Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

ALKALL 123 “T’ll never fergit thuh day I picked yuh up from under that steer, Jimmie,” he said suddenly. “I thought shore yuh was dead. Yore father had run off an’ was poundin’ the steer with his bare fists! It was hell! I never dreamed then that yore broken arm would make yuh the gun-fighter yuh are to-day!” Jimmie laughed a little but made no other reply. He was finding it hard to talk. He saw that these men used different words than he and that they put them into dif- ferent methods of expression. When he talked it seemed to him to advertise his inexperience in worldly matters. “ This is a country where things happen fast as hell,” Miles said after a time. “There ain’t room fer them that can’t keep up a gallopin’ pace! Yore father, Jimmie, can’t gallop!” ““He’s got the idee o’ farmin’,’”’ Jimmie returned slowly. ‘“‘ He won’t quit. Alkali ruined him!” “Ruined ’im? There ain’t no ruin in this country fer a gent that ’ll git out an’ fight, Jimmie!” Miles cried vehemently. “Tf success ain’t one place, why in hell don’t he move tuh another? There ain’t nothin’ in this whole country but success! If he’d move over them damned moun- tains a hun’nerd miles, his cattle would grow fat!” _“ He can’t see it,” Jimmie muttered lu- gubriously. “We had a fight after you left. I quit him. -I’ve come in here fer some o’ the success you’re talkin’ about. When I git it, I'll go back fer the women.” ‘“ Women?” Miles asked—* Betty, too?” ce Ves.”’ “T oughta do somethin’ fer Betty,” Miles said. “ O’ course, a place like this ain’t no place fer her!” “You leave her alone,” Jimmie said earnestly. ‘I'll look after Betty!” “What d’yuh mean—you will?” “T will! We got it fixed—she won’t go away with you!” Once again, as he had back in the valley on his last trip there, Miles recognized the value of silence and the futility of words. He quickly changed the subject though the line which had appeared on his forehead betes oe “ How close are yuh with this Brant, Jim- mie?” he asked. ‘““T met him here. He stuck by me when Gambel tried to cheat me an’ when I fought Jones, too!” “ {s that all? Yuh ain’t had no business with him?” ‘“‘ Business? Nope. I ain’t had business with anybody. That’s what I’m lookin’ fer —I want to make money.” “T see.” There was a note of relief in Miles’s tone as he went on: “I asked yuh about it because I heard what he said ’bout you an’ him bein’ pards.” ‘“‘ He said it—I didn’t!” “That’s right! I said a few minutes ago that this here was a place where things happen fast! A ready gun is the best damn law this country knows! Yuh got a big name, Jimmie—an’ that’s worth money tuh me!” “Money? What do you mean?” “ Well; folks is apt tuh come in here an’ git messy, Jimmie. Every place like this has tuh have a well knowed gunfanner tuh hang around an’ kinda keep folks from shootin’, We gotta have women fer thuh men tuh dance with, but thuh women git em riled up easy an’ then the gunfanner keeps ’em quiet, see? “TY heard what yuh done tuh that miner what was singin’ about settin’ this place halfway tuh Laramie! He went an’ ain’t come back since! That’s what we need. Just knowin’ how yuh kin shoot keeps folks from shootin’, see?” Jimmie did not quite understand where Miles was making for. He raised an inquir- ing glance and the man hastened along: “ There ain’t no room fer Brant, though! The truth is, I don’t like thuh way he said that about new deals in this town! I just about made this town! I’m gettin’ rich damned fast here. When Brant gits hisself hitched up with a great gun-fighter an’ starts throwin’ hints about runnin’ the town—it’s time tuh git busy!” “You mean he wants me to—” ““T guess he wants yuh tuh start a place with him, Jimmie!’’ Miles lunged on, now warmed to that which caused him worry. “ He didn’t dare do it until you come along | oe te! seen. yuh Srey. a ee 2 at that moment —— igs BONE: time; == > a4 = en ae va ~ ts f "noes — comieboole com