2 Gun Western, May 1957 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

64 2-GUN WESTERN square against the law when he tried to take justice into his own hands by puttin’ a bullet in Shipton....” “If that’s the law,” said Kirk, icily, “then maybe I ain’t so anxious as I thought I was to work for it.” The sheriff shrugged then, tiredly. “All right, Lee. I won’t argue with you. But I guess this will about cost me the election next month!” “How do you figure?” Kirk de- manded. “You know how hard Shipton’s working against me. How he’s making an issue out of this shooting—and he’s got the power to break me if I let Brannon get away. But on the other hand, since that tip we got that Shan Dupree and his gang are headin’ into this territory with an eye on the bank, Shipton’s kept my hands full with that. He insists on me giving mv time to protectin’ his blessed bank: he wants me on hand personally, every minute. The trap we've got planted will bag Dupree and his whole outfit, if they once walk into it; but mean- time, how am I gonna go out after Brannon?” Wearily, the officer ran a hand through graying hair. “Shipton’s try- in’ to squeeze me into a crack, so that he can pry me out of office. That’s why I was sort of counting on you—” That stopped Lee Kirk, If he owned friendship to Del Brannon he had another debt to Sheriff Toe Crowley; the old officer who had hired him, and tried to teach him everything there was to know about working for the law. He knew that Cowley’s heart was in his job, though the pay was entirely understaffed. Lee knew just how much that next month’s election meant to him.... He sighed heavily; quietly, then, he took up the star again and pinned it on his shirt with stiff, wooden fin- gers. Picked up the warrant. “I’m sorry, Joe,” he said. “You're right. Ill get Del for you, if he’s still in the country. After that—well, may- be then I'll still be wanting to turn in my badge!” Cowley didn’t try to speak his thanks, He only nodded, with infinite gratitude and understanding written in his weary, carelined face. Sat there for long minutes after Kirk dragged on his sombrero and legged it out of the office. It didn’t make Lee Kirk any hap- pier that he would see Ward Shipton, the moment he came out on the street. The banker still carried his arm in a sling, although most people agreed that Del Brannon’s lead hadn’t crip- pled him up as bad as he pretended. VEE= IT was handling money that made Shipton the way he was; but at any rate, he didn’t seem to have a drop of warm blood in his body. He saw the deputy and called to him, now, across the sunlit street: “I’m expecting quick action from the sheriff's office, on the warrant. I swore out for Brannon! The citizens of this county have a right to pro- tection from being shot down on the public streets!” © The threat was there behind the words. Shipton was reminding him of his personal power in the county, and hinting that a change of sheriff at the next election would be in order and forthcoming if his attacker hadn't been brought to justice by that time. And this, despite the fact that Ship- ton was keeping Cowley in hot water every minute, anyway, with the threat of Dupree’s designs on the bank! Kirk made no reply to the banker’s thrust. Instead, he tightened his jaw against hot words he might have said, merely stood there with arms akimbo staring across at the other. Shipton laughed bitterly to himself, at that, and went on into the bank with Kirk’s eyes hard as they followed his well- fed, portly figure. Sometimes, when he thought of how Shipton had foreclosed just about | the time Del Brannon was beginning to see his way clear to pay the mort- gage on his little spread, Kirk almost wished Del’s bullet had killed the old man, instead of merely winging him! But then, of course, that would have meant a hang noose instead of a jail term for Brannon. Prison would be bad enough. It would about kill an outdoor man like Del. And especially when he’d spend those years behind the bars knowing the crime he was paying fer had been futile, and that Shipton had come through it with Comichooksneon