Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

594 hate to pull this trigger. But you'll see why I must when I tell you that you’re the only one, outside of my own gang, who could identify me as the Red Handker- chief. It’s simply a case of safety first! Business is business, you know! [If I can send any last word in a roundabout way, Pll gladly do so.” I was down on my knees in the hot sand, my arms stretched up to the Red Handker- chief. It’s an awful thing to know that you’ve only got a moment or two longer to live—that you’d soon be lying on the ground like those two other stiffs. If you don’t believe it, try it sometime! A fellow’s bound to beg for his life— can’t help it. And that’s just what I tried to do. Only my tongue and throat got twisted all out of shape, and at first, I couldn’t let out a whine. It seemed like my tonsils was tied in knots. [ drew a breath and tried again, “Please put the gun down!” I heard my own voice, cracked and hoarse, only it seemed to be coming from the door of the express car above. Damn that ventriloquist stuff cropping out of my throat in my last moments! And I hadn’t tried to throw my voice for a year! The Red Handkerchief wheeled around like a flash, both his eyes and the gun on the open door. That gave me a big idea! nerve. “You didn’t think there was any one else about, did you?” my voice drifted out of the green box car. ‘“ Well, there is!” With an awful string of cuss words, the Red Handkerchief made for the open door- way and shoved his gun inside. You had to hand it to him for his nerve! “ Come out! And come out quick!” he called. “If you don’t, [ll blow you to hell!” “Come and get me!’’ my voice sassed back. “Ill break this coupling pin over your head!” Giving me one quick glance and seeing how I’d never moved, the Red Handker- chief vaults into the green box car and sends a bullet into the boxes and barrels piled in the back. Then he moves toward them, crouching like a cat. Also a little ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. I edges up to the car and waits until he sticks his gun and head into an open space. between the boxes and barrels. Then [I slides the big door shut and quick fastens the outside latch. I didn’t duck a moment too soon, for the other five bullets in the gun came tear- ing through the door. But I’d crawled un- derneath the car and was fastening the other door by that time. | Then he must have pulled out his own gun, for a couple of seconds later, more bul- lets came popping over my head. [I rolled under the car and let him curse and shoot away as long as he pleased. It didn’t last long. He must either have run out of ammunition or got back his head. Anyway, in a few minutes, he shut up as quiet as a mouse. He wouldn’t even answer me when I crawled behind the safe and called to him. When I was sure he couldn’t bother me, [ reaches over the top of the safe and pulls cut the Bright Lode’s money bags, one by one. Then I sneaks over to the engine with them, a couple at a trip, and hides ’em in the tool box. It wasn’t nice work—having to step over that dead fireman every time. I was mighty glad when I got the last bag in the box. As I was getting on the hand-car to go back to town for help, I spied a bunch of men coming down the track. In a minute, I saw by their blue overalls that they must be some of the railroad crowd. I figured they’d been sent down to bring the train in. So I thought I’d wait and save myself a hard pump. They’d be all the help I need- ed, anyway! While I was waiting for them to draw up, I began feeling mighty proud of myself. And you couldn’t blame me! Didn’t I have the terror of the whole Southwest packed away safe in that green box car? And that was more than any other man had ever done! Then I got to figuring how these railroad- ers would get some of the credit, too, if I let ’em in on the dope. And that wouldn’t be fair to myself at all, seeing how Id planned and carried out the whole thing single-handed. Gomichbooks (E@)