Western Story Magazine, May 12, 1934 — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

Outlaws Of Calico Hole | 49 courage was perfect, and his lips re- mained elosed, when by opening them, he could have found freedom and hap- piness with as brave a girl as ever breathed. Even though he would not talk, I can read between the lines. Your gun, in evidence, helped. I want you to know he is discharging his debt to you in full. Auice Forp. Dan read the letter over several times, and found no comfort be- tween the lines. He saddled Jerry and rode around the Hole, staring with unseeing eyes at the falls, the rich pasture Jand, and the orderly fences dividing cattle and horses. A debate raged within his breast, but in the end he shook his head negatively. “No, it’s too late to turn back now. Happiness for me, if any, is ahead. If I come through the raid on E] Rio’s bank alive, the trail will be easier. I should drag ten thousand out of the affair— maybe more. I can do a lot on ten thousand.” As the twentieth drew near, San- chez said nothing of the proposed ride to El Rio, which lay forty miles over the mountains. On the morn- ing of the nineteenth, Dan awak- ened to find only a handful of out- laws at breakfast. The others had disappeared during the night. He asked no questions, but he walked out to the corral after dark and eyed Jerry speculatively. “You’re a good horse, Jerry, and sometimes I think you know it and take pride in it.” He fed the horse some sugar. “I think we'll be in action soon.” Sanchez’s cabin was dark when he returned, and Dan crawled into his own bunk to sleep, or, if he could not sleep, to review the exciting events of the past few weeks. At three o'clock Sanchez awakened him. “Get up,” he ordered; “we’re rid- ing!” Together they went down to the corral. Some of the horses were WS—4B standing close together, others were down in the pasture. Sanchez roped | two, one for himself, and the other for El Mudo. “What’s the matter? Why aren’t you saddling?” the outlaw leader asked sharply. “Can’t find Jerry!” | “Take another horse then.” San- chez shot a glance at the rim of the Hole. “First thing we know it’ll be daylight.” Dan roped a strong horse and sad- dled it. El] Mudo was waiting for them at the big cabin. He vaulted into the saddle and jerked and spurred his spirited animal into sub- mission. Sanchez seemed to be un- dergoing a change each moment, as the tiger in the man, always close to the surface, revealed itself. “We're riding to El Rio,” he told Dan; “you lead the way.” “With your guns on my back,” Dan thought. “You don’t trust me yet. Well, it’s mutual—I don’t trust you, either.” HEY were over the mountains by daybreak, and could see the twinkling lights of FE] Rio in the valley. By ten o’clock they had approached the outskirts of the town over a seldom-used road. Sanchez halted. “My men sifted into the town yesterday, one at a time. They’re cowboys, in town for a good time, and are stopping at the different rooming places. We swing into action at eleven o'clock. Any- body on the street who gets in the way will be killed, understand?” “Ves!” Sanchez was the complete tiger now, tense, alert, and _ snarling. “When a Texas Ranger attacks a man in a gun fight, he kills him in his mind the instant he lays eyes on him. His natural shooting in- stincts do the rest. That’s what EOMICMOOOKS COMM