Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

A462 “ Hello, Rawhide,” says Lafe, look- ing surprised. ‘‘ What you gallivant- in’ ’round this time o’ night for?” “ Walking ’round to keep warm,” I told him. “I’m fixing to hit east on the two ten freight.” | “Sure you’re lying?” he asks, look- ing me Over suspicious. I showed him the note Ed had writ- ten to the conductor, which séemed to convince him. “Was you down to the depot when number forty-seven went through?” he asks. “Why, yes, 1 was down there,” I told him. : ‘See anybody get off ?” “Yep. A lady got off and went over to the hotel,’ I answers truthfully enough. That seemed to interest them might- ily. The bozos in the rear seat leaned forward. “Was she a blonde, medium height, slim, and wearing a tam-o’-shanter hat?” one of them asks. “That describes her perfectly, pil- erim,” | lied. - “That’s the party we’re looking ‘for!’ cried Lafe. ‘‘ Much obliged, Rawhide; adios,” and he made a quick run to the hotel, half a block ahead, where they all piled out and rushed inside. I knew the night man would be setting up until after the three twenty passenger went through and they’d get quick action. I done some more fast thinking. Something had to be done darn quick, or that little dame was going to get caught. I had a good team of hawses hooked onto the buckboard, but they’d never outrun Lafe’s car. There was just one thing to do, and hustling down to the hotel, I raised the hood of the car and yanked out the wiring, cutting it off with my knife and throwing it into the street. Through the hotel window I could see the three men arguing with the night clerk. Evidently the latter was reluctant to wake up his guest. Well, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the longer they chewed the rag the bet- ter for me, and I made a quick run to the depot, hustled Sadie across the back lot to the blacksmith shop, and in half a minute we were in the buck- board and on our way. ; Judging from the noise, that vehicle hadn’t been greased since the battle of the Alamo. Every joint was loose and rattling, and of all the squawking and screeching and caterwauling you ever heard, that was the limit. The hawses was skittish and r’aring to go, and I was doing my little damn- dest trying to hold them down and not make so cussed much racket, and the worst of it was we had to drive right past the hotel in order to get on our road. : | figured they’d be bound to hear us, and they did. Just as we were passing the building, old Lafe stuck his head out the door, and right then the moon had to come out from behind a cloud and expose us plain to the naked eye. The sheriff let a yell out of him that must ’a’ fetched the others to the door on the jump, and then I laid the line ends onto those cayuses and away we went hell bent for election! I heard Lafe yell again, and then guns started popping, and the bullets whanged by plenty close. I took one look back, and saw all three men piling into the car, and just naturally couldn’t help snickering when I thought what Lafe was going to say about that wiring. I knew the delay wouldn’t be for long. Lafe would raise the whole town in jig time, and rustle up another car or some saddle ponies and he after us on the jump. Chances were that we'd have plenty company when they caught up with us, if they did. I fig- ured we had a good start and a tough pair of hawses, and had ought to out- distance them if the darn wagon held out. And there was the rub! The old boat was rattling and cracking like it was due to blow up any second. I was COPNICLOOOKS (C@