranch, and the cattle could be driven in off the range and fat- tened here.” His face softened when he saw the horses galloping across the field with tails and manes flying, and whites of eyes showing in pretended fear. In an instant he had changed from a hard-featured individual planning bank robbery under des- perate conditions to a rancher who dreamed of building instead of de- stroying. The mood lmngered and deepened as they walked on to the crystal stream and followed it to the falls. The drop broke up the water, 27 and it fluttered to a rocky basin in billows like wind-blown lace. Everything within a _ hundred yards of the spot was moist. Ferns grew from the rocks where roots had lodged in the cracks, and trout lay in rows where the stream left the basin. The spell could not last, as Calico Hole was given to violence, not beauty. Sanchez, followed as usual. by El Mudo, came from a near-by thicket and joined them. He bowed > with exaggerated politeness at Alice, and said: “You will pardon me, but—hbusi- ness first.” “Of course,’ she responded, and walked away. Dan decided he was in for another difficult period, reasoning the two had had an opportunity to think over the situation and discuss it from various angles. “You’ve got a nice set-up here, Sanchez,” he said. “Perfect. An army could not take Calico Hole,’ Sanchez answered, swelling with pride. “T was looking over the -graves,” Dan said. “I didn’t know you'd killed Shim Tremper.”’ “Yes, with my own hands, hop- ing his brother would come to avenge his death.” He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes back. “Alas for the plans and hopes of man,” he said. Then his mood changed with the swiftness of a striking snake. “I can’t wait. I must hear of your plan to rob the Wagon Gap Bank now.” Dan Stuart was thinking that this man could shake your hand, then knife you while he smiled into your eyes. As long as he was a part of Sanchez’s outfit, he would never know what to expect. Aloud, he said: “This is the only way it can be done, Sanchez. “Vig noc ecolin