Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 77: what you’re looking at

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

DOGGIE. leafy carpet of a dried up gulley and they were grinning at him and the girl. Now under any ordinary circumstances Doggie would have been glad to see the two men, and especially Mose Tatro. Bull ad- mired Tatro, and stood a little in awe of him because he had succeeded in more dare- devil villainy than any other man for fifty miles up and down the New York side of Lake Champlain. He could bring a boat through the worst squall the lake ever knew, he was said to have knifed a man in the Maine woods, and he managed to have plenty of money without working. He had picked up Turkey for a follower and Turkey was trying to imitate him. They came up familiarly and stopped, with unconcealed pleasure in their inspec- tion of the girl. Doggie wished they were at the bottom of the lake. As for the girl she wore again that lock of cold, self-confi- dent inquiry with which she had greeted him. There was consolation 'in that it appeared to be Walker and not Tatro whe was in- terested to the point of pressing an acquain- tamce. Mose, broad, heavy featured but handsome, was used to admiration from the women he knew and when he did not get it from the girl he let his gaze wander in real or feigned indifference. Not so Tur- key. He slouched nearer and thumped Doggie on the shoulder. “ Come on, Doggie, you old cussh Who’s your new girl?” Sidney Bull could not have told why it made him white hot with fury to have this particular girl referred to thus by Turkey Walker. But it did; and the worst of it was that he did not know what to say. She stood there perfectly self-possessed, and si- lent, and waiting, while he was in a misery of rage -and uncertainty. “Lost your tongue?’ Walker leered at the girl and winked at Bull. “ Guess we happened along at the wrong time—”’ If it had not been for the wink and the leer Turkey might have escaped the con- sequences of his tactlessness. They, how- ever, swept all embarrassment and _ inde- cision away from Doggie — he lifted his right fist and drove a swinging blow against the mouth that had leered. Walker went 227 backward over a log with such force that his feet waved toward the heavens before gravity finally drew him to a limp repose. Mose Tatro, accustomed to sudden vio- lence, remained impartially calm, although ~ a little glitter came into his black eyes. The girl kept her poise, after an involuntary start at the cracking impact of the blow. Doggie stood with his long arms ready and his body balanced for attack. He now felt quite capable of fighting a dozen men. It was the freckled face of Turkey Walker that settled the affair—turned it from possible tragedy to comedy. Like an astonished red moon that face appeared to view, with no damage more serious than a cut lip. The girl laughed with the same ringing clearness that sounded in her voice. She snapped out a hand that had the firm quick grip of a man and wrung one of Sidney Bull’s hesitant paws. “Thanks!” she said; and qethout any other farewell she turned her back upon them and moved away—walking without haste but swiftly. “Say!” Turkey Walker pulled himself up and sat on the log. ‘“‘ What’s the mat- ter with you, anyway?” Doggie looked up, with the frantic con- sciousness of a blush, from contemplation of the hand that the girl had shook. In Walker’s face he saw emotions which he understood perfectly. Turkey was willing to fight if there were cause for battle but he was not anxious, inasmuch as the man who had just knocked him down was known to be a very able person in any kind of physical conflict. Doggie had lost his wrath as soon as the girl laughed and it was with relief that he heard Tatro speak words of pacification. ‘You fellers forget it!” He turned to Walker. ‘‘ Can’t you see Doggie’s thinking about housekeeping? He’s fell for the girl, so go easy!” Turkey got up grinning and Bull took the hand that he offered. In a silence born of desire to get away from the topic of the near-quarrel the three of them filled their pipes from the same pouch and sat down upon the log. ‘Girl was from Gardners’ place, wa’n’t she?” asked Mose. CORMICLOOOKS (C@