Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

170 What did it matter, at a time like this, if Jake had called the judge a crazy old fool one day last week while he was in the midst of his .cups? With three of their fellow citizens ly- ing dead, this was no time for personal affairs. “You kin have jist as many men as you want, Jake,” the judge wheezed. “ But remember, you're goin’ tuh take th’ lead—no hangin’ back! And don’t forget th’ more men you take, the more is goin’ to share the reward.” “The reward?” Old Jake’s eyes lighted up. - “T plumb forgot tuh mention that before,” the judge growled. “ Yes, sir, Dick Tatnall, part owner of the Loder, has offered one thousand dollars re- ward fur th’ killer, dead or alive, And of course, if yuh get yore man, ihe money’s bound tuh be divided among th’ whole posse equal.” Old Jake seemed suddenly to come to life. Reaching to his belt, he yanked out his pair of big Colts, examining each carefully in turn, Then, with two long strides, he stood facing the judge. “Tf it’s jist the same tuh yuh, judge, I don’t want no posse at all,” he de- clared loudly. “I reckon such an old-timer as me won’t have no trouble landin’ any newfangled killer alone and keepin’ th’ thousand fur himself. Jist how far up the pass was th’ hold- up? I’ve got tuh-have some place tuh start pickin’ up his trail.” | Neither the judge nor the crowd could conceal their surprise at Jake’s sudden change of front. For a time they were all completely mystified, ‘And then they remembered about the generous reward. After all, a thousand dollars must be a tempting sum in Jake’s eyes—it was to every one in the crowd, includ- ing the judge. And for money many a man had turned a deaf ear to his fears. : But unless Jake’s boastings had some grain of truth, what chance did ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. he have of getting the better of such a desperate and deadly bandit alone? And on one thing everybody in Copper Gulch agreed. And that was, whatever his degree of courage and gun-fighting ability might be, old Jake was no fool. And that only added to the wonder of the crowd, “ But—but you'd better take a couple of th’ boys along with you,” the judge stammered, taken aback at Jake’s sudden display of nerve. “ Tf you should be th’ old blowhouse some of ’em around here think, it ‘ll be noth- in’ short of murder tuh let yuh tackle that devil alone.” Jake brushed past the judge to the door and paused on the threshold. “Some of them tinhorns around here’s been doubtin’ my words long enough!” he declared -gruffly. “ And I’m goin’ tuh give ’em an eyeful ’fore I gets through, I’m goin’ tuh find that killer and put him clean out of busi- ness, jist by myself. Again I asks yuh, where was th’ place?” “ Right opposite Split Rocks, *bout halfway up th’ pass,” the judge replied. “ But yuh better let me send along a couple of th’ boys—it’s no job fur a loner.” But old Jake was gone. Tf, For the next few minutes argu- ments waxed loud and strong in the Lucky Strike Saloon. While old Jake’s friends were jubilant over the courage he had finally displayed,. they were by no means confident of the outcome of the affair if their hero should run into his man. Any gunman who could down Cherokee Joe and Sam Saxe single- handed was certainly a party to be reckoned with, notwithstanding all of Jake’s exploits along the Rio Grande. As for Jake’s enemies, they were very positive in their assertions that old Jake would take good care to keep out (e(6) DOOKS AMG - (E@)