Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

DAMMING HAIRPIN CANON. “ Get in.” He jerked his head to- ward the sorry vehicle. ‘“T won't!” said Norman desper- ately. For answer, the big man simply picked him up and deposited him on the seat. “Sorry, young feller,” he observed amiably. ‘“‘ But I was told to fetch you along with me, and [ gotta do it. Orders is orders.” * Orders?” demanded Norman, un- able to control a slight quaver in his voice. ‘‘ Whose orders?” ‘Why, Miss Molly’s. to see you.” “Oh?” In his relief, Norman brought the word out in a sort of spas- modic gulp. He recognized the man now, too, as one of those gathered on the court- house steps when he and Molly had driven up there at noon. “ Oh?” he repeated with more assur- ance. “ Then you must be—er—Cap- tain Davis.” “‘That’s me,” the grizzled giant nod- ded; “ but folks arouind here generally call me just Big Bill. And now, in- troductions bein’ over, let’s get started. “Hi, Manuel!” He poked the driver into wakefulness. “Get a move on you.” But Crawford, who had been dodg- ing from side to side of Big Bill in the effort to get in a word, here managed to make himself heard. “Seems to me yout’re taking this high-handed performance pretty tame- ly, Rich.” He bobbed up at the side of the car. ‘‘ Miss Molly Todd must think she’s royalty or something, hav- ing people dragged off willy-nilly this way when she wants to see them.” Big Bill brushed him aside as he might an annoying fly. “Say?” he growled. “ How do you break in on this, anyway?” “T’m a friend of Rich’s, and I don’t propose to see him put upon. I—’ “A friend? Don’t make me laugh. "Twas you, along with them mangy She wants 187 coyotes at the courthouse, what eu- chred him out of that contract to-day.” But Crawford sheered quickly away from that point. “Norman,” he appealed sharply, “are you going to let this big bully make you lose out on that Philadelphia chance? What’s Los Chicos County to you any more, or anything in it? But if you don’t catch the midnight east, you’ ll—” Norman gave a start at the remind- er. Of course, it was his future he had to consider now. Nothing gained, as Crawford had said, by rattling dry bones. He lifted a foot out over the side of the hack, and turned to Big Bill. “Listen,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s quite out of the question for me to go with you. I am leaving for the East to-night. In fact, I ought to be on my way to the junction now.” “ But Miss Molly wants to see you,” returned Big Bill, as if that settled it. The reflection came to Norman that she had not been so eager to see him when he had gone to her castle an hour or two before. Probably, she thought it to her advantage now to secure fuller details regarding those changes in the dam. But why should she consider him at her beck and call? His resentment stirred at the memory of his ignomini- ous dismissal by her English butler. “ Sorry,” he repeated stiffly. “ Please express my regrets to Miss Todd; but—” He was interrupted, as he started a dignified descent from the hack, by a huge paw which thrust him uncere- moniously back, and held him helpless on the seat. At the same time, Big Bill gave a low whistle which called his horse up to him. “Go on home, Jasper,” he directed it. “I gotta ride in this gol-dinged old hearse, count of this here unruly maverick.” Then, as the horse galloped obedi- COPMNICLOOOKS (E@)