Fifteen Western Tales, March 1954 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

DEATH IS MY BROTHER : Thacher climbed to his feet and stag- “T’ll be back,”” Ram muttered hatefully. gered to his brother. | - Thacher watched his brother ride off and “Ram,” he said ery: “The horse is in that moment he grew up. Why, he ydead.” thought with amazement, Kam 1s scared Ramsey turned on him. “You damned crazy. He's been barkin’ and bitin’ at me jinx—you drove*him too hard—can’t even’ all day because he’s scared. Scared more ~ tend-a horse...” He began to babble and than J am. Thacher realized he was out of his head. The knowledge made him see Ram as It frightened him. Ram was raving like others saw him, for the first time in his a maniac, kicking again at the dead horse. life. Watching his brother’s figure reced- _ “Ram,”’ he yelled desperately, “cut it out. ing in the distance, he thought about him What are we goin’ to do?” coldly and realistically. | Ram had been in plenty of trouble. Jail E HEARD his own voice crying the once, for stealing a horse, and he bragged . question and for some reason it sick- of plenty he’d gotten away with: He’d rode ened him. Always depending on Ram—if_ off to war and done fine but Ram was al- Ram can't give the orders, you give him ways braggin’. Had he done so well in the the orders. army? Or was the stories Of big battles “Ram,” he soothed, “get on your horse. and skirmishes out of his head. Sure, he Pll walk.” had a fistful of fancy ribbons and medals — His brother paused, blinked and began to but that didn’t prove anything. laugh. “You ll walk? That’s real great, that And there was something else. is—you'll walk! It’s ten miles to those hills. © Everytime Ram had gotten in trouble—.. How are you going to walk ten miles? You the time he got sick on bad whiskey and can hardly stand up.”’ __ almost died—all those times, he’d come back “Get on your horse,’’ Ramsey repeated to Thacher and the farm. Like a conquer- quietly. “He can’t carry two, or I’d get on ing hero, with stories of his deeds and how with you. Ride ahead and when you reach — he’d made the world toe his mark. water, wet yourself and the horse down Thacher started to walk unconsciously. — good and come back for me. I'll be walk- He lied, he realized sickly. Ram led, He- ee came back because I was the only person He knew it was the only possible solu- in the world who'd admire him and listen tion but he found himself hoping Ram to him. Sure—sure, it was true. Even Mary would tell him to go to hell and stick with had tried to tell him and he’d gotten mad. ” him. Nobody could say anything about Ram. “You're crazy,” Ram muttered, but he He didn’t realize he spoke aloud. “Why, didn't look at Thacher and there was al- he’s the weak one, and all the while I most slyness in the set of his jaw. thought I needed him, he needed me.” “Do as I say,’ Thacher said shortly. The knowledge amazed and frightened “Don’t stand around arguing in this heat.” him. He knew it was true. It had all been “I guess you're right, at that.” He in Ram’s face as he climbed on the horse climbed on his. horse stiffly and igohed and left him. straight ahead. Would he come back? Thacher guessed his thoughts. “You Thacher’s heart pounded and. his legs don’t have to come back at all if you don’t -carried him erratically. Heat from the want. I know that posse is behind us and ground was already starting to swell his this may give them. the chance to catch up ankles, and the hills—they were ‘$0 far with us.” ee ahead. Ram was already out of sight. 3 oS comicbooks; com)