Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

124 Something of the traditional Mason cau- tion came to Jimmie’s befuddled head about that time. It was as though the father in him, with its innate honesty and its dog- gedness, gained momentary control of his deliberations. “Tt ain’t all clear to me, Mr. Miles,” he said after a minute or so, “ just what is it yuh want me tuh do?” “T want yuh tuh come in here with me. Send this damned thief on his way, Jimmie; this Brant! He can’t cause yuh nothin’ but trouble anyhow! I’ll start yuh off mak- in’ good money quick!” “T’ll let you know to-day,” Jimmie said slowly. “I ain’t ready right now to say what TU do.” “Yuh goin’ tuh talk with Brant?” Miles demanded suspiciously. “T reckon I will,” Jimmie admitted. “TI don’t know why, exackly—’ceptin’ he stood by me—” “Yuh ain’t already made up yore minds tuh start a place?” “Nope. I don’t think I even want a place like this! I gotta think this out. [ll let you know.” Miles tried again to restrain him, to talk more of what he had in mind, but Jimmie proved adamant and left. the place in a thoughtful frame of mind. Brant was wait- ing for him and asked him to drink. Jim- mie shook his head negatively. “What did he say?” Brant asked, ob- viously referring to Miles, “ Brant,” Jimmie said, heedless of the question, “‘ I’m goin’ to ask you somethin’. What are your plans? Was you figgerin’ that you an’ me would start a place here in this town?” “So he guessed it out, did he?” Brant snarled. ‘‘ Well, what of it, Hell Bend? Who’s tuh stop us an’ who’s tuh say we ain’t got as much right here as him? We'll git rich damned quick, with yore name!” “ You been plannin’ that ever since we met up, Brant?” “Well, no. I really did want tuh square myself with yuh when I seen Gambel mis- countin’ yore stacks. But after yuh drawed that gun I seen what we could do here in town. An’ when yuh salivated Jones this ee mornin’, J, known, it san be a see: ie os. aa aa aes ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, “You was thinkin’ ahead all the time, Brant!” Jimmie said slowly. “Shore! Why not?” the man asked. “It’s all right. I ain’t kickin’ at all— I’m just wakin’ up a mite. I gotta think ahead, too. Know what Miles said awhile back? He said he couldn’t bring his daugh- ter to a place like this—” “TI don’t blame him,” Brant sneered. “No man would!” “Then,” Jimmie said, and his tone was argumentative with the thoughts that had been passing through his own mind, “ why should I build up such a place? I’m build- in’ a place to take Betty an’ ma, both!” “Well,” Brant argued, “ git yore start this way. When yuh git money—start an- other kind o’ place! Others has done it!” “ What others?” “ Well—heaps o’ others,” Brant fenced. “Tell me some,” Jimmie insisted. “Hell, I don’t ’member all their names. What’s the idee o’ pickin’ at me?” Brant complained. “Name me just one,” insistently. Brant was pinned down. He could not name one. Then again, the elder Mason showed in Jimmie. He thought things out with the same stolid, unshakable obstinacy and clarity of purpose. He said: ‘“ Brant, there ain’t none. That’s why you can’t name ’em. Miles himself couldn’t quit his place if he had a fortune. There’s some- thin’ about the life; somethin’ about the loud talk an’ the women an’ the gold an’ the gamblin’—” “Git a prayer book,” Brant sneered, braving for a moment the possible anger he might arouse in his keen disappoint- ment at the collapse of his well-laid plan. But Jimmie showed no trace of anger. He went on doggedly: “T’m right, Brant,” he said. ‘“ Sure as shootin’, I’m right. That was the first drink I ever had, that one I took with you. I never gambled before, either. It ain’t life to do them things. Last night look what I lost! That ’d buy more cattle’n we could eat in ten years—an’ cattle breed fast!” “Yeah,” Brant sneered, “ yore old man was goin’ into thuh cattle business, too.” “ He was tight: a place Saas = eines = ——— Pi nen a _ SESE ee — —P SF Se a h.: