The Argosy, March 27, 1920 — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

c NE et COE, 8 5 i rt - THE TRAIL HORDE. 251 sonally responsible for you. I’m going to watch you; you're going to ride ahead of me. If you talk, or make any motion that brings any of your men back, you'll die so quick you won't know it happened! Do you understand?” “Damn you, Lawler; you'll pay for this!” muttered the outlaw. “I'll go on your trail and Il never let up till I get you!” Lawler laughed lowly. ‘‘ Just be careful not to get any of that poison in your voice when you tell your men what I told you, Antrim, or you'll never go on anybody’s trail. Get going, now; and be careful.” Antrim wheeled his horse, and Lawler spurred Red King beside him. “Tl be watching you, Antrim;” he warned. “If your men show they suspect anything wrong you go down, mighty rapid. You don’t get off your horse until your men go. And there is to be no playing for time. You talk fast and earnest, and carefully. Go ahead.” Riding slightly in Antrim’s rear, Lawler followed the outlaw to the fire. There had come no change in the positions of the out- laws or of the Circle L men. And when An- trim and Lawler rode up there was a si- lence during which the men of both factions looked interrogatively at their leaders. Antrim’s face was pale, and his voice was vibrant with emotion. But he did not hesi- tate. “ Slade,” he said to the man he had left in charge, ‘‘ I’ve changed my mind about these cattle. Lawler has given me proof-that none of our stock is with them. I’m hittin’ the trail to Red Rock with Lawler. You take the boys back to the ranch an’ wait for me.” Slade’s eyes widened; he flushed and peered keenly at Antrim. ‘‘ You—why, hell’s fire, Antrim; we—” “Slade, do as I tell you!” said Antrim coldly, ‘“ Are you runnin’ my affairs? You hit the breeze, right now—you hear me!” Slade grinned venomously, and waved a violent hand around the circle. ‘‘ You hear your boss, boys!” he said. “ Slope!” The men hesitated an instant, sending sharp, incredulous glances at their leader. But Antrim, pale, knowing that if he be- trayed the slightest sign of insincerity his men would suspect, met their looks steadily. The men wheeled their horses, muttering profanely, and rode slowly westward into the growing darkness. When they had disappeared, Lawler smiled faintly at the outlaw chief, “You can get down, now, Antrim.” He drew the pistol from Red King’s mane, where it had been concealed during Antrim’s talk with his men, and ¢heathed it. And then Blackburn, who had been a silent, amazed witness to what had occurred, whis- tled softly, covertly poking Shorty in the ribs. “There’s one thing that’s as good as a vent, ain’t there, Shorty?” he said. “ That’s a gun in the hand of a man who’s got plenty of nerve!” CHAPTER XY. “MEDIUM MOURNFUL.” FARLY in the afternoon of the first day of December the sky darkened, and a cold, raw wind began to shriek through Willets. The company corral was empty; and again, as on the day before Kane Law- ler had visited him, Gary Warden stood at one of the windows of his office, smiling, Warden was almost satisfied. Only one disturbing thought persistently recurred: Lawler had got his cattle through to Red Rock. A crimson stain appeared in Warden’s cheeks as his thoughts reverted to Lawler’s return to Willets, after disposing of his cat- tle to the Red Rock buyer. And Warden’s shoulders sagged a little, the smile faded, and he glared malignantly at the bleak, eray clouds that sailed over town on the chill, bitter wind. Oddly, at the instant Warden’s memory was dwelling upon the incident of Lawler’s return to Willets, Lafe Corwin, the store- keeper, was mentally reviewing the incident. Willets was a cow-town, and for that season its period of activity was over. All the beef cattle in the section, with the ex- ception of three thousand head still held by Lawler, at the Circle L, had been shipped eastward, and Willets would now descend comniclooolkS.cotn