Astounding Science Fiction, February 1952 (British Edition) — page 41: what you’re looking at

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

THE BODYGUARD Molly. She’s been beat up some. Maybe she'll get beat up some more!” There was a pause, and then the new- comer’s voice came again, hoarse and Strained. “What do you want?” “A trade!” shouted Billy gleefully. “One red-headed girl, in reasonable good shape, breathing anyhow, to trade for a _ red- beaded dog named Johnson!” I had rounded the Jast building now, scrambling in my haste, and saw the stranger at last. It was Johnson all right; there was no doubt about it. “Tet the girl go,” Johnson was saying. “Tet me see her walk away, and I'll give up.” “You don’t make no deals with me,” said Billy. “I make the deals. See?” He swung his hand heavily against the girl, knocking her down. “You got nothing to make deals about, Johnson. The Chief wants you. If you give up now, or not, we'll get you. But if you don’t show in a hurry, I start kicking your girl’s ribs into a busted basket!” “ll come,’ sobbed Johnson. I moved forward quickly. Before Johnson had a chance to step out of the shadows, I was on him. The weight of my body knocked him flat on his face, stunning him. I whipped a cord around his wrists. Then [ lifted him to his feet, and he stood groggily, facing me. He was a tall man, thin, not so young any more, and he looked as though he hadn’t eaten well for a while. “Tricked!” be said Arickiy: as soon as he could talk. “You Bodyguards—” “Keep quiet and you won’t get hurt,” I told him. I took out my knife and put it in his ribs. “Now move out into the light, and stop when [ tell you to.” He walked, or rather staggered, a few steps into the flickering light thrown by the fire. I walked close behind him, my Knife point ready. I saw Billy Garth make a gesture of surprise when he recognized me, and draw my gun out of his belt. The girl saw us too, and struggled to her knees. “Go back, Pa!” she wailed. “Run! {2 Run! I halted Johnson, and called up to where the others were. “You're through, Billy,” I said. “I’ve got Johnson. Tll kill him before Pll let you have him, and the Chief wants him alive. Throw down my gun, Billy.” I said, “It's no use, Billy. You never shot a gun in your life. You can’t possibly hit me. Throw down the gun.” “You haven’t got the nerve to kill him,” he said, 1 grabbed Johnson by the hair and pulled his head back. I put my Knife across bis throat. “Throw down my gun,” I said. Billy hesitated and then, with a curse, hurled the gun to the foot of the broken tower. He scrambled down the slope of rubble and vanished into the dark at a dead run. A moment later I heard the hoof- beats of his horse. Johnson was almost fainting. I got my gun, then climbed to the tower and cut the girl loose. She was in bad shape. I helped ber down to the ground and she stumbled fo her father, holding on to him and kiss- ins him. “You wouldn’t have killed him, would you?” she said to me. “T don’t know,” I answered. “He’s a Bodyguard,” rasped Johnson. “What are you going to do with Molly? That other one offered to trade her for me.” “He was kidding,” I said. really believe him, did you?’ “No,” he admitted reluctantly. thought... “You didn’t if there was a chance—” The girl wept. She looked homely with tears running down her face, and her eyes and cheeks puffy with bruises. have stayed away, Pa,” never should have come.” Johnson turned to me again. “What are you going to do with us?” he said. “I have orders,” I told him. “I work for the Chief, and I carry out:orders. He told me to bring you back to him alive, and that what ’'m going to do. But he didn’t she said. “You say anything about the girl. As soon as I . figure it’s safe, she can go. I don’t care where she goes, and J’ll see that she has a chance to get clear.” They stared at me. asked Johnson slowly. “Of course I mean it,’ I said irritably. They didn’t say any more, but only clung to each other. Then Johnson showed us where we could find fresh water, and we made a camp. He led us to food, too, the canned food of the Old Men, which was plentiful in the Ruins. All together, he was as little troublesome a prisoner as I ever took, “Aren’t you afraid to eat this food?” he asked me, when I had Opened several cans with my knife. “You mean that?” Eomichook S85 “But 1 (S@) “You should —