Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

FIRED AND HIRED. “| guess mebbe you'd better do as she says,” | advised Sadie, who was again looking pretty white and desper- ate. “I guess it ‘ll be all right. Ma’s promised me that she would look after you.” “You're damn right I will,’ inter- jected Ma grimly. “‘ Now, young lady, you git down in that cellar before that posse comes! J’nr through argying! I won't tell you again.”’ And very much agammst her will Sadie went. She didn’t have any choice in the matter, and it was just as plain to her as it was to me that Ma wouldn’t stand for any monkey work. The old lady slanmmed down the trap and turned to me. ‘““Now you git going for Mexico, Rawhide,” she ordered. ‘‘ Lafe EI- wood must be pretty wild over the way you've handled him, and he’s going to trail you here just sure as hell. You stick around down there for a spell and lit do what | can to square things with the sheriff for you—if such a thing’s possible. When you come back, come here and see me first. Ill have something to say to you that may m- terest you right smart. Now beat rt! Vamose!” Ma’s conduct was mighty queer and mystifying. I couldn’t get the hang of it, nohow. Still, Lk had a lot of faith in Ma. She gets rough once in awhile, but she’s sensible. 1 didn’t understand her any more than | do any other wom- an—which is, not at all. I knew there wasn’t any use trying to make her ex- plain herself. It would all come straight im the end, I told myself, and beat it for Mexico. VIE. I ap a nice little vacation down m the land of the cacti. When I thumbed over the bills I had took off that tin- horn Ll found I hadn’t done so bad after all im that stud game. Matter of fact, | had made good money, and I doubled the pile when I crossed the border and 469 changed my roll mto Mexican cur- rency. Jessie hawse and I had a swell time bumming around from one town to the other and hobnobing with the greasers. They ain’t such bad folks when yow get acquamted with them. We drifted back to the old Bent Arrow ranch two months later with money stil m my pocket. 1 got a jolt the minute I sighted the ranch house. It was all dolled up and fresh painted, white with green trim- mings. There was a big front porch on the front end of it, and a new picket fence around the front yard. The bunk house and barns were all fresh painted, too, and everything around the place picked up and spick and span. ‘ Shucks!” thinks 1 when I see all this. ‘* Ma’s beem foreclosed on, and the new owners have cleaned up the old dump!’ I started to ride right by, thinking there was mo use stopping there. Hi, there, Rawhide, where’re you going?” yells a familiar voice, and I - looked back to see Ma Beam waving at me from the front porch and all dolled up in new clothes. ‘‘ Come back here,” she yelled, and right off I made an- other guess on the how-come of all the improvements. “| was begining to think that you never was coming back,” she scolded as | came onto the porch and shook hands with her. “‘ Been looking for you for weeks!” “Why, Ma, it looks like you was starting life all over again!’ J ex- claimed. “T sure am,” she averred. “ Mortgage lifted?” I asked, feeling more convinced than ever that I had guessed rrght that last time. “ Yep, and everything all set to go. ] was just waiting for you.” ‘ Did Sadie do this?” I queried, sat- ished now that I was right. “Youre damn right she did!’ grinned Ma, giving me a queer look. “Now ain't that nice,” says I, real EOMMICLOOOKS Oli