Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

WHISPERING SAGE. over in the Tuscarora Range. His expe- riences there were only a small part of his education. For forty years he had roamed the desert. It had been his boast that he had missed only one gold rush in twenty years. He knew the old camps like Vir- ginia City and Austin, as well as the more recent ones at Rawhide and Bullfrog. In his time he had worked at all the odd jobs the desert knows; freighting, running a stage line, being a government trapper— all these had occupied different periods in his life. He had put in one winter as a station agent down in Esmeralda County. Although he lived in town he owned a small ranch on the Little Washoe. But for him the hotel would have closed, Joe being its only regular guest. Old man Pasquale, the proprietor, refused to dispossess him. ‘““What’s on, son?” he asked, when they had crossed the little bridge north of town. “You acted back there as if I had handed you a jolt.” “You sure gave me a surprise,” Blaze admitted. ‘“ You heard about the kid, I suppose ?”’ “Veh! Too bad! That ain’t bringin’ you over here, is it?” “It’s taken me a lot of places. I hired out to the Double A yesterday.” “Veh?” There was frank disbelief in Kent’s eyes. ‘‘ What else?”’ “ Nothing much. Just that and the kid. I haven’t forgotten him.” ““ Now looke here, Blaze!” Joe exclaimed as he pulled up his horse. “ You don’t be- long in this fuss. And it’s gonna be a fuss. There'll be killin’ before it’s through. Ack- lin’s over his head. As long as it don’t mean anythin’ to you, why not get out of it?” “Tm playing a hunch, that’s all! I’ve got to see it through. Anyway, Joe, I never was much of a hand at running away.” “Course not. You'll get killed yet. Why don’t you marry and settle down?” The telltale twinkle came into Blaze’s eyes. “Ts that what you’ve done?” “There you are,” Tuscarora scolded. “You never answered a straight question in all your life.” “ Thev take the loss of the water pretty the rest of it, Tuscarora. 821 bad back there, don’t they?’’ Blaze coun- tered, jabbing in the direction of Paradise. ‘“¢ How’d you take the loss of your bank- roli and three Squares a day? I’m no out- sider in this. I’ve got a little place on the river. I know what it’s going to do to me.” Blaze shook his head thoughtfully. “TY didn’t think these Basques had a chance. Of course if you’re going to string along with them, you old weasel, they may get somewhere. But remember, I’m no man’s man but my own when it gets down to scratch. I’m not going to back out. You’re the only man in this country ‘that knows me. You forget Timberline and all I’m just Blaze Kildare now.” ‘You never give up, do yuh?” Kent ex- claimed. ‘I know how you feel, Blaze;: but two years is a long time to stick to one idea. It’s goin’ to be tough to see us lined up against each other; and that’s what it’s goin’ to mean. This won’t be any children’s party. Acklin can’t rob us that-a-ways.” They rode on for a mile or more before Blaze spoke. ‘‘ Why don’t you take the thing to court? This is still the United States, isn’t it? You’ve got the law.” “Law?” Joe mocked. ‘“ The country is smeared with it; but it’s all made for the other fellow. But don’t you fret. We'll get started. I’ll have every man-jack in the valley down to the Rancho Buena Vista to-morrow night. I'll see to it, too, that we don’t make any small-town affair of this row. I been county commissioner twice. I know how Acklin’s got things tied up around here. He’s strong enough down in Carson, too. But I’ll take a lot of beating before I’m dead. Election’s coming on soon. Tom Brand is out for district attorney down in Winnemucca. Acklin and the Anaconda Cattle Company may beat him. Still, he’s got a following. Folks have had about enough of your San Francisco millionaires. These big ranches will be broken up some day. Then this State will amount to some- thing. I know this country better than most. You wait! We'll bring water here all the way from the south fork of the Owy- hee when these big holdings have been cut up. If you was a decent law-abiding citi- DOOK C©