Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

Sees as though memories were a a “*Smoke’ Cameron was my grand- father.” Ballantine did not move, although the light in his eyes grew so intense that it made him seem to lean forward as if the better to search the face of the young man who curiously and steadily looked back at him. “Ts your father ‘ Biull ’ Cameron?’ asked Ballantine. ét Yes. 33 = Ballantine’s face was now betraying some signs of emotion. It had reddened slight- ly; he was. a gaze so uriously foreshortened that— ing straight at Cameron with JARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, Strong’s legs went to a sprawl; his right : hand moved rapidly toward a hip pocket. He threw up his left hand with an instinc- tively defensive movement as Cameron stepped in. But there was a lightning motion, as if of terrific force suddenly unleashed and flashing out of nowhere, a smashing, split- ting crash as Cameron’ S right fist struck _ Strong’s jaw; and Strong went down as though he had been struck on the head with a hammer, _ He fell upon his right side, rolled over , from the force of the blow and lay limp Cameron it seemed the eyes were not see-¥ and motionless, face down. Cameron ing him at all, but were visualizing some- walked to him, stooped, drew an ugly saw- Ballantine’s gaze grow = crowding out all realization of the present. - ee “ther came incomprehension, per- a ca bought the land next tom he asked, seemingly to esnaraaeeest this mind had not yet fully gr ity. Ballantine’s lashes flickered sev- al times as if to dispel a persistent vision. ine?” ““You’ve bought that land, 4 Smoke Cameron’s grandson?” “‘ Yes,” answered. Cameron. Fhe color left Ballantine’s face. He stoed rigid, silent. He voiced no greeting to the grandson of a man he evidently had known, but the shadow of an ironic smile twitched at his lips. he stood, staring into Cameron’s eyes. Then he wheeled and faced Strong, his veice cold with passion. “Strong!” he called. “‘ Step out there! You’ve heen tryin’ to make a fool of me!” “TI beg your pardon, Ballantine,” said - Cameron gently as he stepped between the two. “TI have first claim. Mr. Streng has made the same mistake twice. His ideas of humor are too vague to be appreciated.” Camern smiled at Ballantine and walked toward Strong. The latter, his face sud- denly gone gray, essayed a defiant sneer. He held his ground as Cameron approached. _ Cameron’s smile had vanished. The eyes that met Strong’s were the cold, alert, pas- sionless eyes of “the man who fights becatise he likes to fight. “Right now, Strong!” he said. For an instant longer: = Z hing beyond him. And as Cameron ~ Aooking automatic pistol from the man’s right hip pocket, and threw it into the street. Then he stood erect and looked at Ballantine. Several other men were watching Cam-. eron, and there were pale smiles of ap- proval upon some of the faces that were turned toward him. But still other men were watching Ballantine. Ballantine “had turned; he was tang the sidewalk that led down the street to- - ward the courthouse. Coming toward the veranda, and not more than fifty or sixty feet distant, was Bill Nelson, the man who had perjured himself when testifying against Baxter< = Nelson had been drinking. At a little distance down the street, in front of one of the saloons, was a crowd of men, watching his progress toward the hotel. — Instantly, Cameron knew ony Nelson was coming. The man had gained false courage through his potations and was recklessly and tardily seeking revenge for his humiliation in public. That he had told the crowd of his intention was plainly evi- dent by the fact that the men. were watch- ing him. Cameron agam looked 5 Ballantine. The old fellow was erect, motionless. His big felt hat was pulled well down over his forehead billowing the white hair above his ears and at the back of his head. Cameron understood that he, also, knew the mean- ing of Nelson’s approach, for his eyes were @light with a celd contempt, eS watchful and alert. - : S \ (©) (CO mikelexexe)