Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

IO the arm freely from the shoulder, he had no control below the elbow. “ T reckon, pard, you know how to handle a Winchester?” he said inquir- ingly, and, without aiming to boast, but rather to quiet his misgivings, I said: “When your arm gets well I should like to challenge you to a shooting match. I know you're a good shot, for you proved it, but I believe I can beat you.” 8 ‘““ Mebbe you can, but I won’t believe it till it’s done. now, pard, and J’ll turn my gun over ~ to you.” ‘ Have you a pistol? ” “Yes, but it’s at the house.” ‘Keep your rifle, even if you can’t shoot it; I prefer my revolver for close quarters, and it’s getting so late in the day that there won’t be anything else done. Hadn't I better bandage your wound? ” “No,” he replied impatiently; “ I'll wait till [ get home, and let the old woman fix it up for me.” “T think you winged one of those fellows.” “ I reckon I did; all the men belong- ing to the Howard gang are the mean- est on earth, but Dick Warman was the meanest of ’em all. He shot twice at my old woman, and had a hand in the killing of young Nancy Carter last sum- mer over in Rattlesnake Ridge. I’m so glad when I think it was my luck to wind up his clock that I don’t mind the little scratch he give me.” ‘They must have ridden directly by your home?” “ Of course, and if it wasn't that I didn’t hear any shooting I’d be sure my old woman and my boy Jake had had a row with them, but they didn't.” I was uneasy over Zach Peters, who had not been harmed in the encounter of a few minutes before. ‘“'What’s become of him?” “ He’s nosing around somewhere not far off; you see he doesn’t know how bad I catched it; if he had knowed he would have been down here and fin- But you can beat me ° THE ARGOSY. ished me before you could have got back.” “ Well, the job won’t be quite so easy now,” glancing furtively to the right and left and behind me, for the situation was a most disquieting one, since, as will be perceived, the advantage was wholly with Zach Peters, who had every chance of stealing into a position from which he could pick off his old enemy without betraying himself or running the risk of a return shot. ‘Tom, this won’t do,” I said the next minute; “we are simply inviting that fellow to shoot us both at his leisure.” “ What else can we do, pard? ” “ Pll make a change of position ; stay where you are, and we'll see what we'll see.” “ All right,” was the philosophical remark, ‘as, assuming a crouching pos- ture, I noiselessly stole away from the spot. The situation was peculiarly delicate. Tom Auckland was helpless, and if dis- covered by Zach Peters would be at his mercy. My comrade was too proud to ask for quarter, and it would not be granted 1f asked. Men who shoot down an unarmed prisoner, when guarded by militia, are not the ones to pay any regard to the usages of civilized war- fare. The perplexing question with me was as to the right direction to take after leaving my wounded comrade. Zach Peters had every point of the compass from which to choose in making his ap- proach, and by parting company with Tom, I was likely to leave the way open for his enemy to reach him. Obviously the only course for me to follow was to go but a short distance, and then depend mainly upon my sense of hearing to detect the stealthy coming of the foe. By this time it was beginning to grow dark. Although rain still threat- ened, it did not fall, but it was chillier than ever. Without any convincing reason for the conclusion, I believeg Paises woaela— eco