Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

306 “Tell!” she cried eagerly. ‘ About the girl?” “Yes, yes!” “Why,” said the man, “ she was about your height, Dolores, and beautiful as the devil.” “Ha!” said the Yaqui. “A _ beautiful woman makes great fools of men.” “Come to think of it,” smiled Dix Van Dyck, ‘‘ you’re a bit good to look at your- self, Dolores.” “7?” she said, with well-imitated sur- © prise, ‘“‘ Alas setor, I am a piece of ’dobe made into the shape of a woman, and clothed in moldy rags. No man will look at me!”’ But her eyes glinted. The white man, however, would the banter no further. “Tt wasn’t her good looks, though, Do- lores,” he said, ‘‘ which made me follow her.” ce Ah?” ‘“She had a cross of iron that she wears ‘around her neck. Now, I ain’t supersti- tious, Dolores, but I got an idea that cross can do what people claim it can do. It brings good luck to Jack Boone, and bad luck to everyone near her—everyone she likes, particularly. You see, Dolores, the cross has been tried out a lot of times, and it never fails. She always wins gambling, for instance, and she generally gets what she wants. In every way. ‘But the people that go with her gen- erally get their necks broke some time or other. There’ve been plenty of cases of that. She ain’t been long in Double Bend, you see, but already two men have kicked off unexpected, sort of, just because they hung around Jack. Well, Dolores, I come to Double Bend while I was making a hurry trip north to get away from Onate, who’s sheriff of this county, you know. And in the dance-hall I seen Jack Boone and I heard the story about the cross. Dolores, the minute I heard that yarn—’”’ ‘“ You wanted to be with Senorita Jack?” ‘ How could you know?” “A child,” said the Indian girl, “ will always do the one thing he is told he must not do.” carry THE ARGOSY. ‘ Humph,” grunted Dix Van Dyck, “ I’m a good deal of a child, eh, Dolores? Well, let that go. Anyway, I had to stick with Jack. And I did it; and I got to like her a pile more’n I’d ever liked any other woman, so when the pinch came, and I couldn’t fight for my life except by throw- ing Jack to El Tigre and his hunting pack, I knuckled down for the sake of the girl.” He was black with the reminiscence. The Yaqui waited, wisely. ‘And maybe,” said the man, ‘ it was a fool thing I done, because she left me in the hole and never come near me while I was in the jail. She got away with her skin safe and forgot plumb all about me, Dolores.” ‘“T,” said the Yaqui sternly, “ would ride first on her trail and take her by the hair, so! And beat her till the blood ran red and until she screamed and begged for pity. That is what Dolores would do.” ~** Would you?” queried the man curious- ly. ““ And sometimes I got a hunch that the heavy hand is what women needs, Dolores, but I ain’t ever had the heart to use it.” ‘You have never struck a woman?” she asked eagerly. “Mee” he asked, grimly. ‘“ Tell me what man ever said I did and I’ll take him and skin him, Dolores, and tan his hide for a saddle.” “Onate is a great liar,’ she mused gently. : 7 ‘* Onate again? Still spreading filthy talk about me, eh? Well, the longer the score the quicker the settling. But when I take him I wish I had the heart to kill him slow, the way he needs.” “You will not need,” said the girl. “ Give him to me. I will kill him, and you need not see—or hear.”’ “ You hate him, Dolores?” = “Ah!” she said, and fingered the knife at her girdle. ee Why?” “Why? Truly, senor, Dolores cannot tell. Except that he is fat, and that he has been on the trail of the white father.” ‘* You’re a gentle thing, Dolores,” grinned the big man, “‘ a regular little pet lamb, you are. I’d rather meet a wild cat bare-handed than have to mix with you, my girl.” ‘It is true,” she assented sadly, ‘‘ I am : cComicbooks.co