Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

904 “Anyway, it goes on to show how he finally comes into the town of Indian Head, Arizona, where the Rollin’ Stone saloon was, with his clo’es all tore, an’ starved an’ feeble likewise, from havin’ fallen orf a mountain, or somethin’. An’ it ends up like. this: “My throat was parched, an’ my feet they bled, an’ my broken ribs was sore, But when Jim rode into Indian Head, why, I was there before. An’ when he came to the Rollin’ Stone, and ordered whisky, tight, I says to him, ‘ Jim, I’m all alone, but Pll see yore blood to-night.’ ” An’ then, like the first: “‘ He reached too slow, an’ I shot him dead in the bar of the Rollin’ Stone, An’ the blood gushed forth from his punctured head, an’ he died without a moan. For he'd passed his word, an’ he’d camped with me, on the Painted Desert’s sand, An’ he rode away with my top ponee, and crossed the Rio Grande.” A brief silence trailed after Billy’s voice as the steam trails after the hurrying en- gine. “ Tt’s a good poem,” said Billy, wistfully. ** Ain’t every man gets his actions written up that-a-way.” “No,” granted Menzies. that.” “ T know another,” offered Billy. At that Cree Thatcher became vigorously profane. “6 y)~6 We ©didn’t ask yer to come,” were among the things he said. “ And we ain’t trying to make yer stay, so for —— shut up!” “Tt’s called ‘The Grave.’ ” Billy continued. “Not like Cattle Rustler’s “It starts: “Mid the grama grass and glaring sand, ’Neath the brassy western skies, Bound in the silent chains of death The cattle rustler lies—” ‘Tell us when to laugh,” suggested Flat Head Frank, humorously. “|. His sun bleached ribs all naked lie, And the grinning skull gleams white” _ Billy stated, and was thereupon inter- rupted by the peculiar action of Mr. Men- zies. Mr. Menzies got up and walked away. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. What’s Billy. “ Tt’s too sad,” said Menzies. to go away and cry.” ‘“ Me, too,” said Flat Head Frank, rising. “When you finished that there poetry, whistle and Ul come back.” Thus speaking, he made a peculiar grimace in the direction of Cree Thatcher and, with uncanny sud- denness, disappeared into the blackness which had swallowed his leader before him. ‘“* Come right back,” cried Billy, who no- ticed the grimace. “ I’ve stopped.” “ Back in a minute,” came the voice of Menzies from the outer darkness. “ All right,” said Billy. He sat silent for a moment, regarding intently the form of Cree Thatcher which loomed before the fireplace. With a sud- den movement then he leaped to his feet and jumped backward into the same black- ness which had consumed his other two companions. From that blackness he ad- dressed Cree Thatcher. In his voice was the metallic determination which Cree rec- ognized as the tone which Billy used when he held the person addressed under the muz- zie of his gun. “ Sit right still,” snapped that low, metal- lic voice. ‘ “‘ I wouldn’t like to be right in front of the fire when they come back, so I’m going to wait here in the dark. If you move I'll have to act according.” Cree Thatcher, more frightened than even Billy suspected, froze into a rigid resolution to move no muscle. But he froze needless- ly. Billy did not stay in the shadow at all. He followed Menzies and Flat Head further a-field. Menzies ardently desired to be rid of Billy’s company. This was not a surface prejudice on Menzies’s part. He really-and honestly felt that he could not maintain the iron nerve necessary to the pursuit of his calling under the companionship of Billy. To Menzies, Billy was an uncongenial soul; when Billy recited poetry he became some- thing less than that. Therefore, while Billy recited, Menzies had courted the eye of Flat Head Frank, and conveyed that he desired Flat Head to follow him into the woods. This Flat Head had achieved with the success al- ConnicooolkSse@ the matter now, Sam?” asked “T’ve got