Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

FLIGHT TO knows whar he hes his nest at. Hit’s up on a rock clift thet lifts straight over a plumb gorge.” “ Yes,” said Carroll, ‘‘ I see it.” “ Wa-al,” announced Wade, with a mirthless laugh, though his eyes were smoldering with banked fires of feeling, “ thet eagle he kain’t sing no song—all he knows is ter scream. Looks like as hand- some an’ es strong a bird es thet ought ter hev some better means of speech then thet. But in all ther ragged nestses of all his old gran’sire eagles, from ther days of ther flood right on down, his kind hes been too busy searchin’ the world fer food an’ fightin’ foes fer aught else. He’s done hunt- ed an’ fit twell thar hain’t nothin’ left in his heart save love fer his freedom an’ his nest, an’ hate fer all else besides. Even his love is right fierce an’ savage.” “Your mountain eagles,” said Carroll slowly, “aren’t the only birds that can hate, my friend. Your hates are just a little franker and they call for more direct ac- tion, that’s all.” He paused and fumbled for his pipe, and then he made abrupt an- nouncement: “I myself have a matter of _ personal wrong that I mean to avenge— and for the time being it has the power to eclipse other and perhaps more important matters in my mind.” “You!” Murrell sat now with his hands locked about his updrawn knees, and his eyes were full of surprise. “ Ye don’t look like a man harborin’ no deep grievance.” “And yet,” responded the lowlander slowly, “I have a deep grievance—and I mean to harbor it until it’s punished.” “T reckon this enemy hain’t no mount- ing man, is he?” ‘The question broke off, and the inquirer was quick to apologize. “ But don’t answer thet. I hain’t got no license ter question ye. I don’t suffer men ter question me.” - Harrison- smiled. It had obviously not occurred to Wade that the enemy of whom he spoke might not be a man, but a woman, and Carroll made no correction. “ That’s all right,” he assured his com- panion. “I broached the subject myself. This enemy was a friend. We had quar- _ reled, but not seriously. We were standing _ together in my room. I turned my back. SS THE HILLS. ‘ i ; 247 The supposed friend shot me from behind— didn’t even pause to see whether I was dead or alive; left me lying there and beat it.” ‘““Afore God! Ther damn craven!” Murrell breathed the words low and in- dignantly. ‘“ But yit in ther big towns ther ia police jails folks like thet right speedily, = don’t they? Thar hain’t no lar’el hills an’ timbered crags thar whar a man kin take leg bail an’ hide out, is thar?” “The police didn’t solve this riddle,” smiled Carroll. “ They didn’t know who did it—and I haven’t told them.” “Ye didn’t tell em?” Wade repeated the words, and into his eyes came under- standing and with it a dawning admira- tion. “Ye didn’t tell ’em because hit war yore EAS: own business. Yes, I reckon ye’re right : when ye says all ther eagles hain’t in ther hills—an’ hit don’t skeercely satisfy no eagle to tote his grievances ter ther barn yard an’ tell ’em ter ther watchdog, does hit? He loves better ter trust his own beak an’ his own claws.” The mountaineer 3S paused, and then he said grimly: “I aims ter be a godly Christian, but I hopes ye - gits ther craven thet betrayed ye, Mr. Car- roll.” “TI mean to,” declared the other. They sat looking off from the high slope, = where they had been working, to the = heaped-up crests that were violet against = far distances, and Wade. Murrell’s face showed a brow gathered into wrinkles of deep thought. “T’ve done told ye,” he said, “ thet I hain’t got no master gift fer words, an’ FS so sometimes I feels like as ef flood tides pai = inside me was gittin’ outen thar banks—an’ =e didn’t hev no outlet. I’ve done been study- in’ a heap since ther gal come—an’ I’ve got a bound ter counsel with somebody. I _ reckon she must be hurtin’ sore from lone- es = someness hyar amongst us: : ‘““T imagine,” suggested Carroll lig “if she didn’t like it, she w rt dr would she?” = "te Spero eee A sudden shadow clouded 3 ies nountain man’s eyes, threatening retrees once more into silence. “ Thet’s her business,” he said shart “JT hain’t asked her no Sos an’ + = r iy ee. ly ‘ sf + Bi