The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

MESQUITE RANCH. he had proposed to use, and knowing: that a move of his hand to his own pis- tol would probably end him. “Not on your life, you skunk!” Sykes replied, coming close and keep- ing his vigilant eye fastened on Ted’s. “Hands upt-: Radford could only obey. Pride smarting and anger raging he had to stick his useless fists up into the air and await the pleasure of Sykes, while Miss Thorpe stood grimly watching and Natalie leaned against the rock with her head bowed, suffering tor- tures of shame and indignation. “Now, you kin apologize to Mlle. le Fevre,’ Sykes suggested, growing - cooler and cooler as the situation came more completely into his control. — “T certainly did not mean to—” Ted began, ready to defy the gun and spring at the young man’s throat, but forcing himself to be calm because he wanted to make Natalie understand that he had spoken in overwhelming and forgetful impulsiveness which took account only of her and the love that swayed his whole being. “ None‘uv that!” Sykes warned. “I said ‘apologize,’ not crawfish, you snivelin’ coward!” Natalie saw the quiver that passed over him. It was a part with the aw- ful wrench that tore him as Sykes heape don his insults and held his vic- tim powerless with his gun. The sweat poured from Radford’s body, and he felt cold inside. “Tt’s easy to call a man a coward when his gun’s in his belt!’’ Ted sneered, getting to a point where he was careless of consequences. y “Take youah’n!” Sykes ordered, his face flushed darkly at the aspersion on his courage. He lowered his gun while Radford acted on the permission. Instantly the two lifted their weapons. They fas- tened wary eyes on each other. It was a matter of life and death. Both men knew it; and they looked into each other’s faces with the measuring calm of desperate intention. 779 “One!” Sykes said, still with his imperturable self-possession. “Two!” he counted on. ° Ted knew that “ three” meant fire. He wondered if the man who counted had not a ghost of a chance greater than the other. He saw Sykes open his lips to speak the last count. Suddenly, chaos like that which must have tossed up the great butte seemed to roar and rock about Rad- ford. The gun dropped from his hand and he fell weakly to his knees. Every- thing was dark. The instant that Sykes had counted a little figure had appeared between the two men. One shot rang out. Radford felt something tearing fiercely at the front of his shirt. He heard wild, unarticulated cries such as a mother-beast might make over an in- jured young one. He felt a small hand, hot and trembling, on the bare flesh just over his heart. He breathed deeply and tried to sit up. Natalie was beside him. Miss Thorpe was near, and Sykes still stood in his place. But all three were as white as death. “You're not hurt?” he whispered, trying to press the hand that was be- ing hastily withdrawn from his breast. “You—you are not hurt?” she asked quickly. The three watched him as he felt himself and tried his legs, then strug- gled to his feet and leaned against a rock. He met Sykes’s eyes. “You didn’t fire,” the Southerner accused. He was raging inwardly at his po- sition; he had shot at a man who had reserved his fire. But he was wrong in believing Ted had considered him. “T don’t know. I hope not,” Ted replied, still slightly dazed. “I saw her coming from behind you just as you started to say three. I heard the gun go off. I thought—good God! I thought we’d killed you!” He turned to Natalie with every drop of red blood gone from his face. His blue eyes blazed weirdly at her. CORNICLOOKS (E@)