Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

IN Cosgrove’s coming on the chosen instru- ments of justice. ‘‘ The fools!” he bel- lowed. ‘‘ The —— fools!” He denounced them in a convulsion of profanity. “In a trial by jury,” said Farley. “ We’d have to do a hell of a lot of proving him guilty to get a conviction.” Silently Lederer scowled at his boots which were stretched out on the table be- fore him. ‘Well, what ’re you goin’ to do?” he growled. Farley glowered at him somberly. ‘““That’s speakin’ sense,” he said without geniality. ‘‘ Likewise, I’ve been chewin’ on that idea longer ’n I like to think of.” He arose suddenly to his feet. ‘“‘ What you got to do!” he cried with abrupt fire in his voice; “‘is to get him out of this town!” Lederer stared up at him with brows ludicrously uplifted. “ How’s that?” he said. “Get him out of town!” answered the other excitedly. ‘ He’s out on bail, an’ in three days he’s bound to report at the court house for his trial! Well, what if he don’t turn up? What if this lily white hero that’s too good to hang, and too brave to shoot men that’s unarmed, should turn yellow when it came to a show down an’ run away? Where ’d public opinion be then?” ‘All against him!” cried Lederer, who began to see. ‘Shore. All against him! An’ that’s what you got to do. Get some of our boys together an’ kidnap this vellow livered skunk. Take him out in the mountains in a car an’ leave him to walk home. When he don’t turn up for his trial, theyll take it as a confession of guilt. They’ll decide he ran away. Then he'll) be lucky if he ain’t brought in at the end of a rope!” Lederer grinned appreciatively ‘“That’s a high up idea, Wert.” he said. ‘But how about you takin’ the post of honor this time. Seems to me I get all the dirty work, and it’s damn’ little thanks I vet if anything goes wrong. Now I’m think- in’ this is a job for you, Wert.” Farley swore heavily. “You seven different kinds of assorted fool!” he barked. ‘‘ Where the hell ’d we be if the case comes up an’ I’m orf in the THE EVENT OF DEATH. 871 Mountains. It’s just aS important for me -o be on hand as it is for him! You do the job because vo re the only one that can. Me, I've got to stick around and steer things straight in the court room.” “Now don’t that sound nice!” sneered Lederer warmly. ‘‘ You stand ’round pass- in’ out the cigars while I ride out into the brush on a job that will fix me for tar an’ feathers if the fools that fell for Cosgrove last night find it out!” ‘Well, tell me, who else is there to do it!” ‘Who else is there to hand out the ci- gars at the court house?” ‘““T suppose you think you could! A fine sharp to talk with the lawyers after the mess you made of things last night!” ‘ All right, you pull this game yoreself, an’ see how easy it is. You think he can’t play rough when he wants to! Well, I’m tellin’ you, you’d know better if you wasn’t too damn’ careful to mix it up with bim yoreself!” “You mean yo're scared to work this game?” ‘““T mean if Brad Cosgrove’s goin’ to be kidnaped, you can do the dirty work yore- self!” ‘Don’t be an utter fool, Cliff!” “That’s just how I stand. Not fool enough to pack a runnin’ iron to smooth off yore brands for you!” ‘You mean you won’t see this through!” ‘“T mean I won’t!” Farley stood in magnificent indecision. Lederer brought his feet to the floor with a crash and sneered up at him with narrowed eyes. It appeared as if the wolf and the bear were at last at each other’s throats. “By God, Cliff—” Farley’s voice rose ominously, as a siren whistle rises. ‘‘ Vow who in hell is that?” The sound of hoof beats ascending the slope from the road in an even gallop took both men abruptly to the door. Splendid- ly and with high spirited gait there came from around the house a red mare with a girl in the saddle whose face was flushed and whose hair was riotous in the wind. “Good God!” breathed Lederer. ‘It’s Hazey—she’s riding Thunderbolt!” Comicloool<