The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

780 Natalie was finding herself. She had endured tortures new and strange; and her pride rose and rebelled against the position in which the two men had placed her. She was humiliated be- yond expression by the way she had torn at Ted’s shirt and moaned over him in her agony. She hated herself for the confession in acts that she was so deeply interested in the man who had insulted her. She hated both men for quarreling about her. She wanted to be alone. She wanted never to see either of them again. “Go! Both of you! I hate you! Ket ees like boys you act! I weel nevaire have you here again! Go! At once! Eet ees what I say!”’ She stamped her little foot. Her eyes shot brown fire. Sykes pushed his pistol into his belt and turned to- ward the trail. Radford drew him- self up and looked into angry eyes of Miss Bitter-Sweet with defance. It made her more indignant. ‘How dare you stay!” she cried, looking at him with straight, cold gaze. ‘“‘ Kes eet: not enough that you force me to risk my life because of you? After you insult me with your love-making! A-h!” Words failed her. The single ex- clamation came from her lips freight- ed with such indignation and scorn that Radford lost his courage. y “Say, you hike ef she wants you to!” Sykes turned in the trail. He glow- ered down at Radford as if he wanted nothing so much as a chance to get close and half kill him. “You shut up!” Radford flung at him. “Tll shut you up or eat my hat!” Sykes responded, resuming his way toward the Stone House. It needed no translation for the lis- teners to understand that Ted Radford would need to watch lest Tom Sykes get the satisfaction of laying him out in the dust under the great blue canopy of the sky. THE ARGOSY. “ You weel nevaire come here again!’’ Natalie told him as she, too, moved away. “ Natalie!”’ he protested desper- ately. But without a glance toward him she seized Miss Thorpe’s hand and hurried off up the trail. CHAPTER XIII. THE STAMPEDE. WHEN Radford reached the Mes- quite Ranch he was amazed to see the tableland “on which the ranch-house stood covered with cattle, Despon- dent as he was, his curiosity waked. He trotted toward the corral and heard Big Red shouting orders to a bunch of new herders, at least new men to him. ““What’s the rumpus?” he asked as he approached the foreman. “Critters got sick. Silsby brought ‘em back soze he kin look after ’em.’ Goin’ to put ’em on the lower range, Red answered. Radford whistled. | ‘Say it!” Red suggested crossly. “Apache Spring’s where. they'll water, ain’t it?” Ted asked, falling into the vernacular. < Yen. “ Gill’s bought the right to use it, I, guess,’ Ted informed Red. Red turned to him with a ripping oath. | “That pair uv heifers sold to him?” he demanded. “Looks that way. Miss Thorpe went over to the Double X Ranch, and she cdme back with that Sykes gink!”’ Radford explained. “I guess Silsby will have to come down with some cash—” “What’s that?” Radford turned quickly. The gruff voice’came from a man perched on the top board of the corral fence where he seemed to be overlooking the horses in- side. Ewen while he spoke he had be- gun to descend with an agility that was noticeable. EOPNICOOOKS (©)