Fifteen Western Tales, March 1954 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

DEATH IS MY BROTHER | “We can’t even sweat anymore,” Tha- nothing would bring: things back to where cher said weakly. “Ain’t no water to sweat or spit. I ain’t never. been this thirsty, Ram.” : “T was,” the older brother said. “ Durin’ the war I was. I'd have killed my best friend for a drink of water a few times when my canteen was dry.” * The war again, Thacher thought wea- rily. He can’t forget his medals and his war. Then he was angry with himself for the thought. Ram was his brother and brothers stuck together. Ram had always taken care of him and he still was. | “You think theyll catch up with us, Ram,” he asked aloud. “If they do we'll stand and fight,” Ram said harshly. “‘We don’t go back and hang. We fight.” — Thacher’s horse snorted and his pace fal- tered. His flanks, under Thacher’s. legs, were burning hot and stiff with dried lather. Thacher’s hand automatically ca- ressed the animal’s straining neck. And he tried to remember the killing. Because Thacher found it hard to believe —that other men hunted him as a killer. He’d considered himself a gentle man. Even now, with this terrible thirst he keenly felt the suffering of the horse beneath him. But Ram said he had killed and Ram was taking him to safety. I’m not a_ drinking man, Thacher thought angrily. Why did I get drunk? I’ve been loser before in poker games with- out seeking whiskey to make the losing easier. Why then did I get drunk and shoot Struthers when Ram caught him double dealing ? He knew the answer and it mocked him. Because you gambled away the wedding money, that’s why. You felt good. You couldn't lose and you were going to add a little to the five hundred so you and Mary could start out with that nice piece of land down by the river. , Cursing savagely, he forced the image of Maty’ from his mind. He had lost her and dry rasp of sound. they were. “Ram,” he said suddenly. “You were sure, weren't you? I mean about Struthers’ cheating? It’s all so damned hazy because of the whiskey.”’ His brother’s face twisted with anger. “Damn it, boy, will you stop askin’ me? I’ve told you a hundred times what hap- pened. He made his flush with a lady from the belly of the deck. I saw it plain. I called him, he threw the cards in my face and went for his gun. You shot him from under the table. You wantéd to-surrender - to the sheriff and I dragged. you ‘out onto your horse. Can't you get it through your skull, Thacher ?”’ ‘IT don't like to keep askin’, Ram,” Tha- cher frowned. “I know my gun killed him and I ain’t even put a fresh cartridge in the cylinder to replace the bullet. But it hap- pened so fast—and I was never so drunk, Ram.” 1, _The older brother chuckled and it was a “You tellin’ me! You was plumb crazy. I thought I’d have to flatten you to get you out of there.” “TI wonder if Struthers had a family,” Thacher said quietly, not realizing he’d spoken aloud. Ramsey punched his “thigh with irrita- tion. “Boy, you rile me, damned if you don’t. Who cares if he had a family? He — was a tinhorn—not worth killin’ but not worth livin’. You think too much—you always did.- It’s only you and me. You hear me? You and me. Nobody else in this whole rotten world. matters. You die today and I’d bury you and you’d do the > same for me. There’d be nobody to read — words over either of us and nobody to care much if we died hard or easy.” re “T know,” Thacher said wearily. “You’ve said it all before, Ram. Only he was a man, Struthers was. I hope_he died quick. I can’t help it.” The sun beat down merciless aiding the rising anger. Comicbooks.com