Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

224 its top and looked down at Midnight. Bas- sett’s lips were parted now, and the strange smile had grown broader. But something new had come into his eyes—a wild, cruel glare. “Now, you black devil!” he said. His voice was dry and vibrant. “ You'll let Channing gentle you, will you! You'd let him get the best of me, would you!” He drew out the silver tipped quirt. CHAPTER VIII. A REBELLIOUS BEAST. * xO this is the mornin’, eh?” said Bas- sett. He looked at Jane Winthrop across the breakfast table. High color was in Jane’s cheeks; sub- dued excitement was in her manner. The glance she gave Bassett was so full of eager- ness that a frightful pang of sullen fury shot through him. He felt he managed to conceal his rage from her. He smiled. “Vou’re keen for the ride, eh?” he in- quired. “ Well, that’s right. You have a good time. Ill stay around here an’ take care of Eve. But, mind you, don’t ride too long, or you'll pay for it to-morrow. It takes time to get accustomed to ridin’.” But he didn’t think she’d do any riding at all. He felt assured of that. He'd “ fixed ” Midnight. But he had to pretend that he wished her to ride; it was the only way to make progress with her. “Wish I’d have known you’d thought of ridin’,” he told her. “I’d have got you them ridin’ things. “Channing beat me there,” he added. “ He got them before he knew you wanted them. But I reckon I’m goin’ to get in on the ride, anyway. I reckon Channing didn’t think of everything.” He arose from the table, went into his room and returned, bearing a bundle. He placed the bundle on the table in front of her and sat back to watch her open it. When the paper was finally turned back, _ to disclose a pair of new riding boots, Jane gasped. : Then she sat back and gave Bassett a glance that made the blood surge through him, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, “Oh!” she exclaimed. ‘ They are won- derful!” They were wonderful. The soft tops were like velvet. They were so fine and delicate that it seemed a sacrilege to wear them, Jane took one of them up and gazed at the size mark. Astonished, she again gave Bassett a glance that made his heart leap. ‘Mr. Bassett,” she said, “ how did you guess my size?” “Easy. There wasn’t much guessin’ to it. I just sent one of your shoes away. The boots came back with the shoe. I was scared you’d miss the shoe, but you didn’t. I reckon there wasn’t any harm done.” “Harm!” she echoed. “ Mr. Bassett, I shall never be able to thank you enough. I’ve been worried over how I should look arrayed in that riding habit, with no boots to match it!” “H-m! Well, that’s settled. Here’s an- other thing. I’ve found out that somethin’ like this comes in mighty handy at times.” He drew the silver tipped quirt out of his shirt front. Some new color surged into his face as he held the quirt out to her. ‘Spurs ain’t no good for a woman rider,” he declared. ‘‘ They keep gettin’ in the way, an’ snaggin’. That’s why I didn’t have any fit onto your boots. Now this here quirt is some different. I bought it from a greaser several years ago. Them silver tips will cut like blazes if you lay them on hard. : “ But the beauty of it is you don’t have to strike hard with them. If you want your horse to run all you have to do is to let the tips lay against his flanks. You wear it like this.” He ran a hand through the braided horse hair loop of the handle and let it dangle from his wrist. ** No chance of losin’ it,” he added; “ an’ you don’t have to go to grabbin’ for it when you want it. I wouldn’t take a hundred dollars for it, but you can have it every time you go ridin’.” He didn’t wait to hear Jane’s thanks. He got out of the house as soon as he could and made his way to the corral. He caught up his own horse. saddled and bridled it 4A DOOKS (C@) ANU (E()