Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

ON THE TRAIL whipped out my revolver and bounded toward the gleaming eye as if bent on puncturing it with a bullet. As I ex- pected, it instantly vanished. “ You oughter plugged him first and made your jump afterwards.” Jake Auckland, fully dressed, was standing behind me, his speckled face expanded into a broad’ grin. He had descended the ladder so softly that I was unaware of his presence until he spoke. “I guess we'd better.” With which remark he seized a chair and moved it to a position where it was out of range from either window. “A good idea,” I assented, imitat- ing him with an alacrity that brought the grin back to his countenance. “ Did you see it?” I asked with an involuntary shiver. “What? Zach Peters’ eye? course I did.” “ How do you know it was he? ”’ “ By the color of his eye; they area sort of greenish gray, which you must have observed yourself.”’ | “Come now, Jake, that won’t do; you're only guessing.” “I guess I am guessing,” he chuck- led, “ but it was Zach all the same.” “What could he want?” “To see how the land lays.” “Do you think he intended to shoot?” ““ No; for if he had he’d’ve shot be- fore you got a chance to see him. Then why should he shoot you?” asked the young man, looking wonderingly at me. . “ I’m sure I don’t know—but, Jake, _why are you notasleep?” “’Cause I’m awake, I ’spose,’’ he grinned, “ but say, I couldn’t sleep; I knowed I wouldn’t -be able to, so I didn’t take off my clothes; I kicked around till I couldn’t stand it no longer and come down the ladder.” “ What’s the trouble? ” “ Hanged if I know! It must be what you said; I was hopping mad at first and glad the old woman put her Of OF A MYSTERY. 25 oar in and wouldn't let me shake hands with Zach Peters. Gee whiz! but wher she gits riled haint she got a whole team?” “It looks that way,” I assented. “ I should smile; it takes a good deal to scare the old man, but she done it tonight.” “Tt certainly had that look; she seems to be very bitter against the Howard clan.” ‘Yes; she can’t get over the loss of che roan, which either Zach Peters or Dick Warman shot.” ‘“ Jake, how much wages do you and your father get for this business?” I asked abruptly. “A dollar a day apiece and found,” was his prompt reply; “ besides I had my rifle give to me and you can see she’s a beauty,” he added, with an ad- miring glance at the weapon leaning against the logs in the corner. “ You mean by being ‘found’ that your ammunition 1s furnished free to your” He nodded his head and I did not deem it best to question more closely in that direction. “What I said this evening appears to have disturbed you.” “Yes; you observed that we was all a lot of damned fools. Them words didn’t set very well at first, but the more I thought of ’em the more truer they seemed, till I made up my mind to come down stairs and tell you I agreed with em. Weare the damndest fools in the whole State of Kentucky.” “ There is no doubt of that ; this feud has got to end sooner or later in some way, or it will be mighty poor satisfac- tion to your mother to be left a widow without any son to take care of her in her old age, to say nothing of the other families that must sup sorrow.” “The trouble with me,” said Jake, tipping his chair back and crossing his legs, “is that I don’t see how me and dad can do anything to stop it.” “You and Zach Peters and _ his friends can come to ar tonderstarelorges eco