Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

GP COLD “How would he know anything? Joe Weir didn’t know, so how can this fellow know? Don’t get scared at a shadow.” It was the bearded, rough-tongued Burkhardt who spoke, concluding his words with an oath. “There’s the Mexican who saw—and that boy who looked in at the back door,” Gordon asserted. “We just caught sight of him, and couldn’t make out his face against the light. Then he had skipped when we ran there. We never did learn who he. was.” “Do you think he remembers?” Soren- son said scornfully. “He may be dead. He may be on the other side of the world. Just some kid who happened to drift by at the minute and look in; and there’s ot one chance in a million he’s anywhere around these parts yet. He would have blabbed long ago to some one if he had been. Don’t figure him in, he’s lost.” “Suarez isn’t, though.” At this Vorse put in a word: “He saw more than one killing in those days when he was roustabout for me. It was only one more to him. Probably has forgotten it. Anyway,” Vorse ended with deadly emphasis, “he knows what would happen to him yet if he remembered it and talked. Leave him out of' the calculation, too.” “Then that just makes the four of us,” said Burkhardt. ‘ Nobody else. So this fellow Weir doesn’t know a thing.” “Butt we can’t be absolutely sure,” Gor- don replied. “Well, he’d need proof, wouldn’t he?” “ Certainly, to bring an action. But how do we know he hasn’t even that? Look all around the question as a lawyer does; let us assume the millionth_chance, for instance. Suppose that he somewhere met and _ be- came acquainted with that boy. Suppose that he learned the latter had been here at the time and seen the shooting, and heard his story, Suppose that Weir knows this - instant where he is, and can produce him as a witness in court.” “T reckon in this county his testimony wouldn’t count for much,” the ex-sheriff stated with a harsh laugh. Sorenson, however, was impressed by STEEL. 371 Gordon’s reasoning, for he drummed with his fingers on the desk .and sat in brooding silence. So likewise sat Vorse, who had heard. Weir’s utterance and beheld his face. “He knows something,” he repeated in a convinced tone. “Or he’s a damned good bluffer.” : ‘I passed him here at the door this.after- noon,” the banker remarked. “I turned to look at him, guessing who he was; and he had stopped and was looking at me. Cool about it, too. Well have to watch him.” ““ Perhaps if we just tip him off to keep his mouth shut tight that will be enough,” Burkhardt suggested. “If he knows the four of us are ready—” / Vorse sniffed. “You think he can be bluffed?” he said. “You haven’t seen him yet; go take a look. We'll not throw any scare into him. If he was that kind, he wouldn’t have told us who he is. He wanted us to know he’s after us, that’s my opinion. He wants to shake our nerve—and he* shook fhe Sen- ator’s all right that day at the bar.” “He did,” Gordon admitted. ‘“ The thing was so infernally unexpected. Almost like Joe Weir himself appearing. I didn’t sleep a wink that night, what with my heart being bad and what with seeing him.” _“ Suppose he has proofs?” Vorse asked after a pause, while his narrowed eyes moved from one to another of his com- panions. — A considerable silence followed. The question jerked into full light the issue that had all the while been lurking in the re- cesses of their minds—an issue full~ of ghastly _ possibilities. | Gordon’s fingers trembled as he wiped with his handkerchief the cold sweat on his brow. “We're all in it,’ Vorse added. Burkhardt brought his fist down on the desk with a sudden crash. ; ‘Tf he has proofs, then it’s him or us!” he exclaimed, while the bleod suffused his face. ‘‘ Him or us—and that means him! Tl never go behind bars!” ‘““Sure not. None of us,” Vorse said. “Tt, will mean—” Gordon began in an agitated voice, but did not finish. Sorenson gave a nod of his head. His mouth was compressed determinedly. Cconmiclooolks.conn