Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 32: what you’re looking at

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662 inquired menacingly. “Because if are—”’ you “You heard what I said,” Jem returned. steadily; “and you know what I mean. That gang was able to shoot this poor kid down in the middle of a crowded hall and get away from town without a shot bein’ fired at ’°em. And you was right in front of the hall at th’ time. So far’s I can see, there ain’t been no move made, neither, toward goin’ t’ get this fellow Hoskins.” ‘“* What business is it of yours, a stranger, to come in here and tell us all about what’s the matter with us and criticize us? We’ve managed to struggle along a few years without your help. I guess, maybe, we can pull along a while longer the same way.” Jem shrugged his shoulders. _ ‘Sure thing,” he acquiesced. ‘“ It’s all right with me. I ain’t hankerin’ none to reform this here camp. It ain’t nothin’ to me. If you'll remember, my remarks was brought forth by certain remarks of yourn.”’ “ Just the same,” Judge Lawton interpo- lated, ‘“‘ this man is right, Harry. What are we going to do about this? Are we going to let that gang of ruffians get away with this just like they have with everything else?” Goss turned to the judge. His manner was softer than it had been toward Jem. _ “ Now, judge,” he remonstrated, “ you know Kurtz, and you know his men. Of course, I’ll drive out to the camp to-morrow and talk to Kurtz and see what I can do. But you know as well as I do that I can’t do anything. No man can go into that camp for a prisoner and come out alive. And you know how much chance there’d be of get- ting a posse together in Sky City to go out to the Blue Buttes.” Jem could not restrain the gleeful chor- tle that shook his entire body. “Damned if this ain’t good!” he chuckled. ‘‘ The sheriff says he'll go out and ‘talk to Kurtz.’ Do you aim, maybe, to take along a little conversational assistant like a six-shooter, or are you re- lyin’ entirely and alone on your or’tory to get you by? You must be Dan’! Webster, Abe Lincoln and William Jennings Bryan all rolled into one.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Sheriff Goss took a threatening stride forward. ‘* Now, you listen, stranger,” he snapped, his eyes gleaming venomously. ‘ You’ve rattled your gab about as much as I’ve got a mind to listen to. You’re mighty long on talk-—but I ain’t seen so much action, in spite of what the boys say happened here to-night. It’s just plumb luck that you ain’t lying in Petersen’s undertaking parlors right now. By an accident you managed to get the drop on Kurtz ahead of him, and it’s gone to your head and puffed you up so you think you’re just a regular hell-raising, fighting fool. If you’re so damned cocky, what’s the matter with you going out there to-morrow and bringing Hoskins in your- self?” “Me?” returned Jem. “I’m a stranger. What call is it of mine? And anyhow— am I sheriff? What authority have I got to arrest a man?” ‘“Here’s your authority.” The sheriff snatched a badge from his pocket and thrust it into Jem’s hand. “TI hereby appoint you a deputy.” A sneer of scorn overspread his face. “ Didn’t expect that, did you? Figured you had lots of opening to crawfish, didn’t you?” Jem turned the badge thoughtfully in his fingers. “As I said,” he remarked, “ I’m a stran- ger, and this ain’t no business of mine. Jus’ the same, I knows a challenge when I sees one. And I ain’t never yet backed away when I seen a challenge hankerin’ t’? make my acquaintance.” He thrust the pin of the badge through his vest front. ‘ You’d better dust out your jail,” he went on. ‘To-morrow morning it’s goin’ to start earning some returns on the money the taxpayers of this here community has got invested in it.” He hitched up his trousers. “I s’pose this bird, Hoskins, will keep till morning. His experience with this town ain’t likely to scare him into skipping out.” ‘* He'll be there all right. You won’t have any trouble finding him around the bunk- house. He'll be waiting to receive you, any time you get there, I guess.” “Well, he won’t have long to wait.” Eomichbooks:co