Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

370 dance hall music, which still sounded. Mendez went down at the first shot, a crumpled heap. Again and again the deadly gun spat fire, taking toll of the attacking force. Perenzo’s men promptly broke, retreating in terrified disorder.. Rosita, half fainting, clung des- perately to her protector. “Oh!” she gasped, and reverted to the quaint English that Rusty so much loved to hear. ‘‘ Now of a sureness weel they keel you, Rus-tee.” “That’s a poor guess, Rosita!” he cried. To him this period of intense activity had come as a welcome relief from the end- less and fruitless discussion which had pre- ceded it. ‘‘ Come!” he added, grasping her by the wrist. “All we got to do is reach my cayuse. Once on his back, all Mex- ico can’t stop us!” On all sides of them was confusion, startled cries from the guests, questions as to what had happened—what it was all about. Don Eugenio was raving like a madman, apparently commanding his serv- ants to pursue and capture this gringo who had stolen his daughter, a task which car- ried no huge appeal. The gringo had proved far too adept and quick in the use of his pistol to encourage rash pursuit. “Shoot him!’’ Perenzo screamed, from a safe distance. ‘ Kill the dog of an Amer- icano!”’ But no shots were fired, through fear of hitting Rosita. Paper lanterns, hanging at intervals, threw sufficient light to show her close to this intrepid marauder who had carried off the girl under the very nose of Don Perenzo. Thus the two found no concerted effort made to stop their progress, as they darted toward the point where Rusty had tied his horse. There, however, a devastating discovery awaited them. The animal was gone! Nor were any of the other mounts, left by their owners prior to Rusty’s arrival at the baile, now hitched in this particular spot. All had been removed! “Not so good!” Rusty grunted. “Id sure call that fast work for somebody. Things ‘Il break wrong a heap if [I don’t get a cayuse right soon.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. He spoke to the frightened girl, clinging to his arm. ‘“‘ Where can we get a horse, Rosita mia?’ Her answer was a sudden, terrifying shriek, but it came too late to warn Rusty. Close by the hitching rail grew a clump of bushes. From this the shadowy figure of a man had stealthily arisen, ‘directly behind Rus- ty, a pistol held club fashion, by the muz- zle, in his hand. Rosita had cried out as she saw this man aiming a — blow at her lover’s head. Rusty heard the scream, sd then it seemed that the entire earth must have fall- en on top of his skull. Stars and planets flashed like exploding rockets before his eyes; then everything went blank. CHAPTER VI. CAPTURED. HEN consciousness at length re- W turned to young Mr. Rusty Tow- ers, his mind remained, for a few moments, more or less at a loss. Happen- ings of the preceding night were mingled hazily in a vague confusion, his faculties dulled to all sensation save a splitting head- ache. Slowly a portion of the mists cleared away. “Hum!” Rusty mused thoughtfully, feeling with due tenderness of an egg- shaped lump that marked his point of con- tact with the pistol butt. ‘‘ That was sure some wallop. Lucky I’m a thick-headed cuss, or it’d just about ruined me.” He was lying on a cot, unbound, which fact both surprised and gratified him. “Guess they figured I’d never wake up,” he reasoned, “ or else if I did I’d be about as husky as a new born baby. Mebbe that last notion ain’t so far wrong, either. Can’t say as I feel like cleaning up a nest of wild cats right now. This head I’m wear- ing is a lulu. Wow!” With some effort Rusty rolled over on one side, in order to widen his range of vision. He was incarcerated in some sort of an outbuilding, strongly constructed of logs. On a chair near the door sat a guard, rifle across his knees, dressed in the typi- COMIC OOO KS (E@)