Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

IN THE SADDLE OF BRONCO KING. 141 lock, rubbed him down until his coat shone, then saddled and bridled him. As young King flung his six feet of brawn into the saddle the seemingly gentle pony suddenly went into action, as though he had stepped on a high voltage live wire. Down the trail he thundered, heels fly- ing high, his master sitting the plunging saddle with the easy abandon of one to whom riding was more natural than walk- ing. “Go it, you little devil!’ he shouted. “ We'll ride right into his danged old ice- house of a bank on all fours an’ give him a dose of six-gun if we have to.” But as Dan entered the streets of the town his grimly-held resolution flagged a little. He choked the pony down to a reluctant canter, and plopped through the deep alkali dust of the unpaved streets in deep perplexity. “Wish to thunder I knew just what the old coot wants to see me about!” he grum- bled. ‘‘ What the devil will I say if—” He left the dreaded end of the sentence unfinished. In front of a two-story building with an imposing false front he stopped and slowly dismounted. He tied Pinto to the hitching rail that lined the board sidewalk. Then he eyed the name over the entrance as though he had never seen it before. “ King City National Bank,” it read. As a matter of fact he had seen that name all too often since the death of his widowed mother had left him to handle the dwindling affairs of the King ranch. He took a slow step toward the bank | entrance, then paused, and thoughtfully drew the makings from his pocket and rolled a cigarette. He was still puffing at the giowing butt and abstractedly stroking the sympathetic nose of Pinto when a big touring car drove up. Dan recognized the driver as Pete Gofert, handy man at Ferguson’s. dude- ranch across the valley. This was one of the cars Ferguson kept for transporting guests who did not take kindly to the na- tive saddle. One of those unpopular outlanders was alighting from the rear seat now. Dan King gave an oblique glance at a m oe 2 , ~—— » - be « Ca ,’ Pines _ _— ~~. = r —S at ap - 7 =e —— = on > ad om Ce ae «Te Ge ae oP OE a ae ae Sa ge Se . — . Y SOS So ee large mottled face set with a pair of cold, arrogant eyes. He decided in the instant he couldn’t care for this person. Seeing no encouragement in the man’s face he withheld the usual greeting accord- ed strangers in that country, and with a casual ‘‘ Howdy, Pete” to the driver, turned his attention elsewhere. Then he realized that the big Easterner had lowered himself to the dusty sidewalk and was addressing him. “My good fellow,” the man mumbled pompously, “ that’s no place to leave your horse. How do you think a car can get up here? You'll be responsible if he dam- ages this machine.” Dan let his gaze wander slowly and coolly back to the mottled face for an instant, then looked calmly past one purple ear as if he had glanced at some inanimate fea- ture of the landscape and found it uninter- esting. He neither spoke nor changed ex- pression. The big man glared, grunted, and strut- ted up the steps of the bank. ‘“And I thought they claimed the Czar o’ Roosea ’d been murdered a whole lot. Where’d ye dig him up?” Dan drawled. ‘““He’s stoppin’ over to the ranch and bein’ hated most exclusive. Name’s Thomas, rich as all git out, an’ father of that young squirt that’s got himself engaged to ol’ Mosier’s daughter.” Dan King started as if stung and turned brick red, then pale. He looked away quickly, and for a full minute seemed to be interested in objects elsewhere. When he turned back to Pete Gofert his face was composed again. * Did you say Sally Mosier was engaged to that Eastern dude?” “Yeah. ’S’posed you’d heard. He let on about it all over the place last week. Celebrated with his little drinkin’ pals. that evenin’, an’ the boss raised hell about it next day. Ye know how sot Ferguson is against any red-eye around the ranch. ‘Well, it seemed he wired the glad news to his dad, an’ ol’ Thomas hot-footed out here, an’ when he saw Sally an’ took a squint at ol’ Seth’s collaterals an’ appur- tenances, he give ’em his blessin’ an’.aims to set the boy up out here an’ make a man © - at by . ‘ APs ie - __€omicbooks.cor “fee shot te Nice 2