Western Story Magazine, May 12, 1934 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

52 Street & Smith’s just ahead. spurted lead, and fol- lowed Sanchez. “IT know you now,” snarled. “I < “Yes, you know me now, San- chez,” Dan retorted. His eyes were flaming—matching the killing light reflected in Sanchez’s eyes. Each was following the Ranger’s creed— to kill the enemy in your mind as you attack. Sanchez was never more deadly than at that moment. His gun roared, and the bullet went true— dust puffed from the front and back of Dan’s shirt. He almost went down, but his gun steadied, he checked the sagging knees, and fired. Sanchez’s face turned gray, then a _ horrible red. He set his teeth and went down. “What’s next?” Dan said thickly. Wh ats———- Darkness rushed on him like a thundercloud, his ears roared, then he was lost in the blackness. Far away a voice whispered: “Dangedest fight I ever seed— each got the other.” W iis, Dan Stuart opened his eyes, a doctor was bending over him and shaking his head as he ordered: “Don’t try to talk.” “Telegraph governor and tell him to pardon—Al] Ford,’ Dan gasped. “T killed—Beasley. He was one of Sanchez’s men. I’m Dan—Stuart.” The doctor said to several others in the room: “You heard that? This man confesses to killing Beasley.” He looked back at Dan. “Don’t worry, well telegraph the governor at once.” Blackness came to Dan again, but far away he heard voices, and one said: “Biggest clean-up the Rangers the outlaw Western Story Magazine ever made—got every member of the Sanchez gang, including this fel- low. Thieves fell out, I guess, and they settled it with six-guns less’n a hundred feet apart!” Another voice came fainter: “We'll operate, but it won’t do any good.” The darkness did not last forever, and finally Dan saw sunlight. He looked at two wasted hands and saw that they were his. He tried to lift one, but it was too heavy. - _“Tve been sick,” he whispered. “You’ve been dead for a week,” Tex Crawford boomed. “They had to do some work on you, boy, and doc must’ve done a good job, be- cause he’s all puffed up over the fact you’ve pulled through.” “And still enough of a doctor to worry over my patient,” the doctor cut in. “Goto sleep.” Dan slept, and when he awakened, lips lightly touched his forehead. A small hand was lifting his, giving it warmth and strength from the con- tact. “Alice,” he whispered, without opening his eyes. “Yes, Alice,” the girl said in a low, shaky tone. “You didn’t fail Al, did you, my darling? You con- fessed to killing Beasley and saved him.” | “Yes. Id have done it sooner, but I had to take part in this raid —ten thousand dollars is a lot of money.” He spoke slowly and with an effort. “Besides, I knew if he was in jail, he couldn’t ride with Sanchez and get killed.” “And he would have been killed, Dan,” Alice cried. “The Rangers gave the band a chance to surrender, but it meant hanging to be caught, so they tried to shoot their way out. That’s twice you’ve saved Al’s life. The governor says Al’s slate is wiped |