Cowboy Short Stories, November 1939 — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

88 COWBOY SHORT STORIES ordered to ‘“‘vamoose’’ on pain of death. Kennedy posted a guard on either side of the building, and sent a rider with a flag of truce consisting of a white hand- kerchief tied to a stick, up within hailing distance of the house. The rider shouted: “Will you come out quietly, or must we drive you out?” Thete was a moment of tense silence. Then, by way of answer, a shot was fired from a first floor window and the Bandit Hunter’s horse dropped to its knees and rolled over kicking, with a bullet in its chest. The rider dexterously alighting, scur- tied behind the thrashing animal for pro- tection. From his position he was unable to safely retreat, so he drew his six-gun and waited. Meanwhile, in preparation for a siege, the fugitives barricaded every door and all the windows on the ground floor, using the furniture for the purpose, after which they took up positions at the windows, where they could be seen with the field- glasses, loading their weapons. The ranch house faced the south, and on the rear, or northern side, there were nei- ther windows nor doors. Kennedy made a mental note of this fact, and planned his campaign accordingly. “How much is that house and furniture wotth to you?” he asked the ejected ranch- man. “About five thousand dollars, I reckon.” “Very well, Pll buy it for six thousand, and the company will send you the money as soon as I reach headquarters,” replied Kennedy. “Okay—it’s yours.” “Is thete any hay in that barn?” “Lots of it. Help yourself.” Leaving the Bandit Hunter behind the dead horse to watch the front of the house, and keeping the same two guards on either side of the building, but well out of gun tange, Kennedy, taking his two remaining men and the rancher, made a wide detour to the barn. By keeping that structure be- tween them and the house, they reached the barn safely. Once inside, every man was told to fill his arms with dry hay, and to leave the place in the same cautious manner. Kennedy instructed that the hay should be piled as high as possible against the notth side of the house. An hour or more was consumed in making circuitous trips to the barn for hay, and during that time only an occasional glimpse was seen of the barrt- caded men who were unaware of what was taking place outside. “Put a match to that hay, and then pre- pare to shoot to kill if those devils show sign of fight,’’ was the next order. The hay was fited and soon the entire north wall of the wooden house burst into flames. After a short period of watchful waiting, the side door flew open and out rushed one of the fugitives, gripping a pair of six-pistols, but he was too far away from the besiegers to use them with any ac- curacy. After a quick glance from left to right, he bolted for the barn, firing wildly at the officers as he ran, but before he had gone a dozen paces, a volley of Win- chester lead crashed through the air from every side, and he sprawled headlong into the dust. Later, it was found that his body had received seven slugs, any one of which would have been fatal. The other desperado could be seen at the window on the first floor, frantically en- deavoring to open the sash as the smoke en- veloped him. Then came a long tongue of red flame which drove him momentarily out of sight, but the next instant he ap- peared in the doorway from which his part- ner had made his fatal exit. Leaping and crackling, the flames com- menced to creep out around the door, sil- houetting his figure in bold relief. For a brief moment he stood his ground, seeking some avenue of escape. But behind him was a roaring furnace; in front hunkered grim men drawing a bead on him with lev- eled guns. Then, before a single shot was fired, and in plain view of the Bandit Hunt- ets, he placed the muzzle of his revolver against his temple and pressed the trigger. His head jerked to one side from the explo- sion and his body swayed in a semi-circle, toppling backward through the door the very instant that the roof, with a resounding ctash, caved in, burying him under the col- lapsing conflagration. ATE that afternoon, having accom- plished their mission, although with- out the loot which they were unable to find, Seth Kennedy's Bandit Hunters rode to Goodland, Kansas, and thence back to Cheyenne, in their special train. While fighting outlaws was not an everyday occut- rence with them, it was all in a day’s work, and their pay was frequently earned the hard way—making the railroad safe for Western travel. GOMIGIOO (©