Action-Packed Western, May 1957 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

> 68 “That won’t work,” Rondo said, coldly now. “‘Better to have you write it yourself. But if not, there are other ways.” Royce stepped in, started to bring up his fist. “He'll write it,” Royce said. Rondo pushed him back. “Like I said, it isn’t necessary. Let’s get mov- ing. I want this finished before morn- ing.” : “You kin handle it alone?” Royce asked. Rondo said: “I kin handle it alone. I’d rather that way.” Lavery moved then. He swung out his leg. The toe of his boot crashed into the lantern, breaking glass and turning it over. Coal oil suddenly flared as it spread out across the floor. — Royce started at him. Lavery drove a knotted fist into Royce’s jaw, putting -his good shoulder behind the blow. Royce’s head snapped back. Lavery started toward the shack door. “Easy, man,” Rondo said behind him. “you’re a mite hasty.” Lavery halted, the tone of Rondo’s voice holding him like the noose of a riata. “What do you mean, Rondo?” “Just that you'll need a gun. But if - you'd waited, we’d of had help.” Lavery didn’t stop to put it together, then. He acted from instinct instead of conscious thought. Royce was gathering himself together. He had re- gained his balance and was pulling at his holster. Behind him the coal oil flared. Lavery and Rondo hit Royce to- gether. Royce went down. Lavery twisted the gun from his hand. Out- side men must have seen the flames, because there was shouting and run- - ming feet. The shed itself had caught fire. Ss CUT away from the burn- ing shed, into the blackeness, paus- _ ing only momentarily to make sure that Rondo was following him. He was not gure whether any one had seen him, ACTION-PACKED WESTERN but it didn’t matter just then. Men were running toward the shed and somewhere in the night a mill of cows was pounding the ground and bellow- ing. Lavery stopped running, waiting until Rondo came up. He asked sharp- ly: “Where’s the girl, Rondo? Where’s Gennie?”’ “In the shelter.” He pointed into the night. Lavery could make out two pinpoints of light. “IT need a pony,” he said. “They’re by the cabin. If you...” Rondo was irying to tell him some- thing. But Lavery had already begun . sprinting toward the pinpoints of light. The whole floor of the canyon seemed to have broken into a turmoil. He paid no attention to it. Aiter the hours of confinement, his legs were stiff and unwilling. His whole right side from shoulder to hip was almost paralyzed. The strain of the running reached up his thighs, knotting the muscles, and he had to fight for gasps of air. He won- dered if he could make it. Yet he knew he had to. Looking ahead, he saw that the lights had grown much larger. And then he could make out the vague outline of the building, while the glow from the windows sprayed out over the grass. He slowed his pace and angled to the leit, out of the light. He came up to the building at a jog, telling himself he had to figure this out right, because there wasn’t going to be another chance for him. Or for Gennie. Because if they got him, Royce had plans all laid. At first he thought the building was empty. He stood inside the door, eyes blinded by the sudden glare, the gun he had taken from Royce heavy in his leit hand. There was no furniture ex- cept the bunks along the wall and the rusted stove at one end. Then he no- ticed the door and he moved over on the balls of his feet and pulled it open. In the dim lamplight that seeped into it, he saw this was a storeroom of sorts. He heard a soft moan. Momentarily he forgot caution and strode inside. It was Same EComicbook