Fifteen Western Tales, March 1954 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

-“Step off on the ground,” Dan told him. “Lay your gun down. Beaver Smith and your friends ain’t around to help you. I’m goin’ to give you a little taste of medicine that'll be good for your white-livered sys- tem. And if you tell where you got it, I'll repeat the dose. Step off your horse.” ‘The cowboy was older than Dan, big and well muscled. But he was no match for Dan, who had been well taught by his two-older brothers. Dan punished him 38 he begged for mercy. “Tf Beaver Smith or any of your wallet- stealin’ coyote amigos ask you how you got skinned up, you tell ’em your horse throwed you. Savvy?” and he slapped the cowboy’s bleeding face with his open hand. “T won’t téll anybody, Wyeth. I got my medicine.” « “And if you squeal, this ain’t nothin’ but soothin’ ByeNP to what I’ll hand you the next time.” . Dan picked up his gun from the ground aad dusted himself off with his hat. He rode back to camp =e much Meries of heart. T CAMP he found some men and a group of women‘ gathered around his mother at their wagon. A cold fear clutched Dan’s heart, a fear that was swiftly banished as he saw his mother, a happy smile on her face, holding a small, golden-haired girl about three years old in her arms. The child’s face was tear-stained and one of her chubby legs was bandaged above the ankle. But she was laughing shakily and clinging to Dan’s mother, who was crooning to the youngster. Some of the women looked as if they had been crying. So did the weath- -er-beaten, delicate-looking bearded man who pushed his way through the crowd toward Dan. “Your mother has done a brave “thing, Wyeth,” he said huskily. “A rattlesnake struck my little girl in the leg. Your mother was the only one who did not lose her head. She cut ‘the place open with a knife and j aunt nenael Sabre Tate ine aren ot aera = St} sucked the poison out. Killed the rattler, too, with a stick. She had the presence él - mind ‘and the courage that the others lacked. I tried to thank her but she did not seem to understand what I.was saying... . My name is Conway. I’m a school teachet” “My mother is—sick, sir. She’s had a heap of trouble that has sort of numbed her mind. I remember hearin’ ’em tell how she’d saved my sister Natalie’s life once the same way when a sidewinder bit her. A long time AeGe Mic = pe “She calls my little girl Natalie,” said Professor Conway. “My wife died a few months ago. My little one seems to have taken a remarkable fancy to your mother. There is just myself and two little girls. I have some money. I’d be glad to pay your mother a bit for looking after the children.” “We couldn’t take money for that. And my mother might be a heap happier if she had the little girls to care for.” The man pumped Dan’s hand vigorously, too overcome to speak. And that night, for the first time since Dan could remember, he saw his mother happy. He heard her laugh aloud, heard her sing softly to the sleepy child as she put the youngster to sleep. A hard lump came in Dan’s throat. — Dan Wyeth, a few days later, rode over to the Bar R trail herd that was several miles behind the wagon train. He found Red Riley riding up on the point of the long- horns that were strung out for miles, hidden’ in the dust. | “Howdy, young feller,” grinned the red- haired trail boss, his puckered blue eyes looking from under the slanted brim of his dust-powdered hat. “Don’t tell me you’re fetchin’ me Beaver Smith’s scalp. Because > I don’t want anything that lousy around me. > “T came to tackle you about that job,” said Dan. “My mother: is travelin’ with friends—a man and two little girls. She’s plumb happy and don’t need me now all the time, like she did. I’d be proud to work for you.” 4 EGOMIEDOO <S:COr =