Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

622 on the table—ponderous forty-five’s of amazing length. . ‘“‘So you’ve come to shoot me up, Ken- nedy?”’ “ T’ve come to shoot you down,” said the ° big gambler calmly, ‘‘ as I would any other thief and rustler.” His eyes, fastened at the throat of Tyson, where lay the yellow and black necktie. Tyson understood, for he drew it forth, full length, and smiled. ‘‘ Ah,” he said, “ you’ve seen Rona, and she’s given you a bit of her tongue. When I saw her last she was a bit surprised that you hadn’t fought for the sake of the neck- tie. But it’s too late now,, Kennedy. She’s made up her mind about you.” ~ ‘“You’re a bold man, partner,” said the Westerner, and he caressed the gun nearest to him. “And you’ve played a ‘strong game. You’ve done well with your hand, _ but now it’s called. That’s all.” . He chuckled deep in his throat, and his eyes probed the body of Tyson as though picking the places where his bullets should strike. : “'You’re a good man, Tyson, but at this game I think that I’m a bit hetter.” “It’s very clear,’ ” Tyson nodded. ‘“ You apparently think that the only passport you. need back to her favor is the necktie?” “You got the Bible beat for thinking,’ ” agreed Kennedy. But Tyson was fallen into a muse. There are times when discretion is the bet- ter part of valor, and he thought now of the uncanny ease with which Kennedy had produced the two big guns. The man was an expert in their use, he knew, while for his part he had never fired twenty shots ' with firearms of any description. Moreover, there were reasons why it would be most inconvenient to be put even temporarily out of commission; for now was the time to raise a tide to sweep up against Garth; his voice was needed to give it direction. It was a hard thing to do— harder than almost anything he had done in his life. “It’s a strange thing,” he said, “if we should fall out about a piece of colored silk. I’ve had my fun out of it, Kennedy, and now you might as well have yours.” ry Go ogle ¥ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. . *He raised his hand to undo the tie, while Kennedy stood frowning in astonishment, with a palpable sneer lifting the corners of his mouth. Yet the slender fingers of Ty- son never tugged loose the knot of the tie;' they stopped as they touched it, for he saw, again, the picture of the face, dim as the obliterated features of a. sphinx, that had appeared at the crest of La Cabeza. The old legend said: love within a year after that vision, or death. And here was death looking at him out of the keen eyes of Kennedy. To struggle now was like gambling against fate, and Tyson loved above all else the gambling chance. His hands fell from his throat, and he smiled upon Kennedy. “I had forgotten,” he said, “ that there’s another score between us that makes it im- possible for me to give you the tie. I’m sorry for it. It’s a Jittle thing, but I can still feel the tingle where your fingers struck my face the other day. For that reason, Kennedy, Il have to accept your offer of a gun.” He rose, and as he did so, by chance, a bell from the church in the town began to toll, slowly, with whole seconds between the beats. “A knell for you, Kennedy,” smiled Tyson. He continued: “ Unfortunately, I don’t know a thing about guns. So when we fight we’ll- have to leave the result to chance. Let me have the guns—so! Now stand back a pace from the table, as I do. Good! You see, Kennedy, there lies a gun with the muzzle toward you. There lies a gun at my end of the table with the muzzle toward me. The thing we each must do is to reach our gun at a signal, get it by the trigger end, and then blaze away. That makes our chances eq Kennedy forced a laugh. “It’s a good joke,” he said. ‘“ The next time I have a drink Ill laugh over it.” “T’m as serious as a minister.”’ “ Fire across this table?’ cried Kennedy. “Not so loud,” warned Tyson. “ Why. pot across the table?” ““ Murder, plain murder!” ‘“* But we’ve equal chances.” ‘“‘A man couldn’t fail to hit at a single yard.”