Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

THE DEBT. boulder, and his partner’s lips set them-- selves against the wound. At the end of a time that David tookno thought to measure, Stowe stood away from him, stil] grimacing and wiping his mouth. Even as Burns started to rise, searching for - words out of his lean supply to express the gratitude that filled him, Harry backed away and started running toward the spot where they had eaten lunch and left their coats and rifles. Burns was shaken—too shaken to give much heed to this eccentricity—and con- cerned with the angry swelling that now had gone to his hip. He believed that his life was safe and that Harry would soon be back, perhaps with a drink of water. He was filled with emotion rare to him, so that both of his hands went out eagerly when Stowe reappeared. That Harry carried a rifle in each hand meant nothing to him just then. “T’m much obliged,” he said, unsteadily, “much obliged—old feller—” Stowe shoved a rifle at him. The barrel fell into one of his outstretched hands. ‘“‘ There’s your gun,” said Harry, anngugh a strange huskiness. “Gun?” Burns looked at it stupidly. ‘“Yes—gun! I’ve paid my debt now, ain’t I?” ° ““ Debt? What debt?” “You pulled me out of the river, didn’t you?” ‘““Oh!” He tried to laugh, in spite of the strangeness of what was happening. “‘You’ve squared that, all right!” “Yes, damn your soul! And now you're going to even up for ‘something else!. A man my wife looks at the way she did at you ain’t going to live if I do!” ‘“* Harry—you’re stark crazy!” “Crazy? I’ve been crazy enough to wait till I could square up with you before I plugged your black heart full of lead!” “And you’ve been laying for me all this time!” The rifle slipped from Burns’s in- ert hands and clattered at his feet. After all, he couldn’t expect anything much bet- ter of a man who didn’t appreciate Molly. ‘Pick up your. gun!” Stowe was back- -ing away. His speech had thickened. ‘“ So help me, I’m a going to drill you as soon 23 as I get over to that hemlock stump at the edge of the woods! You got—got your fhance!”’ He continued to move backward, facing toward Burns and pjcking his way among the rocks. At intervals he shook his head like a dog that has snapped at a hornet, and cursed his partner to the deepest hell he could picture. David was weak and nauseated by pain, and stunned by the buffetings that sent him back and forth between life and death. His leg was useless from foot to waist and there was no possibility of flight. He was not sure that he could shoot, even if he wanted to. And he did not want to. If he were to kill the husband of Molly, then she would be forever and ever removed be- .yond hope. More than this—the mere fact that Stowe was her husband stayed the hand of Burns.’ He could not have explained why, but he knew that it was impossible for him to send a bullet after that retreating figure. He watched it, wavering a little to his gaze, as it reached the hemlock stump and knelt for a surer aim. The ifstinct of self-preservation made Dave move quickly; he slipped: and rolled, with a jolt of agony, down beside the boul- der so that it was between him and Stowe. A bullet took a chip from the rock and went whining on. ‘‘ Poor shooting!” mutterdd Burns, brac- ing himself up with his arms. ‘ And damned slow!”’ ; He leaned against the boulder and rested his head there. Harry would have to shift around now for the next shot, he thought; and wondered why it was ‘that he felt neither regret nor fear nor any great in- terest. The answer came in a flash when he suddenly realized that his world had be- come hung with shadows, that it was dark- ening and going away from him. Dying? He decided that he was, with indifference. And contentedly he drifted into oblivion. The sweetness of pine woods and the fresh smell of dawn were the first sensa- tions of Burns as consciousness grew again into being within him. He was lying down, with his head very comfortably raised upon something soft. Stowe must have failed EO 1NOO CO