Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

658 moved steadily closer, and Jem sensed those spectators that had been lining the wall at either side of him falling away from his proximity with a celerity unmodified by the attempted air of casualness. “You dirty, yellow pup, you!” the man then rasped. He spat forth a stream of curses. “ [’]—!” He never finished that sentence. None of the witnesses, in the thrilled, whispered, corner postmortems later held, could quite agree on what happened. ing from apparently no position at all, had flashed through the air and in the fraction of an instant his reviler lay sprawling on the floor. With catlike agility, though, the man wriggled over onto one knee and his hand snapped to his hip pocket. It was a move- ment Jem had been expecting. A swift swing of his boot and the gun went skating across the floor. With a yelp of pain its owner seized the limp wrist in his other hand. His hate shot eyes glared into the barrel of Jem’s revolver. = For several moments Jem held his op- ponent thus. “Get up,” he then commanded. Sputtering vile imprecations the man obeyed. 5 “Tf it ain’t too much of a strain,” Jem said, “ try an’ act like a gentleman. There’s your partner—she’s waitin’. Go on an’ dance.” He waved a commanding hand at the orchestra. Hesitantly the musicians resumed their instruments. The motionless spectators wavered, then started circling with gather- ing spirit. The belligerent stranger glared uncertain- ly at Jem, wavered before the unflinching gun muzzle, then turned to his partner, a lady of a multitude of tight, blond curls, deep red cheeks and lips, and chalk white nose and chin. ‘“You’ve got me this trip,” he snarled over his shoulder. ‘“‘ But I’m going to get you for this, and don’t you forget it!” ‘“‘Come for me any time you’re ready,” Jem invited. “I guess Ill always be around handy any time you're lookin’ for me.” é He watched the man’s stocky figure be- Jem’s fist, leap-: ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, come blurred among the other dancers. Then he slipped his gun back into his pocket and dropped again into his posture of in- dolent spectatorship. About him he heard the excited buzz of the adventure’s retelling. He noted with a gratified self-satisfaction the glances of admiration turned in his di- rection as the dancers sailed by his corner. Perhaps five minutes elapsed. Then Jem felt a light touch on his shoulder. Instantly alert, he jerked his head round. An elderly man, with lined, sober face, drooping white mustache and heavy white eyebrows, was standing at his side. “Stranger,” the-man accosted him, his voice low, audible to. Jem’s ears only, “ I’d like to have a word with you. If you'll come out of the hall we can step down the street a ways.” He turned and started for the door. Jem hesitated. This might be—prob- ably was—a trap of his antagonist. Out- side the hall, he would probably be fallen upon by the other man’s friends in force, or be led into an ambush. Jem’s jaw set grimly. His eye was alight with the gleam of battle. Jem, my son,” he told himself, “ it kinda looks to me that your leetle vacation is over. Looks like there’s a wagon load of excitement headed right smack in your direction and she’s due to onpile right smack on your haid.” He grinned. ‘All right,” he finished. ‘ There ain’t nothing that sets easier on my stomach than excitement, nohow.” He moved towards the door, in the old man’s wake. CHAPTER II. THE TOWN THAT LOST ITS NERVE. HE wariness with which Jem edged out of the shelter of the building into the open street seemed unwarranted. The street was dark and quiet. About the en- trance of the hall a group of men stood, snatching a brief smoke. The stranger who had invited Jem out was a few paces down the sidewalk. Otherwise the street was deserted. oO GComichdooks-=co