The Argosy, Vol. 82 No. 2 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

302 grizzly,” answered Robbins. “I couldn’t hold him back.” ‘“What’ll happen in there?” “He'll just call Perdue’s bluff, that’s all,” chuckled Jim Rayner. ‘‘Listen!” The crashing had suddenly ceased, and the hiatus was filled in with the voice of the judge. “This is the first time I’ve come company front with a bad man in thirty years,” shouted the judge, “‘and it was too good a chance to let slip. Down on your knees, you! More than one of your kind has started to stampede and I’ve got him mill- ing! I’ve barreled up as many as a dozen earthquakes of your kind!” Then, Perdue, waveringly: ‘Don’t shoot, jedge! For heaven’s sake, don’t shoot!” “Come on, now! Keep on your knees, but come on!” Then, through the, door of El Rio Rey, walked the fiery old judge. Perdue was shuf- fling along on his knees and his captor had him by the. ear. “Has he killed anybody or done any dam- age in the camp?” inquired the judge. “No, judge,” answered Golshaw, ‘you plugged his game before he had time.” “Then you fork your broncho and climb for the timber!” said the judge to Perdue, and helped the terrified little man toward his horse with a shove. Another moment and the Bad Man from Bad Ax had faded out of town. The judge turned to Robbins reproachfully. “T asked you particularly, Amos,” said he, “to vound up the worst cases you could find. And here’s what you give me! Well, let’s go to the hotel and eat.” The Forty-Niners were ail trying to keep straight faces, for it seemed plain that the judge considered the Perdue incident any- thing but a performance staged for his par- ticular benefit. But there was many a quiet laugh, that evening, over the undoing of little Perdue. Reeves, in his guessing, found himself again at sea. How could the judge have Robbins for a partner, or an agent, in that queer enterprise at the Notch and yet not be thoroughly familiar with all the details? From certain remarks which the judge let fall it appeared certain that Robbins was representing him in some capacity, but just what the two had in common was hard to discover. At the Spread Eagle Hotel the judge was introduced to Reeves and to others THE ARGOSY. as Judge Rufus Brand, from New York State. Reeves had opportunity, in the hotel office and at supper, to appraise Brand more carefully than he had yet done. The judge was one of those who would carry their years lightly. He was straight as a pine, hale and hearty, a man of edu- cation and necessarily of refinement. When he talked his language was well chosen, al- though he seemed to make an effort at be. ing colloquial in a Western fashion. ‘The result of this, now and then, was bizarre. “You are running an A One tavern, colonel,” said he, as he passed over a dollar for his meal. “How do you find business?” ‘Fair,’ was the answer, ‘‘considering the limited population of the camp.” “You charge like a pirate, anyhow. After this I’m going to board at home. Anything doing in the camp to-night, Amos?” he asked, turning to Robbins. ‘Sort of a baile at the honkatonk, judge,” replied Robbins. “Only three ladies in camp, you know, so partners are scarce.” ‘We'll drop in and sample the fun,” said the judge. “First real enjoyment I’ve had was clipping the spurs of that ombre who was shooting up the town.” “Well, I must say you did it handily.” “Had any gun fights lately?” . ‘“‘No, no gun fights. We’ve a pretty good marshal, judge, and he holds the boys down.” A flicker, it may have been of dissap- pointment, ran over the judge’s face. “Anyhow, this is the life, eh?” he said with some enthusiasm as his brow cleared. “TI hunted all over the West for a year to find some remains of the old times, but there aren’t any remains. What’s left has been planted, and a New West that’s hard- ly different from the East has grown up on the plains and in the mountains. ‘‘Where the mule-whacker lambasted his four and six mule teams, we now find an iron trail, and where the pack-burros scaled the high trails we now have paved roads and automobiles. It has remained for you, my boy, to corral a few fragments of by- gone days and dump them down in what was left of Rattlesnake City. “The fragments are half-hearted sur- vivors of Spartan forbears, but Ill try not to be too critical. Amos, you did your best, and we'll have to get along with what we have. Let’s stroll around and smoke.” Judge Brand and Robbins left the hotel, EORMICLOOC (C KS (C@)