Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

200 do nothing but repeat it for a moment, over and over. She said at last; light breaking on her: aie? ae posse is to follow im—follow Van « Maybe,” said the sullen marshal. ‘Send ’em home,” said the girl. “ There ain’t no call for a posse. The governor has pardoned Dix Van Dyck. I got it here.” She placed the pardon on the table be: fore him. It would have been hard to tell whether it was disappointment or relief which showed most plainly in the face of Phil Glasgow. “It’s the old man’s signature,”’ he said, “and it reads like his lingo. Yep, it’s straight stuff. Boys, you hunt your bunks. Thanks for turning out for me.”’ But they lingered, swearing; it was their way of expressing all emotions. And they stared at Jacqueline, who had slipped ex- hausted into a chair. ‘“What’s happened?” she asked. -* Tl] tell you that,” said one of the men, “the prettiest little fight that was eyer staged on the range, Jack. The Mex started for the jail. They went on a gang— damn ’f I know how many there was in it. Old El Tigre went before ’em and turned Dix Van Dyck loose and give him guns. - bent the time the crowd hit the jail 1 Tigre come out, Dix with his guns*pittin’ and El Tigre with a knife. Nacherally they was a heap of an argument between them two and the crowd. The greasers had numbers, but them two had the fighting heart. “Finally El Tigre was knifed between the shoulders, and it looked black for Van Dyck, when little Dolores charged into the gang with two horses and got Van Dyck, aboard one of ’em. Then they beat it off. “They left the ground considerabie lit- tered up. We picked up seven dead men, not counting El Tigre, and a dozen others hurt too bad to crawl away, besides the Lord knows how i able to run se off. “Jack, it looked like the floor of a slaughter-house. And from now on the greasers are going to step soft and talk soft THE ARGOSY. around Double Bend. You couldn’t raise a crowd of Mex to-night with a barrel of free booze. Speaking personal, I’m glad Van Dyck got away. He showed like aman te-night.” “You talk like a fool,’ said the marshal. “They ain’t nothing you can hold against Dix Van Dyck right now. He was tackled by the crowd, and all he done to-night was self-defense. But it’s only days now be- fore he’ll get at the trail of old Onate.” ‘“ Ts Onate behind it?” asked some one. ‘“ Are ye blind?” queried Glasgow fierce- ly. ‘‘ Can’t you see the hand of the greaser behind all this? Who else could raise this crowd in Double Bend? Besides, he come in here an hour ago wiith the fear of God on him. He demanded the protection of my men. Think of that! <A _ sheriff asking for protection! ‘“T asked him what he feared, and he told me that during the fight Dix Van Dyck had made threats against him. I laughed at him and told him if that was the case he’d better order his coffin. ‘But it wasn’t any laughin’ matter with old Onate. He went off sick and yellow- faced, the dog! I hear he’s called in a bunch of greasers and is payin’ ’em to guard his house. “No, lads, it’s only a question of days before we’re on the trail of Van Dyck again. He’s coming for the hide of Onate. T don’t wish him no bad luck, but if he drops the sheriff I’ve got to go after him, and there ain’t no man that’s got away from me yet after I once started on his trail.” ‘“What’ll you do?” asked one of the men. “Sit here and wait,” said the. marshal. “ Double Bend is our trap; Onate is our * bait. Just takes time, but in the end we’re sure to get Dix Van Dyck. Only it'll be a man-sized job to take him after he’s cornered. Jack, you’re his friend, ain’t your” ‘“T am,” she answered. “Then if you can run across him, tell him to lay off Onate. It ain’t healthy. ‘ Glasgow,” she said scornfully, “ d’you really think there’s a ghost of a show of getting Dix Van Dyck off a trail he’s once started?” 1e@) .DOOK (E@)