Action-Packed Western, May 1957 — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

66 ACTION-PACKED WESTERN could go on, endlessly, spinning off into the reaches of eternity. He did not hear the crackle of bush- es behind him. He only felt Gennie’s body suddenly grow rigid, and then she broke away from him while the blood slowly drained from her face. Then he heard the movement. He swung around, tugging at his gun. He was too slow. Royce, standing flat-footed just in- side the screen of bushes, grinned at him. There was a sixgun in each hand. “I didn’t know the future Mrs. Royce was so passionate.” Royce said with a smirk. “But I reckon from now on, she'll save it for her husband.” ar a AVERY heard Gen- nie’s scream as he dived forward. A gun blasted tearing the air with its re- verberation. The slug caught him in_ his right shoulder, just as he was freeing his own weapon. The impact swung him half around, Staggered him. His brain swirled with a wild madness. He steadied himself, rocked sideways and came around again, facing Royce. But he saw now that Gennie had moved in between them and the forefinger curled around his gun trigger went suddenly nerveless. “Out of the way,” he ordered hoarse- ly. “No! No!” Gennie cried shrilly. “There’s been too much bloodshed.” She stood there, slim and purpose- ful, her wide eyes shuttling back and forth between Lavery and Royce. The madness left Lavery. He felt defeated. Sensing perhaps what was to come. “Mr. Royce,’ Gennie said then, “there’s only one condition on which I'll marry you. That is if no harm comes to Jim Lavery.” Royce moved a little to one side. Lavery saw him spit out of the corner of his mouth. He let his guns drop loosely to his side. ““He’s dangerous,” Royce said. “A crazy kid. Gun crazy.” Her voice was firm. “I said that’s the condition.” Lavery thought, if he went for Royce now, Gennie might get hurt. Yet it was hard to control himself. He knew Gennie was doing this for him. The pressure of her lips only seconds before had told him she loved him, not Royce. He couldn’t let Gennie sacrifice herself that way. In his temples, hot blood beat rapidly. It would be better to let Royce take him. Then Gennie wouldn’t be bound by any promise. He shoved his gun back into leather and said between tight teeth: “You’re not marrying Gennie, Royce. I’m goin’ to see to that.” He began running then. Making toward his pony. The ground hard and uneven under his boots. The bullet hole in his shoulder stabbing pain. He expected the shot to come at any moment. He was giving Royce that chance. He tried to steel his nerves for the moment. For the shock of driving lead that would rip open. But the shot didn’t come. Lavery halted suddenly, realizing Royce wasn’t going to open up on his fleeing figure. The realization twisted his guts out of shape. Then two riders came crashing through the woods, crying out hoarse- ly, and he looked around to find Sher- iff Geiger and the Deacon riding down | on him. He heard Royce call out:to them, telling them not to shoot, and then, as if rooted to the spot, Lavery waited, trying to make sense out of all this while Geiger fell off his pony and came toward him, on the run. Geiger took Lavery’s gun. Pushed Eomicbooks.