Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

_. be careful. 222 ing! That was marvelous! Also, Chan- ning had developed in Midnight a mincing pace, a gentle chop trot with such smooth undulations that when Channing was riding him he seemed almost to glide. The damned horse would never do anything like that for Bassett! Bassett never asked Jane any more ques- tions about riding. He exerted himself to be kind to her; and he felt that he was _making progress. Times when she thought he was interested in something else he knew she was watching him, searching his face for signs of character. When he caught her doing that he’d smile. And he really felt like smiling, because it was gratifying to feel that he was making an impression. He discovered that when he looked at Jane and smiled her eyes seemed to grow strangely gentle. But he didn’t overdo the smiles; he was too wise to make that mis- take! Hell; she’d think him a Chessy cat! There came a day, though, when he dared not smile when she looked at him. It was when she told him in a burst of joyous con- fidence that she was going riding with Chan- ning the first thing the following morning. So Channing had Midnight ready, had he? Bassett replied to Jane; telling her to He hoped she’d enjoy herself. He told her to watch out for prairie dog towns, and to be sure to ride straight up in the saddle for fear of pitching out of it in case the horse stepped suddenly into a de- pression. She must keep het stirrups a little forward, She could keep the reins tight if she wanted to, but with range horses that wasn’t necessary. A range horse usually saw a break in the trail before its rider. All she had to do when she rode a range horse was to look out for sudden stops and swerves. Jane had confided her news to Bassett at noon. An hour later Bassett stuck his head into the mess house, where Channing and two other men of the outfit were eating dinner. “ Channing,” he said; “ I want you three boys to ride over to the south basin an’ throw that little herd into that new grass west of Two Forks. That ‘Il put them just ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. north of the main herd, an’ they’ll work toward them. You can camp at Two Forks to-night an’ light out for home at daylight. An’ day after to-morrow you can brand them dogies we picked up the other day.” Channing turned a slow gaze upon Bas- sett. Bassett endured his scrutiny steadily; with such calmness that it appeared to Channing that Bassett’s mind was con- cerned only with the day’s work.. Channing nodded. Shortly afterward Channing and the two punchers rode southward with their war bags strapped to the cantles of their saddles. If Bassett had put Channing upon a task that would have required his absence from the ranch the following morning, Channing would have found some excuse to postpone the trip. Bassett knew that. That was why he had suggested that they “ light out for home at daylight.” Bassett indulged in a huge laugh after Channing and the others had gone. He stood in the stable door and watched them out of sight. Then he gazed long at the ranch house. It was now mid-afternoon, and Bassett thought Jane and Evangeline would be on the front veranda or in its vicinity. For the first time since he had established himself at the Circle B he care- fully estimated the distance between the house and the stable in the door of which he stood. The distance was rather greater than he had thought, although he had walked it hundreds of times without paying any par- ticular attention to it. He estimated it at three hundred yards. Between the house and the stable were other buildings. He held a finger up to the breeze. The breeze was blowing from the direction of the ranch house. Bassett’s eyes glowed with satisfaction. He emerged from the stable, went to the harness shop and found the quirt whose thongs he had oiled many days before. He stuck the quirt into his shirt and went back into the stable. He got a rope from a peg, uncoiled it and “ran ” the noose; then coiled the rope again and walked from the stable with the rope dangling from his left arm. He went to the Gomichbooks (E@)