Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

TWO-GUN MAGIC, ‘She mighta let me say somethin’,” murmured Solitaire as he rode away. “ Ain’t women hell!’ Then he found himself smiling. ‘ Still she’s right spunky. I gotta say that.” He felt in his pocket and drew out the spool of thread. ‘‘ What yuh know about that? She didn’t even give me a chance tuh give her this here present!” a CHAPTER VIII. A HOT ARGUMENT. g i- hot sun beat steadily down upon two weary horsemen as they rode through the rocky stretch of country that lay between the little town of Festival and the Cross Bar Jj. They moved in single file along the faint trail that twisted and turned as they went onward. On either side of them giant bowl- ders that were sometimes taller than horse and rider lined the way. The place was exceptionally calm and quiet, not even a faint breeze stirred to break the sweltering heat of the day. ‘The man in the lead, a dark, slender individual who wore a black mustache above his cruel mouth, occasionally ad- dressed a remark to his companion, a hard-faced man with a jagged scar running across his left cheek, and the latter would answer. ‘The sounds of their voices and the faint clatter of the horses’ hoofs were all that could be heard. Bill Hagen and his deputy, Tom Blake, were very tired and not in the best of humors. All night and most of the morning they had ridden steadi- ly in search of Helen Shaw, and the fact that they had not even found a trace of the girl did not add to the ami- ability of either man. “'Th’ girl must be at th’ ranch,” stated Hagen loudly as they rode along; he did not bother to look back at Blake. ‘ We sure have covered this part of the country, an’ if she ain't TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SA 209 there then we'll know that she’s head- ed for th’ mountains.” “ Right!’ the deputy replied. ‘“ Say, Bill, I sure would like tuh run up against that fresh puncher that held us up on the road last night!” “Me an’ yuh both!” said the sheriff. “lf we ever find him there’s a nice cell waitin’ for him back in town. I'll sure put him under arrest for interferin’ with th’ law.” “Why go tuh all that trouble.” Blake laughed harshly. ‘I’m all for pluggin’ him an’ sayin’ that he fired first!” “Maybe yuh’re right. MacGill is gonna be a roarin’ hell-cat when he hears about that feller hornin’ in! Who do yuh figure he is, anyway, Tom?” “ Aw, I don’t know—just some fool that got a rush of crazy ideas in th’ head when he seen us chasin’ th’ girl. He looked kinda worried like, though, when he seen your badge. I guess he got wise tuh th’ fact that he’d made a wrong play then.” “Sure he did.” Hagen laughed shortly. “I bet he’s shook th’ dust of this part of the country by now— looked tuh me like he was kinda yeller!” : “Uh-huh!” Blake leered at his companion’s back. “ I don’t remember vuh makin’ any move tuh be sure about that when he had us covered back there on the road. Them two guns of his made yuh act right peaceful like, Bill!” “Ts that so? Well, just about then yuh wasn’t doing nothin’ to brag about.” As he spoke the sheriff rode around a huge rock on the left of the trail. “Go on; tell me how it hap- pened that yuh didn’t make any at- tempt tuh buck them two guns?” Blake did not answer, and the sheriff laughed as he moved on. “Thought yuh didn’t have no an- swer tuh that one,” he remarked. “Well, go on, say somethin’— Yuh oughta been able tuh think up a right good excuse by now!” WEEK (ECO AME JOOKS con