Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

866 knew that it was uneven because of his ef- forts to keep his fractious mount in the roadway. He had ridden the red devil down the high, precipitous‘bank, and wished to know the way home! They stood stunned, lost in wonder and admiration. It was Hazel who broke that silence and her voice was filled with pride. ‘Keep the bank on your right:” she cried. There came a clatter of hoofs down the road to Manford in a manner which in- dicated that the rider had given the red mare her willful, rattle-brained head. CHAPTER NIX. A SPECIALIST IN REVENGE. INCE the inception of the case of the State vs. Cosgrove, Hazel Farley had , found a new occupation. When Cos- grove came to the storekeeper's house the morning after his conquest of Thunderbolt, she arose from her chair at the dining room table where she had been bent over a heavy legal tome. ‘We're partners in law as well as by cir- cumstances,” he grinned with satisfaction. And, to cover a sense of confusion which came over them he passed quickly to the reason for his coming. ‘‘ Where's Gaines?” he asked. “‘ I’ve been all over town looking for him. “Why?” she asked quickly, scenting gome new development. “T'll tell you later. You don’t happen to know where Gaines is, do you?”’ “Ves, He went over to Sheerwater this morning to see Judge Haynes. He's trying to round up some legal talent that won't be tampered with.” “Good man. Hazel, it’s fine to have two such friends as I have in you and Gaines. He stopped short, for he had used her Christian name for the first time. Some- thing caused him to stand still and gaze into her eyes as though held by a peculiar fascination; something to which she re- sponded in a like manner, until the con- sciousness of it fell upon them both. Then she laughed, and her laugh was happy so that it tinkled like a sweet-sounding hell. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘You're the most astonishing human be- ing I've ever met!” she cried. ‘“ How on earth did you manage to ride that terrible Thunderbolt last night? She has killed men, and only two have ever ridden her down; one poor fellow died a week later. But you! Oh, I was afraid when vou jumped upon her! It was impossible that you could ride her! Yet you did! You're like a mag- Ician!”’ She laughed again, but this time her laugh was a little nervous, as though she was conscious that she had betrayed some- thing of the feeling that moved her toward him. “It seems to me you’ve always got something up vour sleeve.”’ He was regarding her with a steadfast, earnest gaze. It was plain that he took this very seriously. “I have!” he said. ‘I am a magician! Don’t you know why I went away from here; why I spent all my bovhood and youth in schooling myself in law?” She frowned. ‘It was something that was between your father and my father, wasn’t it?” she ventured. “Yes! Death and ruin. My father was hot-blooded and proud. He was successful, too. But he couldn’t play the same game as his enemies did. He wasn’t—unscrupu- lous—enough! There! I didn’t mean to offend vou!”’ “You didn’t!” she responded instantly. ‘“T know well enough the ways my father used, and you're right. If a man was too proud to hire paid gunmen, or use the methods of an Indian raider, he didn’t stand much chance against dad!” She spoke bit- terly. ‘Well,’ his voice dismissed from their conversation the painful element which trou- bled her. “I was sent out to study law so that we could fight back with finer weap- ons and on higher ground than my father’s enemies knew.”” He paused a moment and a retrospective smile stole over his features. “But Lord, I knew from the time I was a little kid how far the law would go un- less we enforced it with a power as great as theirs. I knew What I’d be up against well enough, and while I prepared for the law I prepared at the same time for action. Conn GIOok