Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

BING, three fer you to open up th’ door b’fore we bust it open. One—two—three! Come on, men,” he shouted; “shoulders to th’ door!” ‘And then, from within, came a voice, deep, menacing, veiled with a sneer— Paprika’s voice. ‘Th’ first one o’ you damn rubes to show hisself in that doorway is gonna get plugged full o’ lead!”’ The sheriff drew back a pace from the door. ‘“ He’s there!’ he gasped, as if the cer- tain evidence of the man’s presence filled him with surprise. “Has he got a gun?” asked one of the’ men. ‘“ Maybe he <ain’t,” said the sheriff. ‘Don’t see where he got one if he has.” He raised his voice, addressing the man within. “ You ain't got no gun! Come out!” “ Ain’t Te” replied Paprika. ‘ Watch!” On the trail of his words came a sharp report; and the frosted glass of the transom fell in splinters about the men. “ Ain’t I?” laughed Paprika. ‘“ An’ I got plenty o’bullets, too. Much obliged to who- ever left ‘em down-stairs in th’ office!” ‘““He’s got a gun, all right,” said the sheriff, pushing back his hat and scratching his head. in th’ light, an’ he’s in th’ dark; an’ b’fore we'd git a shot at ’m we’d all be dead as doornails.”’ ‘“ Say!”’ called Paprika. " was gonna come in?” The men drew to one side, perplexed with the problem before them. To break open the door was, as the sheriff had stated, foolhardy. One of them at least would be hit be- fore Paprika could be vanquished. There must be some method less hazardous than that; and a state of seige was agreed upon as being the wisest. “ Fred,” said the sheriff, “ suppose you an’ Harry ride back to town an’ git th’ _ rest o” th’ posse out here. Ezra, you an’ Boom go down-stairs an’ stand outside un- der th’ winder, case he tries to drop out thataway. Put out your torches or he’s like to see you an’ take a shot at you. Th’ BANG, BOOM! “What ‘Il we do now? We're “T thought you | 293 rest of us ‘ll jest wait around here. We'll starve ’m out!”’ When the four men had departed on their missions, Turner called the sheriff to one side. ‘‘ Joe,” he said, “I’ve got an idea. If I could get in that room and have a talk with Blake, I believe I could persuade him to give himself up. I’m going to try it.” Warren looked at him through narrowed eyes. ‘““T don’t trust you from here to th’ corner no more,’: he replied suspiciously. Turner shrugged. ‘‘ Don’t be ridiculous, Joe. There’s no trusting to it. You know well that sometimes persuasion is worth more than force. I think it can do it.” Warren shook his head slowly. “T reckon no harm can come of it ex- ceptin’ to you,” he said. ‘How do you know he’ll let you in? He ain’t crazy.” “ It doesn’t do any harm to try,” Turner replied. the hall a ways, to assure him that you can’t fire into the room when I open the door, and I?ll see what I can do.” Warren told the others of Turner’s plan, and he seemed sorry when they accorded with it. ‘Don’t do no harm to try,” they all agreed. ‘‘ But why should he let Turner in?” Reluctantly the sheriff led his men sev- eral yards down the hall, and Turner stepped up to the forbidden door and ‘knocked. \ ‘ Blake,” he called, ‘ this is Turner.” “Well!” Paprika returned. “I didn’t know my old sidekick was among them present. What d’ you want?” “Listen, Blake: if I come in there un- armed, with my hands above my head, and giving you an absolute promise, backed by the sheriff’s, that there’s no trickery in- tended—will you let me in?” ‘“ Let you in? What in hell do you want to come in here fer, if it ain’t to collar me?” ‘“T want to talk to you. Don’t you get me?”’ There was a moment of silence. “You got somethin’ up your sleeve, Tur- “ Now you and the rest go down. ) ar ; ¢&ieOw woe a, ner. What’s your little game?” “It’s no game,” replied Turner. ‘“ Can’t COMICOOOKS. COM