Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

286 “You'll tell me,” cried Bert, grasping David’s wrist; “ you'll tell me, or TP1M—”’ “You'll what?” David asked quietly. . He released David’s wrist and flung him- self back in his seat, beating his fist into his palm. “ Nothing,” he said, helplessly; ‘ noth- Ing! But it’s a damn lucky thing for you, David Hodge, that you’re not twenty years younger!”’ David grunted. ‘Twenty years ago, young feller, I weighed two hundred pounds, an’ there wasn’t none of it fat. I had arms that was used to guidin’ a plow through the fields, an’ shoulders that was used to histin’ bales. Twenty year ago, son, I could ’a’ broke you in two with my left hand.” “Well, I—”’ “ The ‘trouble with you, son,” went on David, “is that you got a severe case 0’ swellin’ in the head. You got more faults than a porcupine has quills, an’ yet, if somebuddy was to ask you to name one, you’d have to set down an’ think about it afore you cu’d answer. Confidence an’ Self-assurance is a great thing, but, like anythin’ else, too much is wuss than none at al].’’ Bert sniffed. “ Is that what you brought me out here for—to spring some of your fool philosophy on me? I’m not asking you for your opinion of me.” “Course you ain't,” said David. ‘There ain’t much chance o’ you askin’ nobuddy for his opinion o’-you. You got your own opinion 0’ yourself, an’ chances are nobuddy else’s opinion is goin’ to be jest like it.” ‘Well, I don’t want yours,” cried Bert. ‘What I want to know is this: why do you want. to make me miss that dance to- night?” David raised his head again to look at the stars. - “Nice night to-night,” he observed. “You won't tell me? Well, I'll get there before it’s over, anyway. I'll do the driv- ing this time!’”’ He reached over to snatch the reins from David’s hands. “ Your horse ’l] make the fastest ten miles it ever made.” “You can’t drive that there hoss,”’ said 9) ARGOSY- ALLSTORY WEEKLY. David quietly, relinquishing the lines to Bert. ‘““Can’t I?” sneered Bert. ‘ Watch!” He flicked the horse with the reins, ‘‘ Gid- dap!” “Whoa, Nancy!” David called softly. Bert clucked loudly. ‘“Giddap, there!” “Whoa, Nancy!” David _ repeated. “ We ain’t a goin’ jest yet, old girl. You jest wait till 7 tell you.” He turned to Bert. move that there hoss now.” Somehow, Bert realized that David spoke the truth. He flung down the reins, and David casually picked thém up and tied them about the whip-stock. ‘““T’ve had that there mare ever since she was a skinny, long-legged colt, son. She was born on my farm, an’ she seemed to. take to me, right off. When my farm was took from me, an’ Emma—that was my datter—and me had to find other lodgin’s, why, this here hoss, who was only a young ’un then, jest nachurly follered us. Ellis Turner was out there, seein’ that he got ever’thin’ there was to git; an’ when he seen this colt trottin’ along behind me, he says: ‘““ Say! Where ’r goin’ with that hoss?’ ““T ain't goin’ nowheres with that hoss,’ I says; ‘that hoss seems to be goin’ with me.’ “That hoss is mine,’ he says. can’t take it.’ ‘Turner,’ I says, ‘I ain’t aimin’ to take this hoss. But this here hoss,” I says, ‘has got definite idears who it wants to be- long to. Now here’s a propcsition for you: this colt is standin’ here in the road mid- way b’tween me an’ you. If you give me two words, you kin use all the persuasion you know how: an’ we'll let th’ hoss do her own choosin’.’ “<Two words!’ he Says with a laugh. ‘You can’t do much persuadin’ in two words. Go ahead.’ “Here, Nancy,’ I says to the colt; an’ then I started off down the road. An’ that there hoss ain’t never obeyed another voice b’sides mine since that day.”’ He paused. “ You might try the whip, son.” “On you, maybe; not on that horse,” cried Bert. ‘‘ You’ve got me this time, ‘You “ There ain’t heav’n nor hell kin ECOMmicloooks.ce@ wo - - or