The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

MESQUITE RANCH. one in which the Double X-ers would make a whirlwind sally from among the rocks, whence they could naturally see the Mesquiters, whose approach they would be expecting. A young moon shone pale in the evening sky. They reached the spur. The way became increasingly difficult. The dan- ger of an attack became more obvious. Every man rode with eye and gun cocked. Big Red dismounted and led his horse. The others followed suit. Ten - minutes later they hobbled the horses in a defile and crept forward again. “Wait hyah!” Big Red suddenly ordered. The cowboys murmured. They were eager to be at their enemies. But they obeyed, sinking down among the rocks like companion shadows to the ones that already crouched among them. They did not talk. Radford appre- ciated that the situation was too se- rious. He lay there waiting for a sig- nal to dash forward from Big Ked. It was with some amusement that he heard his own heart apparently boun- cing about inside of him, as if it had gotten away from its accustomed re- striction and was making the most of it. The men grew restless. He heard them whispering and distinguished in the exchange of mutterings that they were concerned at the long absence of Big Red. He sat up, excited all over again by the idea that the leader of the Mesquite force had been captured by the Double X-ers. They waited longer, legs twitching and hands fingering guns. Big Red was a powerful man; but he might have been surprised and quietly cap- tured. He might be in the hands of the Double X-ers and eagerly awaiting the advent of his own men to deliver him, “Say, let’s do something! ”’ It was Radford who spoke. He had come to the end of his patience. It seemed to him he would jump up and shoot in the air. It was out of ques- 761 tion for him to lie there another mo- ment while the great night came crawl- ing through the rocks and the man who had become his friend was per- haps in the hands of his enemies. ‘“Red’ll be madder’n a wet hen ef we spoil any game he’s puttin’ up!” one of the boys cautioned. “Ef he’s got game, he’d oughter come back an’ take us in!” another grumbled. “T’m off!” Ted suddenly yelled. He went like a shot. The relief from inaction was so great that he ut- terly forgot caution, rushed ahead with only a blind idea that he was bound for the Apache Spring to kill a few dozen cowboys and liberate Big Red. His act was like a general’s when he gets away out in front and calls his men. The cowboys leaped up and after him. The rocks clattered and jumped till it sounded as if a battalion were making speed toward the spring. “ Mesquite! Mesquite!’ they yelled, excited to more energy when the cry echoed and rebounded into more echoes, till it seemed as if the Double X-ers must be impressed that the whole force of the Mesquite was sweeping valiantly down upon them. But the Double X-ers did not indi- cate any such impression. ‘There was no answering challenge. It sobered the boys. They regained the caution which Ted had dislocated. They grabbed at him and hauled him back, then proceeded with more discretion. Still nothing happened. ‘There was no sign of Red. They began to sus- pect some ruse or ambush into which they were to be allowed to rush. Prob- ably Big Red had already done it. They reached the great breast of rock that rose between them and the spring. They rounded it carefully. The first to catch sight of the silver water in the basin leaped back so sud- denly that he piled his fellows in the rear in a swearing mass. “What in thunder’s the matter?” Ted demanded as the man in front sat down on him. | CORMICLOOOKS (E@)