2 Gun Western, May 1957 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

40 Rhodes screamed piteously and begged for a quick death, but the In- dian was stoic and continued to puff his clay pipe between shots. Finally, tiring of his sport, he ordered us to mount up and we left Rhodes still alive.” Quite understandably, there was no more trouble with the gang after that demonstration of Crazylegs’ ruthless- ness. In fact, the gang’s survivors seemed suddenly to develop a great affection for their leader. But Crazylegs’ days were num- bered. In the early fall of 1867, he departed for the Arapahoe village carrying—as usual—his portion of the loot from the gang’s latest capers. Crazylegs never reached the vil- lage. Nor did he ever appear with his gang again. Nor did anyone ever see him again. Western historians have advanced innumberable theories about his disappearance but the most THANKS TO THE PARTY LINE Johnstone He’ll come to see you first thing tomorrow. You'll hold them for him?...Okay. G’bye.” As she hung up the receiver Lance snatched it. “Johnstone!” There was no direct reply, but he heard Mrs. Gordon say, “He was calling through Central from I don’t know where, Lance. We can’t ring Central, so I don’t know how you can...” Lance hooked the receiver. Blanche was retreating, but he nevertheless caught her. “Have you raised the devil! Telling Alec Potter I’d not want that foreman job, and then tell- ing Johnstone I still want the cows— when I’ve no place to kcep ’em. T’ll shake...” “Lance, you can have a place to keep the cattle.” Her head tipped to look straight into his stormy eyes. “How?” he asked, nonplussed. “What do you mean?” “T’ll show you.” She was pucker- ing her lips, and one hand came up around his neck and pulled his head down. As their lips met, the explo- sive anger and vexation drained out of Lance, and something else, de- lightful and pleasant, replaced them. Blanche whispered, “I suppose it’s time for me to admit that I saw you at the Stock Show rodeo. I found out all about you that I could—where 2-GUN WESTERN | generally accepted is that he was ambushed and killed, for the loot he carried, by a member of his own | gang. So Crazylegs’ dream of a Rocky Mountain sanctuary for his people never materialized, though 17 years later the Arapahoes were herded onto ° a barren, windswept reservation es- tablished by the federal government (in Montana). At least 6 men have spent vast sums of money seeking the loot that Crazylegs stashed somewhere be- tween north-central Colorado and the Colorado-Nebraska border. Routt, who spent 3 years looking for it, es- timated it at $200,000. As far as is known, that fortune —mostly in gold and silver ingots, gold coins and gold dust—is still stashed away, perhaps in a cave, or under one of the region’s millions of rocks. @END (cont’d from page 18) you lived, what you did. Then when Ed Smithers advertised the D K ina Denver paper, I came here, and...” “Supper’s ready,” spoke Aunt Kate from the kitchen. “Come and eat it while it’s hot.” “I’m starving,” said Lance. “Yet supper can wait until... There’s that phone again! Answer it, Aunt Kate. Blanche and I are—busy!” He held the girl close, and heard her say, “We'll put the two ranches together, Lance darling; live here on the D K. and make our dreams come true!” Lance had no words. He was kiss- ing her again when he heard Aunt Kate at the telephone: “No, Mrs. Gordon, this isn’t Blanche. I’m her aunt.. Oh, you do want to talk to me? If Lance has turned down a job with Circle Three and has agreed to buy cattle from Johnstone, you’re sure it adds up to—?... That’s right it does add up! “You're afraid a city-raised girl doesn’t know what she’s letting her- self in for... Yes, I ’do tell.” “The angagement can be announced at the dance?...Mrs. Gordon, I hard- ly think any further announcement will be necessarv—therks to the party line!” END “SAGO rf GoOmicdoo