2-Gun Western, February 1954 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

38 O NEED telling her the whole outfit had floundered and likely as not her daddy was drowned. He _ had his hands full putting back to the east shore. He was carried well downstream, and had to pole his way back up to the camp. Nobody had dis- covered the rebels. He had to yell out the sleeping people. He was at Kramer’s wagon. He soon reported what had happened. Kramer’s wom- an gave Rachel dry clothes. The _camps soon were wakened with the news. So Judge Bradshaw, the high and mighty, had deserted! ‘“Ain’t he something to depend on, if we run into Injuns!” Kramer said. “That beast would swap his datter’s hair for political hide!” Windy got some buffalo blankets, put them in the canoe, and braved the black waters to fetch the bedrag- gled Judge back to to camp. “Every- thing is lost. My wagons, my goods, my stock, my daughter.” “She’s safe in camp. I was right behind you and saved her. But I guess I'd better leave you here, Judge. If you go back, they’re apt to hang you. Roll up in these blankets.” He went back to report to Rachel. By now dawn was breaking. The perfidy of the Judge was retold over smoking frying pans. With the fer- ryman out of the way the emigrants stole all the wood and built on big fires. They scanned the other shore but no sign of the wagons. After breakfast Windy called the men together. “We can set this train across. It'll take stout arms and backs and guts, but here’s how.” He led the way to the planks the ferryman wanted five dollars for, In gold. “Maybe they'll be worth it, at that.” He showed the bulge-muscled men how to lay these planks across four canoes. Then they put their shoulders to a wagon and rolled it on. “Now, take the paddles, and do what I tell you.” He got in the wag- on, directed the cressine, and con- sidering it was their first baptism ina bad river, they arrived safely enough. They left the wagon and paddled back for the remainder of their pos- sessions. ; One by one, with the loss of but One wagon, they got the whole outfit 2-GUN WESTERN across in three days. When finally the back-breaking job was accom- plished, and the new camp made, the men gathered to elect a new captain. Before this Windy had been recog- nized by the jurymen as the horse thief. ‘“Hoss-Thief Windy River Hicks!” they shouted. Windy was elected. “Now we got to try the Jedge for desertion!” Windy River was chosen to pre- side over the court. Fritz Kramer empaneled the jury. The twelve men and true sat on wagon tongues while the legal light appointed to defend the Judge harangued the court. “The Jedge just didn’t know his rivers. He knows how to palaver in big words, but dirty water ain't his style.” The prosecution said, “He knows honor. He knows law. He shore knowed what to do with a feller that stole his hoss—or was accused of it. He never even give the pore feller a chance to talk in court.” The jury reported their verdict without quitting the wagon tongues. Kramer reported it. “Guilty, your honor.” “T’ll pass sentence in the morning,” Judge Windy said. “Men have said I am a horse thief. Never let it be said I didn’t let a guilty man suffer twelve hours before hanging him.”... That night Windy slipped to the place where Judge Bradshaw was trying to sleep. “Get up, Judge.” “What now—” “Come along.’ Windy got the Judge’s roan horse. Then he took one of the canoes, put the Judge in it, told him to hang onto the horse and swim the brute, and he rowed the Judge across the river. “Ride back to where you came from. I ex- plained everything to Rachel, and she’s going on with me. Maybe you can find another outfit to join up with. You may get your name in the history books yet. But you can’t hang men without a hearing, and quit them to save your own hide, and see your name written very bold on _ its pages... Good luck, Judge.” @END COMMICGOOOKS (E@)