Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 13, 1920 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

320 “They better start in killin’, then.’ Throwing back his shoulders, he struck the bar with his fist. ‘“‘ Dll tell you what I’ll do —an’ that’s all I’ll do. You go back an’ tell ’em I'll pay my fine, an’ a reasonable amount of damages, if they’ll leave my horse outside and let me go away \from here. It ain’t because I’m afraid of ’em,” he hastened to add. ‘“‘ Not aman of ’em— nor all of ’em. But if you want it that way, I'll do it!” . “ But we don’t want you to go away!” cried the girl. ‘‘ Win wants to see you.” The cowboy shook his head. ‘I’m goin’ away—an’ far away,” he answered. “I don’t know what his scheme is, an’ I don’t want to know. We'd all be fools to tackle it. If that plan suits you, go ahead—no ar- rest—I’ll just pay my fine an’ go. An’ if it don’t suit you, you better go back to Win. ‘This is no place for you, anyhow. Let ’em go ahead with their killin’, if they think they can get away with it.” For a moment the girl hesitated, then, picking up her candle from the bar, she started slowly toward the door. “If I can only get word to Win and Mr. Colston,” she thought, ‘‘ I can delay things until they get here.” — “Well, what ’d he say?” growled Hod Blake, stepping from among his retainers. "The tone angered the girl, and she glanced contemptuously into the eyes that stared boldly at her from beneath the wide hat-brim. “ He said that. you can’t arrest him,” she answered defiantly. “ And if you knew him as well as I do, you’d know he told the truth.” ‘“‘ Oh-ho—so. he’s got a record, has he?” leered the marshal. ‘‘ Mebbe they’ll be more to this here business than just pickin’ up a plain drunk—little reward money, mebbe—eh?”’ “No, no!” cried the girl. It’s just his—his pride. mit to arrest.” ‘“ He won’t, eh? up the posies!”’ “He'll go away peaceably if you give him the chance. He offered to pay his fine and the damages to the saloon, if you'll al- low him to ride away ynmolested.”’ “Not that! He will never sub- Well, then, he’ll shove c’n take it or leave it. ARGOSY-ALLSTORYW WEEKLY. ‘Oh, he will, will he?”’ sneered the mar- shal. ‘It wouldn’t take no mind-reader to tell that he’s goin’ to pay them fine an’ damages—peaceable or onpeaceable, it don’t make no difference to me. But, about lettin’ him ride off without arrestin’ him— they ain’t nothin’ doin’. I said I’d arrest him, an’ I will—an’ besides, I aim to hold him over a spell till I can find out if they ain’t a reward out fer him. If they ain’t nothin’ on him, what’s he so anxious to pay up an’ git out fer?” “Qh, can’t you listen to reason?” “Sure, Hod,” urged Barras, jumping at the Texan’s offer. ‘‘ Listen to reason. He ain’t done nothin’ to speak of. Let him pay up an’ git.” “Ye shet yer mouth!” snapped the mar- shal. “ They’s reason enough in what I said. If they ain’t nothin’ on him, it ain’t goin’ to hurt him none to hold him over a few days. It'll do him good. Give him a chanst to sober up.” ‘“ He’s as sober as you are now,” flashed the girl angrily. ‘An’ if he was as drunk as he could get, he’d have more sense than you'll ever have.” “Kind of peppery, ain’t you? Well, you c’n go back an’ tell him what I said. He An’ while ye’re gone, I’ll jest slip around an’ put a couple of more boys guardin’ the back door.” The man turned on his heel and disap- peared into the darkness. Glancing about in desperation, Alice saw the tall man who had first spoken to her, still seated upon a corner of the horse trough, a little apart from the crowd. She hastened to his side. ‘‘ Will you do something for me?” she asked breathlessly. With a dexterous contortion of his nether lip, the man gathered an end of his huge mustache into the corner of his mouth: - ‘What would it be?” he asked non-com- mittally. ‘Hurry to Mr. Cameron’s and tell my husband and Mr. Colston to come down here quick!” ‘““Y Bar Colston?” he asked with exas- perating deliberation. “Ves. Oh, hurry, please!” His left eyelid drooped meaningly, as he audibly expelled the mustache from be- 2A GEomichoo (E@)