2 Gun Western, May 1957 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

46 2-GUN WESTERN Simpson only shook his head-as his own arm fell to his side. “The kid opened the door,” he mumbled and he nodded once at the- back door. “I didn’t see him. I thought it was—” He didn’t finish. Glaring at those around him, he brushed past and went out. “That fool’ll kill us all,’ Tow said but he didn’t follow him. Then most of us started back up the street, “Why dcesn’t Dante come and get it over with?” I asked Mr. Avery. My boss shrugged his shoulders. “He’s waited three years for this, Steve. Guess he’s entitled to do it the way he wants.” Soon Sheriff Tow slipped out and joined us. Mr. Avery suggested, "Why not have SeLyoony go home till this is over?” Tow shook his head. “They know how to protect. themselves. [ want them to see this.” “Are you going to let Dante kill him?” I asked. Tow scowled at me. “I’m almost three times. as old as you. I haven’t lived so long by asking silly ques- tions.” “Well, I’m curious,” I said, stick- ing to my guns. — “Then your curiosity will have to wait. What Dante does is his own business ’til he breaks the law.” I thought a moment. I suddenly knew why Dante was waiting. He was getting Simpson desperate encugh so he’d draw first, then tante would shoot in self-defense, As we entered the Slipper I could te'! by McRoberts’ face that some- ' thing was wrong. At the bar Simpson hal his back to us. He was emptying a bottle, throwing the liquor down lis throat like he was trying to fill a leaky bucket, Then he smashed the bottle on the counter and swung around to face us, “You're hiding him from me! I can teli!” He steadied himself as he talked, bracing with both hands along the edge of the bar. “You're waiting for me to be killed but my friends will hear about this. They’ll throw you out, Tow, and you too, Avery— I’ll see to it you’re run out of the state, lose your place.” He looked at me but couldn’t think of anything I had to lose. “T’ll take you to court for aiding a killer. I'll send you to prison, all of you!” He was shouting now, sort of a scared screeching. I guess he could see what we were thinking, ’cause he started. to run out, crying real des- perate. “T’ll get him,—I’ll get you all,— Dante—Dante Faloo!” We followed onto the porch and watched as he went swaying down the middle of the street, gun in hand, lurching first one side then the other. “Dante—Dante Faloo!” His voice cracked, in a crazy way, as he kept repeating the name. Then he sank down onto his knees in the dust, his body hunched over, sobbing. poe NIGHT at supper we were all pretty quiet. Dante Faloo had never shown up. “Where do you suppose he is?” I said. Sheriff Tow was industriously eat- ing. “On the way to California I reckon,” he answered after a bit. “What?” I asked. Tow took his time to finish his steak before pushing away the platter and studying Mr, Avery and me. “He never came to town,” he said finally. “On the way here from pris- on we talked it all over, decided the. best thing for him was to go pick up Julie and begin all over again some- where else.” “But didn’t he want to get Simp- son?” Tow shrugged his shoulders. “We talked about him. I told him we'd get even with Simpson ourselves.” Tle was silent awhile as he looked out the window down toward Simp- son’s office. “Guess we did at that,” he said. “Might have been a little mean, Maybe a bullet would have been kinder but— He shrugged his shoulders and reached for his cup of coffee. “Well Pll be damned,” Mr. Avery gasped. “And you planned this -all out knowing Dante wasn’t ever com- ing.’ =< please turn to page 76 COnnmicoool<S.conal