The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

786 The men were actually stone stiff. No one believed that Red would be borne on the crazy height of his rage to the point of actually aiming at her. But he was; and in that instant every man among them was turned to a creature of paralyzed wonder. The next second and because the gun had not barked its awful inten-_ tion, the cow-men thrilled. For the girl never quivered. She knew, and they knew she knew, that Red was mad, that he was shooting-crazy. Radford got his breath. He sprang forward and seized the barrel of Red’s gun. The foreman swore at him and struggled; but Ted hung on and pressed himself against the pistol so that a shot at Natalie would have gone through his body first. “Natalie, you didn’t mean to kill those steers, did you?” Radford shouted. For a second her white lids fell over the black fever of her eyes. She turned even whiter. Ted read the sick horror that went through her at his question. It relit his faith in her. “Look here! Cut this, Red!” he said, jamming Red’s gun down at his side. “She didn’t do it! III stake my life on it.” “Oh, ye ninny! Ye’re crazy in love! Whut do ye know ’bout it?” Red growled. “ Natalie, tell them -you didn’t set fire to the spring to stampede—’”’ “Whut’s got ye?” Silsby cut in. “ She’s accusin’ me of tryin’ to spile the water, ye eejit!” Radford loosened his hold on Red’s gun. It was no longer needed. For the foreman was looking with fixed, perplexed gaze at the ranch-owner. “Whut’s that?” Red asked. guess we're on the wrong trail.” In growing sufprise Radford and Red listened as Silsby explained that Natalie had suddenly appeared as the spring burst into flame and the cattle stampeded, and had accused him of what it seemed that she must have done. : cot THE ARGOSY. It was a strange situation. had taken for granted that the cattle were Gill’s and had come at once to investigate. The basin had burst into flame at her feet. The men had had all they could do to escape when the cattle turned wild- ly. She had been seen by them, like an angry spirit above the burning pool, and she and they had jumped at the natural conclusions. Prompted by an impulse that disre- garded her personal feelings toward him, Radford climbed the rock and stood beside her. “Mile. le Fevre, something’s wrong here—some misunderstanding. Some- body certainly poured the oil on the water. Five of our cattle are dead out yonder. Any number are hurt. I was almost killed in their stampede. There’s an explanation due from some one. I’m dead certain you didn’t put the oil there and set it blazing; or, if you did, you had no idea of what it might—’”’ “T am not cruel—or deeshonor- able!’’ Natalie interrupted, with a peculiar scorn which Ted did not un- derstand. “Do you know who did this dev- ilish thing?” he persisted, knowing that she must vindicate herself before the men or pay cruelly for it later. “I do not,” she answered positively and with impressive truthfulness. ““M. Radford, I am so bad a shot that eet ees most dangerous for any of the Mesquite men to remain on my land. I do not know which one I shoot—but eet weel be some one! I shall shoot!” Radford paid no attention to her threat. He turned to the cowboys. “Look here, boys, she didn’t do this trick. We know we didn’t. Then— who did?” he asked. Radford had expected a variety of answers, guesses probably. He want- ed the blame shifted from Natalie at any cost. He was amazed when the reply came like a war-cry from the cow-men. “The Double X-ers! ” EO PMICG LOOKS Natalie (E©)