Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

_to Nelson’s crouching attitude. ee THE WAY OF Cameron forgot Strong. It seemed the other men on the veranda had forgotten him, too, for none looked at him. All were interested in Ballantine. Cameron backed away from Bailantine until he felt the veranda rail against his back. There he stood, watching, realiz- ing that here probably. would be enacted drama that he would never witness again —the scene of an old-time cowpuncher and gunman watching the approach of an ene- my; the men on the veranda slowly moving away from him, getting out of range, while the old cowpuncher, perhaps the least dis- turbed by the impending clash, stood calm- ly, even contemptuously awaiting the first hostile movement. 2 _Nelson continued to come forward. Cameron observed that he was not very drunk. He did net stagger; he appeared deliberate, sure of himself. That was the whisky, bolstering his courage. His face was flushed; his eyes were glittering. As he came close to the edge of the veranda his gaze met Ballantine’s, and he sneered. He meant to kill. Then suddenly he was standing on the eastern edge of the veranda. He halted, steadily watching Ballantine. “ T’ve got yu’—yw’ old wolf!” he said. Nelson was breathing fast, his voice was vibrant with passion. “ Yu’ made a fool of me in the court- house this mornin’,” he went on. “I’m aimin’ to blow yw’ apart. Yu’ve been run- in’ this country for years, braggin’ about your gun-slingin’, If yu’ wasn’t so old I’d make a colender out of yu’. As it is I’m goin’ to bung yw’ up 4 few an’ let yu’ go. “Throw your gun!” Nelson crouched, tense, expectant, watch- ful. , © Bill Nelson,” dently ‘said Ballantine; “ your skin’s full of licker or you wouldn’t be tryin’ to make a fool of yourself. Go back to your crowd an’ behave yourself.” Ballantine stood. squarely facing his enemy. He was erect, in startling contrast His hands were hanging at his sides; Nelson’s were curved, claw-like, above the butts of the guns that swung at each hip. He had not worn the weapons in court, but they THE BUFFALO. dangled appeared to belong on him, he wore them as if he were accustomed to them: He sneered at Balantine’s gently rebuk- ing words. “ Crawfishin’—at your age!” he said. “Yu can talk big enough when a man ain’t got a gun on him, but when a man comes heeled yu’ sing a different tune; Flash your guns or I'll bore yu’!” “ Bill Nelson, you'd better go home,” warned Ballantine. “Flash ’em!”. yelled Nelson. eS His right hand moved with the words. _ Cameron saw that hand grasp’ the butt — of the gun at-his right hip. He heard a - crash from Ballantine’s side; saw a smoke 523 streak with a lance flame penetrating Hs —S shoot from Ballantine’s right hip. ‘Ballan-— = =< tine had “fanned” his gun! — Cameron saw Nelson’s right arm jerk backward as if some one had seized it from behind. Nelson’s gun thudded to the floot of the veranda; the arm swung back ply. 5 Ison’s left hand flashed domteenrd toward the gun at his left hip. Again Bal-_ lantine’s weapon crashed. This time Nel-_ son’s gun stayed in its holster. But the left arm dangled as the right had done, and Nelson screamed in agony. He staggered back against the railing of the veranda, striking in.a corner where the two rails formed a “VY” for his support. There he bent his head forward while he screamed and cursed horribly. “You had to have it, Nelson,” said Bal- antine. He sheathed his gun, glanced around. No one said anything to him. He looked at Cameron and Cameron observed the ghost of an ironic smile on his lips. Then, not seeming to notice Nelson as he passed the man, he walked across the veranda, down the steps to the sidewalk, strode to the hitching rack, unhitched the — pinto, threw the reins over the pommel of the saddle, swung into the saddle with the grace and agility of a man of thirty, and rode down the street toward the open space that stretched in front of the white ranch ~ house. Some men led Nelson, whimpering now, but still cursing, down the street. Camer- on still leaned against the veranda railing. Eomichbooks ete ~ — a = e Gom= —