Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

THE BLOOD-CALL. But Taurog felt another crash on his own chin that knocked his head back as if to break his neck. He felt the same sledge- hammer on his mouth as he staggered for- ward, and again on his neck and cheek and heart. “Thinks I’m winnin’! And dammit—I am! Nobody dast say I ain’t.”” There was a cold feeling in his knees and he seemed to be sinking into terrific depths. ‘‘ No- body dast! Id kill ’em if they said I was beat!”? He was on his back trying vainly to get up, swearing and mumbling: “ Damn them! I’d give them six plunks of lead—” Quade stepped back as Taurog dropped at his knees. The fallen man was clutch- ing handfuls of dirt as if trying to climb upwards. The whole mob was hushed, but Quade could hear a tingling in his ears. His brain was throbbing with pain, and he thought it was like the beating of a great drum. He knew he had won, but he could not understand what was happening. The _dust-clouds were clearing away, and he caught a single glimpse of the hushed mob and something hurtling out of the side of the corral. There was a yelp, a snarl, followed by a rising scream from the throats of many men. The men themselves did not under- stand. All they could see was a fresh scuffle, which churned up the dust, hiding the form of the prostrate giant, throwing the figure of Quade into a scrambling, shapeless silhouette, with the tawny body of Taurog’s giant cur attacking him. There was a moment’s vision of the dog’s wide- spread legs, the taut muscles, and a gleam © of teeth. Then the hoarse bang of a gun. The dog doubled up convulsively, its huge fangs glancing from Quade’s shoulder, and its back twisting with the burn of the lead. Taurog came to his senses slowly. He was still clutching at the dirt, at first with an intensity and a/great desire to attain he knew not what. When he realized what he was doing he grinned sheepishly and looked up. It was a strange and puzzling picture that struck in little by little upon him. The corral was full of men, jabbering and elbowing each other. Above him was Jug Trilles keeping a space clear all about him. As he clambered awkwardly to his 447 knees he saw the prostrate body of the hide- ous jack-dog, huddled on the ground in a pool of dusty blood. Beyond the corral men were scurrying every which way, vault- ing to their horses and riding off toward the gorge. Others were shouting and quarreling about their suroingles and saddles. Women were pale, open-mouthed, frantic. It came to Taurog now—the whole story. He had fought. His subjects had seen him. He flushed mad and straightened up to his full height. There was a big shame connected with it, he remembered, a terrific humiliation which he had striven to avoid with the ferocity of a maniac avoiding some dreaded thing. But he had failed. The humiliation was there. “Where is that hell-bender, and where is my holster and gun?” he suddenly cried. The crowd surged back, leaving a widening circle about the dazed, tottering giant and the ugly yellow carcass of his dog. “Where is he and where’s Jug Trilles— and my gun?” he roared out. Trilles crept out cautiously. ‘“T got your gun, chief. Here it is, chief, I got it I kept it safe for you, chief!” ‘“'Where’s Quade?”’ ‘“He’s went—out thataway.” “And this damned cur—” Taurog kicked at the streaked, blood-muddy car- cass. “It’s stretched—” Taurog looked puzzled. ‘“ Quade—~—” “ That’s what I thought, chief,” Trilles said placatingly. “But it couldn’t have been Quade. He didn’t have no gun. Here’s his gun right here, chief. Some of these here men says the shot come from the direction of the gal—” . “ Kirbie! She’s gone back on me—I knew it all the time. Where is she? I'll cow-hide her! J’ll show her! She’s double- crossed me. I'll break every bone in her damned body!” Taurog rushed to the corner where Kirbie had been during the fight. “No, no, chief, listen. Kirbie and the hell-bender ran through the crowd with the point of her gun. A bunch chased ’em, chief. But they got on a couple horses which was standing saddled and ready. And they’re escapin’ through the gorge.” } COmiclbooks.CGom