2-Gun Western, February 1954 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

30 his weight behind the thunderous blow he blasted at Ferris, and the unfortunate fellow cleared the plank sidewalk to come to rest several feet out in the dust of the roadway. Tom, by then roaring a challenge to the whole West, stepped over Ferris’ body and re-crossed the road and barged wildly back into Corrigan’s. By the time Tom Waters got back to Corrigan’s Saloon, the place held only a sprinkling of customers and a couple of sweating bartenders. There was a scarlet pool of blood where Ed Bradshaw had been, but, after Tom had stalked out of the place, Ed had come around, gone in the back room, washed out the ragged tear in his forehead and si- lently left the place white faced and erect. Tom sullenly leaned on the bar and demanded a drink, which was immediately set up. If he missed Ed he gave no sign of it. Ed, meanwhile, had gone down to his cabin, doctored the purplish gash as best he could, pasted a clean rag over it, put his sixgun into his waistband and methodically walked back up through town, taking his place on the sidewalk directly op- posite Corrigan’s Saloon. It wasn't long before the swinging doors of Corrigan’s place disclosed that plaid shirt bent over the bar. Ed, confident of his prey, crossed the road and waited. Sometime later big Tom strolled truculently out of Corrigan’s 2-GUN WESTERN and came face to face with his pard- ner. He stopped and looked closely at Ed, who was leaning casually against the front wall of the saloon. “Why'd ya hit me?” Ed’s words were silky soft and his eyes cold and blank..No one was close enough to hear Tom’s reply, but the tone of his voice was insultingly angry. He took a step as though to pass Ed, when the latter yanked the sixgun out of his waistband and fired four quick, thunderous shots. Big Tom staggered at the first shot and turned back toward Ed with a murderous leer on his face. At the second shot he wavered slightly and — collapsed, after which Ed Bradshaw pumped two more slugs into him, then calmly put his pistol away again. The first shot had struck Tom Waters under the arm and ranged inward and downward, the next two hit him. in the back, and the final shot plowed directly through the top of his head and passed almost into his abdomen. He was dead, apparent- ly, before the last shot was fired; at any rate, any one of the shots would have cashed him in. Bradshaw was arrested as soon as the law was certain that he was not going to employ the last bullet or two in his gun making a getaway, and was duly tried and convicted of mur- der, although his sentence was, in view of the “known circumstances,” very lenient. @END ar a ee TIME FOR A HANGIN" the diggin-—Wymer killed Denn his- self, sayin’ it had to be done before Eli was made to tell how he’d range- butchered that Quarter Circle S crit- ter an’ sold’ the beef an’ buried the hide.” Black Jack holstered his wiped sweat from his broad face, and turned to Jed. “I been some shakes of a fool,” he muttered. “He was us- in’ me to get rid of you an’ old Jump. Hell, I’ll see to it that you get that beef contract back, an’ that your buy- er accepts late delivery, It’s the least gun, (cont'd from page 14) {-can do. =” Jump Tatum clambered out of the manway and Lucy followed him, her face pale and anxious-looking as she hurried to Jed. But then there was more than anx- iety in her eyes. There was a radiant something that made him know that he had loved her for a very long time, and that she had known it even long- er. In helping folks, he knew now, a> man could find re- wards.... unexpected \ Gomichbooks @END (E)