Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

336 “ You want to see Jack Brodell, do you?” said the proprietor, a fleshy melting man in a Mexican sombrero. “ Wall now, Jack he’d orter be here any minute. Rode up to Doc Pentigraw, the vet, for to have a knife wound fixed up. Jack he’s a bit spoiled what with these gals around here allus gettin’ him into fights. A Mex knifed him last night—because of a half breed solo _ dancer I got on my bill—a big drawin’ card Til tell you, mister. Come around to-night and Ill promise you a good—” “Tell Jack to meet me at the Commer- cial Hotel soon as he gets back,” Thorpe said. ‘I want him to go on a man-hunt!” “« Ah, so that’s it! Wall now, we’ll miss Jack. He plays the banjo in my joint and I will say he makes the place hum! Why don’t you-all git one of his brothers? They'll do just as well.” “‘ T don’t doubt that!” Mr. Thorpe grum- bled. “ Didn’t think I’d have to get a banjo-player to go after my man who hap- pens to be a murderer. A drunk and a gambler, and a banjo-player—that sure does make a fine posse!” * You don’t mean to say you’re axin’ all three of ’em to go?” the proprietor of the Grand Central exclaimed. “The man I want is a fugitive from New York. Killed a man back there. On the train a bit south of Mesquite he dropped off and disappeared in the desert. I’m figuring that if he’s on foot we can catch him—” “On foot! And you’re sendin’ all three Brodells after him! Wow! That’s pretty good! If you-all had a whole band of out- laws all as you would need is one of the Brodells to git ’em, but here you go sendin’ - three after one man!” “There happens to be a reward of ten thousand,” Thorpe said. “Ten thousand! Phooey! killin’ a man! Wow! poor coot had stolen a horse! Ten thou- sand and three Brodells!” The fat face sagged into a long expression of sympathy. “Why don’t you give the poor hombre a chanst!”’ “He happens to be a pretty dangerous -man,” Thorpe said. “‘ See this jaw of mine? One blow did it.” The other nodded. And _ for “You ought to see You’d think the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. a man’s jaw after Jack Brodell gets through with it!” “Can I rely on you to send him to me?” Thorpe asked impatiently. “You can. . Jack—he runs out’n money pretty fast, and I reckon ten thousand won’t do him no hurt. Nor me either for that matter, bein’ I own this joint where he hangs out at. I'll send him.” As Thorpe had heard, the Commercial Hotel consisted in merely a long shack of bunk rooms with a saloon for a vestibule. He waited only a short while in the crowd of stockmen, Mexicans and prospectors in the saloon, before he heard the clatter of horses’ hoofs-on the street outside. A moment later three big men banged open the swinging doors and thumped up to the bar. The fat, heavy set gentleman with the bandaged face could not explain how it was that a card sharp, a whisky bum and a banjo player could inspire a man with fear by merely looking at him. But that is pre- cisely what happened to Thorpe when he had his first view of the Brodell brothers. 5) CHAPTER VI. A FLOCK OF BLOODHOUNDS. HE lobby of the Commercial Hotel was well crowded by the time the Brodell brothers entered. And upon their entrance there was an immediate cessation of all other activities. Stockmen got up from the gaming tables, Mexicans slunk respectfully into the back- ground, the line of men at the bar broke in the center, parting so as to give the brothers ample space. When those three “ vigilantes” gathered together in one place it always meant trouble—or the climax of trouble. “Hollo, Skeeter! hollo Jack! hollo Buck!”’ the men cried. ‘“ Ridin’ to-day?” ““What’s up?” “ Rustlers?” “ Goin’ to be a tight-rope ack somewheres?” ‘‘ What’s the meetin’ for?” “Tt’s all about that fat tenderfoot with the busted jaw,” some one explained dis- gustedly. “ Got a grudge agin some one, and wants the whole State to git in on the trail!” 7 2 1 Eom Books (@) (©)