Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 18, 1928 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

828 telegram for a man named Blue Steel, be- lieved to be around that part of the coun- try. It was a message from Poco, Wyom- ing. “The sheriff was trying to locate you. He said that something very important had happened at your home back near Poco, and that your presence was desired there at once. He thought that by chance you might be in the house, or that some one there might know of your whereabouts.” * Tt’s shore news to me,” said Blue Steel, whose mind wandered back to the Wagon Wheel and the neighboring ranch, the Lazy-S. ‘“ Golly! I wonder what’s hap- pened back there? “Thanks a heap, stranger, for the news, aithough it ain’t likely to be any good news a callin’ me back to Poco. That makes things different! I reckon thar’s enough cow-pokes here to git after this Jone bandit without me, under the circum- stances. Reckon I’d better start trailin’ back to Poco. Hey, thar, Bowie Bell!” Bowie Bell was the deputy who had just ridden up and was about to lead the sec- ond posse away. Blue Steel briefly ex- plained the news he had received from Burke. “Then you don’t want to be forkin’ no cayuse up north,” was Bell’s advice. ‘“ We got plenty o’ men without yo’, anyhow, Blue.” “Ts that Powder River local on the same schedule?” asked Blue Steel. ‘Golly! I hate to wait till mornin’ to start, an’ I hate to kill this hoss 0’ mine on a fast ride 0’ that distance.” “Ves, it. don’t leave here till close to noon to-morrer, Blue. But say! Thar’s the Big Horn express goes through at ten forty-two.” “Don’t stop, though, does it, Bowie?” “Tt don’t, ordinary,” replied Bowie Bell. “But Lor’ sakes! I reckon thet train-crew 0’ the Big Horn express ain’t forgettin’ Blue Steel. They’d like to been skeletons by this time, ’count 0’ that hold- up, only for you. I reckon Sims Halliday, the station master, might flag it for ou. ; “Tt ‘Il take yo’ as far as Powder River, an’ then it heads up toward the Big Horn ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. country. But the rest o’ the trip wouldn’t be much for a hombre with a hoss like your’n. See Sims Halliday, Blue. We gotta be lopin’ on.” Rather regretfully, Blue Steel saw the second posse get away without him, and then rode down to the little station to see Sims Halliday, station master and general storekeeper. “They may be plumb soreheads—but I'll do it!” promised Halliday. “TE shore will, Blue, if I lose my danged ol’ job for it. Thet train won’t git by here without stoppin’ ef I have to wreck it.” ‘An’ I jest gotta take my hoss,” Blue Steel told him. “TI gotta mighty smart ride ahead o’ me down along the Powder River after I git off the train, an’ the hoss for that ride is Pancho. You do what you can to help me, Sims. Il pay any damages.” “You don’t worry "bout no damages, Blue. Jest be here with your hoss aroun’ ten thirty.” . With a wait of nearly an hour before him, Blue Steel wandered back to the Elite Theater to talk further with Terence Burke. But the soft-hearted old thespian pretended ignorance of the specific news in the telegram, although he knew it. “I’m glad you’re getting a chance to get out to- night,” he said. “I imagine that telegra- phic message might have been very im- portant.” “Tm right glad Sims is flaggin’ that train,” said Blue. “I could make it in a night an’ a day o’ hard ridin’ with that hoss 0’ mine, but I ain’t no hoss-killer. Y’see that thar hoss o’ mine, stranger? That’s the best hoss in Wyoming an’ points West. Nothin’ ’ud stop that thar quadru- ped, nothin’ less’n breakin’ a laig.” Burke was about to make a response when the surly-faced Lily came up behind him. “Yeh, you’re standing here doing nothing, as usual!” she told her henpecked spouse. ‘‘ A fine manager you are! <A fine match I made when I married you!” Burke colored up at this disclosure of his secret, remembering the young punch- er’s words of a few moments before. ‘“ This is Mr. Steel, Lily,” he said. “ My wife, Mrs. Burke, Mr. Steel.” Gomichooks Gon