Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

Westant ededience af the crowd was ludi- The speaker's hands went ceilingward as bis works stopped and his jaw sagged. Up ia the front of the room two men had been sitting clase to an open door, where they ceakd get out of sight in a jump; and they meoved in a blur of frantic speed as the interruption came, and by the movement called attention to themselves. In the rear door stood a small, lean man peering over the doubled edge of a ban- Ganna handkerchief, in his hand a large and shiny Colt. It swung slowly on a half circle, jabbed at the movement in the front of the room, and swung back again part way until its muzzle covered the man be- hind the bar. The newcomer tossed a coin across the room with his free hand, and in a deep and guttural voice made known his wants. ‘‘ Couple sacks of smokin’ tobacco damn gutck!” he growled. ‘Don’t nobody move!" In a little front room two men lowered their guns and chuckled. “Some gent pacin’ a sheriff, an’ plumb out of th’ makin’s,” said the first, breathing a sigh of relief. ‘He shore gave me a start, th’ damn fool!” growled the second, truculently, as he regretfully lowered his weapon. Then be laughed at the utterly ridiculous Situation: A roomful of tough men, held up by a masked man who wanted smoking tobacco, and was paying for it! It might be that he wished to make no more enemies than necessary. Through the big room, as the truth of the situation percolated through various heads, there came a ripple of laugh- ter, and hands showed a tendency to drop. “ Keep ‘em up!” snapped the man in the door, trying to keep his sudden exultation out of his voice. ‘‘ Chuck me that tobacco, an’ damn quick. / ain’t got no time to lose!” Two sacks sailed through the air, one after another, and were quickly picked up by the mtruder. He snarled a warming against pursuit, backed slowly from the door, slipped aside and was gone, leaving roars of reverberating laughter behind him. “ An’ did you see Hub an’ Buck bust all ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. records for th’ standin’ broad jump?” shouted a liquor mellowed individual through the general noise, rising to point toward the door of the little room. “ Come on out, fellers; he’s gone!” ‘Looked like you was expectin’ com- pany, Buck!” yelled an acquaintance near the bar. ‘ Sorta looks like th’ drinks are on you fellers!”’ Buck Eades and Hub Hendricks shuffled shamefacedly back into the big room, their guns dangling at their knees. To hide their embarrassment both of them wore stern expressions. “ Buy th’ drinks for this gang of blot- ters?” asked Hub with a sneer. ‘ Who th’ hell was yore Santy Claus last time?” ‘Anybody that don’t like our jumpin’ shore can make a fight outa it,” said Buck, enraged by the show he had made of him- self and by the laughter roaring in his ears. Reassuring words from half a dozen mouths somewhat placated him, and he slowly slipped the Colt back into its holster. “Huh!” sneered Hub, still holding to his weapon. “ If we looked funny jumpin’ for cover, you shore can figger what this gang out here looked like, stickin’ up their hands like jumpin’ jacks for a single man!” He glanced around nervously, still hum- ming to the danger note. Lurching awk- wardly, he bumped against his companion. “Come on; let’s get outa this!’’ he whis- pered. “ That feller was in a big hurry, an’ a posse may be right close!” Buck nodded and waved his hand to the laughing crowd. “Tl go see if I can find that modest gent; if I do, I'll take a sack of smokin’ off him, just to show up you fellers.”’ A quick change in the expression on the faces of the crowd made him whirl about, to see Lanky Smith, minus the masking neck-kerchief, filling the front door remark- ably well for a man of his slight stature. ‘You come here, Hub an’ Buck!” he or- dered, his gun poised. He was in an agony of fear that his two friends would arrive before he had made the captures single-handed; and when he finished speaking he heard the pounding of swiftly running feet drawing close to the building, and a voice that he knew well. GOMIGDOOo C SS Co