Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

556 tight-fitting girdle of flaming crimson; the exotic, queenly grace of her bearing; the alluring quaintness of her speech; the magic sparkle that danced in her dark eyes. Old Dan shook his head doubtfully. “She must be right easy to look at, son,” said he dryly, “ judging from the way you rave.” : “If you could only see her once your- self you’d know what I’m trying to say,” Rusty insisted. ‘‘ You’d be proud to have her for a daughter.” ‘““Mebby so, son, mebby so. If you’re satisfied, lam. Go ahead and find her.” Rusty turned toward him a face hag- gard with misery. ‘“ Good Lord, dad!” he exclaimed. “It sounds easy the way you say it. But how the hell am I going to find her? Tell me that, will you? I been working every trail I could think of for four months, and where ’d it get me? Her name’s Rosita. Why, all Mexico’s loaded plumb to the gills with girls of that name! She called her dad Don Eugenio. That’s all I know. A fine, fat chance of finding her!” “Oh, well,” said old Dan philosophically, “vou’re young yet, Rusty, and I’ve lived long enough to learn that the world’s a mighty small place, one way and another. I expect you'll run across your pretty little senorita yet, and when you bring her home, Rusty, Ill give her the welcome my son’s wife deserves. She’ll just about own the place. Guess we can afford to do things up brown, Rusty.” “ Thanks, dad,” said Rusty gratefully. “One thing more, since we’re talking along this line. While you were gone this last time I had some money put in a bank at San Antone—two different accounts, and you’re trustee to both of ’em.” “ Me—trustee—” Rusty was mystified. ‘Sure thing,” his father chuckled. “ The first is in the name of Mrs. Russell Towers. Get that, Rusty?” And old Dan chuckled again. ‘ A hundred thousand dollars on de- posit for your wife! And another hundred thousand for the first kid, Rusty—with a fifty thousand bonus if he’s a boy and his name Dan, after me.” “Good Lord!” Rusty gasped.. “A bit previous, ain’t you, dad?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Oh, I don’t know,” said his father meditatively. ‘‘ Seemed like it was a good time—while I had the cash to spare. Noth- ing’s certain in this business, Rusty, but the fact that sooner or later things are liable to break wrong. I want your family, case you ever have one, to be taken good care of, whatever happens to the Crossed Ar- rows outfit—and there’s a quarter million dollars sewed up tighter’n a new boot—for them, Rusty.” ‘““That’s mighty decent of you, dad,” the young fellow said, “and I sure hope they'll be a call for it. If I can find Rosita—” He was quiet for some seconds; then briskly: “But what’s happened to the outfit? I didn’t see anybody on deck as I rode in. And what about this raid you men- tioned awhile back? We got switched off that track before you finished.” “One answer hits both questions, son. Rustling days ain’t past, seems like, and dogies have been drifting out on us pretty regular the past year.” ‘““ Moving south across the border, I bet.” ‘What do you know about it?” Towers, Sr., grunted in surprise. ‘““Not a damned thing. But old Mexico’s the nearest and safest market. Dogies ‘il bring five to ten dollars on the hoof down there—and the buyer not fussy over such trifles as gringo brands. A steer’s a steer to those birds.” “Keno!” Dan Towers approved. ‘You've got it, Rusty. But they’s one thing a mite unusual about the raids we been receiving off and on. The men are greasers, all right, and they’re in charge of a masked leader.” ‘'Wha’d you mean, masked?” Rusty de- manded. ‘Red bandanna with holes punched in to see through, like a stick-up artist along some Wells Fargo route up in the gold diggings?” ‘‘ Nothing like that,” he was told. “ This chap sports a dinky store-made business of black silk over his nose and eyes. The kind they wear at masked balls in high so- ciety. Seems like quite a sport, this raider of ours.” “Tf you got near enough to learn this, "GO N”OOLKS AAG (F@)