Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

THE LAUGHING RIDER. Everything 1s all right at the ranch and we got a lot of things to tell you, only this is enough for now and J am awaiting yor retutn with due regards. Grecory MatTHEws Conatty. P. S.—Of course you ain’t wanted no longer for that killing which was done by a cross- eyed Mex greaser who Jim Harkness fired off his ranch as I have written above. Annette held the letter in her hand and regarded it with brilliant eyes. It sudden- ly occurred to her that this was the hap- piest moment of her life. She had never known what real happiness was until the day of the hostile cow, and this happiness was a greater happiness than that. “Go to heem quickly!” she urged Staff Sergeant MacQuillan. ‘ Tell him of this, and tell him that I am glad!” “That’s the devil of it,’ quoth the ser- geant. ‘That I am glad?” “That I don’t know where to find him.” ‘Ride to the house of my aunt.” He smiled upon her. “So it was you who placed him there,” he said. ‘“ ’Tis too late for that, however. I posted Craddock there, and how Argent knows it I canna tell, but he hasn’t come near the place since.”’ “But he sent the Teeny in to you with the letter.” 3 The sergeant’s eye brightened percepti- bly. “Thot’s so. Now how did the laddie get to see hime?” “The letter!” cried Annette with sudden inspiration. “‘ That message he sent! He was to bring that Menzies in to you on— how did he say? What night was it he said?” MacQuillan shook his head. “Thursday night. But he'll no do it.” “Thursday night! That ees to-night! To-night you will see heem!” “‘ Nay, lassie. An’ I only hope he doesna come to grief. That Menzies is a hempie rogue, an’ he’ll aye shoot to kill. Yet I dinna think that Argent will see enough of Menzies to shoot at. He’s a wee bit eelu- sive.” | “ Oh!” she cried. ‘ You are so stupid! Did he not bring you the cattle thees Men- 909 zies has stolen! Did he not bring you the horses they had used! I tell you if he has said as much, he will bring this Menzies in to you to-night.” Her eyes brightened, her smile outdid the sunlight. ‘ And you will see him then; and you will tell him? Oh, sarjon, you have made me this day most happy! Mos’ ver’, ver’ happy!” She threw her arms about his neck and kissed him. Emile Savardé came upon them from the house. “Sergeant MacQuillan!” he exclaimed, “you exceed your duty!” | “Ah, papa!” cried Annette, “‘ he ees in- nocent!”’ Emile was horrified. “You mean that you have made the pro- posal!” he wailed. ‘No, no,” she cried, laughing in his face. ‘“‘ But we will be married, and go to a land where there is no winter, and the flowers grow when—when in thees place we cut milk with hammers.” “Annette! Annette!” cried her parent. “‘T do not understand.” “He ees innocent, papa! He ees inno- cent!” And she ran up the steps to dis- appear happily through the doorway. “He ees innocent. He ees innocent,” muttered her father; and he turned upon Staff Sergeant MacQuillan. ‘‘ Eef you can- not come to my house, Sergeant MacQuil- lan, without this innocence,” he said, ‘“‘ pray do not come at all.” “Mon,” said the sergeant, ‘‘ dinna fash yerself about matters ye can never under- stand. Just tell yer wee bit lassie that if he comes to-night I shall tell him the truth of it. For ye must understand, Emile, that he is innocent.” And he mounted to ride away and leave Emile, distraught, behind him. CHAPTER XXXVI. BILLY IS OVERTAKEN. PSHE rage of Samuel K. Menzies, when he awoke from his drug imposed slumbers, did not exceed his fear of Billy’s gun play; but the fear of being afoot in a hostile land was a greater fear than that. Gun play or no gun play, he | GComicbooks (©)