2-Gun Western, February 1954 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

JUST WILD house. He fought fiercely for a mo- ment. But Tom Horn was the more powerful of the two. Suddenly Gil Farnol stopped struggling, and Tom lifted him into his arms and carried him i..to the house. He made a light. _ The bullet had >ored through Gil’s thigh. Gil Farnol was white-faced. He seemed bewildered, like a gent who had just awakered from nightmarish sleep. Tom remembered the two dead men out there on the ground, and asked, “Kid, what in God’s name happened —and who’re them gents outside?” “Coupla hombres name of Jube Gunter and Ike Hornbock,” Gil mut- tered. He raked a hand across his dull eyes. “I—they’re outlaws. We—some- thin’ happened in town, but I ain’t quite sure just what. I was drunk....” Tom Horn started to speak, then closed his lips slowly and stood lis- tening, his eyes flashing. In the night outside there was a rising sound of hoofbeats. The hoofbeats clattered to a halt outside the house. Tom heard loud, startled voices. “That'll be the law,” Gil said. But he didn’t try to get away now. He sat and stared at Tom Horn, bitter accu- sation in his dark eyes. “They'll send me to the pen, mebby a hangnoose. And you did it, Tom. We just want- ed a change of horses to make a etaway on. You killed Gunter and ornbock, and shot me, so I couldn't get away. Damn you, whatever hap- pens will be your fault!” Boots thudded in the hallway, and four or five gunbelted men came into the room. At their head was griz- zled, rawboned old Jason Baxter, sheriff of Jubilee. The old lawman looked from Tom to Gil Farnol; looked at Gil’s wounded leg. He asked, “Tom, did you do this— did you salt them two jaspers out- side?” : Tom nodded miserably. “I—I made a mistake.” Sheriff Baxter shook his head. “Wasn't no mistake. You done a danged good job. These three—Horn- bock, Gunter and Gil Farnol—just dynamited the vault of the Jubilee Stockman’s Bank and gutted it. Old 79 Sam Teck, the nightwatchman, saw "em as they rode away from the bank, and recognized ’em. He tried to stop “em, and they shot him. He lived just long enough to tell who pulled the job. Gil, you wild, crazy young fool, why'd you do it?” Gil said nothing, just sat staring bitterly at Tom Horn.... So, for robbery and murder, they sentenced Gil Farnol to twenty years in the State pen. Gil had no defense. He, Hornbock and Gunter had been drinking and playing poker all day and most of the night. Gil had lost a lot of mon- ey; hed written some worthless checks. When Hornbock and Gunter had proposed blasting the bank vault —when they’d promised to cancel all Gil’s debts and give him a split of the bank money if he’d help rob the bank and furnish fresh horses for the getaway—he'd been too drunk and desperate to refuse. He didn’t know who'd killed the night-watchman; he didn’t remember anything about it. UT NO CARTRIDGE had been exploded in his gun when he was arrested, and that brought leniency. “But you are at least guilty of rob- bery,’ intoned old Judge Tarrant, “and for that you must pay your debt to society. Have you anything to say before you go?” Gil shook his head. He stood, lean and defiant, sullen hate and contempt in his eyes as he listened to the sen- tence. As Sheriff Baxter led him from the court room, Tom Horn placed a hand on his shoulder and grinned, “Twenty years ain’t such a long time, ol’ son. You just hang and rattle—I ain't never gonna rest till I get a pardon or parole for you!” Gil Farnol flung the hand fiercely from his shoulder. “I don’t want any help from you!” he spat. “It’s your fault I’m goin’ there—and I’d rather rot than know you'd helped me. What’s more, when ‘I do get out, I’ll be lookin’ you up. Don’t forget that!” - They pulled Gil away. And Tom Horn stood there, a hurt, bewildered look in his eyes. He couldn’t savvy Gil Farnol. But Gil’s hating him COPMICLOOKS (C@