2 Gun Western, May 1957 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

LAST OF THE LOBOS 85 Bar Bench desd Bowman signed over ta Griffith two years ago, Ben, in order to get out of the See DONNIE for his father’s debts.” But watching the man ashe casu- ally folded the printed form, Will saw the glint of a new anger there in his eyes; the threatening quality of the quick glance Lou Durant gave Jack Griffith. And too, the fact that Durant had lied about the contents of the paper in his hand brought a quickening of hope to Will. “Do you know why Williams was killed, Ben?” he ,asked hurriedly. “Maybe he found out something of what’s really written there on that paper Lou’s got! Something about Jack Griffith signing over fifty per cent of the Bar Bench, and all lands and stock acquired by Bar Bench, in exchange for a guarantee that Durant would continue to make it impossible 7? for me to claim ownership! “That’s a damned lie!” The glass dropped from Griffith’s hand, shatter- ing as men’s glances came around, “All lands and stock to be acquired, Ben!” Will insisted now. “You haven’t been missing any stock have you? Maybe Williams was! But you wouldn’t think of looking up on the north benches, would you, on Bar Bench Land? Maybe Williams did! Maybe he found—” “Here, let me see that paper, Lou!” Old Ben Dawson swung on Durant suddenly. “He’s lying!” Durant’s smile nar- rowed. “I told you what was on the paper, Dawson! You'd better take my word!” “Who’s been pushing the fact that I’m a gunny, a troublemaker, Ben?” - Will worked on the old rancher’s sus- picion. “And why shouldn’t they? The Bar Bench is a nice fat golden goose, Ben! Especially when they could work on their neighbor’s stock without suspicion and maybe even blame old man Bowman’s kid for doing it to get even! That’s enough to kill for, Ben!’ Will’s eyes were sparkling. “Did you kill Williams, Matt, just to get me hung, or did he catch you red-handed running some of his beef onto Bench land?” “No! Jack!” Will had them. on_ edge, but they all swung as the girl cried out. Jack Griffith’s face was twisted with hatred as he came up with the derringer. The small gun barked from his hand just as the girl stepped into the line of fire, hands outthrust to stop him. Will saw her lithe body jerk with the impact and his own gun was up then and flam- ing and the hatred on Griffith’s full features was sudden agony as he doubled, clawing wildly at his mid- dle. “Get him, Matt!’ Durant’s voice was in the room against Ben Daw- son’s deep protest. The bullet took Will high in the shoulder as he threw himself down, his own gun coming around to slam leaden death across the room. There was a gun in Du- rant’s hand, but Ben Dawson’s wea- pon flamed in unison with Will’s and the carefully dressed man crumbled under the combined fire, falling heavily across the body of Matt Gor- man on the floor. Witt BOWMAN looked up re- luctantly from the girl sitting upright in the bed as Ben Dawson came into the room. “Well,” he boomed, “just thought I’d drop by to see if everything was peaceful-like on the Bench this morn- ing. Like to see you after awhile about cutting some of that Double D stock out of those north draws, Will.” The old-timer hesitated a mo- ment, as though embarrassed. “Just wanted you to know,” he said finally, “that I figure maybe sometimes we can pay too big a price for peace and quiet. I knew what kind of a coyote Lou Durant was, two years back. So did Rufe. Guess we was gettin’ a little tired of the battle, though, and figured we’d rather settle with things half finished than go on. Maybe if we'd settled his hash for good at the time, a good man like Jack wouldn’t have gone wrong.” When he’d gone, Will’s glance came back to the girl’s shining eyes. And what he saw there, he knew, was no compromise, but complete fulfill- ment, and the peace and the quiet were as whole and as real as the ten- derness of the kiss she offered. : END Com Enoolke Gom