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.

LORETTA “ Holy smoke! Your sister! Right in the path of that hellbender!” the wily Thorpe exclaimed. ‘ That’s sure different! A young lady—ay? -Well, gents, I’m ad- visin’ you confidential: You git that man afore anything happens or you'll be sorry for!” Skeeter gave the final command. “ We'll ‘ ride to the ranch first, boys, tell maw, git fresh mounts, and trail it.” “All right, gents, I’m with you,” Buck announced. He turned to Thorpe: ‘“ We'll have your man for you by sunrise.” “Unless he’s found a horse,” Skeeter objected. “Then it’s three to one,” Jack said scornfully. ‘“‘ Damn’ if I’d go on any fool ride like this—if it waren’t for maw.” He followed his eldest brother to the door. The slowest one of the three, Buck, or- dered a last drink. ‘“ What’ll you have?” he asked of Thorpe. . “ Anything but a prairie cocktail,” the latter replied definitely. Buck swigged down his drink and rolled his bull neck comfortably. ‘“ I’ll have your man by midnight,” he said. “Them two fool brothers of mine—they won’t be any use to me. If it waren’t for our little sister they’d be two tramps—both of ’em. Skeeter—he’d be a good-for-nothin’ gam- bler. Jack—he’d be ruined by women-folk. They’re only keepin’ theirselves and the country lawful because of her.” He accepted another drink and found himself surrounded by an admiring gang. ‘According to his custom when in liquor and on the start of a man-hunt, he held up his huge, thick hand to see if it were Steady. The cow-punchers, muckers—and every one in the room, exclaimed in admiration. Buck grinned and nodded in satisfaction. “Tl have him for you by nightfall,” he said, bringing the promised time down to an irreducible minimum. Shortly before the Brodell brothers ‘started for the Box-B ranch on their man- hunt, the outlaw Pasqual had succeeded in gathering together the three henchmen who had deserted him. For some time they combed the thick mesquite in search of their BRODELL. fugitive. tracks in the fine alkaline silt. the tracks of a man on foot, and they led down into the Goldpan Cafion, ‘* He’s got a good head start on us,” Pas- qual said, “ but it looks easy now. The Later in the day they found <2 They were canon will lead him down south to the Box-B outfit. He’ll be out’n his head with sunstroke and thirst and hunger by the time he gits thar, and most like he'll stop at the ranch to refresh hisself, not knowin’ that it’s where the Brodell brothers live at.” ‘What if them Brodells make a mistake and catch you instead of this murderer we're trailin’?” one of the cautious hench- men asked. eee It was a point very well taken. The other two henchmen likewise wanted to know the answer. ‘ We ain’t lookin’ for no set-to with them Brodells, chief, you re- member that.” ‘Of all the yellow-livered skunks I’ve ever rode with!” Pasqual cried. ‘“ Got scairt at a headlight shinin’ on you up thar | on the spur, and now you’re lookin’ for trouble with the Brodells. Why, the Bro- dells don’t know us. I'll go up and shake hands with ’em any day. They'll thank us for chasin’ the prisoner down into their hands. That’s what. And they’re sports enough to whack up on the reward—any one will tell you that.” The three henchmen, furtive-eyed, un- healthy wisps of men, appeared to be re- assured. One of them followed Pasqual down into the cafion. The other two, in accordance with the chief’s command, rode one on each rim of the canon. It was thus that late that afternoon James Chilton found this posse of four riders clos- ing down upon him. CHAPTER VII. SANCTUARY, S Pasqual had prophesied, James Chil< ton found himself facing an unbeat- able adversary—the desert sun. Dropping down into the maze of gulches and arroyos which cross-hatched Goldpan Cation, he found himself in a withering furnace of heat. He was shut in by sheer com Comicbooks.