Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 13, 1925 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

D18 conscious dislike for the noise of the report. There was no telling who might be within hearing of a gunshot, and now that he was almost safe it would be folly to make a mistake. , His face crinkled with anger at the bird's momentary show of fight, and he cursed it malignantly as it climbed out of range. His anger over so small a thing was remark- ably savage, as though he recognized in the bird’s pugnacity a knowledge and ac- ceptance of his own reputation for timidity, a reputation which did him an injustice. He shook a fist heavenward at a soaring speck, and then grinned maliciously. “ Jest for that you lose yore grub!” he snarled, and dismounted. When he rode on again he had the rabbit fastened to his saddle, and found a little satisfaction in his revenge. Mesquite, pushing his horse as hard as he dared, staked its usefulness on this gam- bler’s choice. Had the hawk been surprised by a coyote it would not have launched itself into such a panicky flight; it would have flown aside, just out of reach, not will- ing wholly to abandon its prey to a petty, four-footed coward; and while he debated this matter he turned the end of a ridge and drew rein on the bank of a dry-wash, along the bottom of which lay the very fa- miliar tracks of a horse. Laughing quietly, he sought for and found a way down to the bottom, and pushed on with renewed eagerness. He had no ambush to fear now, for the man he was crowding so closely had no suspicion of his danger. IV. SHANGHAI followed up the dry-wash un- til it gradually became effected on the upper part of the little water shed; he crossed the ridge and rode straight down the slope toward another infant wash, along this until its walls reached above his head, and then turned up a branch wash toward the south, crossed another dividing ridge and drew rein as he came to the tracks of a horse, which he studied closely. Nodding suddenly, he followed the tracks toward and into a wide hollow well covered with brush and stunted trees, and laughed at the startled exclama- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, tion of the man who had been bending over a small frre. ‘“ Hello, Arizony,” said Shanghai affably, as he swung down from the saddle, and started on foot up a steep place in the bank of the hollow. The habitual caution in this movement did not surprise Arizona, for his companion’s habits were well known to him. ‘Where th’ hell did you an’ Hoskins go to?” demanded Arizona in obvious anger. Arizona was in no sweet temper, having just been chased for two days by Lanky Smith and only escaping during the night just past. He remembered vividly that Shanghai and Hoskins had been delegated to lay a plain trail to and through an am- bush for the Double-Y punchers to follow; and that the trail had not been laid. The ambushers had waited three times as long as they had had any business to, and then scattered; and Arizona had been unfortu- nate enough to try to leave the mountain park by one of the passes to the north, where Lanky Smith had been quietly on guard. Shanghai had been searching the plain from his elevated position and had seen a faint streamer of dust on his back trail, and his mind was racing for a means of escape from the threatened danger as he made his way down the steep bank. “We started, all right,” he explained, glancing at his horse. This animal long had been coveted by his present companion, and was fresher by far than the horse which had led Lanky so swift and long a chase. Arizona’s mount was almost a wreck from hard running and insufficient food. “ Them damn punchers blundered onto our trail, cut us off from th’ way we was figgerin’ to ride, killed Hoskins, an’ one of ’em has been chasin’ me ever since. Throwed him off yesterday an’ made a fool out of him. Now I can take things easy for a while, an’ rest my cayuse. That there roan’s a wonder: look how fresh it is after all it’s done. Where are th’ boys goin’ to meet agin?” It took all Arizona’s will power to keep from staring at Shanghai’s big roan, and the glances he gave it were full of avarice, which Shanghai recognized without appear- ing to. Arizona's own horse was well used CO NOO S