The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

296 was Old Jack’s business to take care of the bear, and the work was left to him entirely. With ease and quickness the Ute lassoed the lumbering brute, then jumped over him and danced around him while embroidering his shaggy legs and body with coil upon coil of the stout riata. At last the grunting and snarling animal was helpless on his back, and the Indian rushed away for the chain and muzzle. When these were in place Hot Tamale was freed of the rope and sulk- ily followed his master back to the corral. Martin Reeves’s “roving commission”’ landed him, for the time being, in the hotel as clerk for Hungerford. * “Bear a hand here, Marty,” said the colonel, ‘‘and call off while I check.”’ “How much am I worth, colonel?” in- quired Reeves, with a smile. “Oh, bother that! This is nothing more than a little friendly accommodation.” - ‘Will you give me board and lodging as a ‘friendly accommodation?’ ” “Now, suh, you are hitting me on my business side. Board and lodging come at twenty-five dollars a week.” “All right. Vl help you for a dollar an hour and you can apply it on my first week’s pill.” “Have it your way, then, and peel off your coat.” By noon the preliminary work was fin- ished, and the colonel was smoking a fat cigar behind the counter and waiting for custom. It came with a rush when Pablo went out in front and clanged the triangle for dinner. Those who signed the register as steady boarders and lodgers were Don Quesada, Vince, Catamount Cal, Rayner, Handy, Smedders and Reeves. Those who signed for meals only were the senorita, Robbins, Castle and Golshaw. When Reeves came out into the office after dinner he found the colonel figuring and chuckling. “Tf anybody asks you who gets the big prize at the end of the month, Reeves,” said he, “just tell ’em you know. With seven boarders and lodgers at twenty-five a week and three boarders at fifteen a week, the Spread Eagle starts off with two hun- dred and twenty in yellow boys plugging into the till every seven days. Some income, what?” “Catamount Cal won’t be here all the time, colonel,” returned Reeves. “You can’t count him as one of the steadies.” | THE ARGOSY. “That’s so,” agreed the colonel, revising his figures. “Then think of the prices you’ll have to pay at the Bazar for the stuff you put on the table.”’ “Tf the Bobbetts try to rob me,” bristled Hungerford, ‘I'll buy all my stuff in Pen- yan.” ‘Wait till you’ve. run the hotel a while before you decide who’s to get the first prize,” Reeves suggested. That afternoon the Tenderfoot strolled over to the Bazar. Middling and Perdue were just leaving with two bags of supplies and Lady Ann was posting the charges on the books. She was alone in the little storeroom when Reeves entered, and she smiled a bit uncertainly as her eyes met his. “Why can’t you and I have any more walks and*talks, Lady Ann?” Reeves asked. “You have been avoiding me lately.” Ezra Bobbett was out in the backyard splitting wood, and Ma Bobbett was in- specting her culinary department. Lady Ann flushed and paled; then, after a mo- ment’s hesitation, she shut the door leading into the rear rooms and leaned across the scrap of counter toward Reeves. “Marty,” she murmured, ‘“‘after what you said to me out in the moonlight, when we camped on the way here, it—it wouldn’t be fair to you.” Reeves looked into the pretty brown face with its sensitively twitching. lips, at the soft brown hair brushed smoothly back from the high forehead, and deep into the wide, hazel eyes that mirrored a spirit capa- ble of self-sacrifice in a dauntless way. ““T don’t understand you, mujercita,” said he slowly. ‘You are becoming as mysterious as every one and everything else in this old camp. Will you explain what you mean, Lady Ann? Just what wouldn’t be fair to me?” ‘Marty, dear,’ went on the girl, “you have fine people back East. What would they think if—if—” “There, now,” put in Reeves, with a smile, ‘“‘“my people are splendid people, and sensible people. They know that I am twenty-three and able to pick and choose for myself.” He reached out to take her hand, but she drew away from him. “Listen,” she went on, her voice thin and hard and seemingly twisted out of her very soul, “I was a nameless foundling, Marty, ) (EO) 0)(0\) AMC SS (C@)