Fifteen Western Tales, January 1953 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

RIDE WITH THE GUNSMOKE JUDAS 19 plishes anything by force,” she said. She waited for him to argue that, and when he didn’t, she said, “Doc Acton was ready for them.” “Doc Acton?” he said, puzzled. “Doc is the marshal as well as the town doctor,” she said. She moved directly in front of him and spoke as if she wanted to shock him into some confession, killed two of them.” She waited expectantly but he held his questions, grimly silent. “One man was quite short,” she said. “He had red hair. The other was a fat man with two fingers missing on his left hand.” Clunny and Breckinridge, he thought to himself. He felt no real emotion. “I was thinking about the farmers,” he said. “What about them?” He saw the gladness come into her eyes. “They’re your people, aren't they?” she said. “I have no people,” he said brusquely. “You talked a lot when you were uncon- scious,” she said quietly. “I know they’re your people.” He stared at her, wondering how much he had said, wondering how much she knew, and suddenly, he was seeing her as a Cat- tleman’s daughter prying into his affairs. “Why did you save me? he said. “So your dad would have somebody to hang in the middle of Main Street?” There was no responding anger in her eyes but there was something deeper, a hurt. “If my father knew you were here, you wouldn’t be alive,” she said softly. “He hates.nesters the same way you hate cattle- men, and just as unreasonably.” She turned swiftly, hearing a sound down the slope, and following her gaze, he saw the six riders _in the flats below them. She snatched the basin from his lap and spilled the water. “Get in the cabin,” she commanded. “Dve got nothing to run from,” he said, a deep anger in him. “Nothing but a lynch rope,” she said. “Get in the cabin!” He stood up quickly and felt the pain in his side and realized he would be completely helpless to defend himself. Reluctantly, he _went to the cabin and closed the door and stood there, breathing heavily, remembering old Nate’s warning that he would be an out- cast, hated by nester and cattlemen alike, wanted by the law. ... There was a breech loading rifle hanging “Doc quietly. on pegs on the wall and underneath, a box of shells on a little shelf. He took the gun and loaded it and stood by the front win- dow, peering between the rough curtains. “The riders were coming slowly up the hill, led by a giant of a man with a fierce red beard. Chet’s mouth went dry and an old hatred consumed him. All the men were armed with rifles and they had six-shooters belted around their middles. There were coils of rope on their saddles. He saw the girl standing there in front of the door, her arms folded, a completely defiant figure. The red-bearded man reined up close to her. “T’ve come to take you home, Jane,” he said. “I’m not going, father,” the girl said “T told you that. Not as long as you try to be God.” : “Ti I find rattlesnakes in my bed, I kill them,” Pete Bryan said. He spoke across his shoulder. “Bring that horse up here, Stinson. If she won’t get on it, put her on it. 3 A thick-set, brutish man rode forward, leading a saddle horse. He was grinning wolfishly. “No,” the girl said. — “T said put her on the horse, Stinson,” Pete Bryan said. Stinson stepped out of his saddle. He was a thick man, his sleeves rolled back to expose hairy arms. He started moving toward the - girl and Chet, from his vantage point, could see a growing excitement in the man’s eyes, as he passed by. Then, he stood beside the girl and grinned. “Don’t run from me, Jane,” he said. “ve got your dad’s per- mission this time.” He reached out quickly and put both arms around the girl, pulling her close to his own body, deliberately pro- longing the struggle. The glass crashed as Chet Wainworth pushed the rifle barrel through. “Get your hands off her, S:tusan) ” Chet said. At THAT moment Big Sam, who had been out gathering wood, came around the corner of the cabin. He stopped dead still, his eyes going wide, and then he gave a bellow of rage. He rushed in and his mammoth arms gripped Stinson from be- hind. Lifting the heavy man as if he were a child, he smashed him down against the ground. — CoMniiclboooks.c© | “You better come along, Jane,” the man called Stinson said. inn