Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

JEREMIAH PARSONS—HE-MAN., The man looked back over his shoulder and jerked his head for Jem to follow. The latter’s taut nerves did not relax; nor did his fingers leave their position of poised proximity to his gun butt. He stepped for- ward, though, and strode by the other man’s side. At the corner the man turned and beyond the edge of the building stopped. He faced Jem. ‘““My name is Lawton,” he introduced himself. ‘‘ I’m county judge.” He paused a moment. ‘“Here’s what I called you out for,” he resumed. ‘‘ I want to give you a bit of advice. You had better get your horse and slip out of-town as quietly and quickly as possible. Jem’s eyes opened inquiringly. “And for why?” he queried. says I got to get out of town?” The other man shook his head. “You haven’t got me right, he answered. ‘““ Nobody says you’ve got to. It’s a friend- ly tip I’m giving you. You've licked and shamed Bill Kurtz—licked him and shamed him publicly, before his own gang and us folks of the town.” He leaned forward earnestly and laid a hand on Jem’s Shoul- der. ‘‘ Stranger,” he continued, ‘“‘no man has ever done that. And no man that does do it can hope to get out of this camp alive. Listen to me—you’ve still got a chance; take it.” 3 “ You a-tellin’ me to skin out of this here camp and run from this flat nosed son of a horse thief?” Jem’s voice was injured and full of reproof. ‘‘ Why, thanks, judge,” he drawled on, “‘ I appreciates your kindness of intention in warnin’ me—but Jem Par- sons ain’t never run from no man yet— and I guess maybe he won’t yet fer a while. Anyhow, not so long as he’s got a gun on his hip and an arm in good mechanical condition to operate it with.”’ Judge Lawton still held Jem’s shoulder. “Stranger,” he said, “I’d give my right eye to have you stay in this camp. It just warmed me clean down to the soles of my feet to see you back in that hall. It made me feel good all over to see a real he-man stand up on his two hind legs and talk up to that ugly bully, We need a few men “ Who 659 like you in this town. But, just the same, I know this camp and I know Kurtz and his gang. I admire courage, but I can’t stand by and let you just be butchered by that crowd.” “Who is this hombre that youw’re so worried about him?” Jem inquired curious- ly. ‘He must be some fancy little hell- raiser.”’ ‘“He’s dredge master of the Blue Buttes Dredging Company. Their camp is about twelve miles south-east of town. They operate two dredges there—one up Coyote Creek and the other on the Rapid River. He’s got about thirty-five men at the camp and, believe me, they’re the toughest lot of pirates that ever was collected in one bunch, When Kurtz hires a man for the dredges he don’t care whether he knows the digging ladder from a screen grizzly. All he wants to know is how quick he is with a gun and whether his soul is black enough to fall in with Kurtz’s rascality.” “Why don’t you wipe him up? Why don’t Sky City take him to a cleaning and either make ’em behave theirselves or wipe their camp off the map?” The judge gave a bitter, mocking laugh. _ “Sky City?” he demanded sarcastically. ‘Say, there isn’t a man in town that’s got guts enough to even think of anything like that. They’ve degenerated into a bunch of old women. A man used to be able to say he came from Sky City and hold up his head. But a few years of Kurtz’s bullying and any old ladies’ home out on its annual picnic could come in here now and spank all our leading citizens. You couldn’t col- lect enough spirit from all our men to equip a starving alley cat with spunk enough to steal a hunk of liver from a meat market.” ‘Well, what’s the idea? that get this fellow Kurtz?” ‘‘ Just natural orneriness, I guess. Likes to lord it ever the town. He’s carried on a regular, systematic campaign of intimida- tion until he now has this community com- pletely overawed and cowed. Take to- night—I was standing near you and saw the whole afiair. You weren’t any more at fault than 1 was. And even if you had been, it was accidental and just an ‘ excuse Where does oO CORMICLOOKS.CO) 5