Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

ee _ BUCCANEER BLOOD. relaxed perceptibly. Parson and the chief shrugged their shoulders, muttered oaths, looked at each other as if waiting to see who would put away his gun first. But there was one other person in the room who refused to accept Wing’s speech as a solution. Jacqueline was turning over a phrase or two of that cracked old voice: “ She’s hisn—That’s settled—The chief al- ways gets the first choice—” She spoke up calmly. Her voice seemed to come in what had been a momentary lull in a storm. “TI am not his,” she said. McCorkle’s hand fell, so that the gun thwacked loudly on the table. ‘ What’s this?” he cried. ‘“ You say you ain’t mine? Well, damn me, if that ain’ta hot one! I'll show you if you’re mine or not!” _ “By what right, monsieur, do I belong to any one else—but to them?” She pointed ‘to the Raiglon portraits. “Say, look here, lady,” McCorkle said as if speaking to a stupid little child, “ you don’t seem to get the idea of this party. We ain’t guests—like you seem to be pre- tendin’. We're outlaws. We didn’t come here to no pink-tea party. We came for to strip this house of anything that’s worth a Mexican peso. And there ain’t goin’ to be anythin’ left of the house—no, nor any humans neither—when we’re through! Oh, yes, you'll be left. You don’t have to worry about bein’ shoved off into them lilies—not you!” Jacqueline. did not seem to be worried about her fate. Nor for that matter did the murderous threats of the chief seem to horrify her. The rifling of the house and the massacre of its occupants seemed to be a more or less plausible course of events to this Raiglon daughter. Of course she did not condone it. But back there in her subconscious mind, it seemed a very natural procedure. “Tn that case,” she said sweetly, ‘‘ I be- long to the most courageous man.” “‘ Now you're talkin’!”’ McCorkle roared, ‘banging the tablecloth with his fists. “That’s more like it! To the most courageous, wow! ‘Them’s your words, is it? ‘Most courageous ’—which is me!” “Tt is possible, monsteur,”’ Jacqueline re- SA 1 plied. “ But what glorious deeds have you committed to prove that?” McCorkle chuckled. ‘‘ I don’t like to cast any bouquets at myself, lady. You ax Captain McCorkle what he’s committed, do you? Well, that’s hard to answer. To tell just what crimes I ain’t committed would be a easier way of answerin’ that there question.” “ Monsieur will permit me to suggest that crimes may be either courageous or cow- ardly. So I have been taught by my grand- mere.” ‘“‘ B’God there ain’t two ways about the crimes McCorkle commits!” the chief shouted drunkenly. “Tf you stood up and fired upon a man who is himself armed—’” the girl suggested craftily— “Ay, what!” the other muttered in sur- prise. “ Damn me if I ain’t stood up against a dozen men who was armed—” “Yes, because many men are slow and imperfect in their aim,” the girl admitted. “ Monsieur was not afraid when that petit whom you have imprisoned in the closet-— shot at you and your men. But there are men who are quick and dangerous—” she added deftly—‘ such as that one!” She looked again at the hateful and arrogant octoroon. : McCorkle swallowed this. He had no de- sire to resume that humiliating duel of eye and word, with the half-breed. The half- breed was ‘‘ dangerous and quick ” as the girl had said. Parson and McCorkle had a desperate respect for each other’s speed and accuracy. ‘That little score would be set- tled later. Meanwhile each man could bide his time. “Why should I fire on a pal of mine?” McCorkle asked, smiling through trembling lips. ‘“‘ Ah, yes, you are the gentil chief!” the girl said. “‘ And yet I have a grave ques- tion in my mind as to which of you two gentilhommes is the braver!” ‘Well damn you for the sassy little bat that you are, I'll show you how brave old McCorkle is! Tl shoot down everyone in this house—here and now. I’ll shoot down . the devil himself, if he came down and sat at this here table!” Comicdooksicom