Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

ty -THE AVENGING SHEPHERD. ““ Maybe, that is best, eh senor?” Angel - argued. - This was unexpected. Thad whitled on him in fine dudgeon. “You a-goin’ to take sides agin me, too?” he gasped. ‘‘ Necia don’t need no help. She bosses me to’ death now. TI tell you, young folks has got too much imag- ination. They’ve got things all figured ‘out in advance. Makes me feel obsolete.” “Qh, poor grandfather,” Necia said mockingly as she perched herself upon the arm of his chair. “See?” Thad protested. “ The tyran- ny of the female—it’s awful! make them take you seriously. If you don’t agree with them, they laugh at you. Why, for three weeks she’s been tryin’ to make believe there’s a ragged, half starved, no ~good—”’ “T did not Sige was a ‘no-good,’” Necia: objected. “No, you didn’t. But if there was such a person, what else could he be—hidin’ out on a mountain goin’ around without “shoes; hair down his back—playin’ around “with a handful of crippled sheep that he’s picked up, God knows where! Baht Do you think I’m mad?” **Oh, so you’ve heard those tales, too, senor?” Angel inquired. ‘““Hain’t heard nothin’ else!’’ Thad ex- claimed. ‘‘ My boys don’t talk about any- ‘thin’ else. They say he’s got a coyote herdin” his flock! D’you ever hear of any- thin’ so downright foolish? Grown up men ought to know better. If they’re out at night and a coyote shuts up all of a sud- den or a bob-cat quits his squawlin’, they “nudge each other and mutter, ‘ Joseph!’ Tt makes me sick.” “And the crow, grandfather,” -Necia said tauntingly; “don’t forget it.” — - “That’s beyond me, that crow stuff,” Thad declared helplessly. “I ain’t even goin’ to repeat that.” Necia smiled, but Angel’s eyes were mirthless. “ My friend,” he said after a moment’s hesitation, = the ie. you scoff at are true —even the crow.’ _ “What?” Thad brought his chair down with a thud. Angel nodded. -old- Basque’s voice. heard the truth, and his mouth sagged as” You can’t - “sarcastically. ~““ Humph! Angel was standing at the window, star- — “ They are true,” he repeated. -- ~ There was a convincing quality in the Thad knew he had he stared speechlessly at the old Basque. Necia was less surprised, but her face grew sober as she and her grandfather waited for Angel to speak. ‘“* He has been living on the mountain for months,” their visitor went on after some deliberation. ““Have you seen him?” Thad demniied-< “I have seen his fires at night. One -of my young men has seen him.” Thad whistled softly. “So that is why your boys went around by. way of the spring, eh?” “That is why, senor,” “Angel samara: somewhat disconcerted. Organ—he has talked with this man.” “What did she have to say?” Angel scowled and got up and reached Suddenly turning and con-~ for his hat. fronting Necia and her grandfather, he ex- claimed excitedly: “He threatens us with famine! of water! Mal rayo la parta! (May an evil stroke of lightning smother him.) He — says that the seven lean years are upon — = this valley as they were upon Egypt!” Thad laughed loudly at this. “The seven lean years, eh?” he queried : “T guess you and me know that there’s been lean years right along for those who look for them. Year in and year out we been-here.. bad. I reckon we'll git by. for lean heads! Quotin’ the Bible to Peter, eh? I might a-known he was a ge : = struck fool.” ““Well—do you condemn him for warn- ing you?” Necia asked. “Condemn him?” Thad questioned. What; a fool?” ing out into the soft night. “But, senor,” has not rained this month.” “Just -a dry spring,’ Thad retorted. — “You don’t mean to tell me you take any — stock in ‘this wild talk? ae Oo 893 “ You know Peter = He says - our crops will fail, our herds die for want — We ain’t done so Lean years. he murmuréd without — turning, “‘ this is the last day of May. It — com epee KS..€O! A * Pi ‘a ij Ny a We SAA Y Uy eee 7) ' TY, : . ) n svt : : ‘ mar hi ° \ s “ . vt Jant - ‘ : | ( j “eA : nv BY - (a Oy ’ ys! ; th 5 ae ve ys ; atm yee! xe! May ’ ‘ SA) Pe Las @5x) hea Wi ‘ Gale pets ‘ es ALS ¥) ge rt ‘3 i Ab WW eS 4 Br 0 oh : We PANY Ae Me ACR AD, ee Gr a ead BE ey ; LP AL err an A eT