Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

Ss Notc ed ress mA ~ ; “Sort —_—_—- \. — ‘i uns By JAMES PERLEY HUGHES Stage coach companions who anticipated trouble and the surprising fashion in which it was met at the end “¥ AM particularly interested in the | fauna and flora of this vast, un- trammeled empire, especially that which is indigenous.”’ A slender little man with mild blue eyes peering benignly through steel- rimmed spectacles, fixed his gaze upon his companion on the back seat of the Trinidad stage, now lurching into the Pecos Valley. Wisps of graying hair peeked out from beneath his low- crowned, wide-brimmed black hat, while mutton-chop whiskers of the same shade stole down his cheek. “Say, professor, would you mind dealing that there hand again? [ ain’t much on foreign languages except a little Mexican and a few words of Apache.” “How extraordinary!” murmured the first speaker. “ Ah—I have it. You have seen my monograph on the paleozoic strata in western Missouri, the one which had my portrait on the cover.. That’s it—isn’t it?” A puzzled look in sharp gray eyes, an expression of utter inability to un- derstand. “ How did you know I was a pro- fessor?” “Tt’s a gift, stranger—just a gift. Says I to myself when you got in up there at Trinidad—says [— that hom- 271 bre is an hombre who rides herd on words. Long horn words, not just runty things that has had a tough win- ter on the range, but corn-fed long horns raring to go. I don’t know your name, stranger, but—” “Pardon me—I should have intro- duced myself. I am Professor Alfred Darley. And you?” “Who, me? Oh, just call me Don- ald, Hal Donald—that’s alt.” Laughter, which had been flashing in the sharp gray eyes, fled and, for a moment, a flicker of suspicion shone, as his gaze was held upon the older man. Then they were smiling once more, twinkling mischievously like a small boy planning a prank on his elders. A jolt of unusual violence as the stage struck a deep rut. A muttered curse from a muscular, bronzed giant who lay on the seat opposite them, sprawling athwart the cushions, enjoy- ing a midday siesta. Once more the stage glided over smooth roads and the snores of the sleeper were resumed. “T am delighted to meet you, Mr. Donald ’—Professor Darley left off his study of the slumbering giant—“ I trust our trip will be most pleasant. To me it is filled with constantly intrigu- ing wonders. It is my first venture EOPMNICLOOKS (E@)