2-Gun Western, November 1955 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

FINAL CURTAIN “Tt’s the only answer,’ one man roared. “Marry ’em up, Temescal!” Uncle Windmill crossed the space in three short jumps. His nose col- lided agonizingly with Reno’s sud- denly doubled fist. He shuddered, groaned aloud and fell face-forward. Ellen was down beside him swiftly. while Temescal took out his gun and - fired twice in the air to restore order. The sight of the girl there minister- ing to the fallen O’Faye sobered the men of Dogleg more effectively than Temescal’s gunfire. Fun and hell are fine, but no lady is treated like that. . From the very midst of the crowd suddenly stepped a newcomer to camp, holding up his hands, demand- ing attention. Joe Salem, a flushed and angry man, addressed Temescal. “There’s a gent here who can talk on this case,” he said loudly. “He’s a man born with a nugget of sense— which is worth more than all the gold we'll dig out of this hell-hole. I de- mand he be heard, I refer to my pard- ner standing over there.” Faces turned toward Caleb Hallo- way and a path opened to where he stood. Nervously, Caleb pulled his hat brim low and straightened his shoulders. He was painfully conscious of Ellen, still kneeling beside Uncle Windmill, but looking intently at him. This was a shameful entrance that was being forced upon him by the treacherous Joe Salem. - “Judge Halloway!” Joe Salem an- nounced, burning all bridges behind him. Temescal Murphy sought to assess Caleb. “You know about this dispute —Judge?” he said cautiously. Caleb nodded. There was the light now of recognition in Ellen’s eyes. There was the mouth opening slowly in disbelief. And there was finally an urgent and troubling cue for ac- tion. Ellen’s cue pierced a wave of such fright and dread as Caleb had never experienced before. He knew the sorry spectacle he made, but there was no place to run or hide. “Dogleg’s a fair and just camp,” he managed to say, pulling his eyes from Ellen’s. His mind reached back fever- ishly into his considerations of the sleepless night before. He had gone over Joe Salem’s account of this dis- 39 pute minutely and somewhere he'd caught a spark of light. “It’s been held in other camps— according to common sense—that gold digging is a franchise from the gov- ernment, free to all,” he said. He paused to look around, let his words sink in, to build some impact on the-crowd. “If Reno Cucci staked a claim on quartz ledges, let him work the quartz ledges.” He waited another moment and looked down at Uncle Windmill. “If William O’Faye staked a placer— even in the very midst of the quartz ledges—let him use that placer claim.” There was a murmur and shuffling of feet among the miners, They were ripe now for any fair way out. The girl kneeling down by her uncle there, was a plumb embarrassing sight to men instinctively chivalrous; and then, too, this new fellow was talk- ing sense. “I say this,’ said Caleb, warming to his subject, “if in that same gulch of Reno Cucci and William O’Faye I - find a breeze that carries gold dust, I should be allowed to stake a claim on that breeze and strain gold from it against all comers.” The final point immensely amused and appealed to the men of Dogleg. They forthwith and loudly voiced sanction of Uncle Windmill’s placer- claim and hauled him victoriously to the tent saloon for purposes of vigor- ous revival. Temescal Murphy shout- ed, “The dispute’s settled,’ and led the way. But Reno Cucci stayed behind. He intercepted Caleb on the way out of camp. He drew the long knife fast, with deadly purpose, but he never go¢ to use it. Joe Salem’s fist, from out of nowhere, nearly pulverized an ear and drove him senseless to the ground. “The law is good, but you got to back it up, Caleb.” said Joe Salem, grinning and rubbing at -his big knuckles. Then he noticed the girl and promptly hustled toward the gathering where Uncle Windmill’s wits were being joyously resurrected. Ellen O’Faye said, “Judge Halio- way, as I live and breathe!” And there was a tender mockery in her eyes as she hurried toward him that purel captured Caleb. @EN Qo comlceloo S (©