Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

' S ROPE NECKTIES. row night, same as yourself. I’m sure everything will go through like clock- work.” He shakes me by the hand and bows me out, a brave man if they ever was one. But, of course, you can do any- thing with a reformer if you lets him think you’re going to get successful results. At about four o’clock, when Deve- ture shows up, 1 am waiting for him. _ “Ts there somewhere we can talk quiet?” I whispers, mysterious. “I have something very important to tell you.” Without a word he led me into that little card room used by Renwood when I first met him. | ‘“ Now shoot,” he says. “ What’s on your mind? ‘The trouble is that people that work for me are afraid to tell me things.” I leaned over ontil I was talking di- rectly into his ear. — “Fact is, I heard—don’t ask me when or where—that there is to be some fireworks provided by the newly formed Vig’lance Committee, and they are to be set off this coming week. | have an ideer. I’ve been something of a strangling expert myself, boss, in the past, and I think up one good scheme to stop all this outburst of the law-and- order crowd.” “Go ahead; I’m listening,” he re- plies, eyes all intent on me. ‘Put me in charge, place Renwood and a few men under me, and I'll guar- antee to lynch that newspaper feller Tucker and Hanly Brown higher than kites, with no trouble or fuss, and take the name and the blame. ‘That’s the only way to nip this law-and-order nonsense in the bud. Of course,’ J added, “I will need some money, but—” He waves that aside and sets for a full minute gazing into space. “You're right, Flint,” he says at last, banging the table with his fist. “One must fight fire with fire.” “There’s only one thing I de- 695 mands,” I insists. “If I’m to be the head of this lynching bee, I must be obeyed. No shooting, yelling, or noise of any kind that might arouse the gen’- ral populace. The trick is to be done in secrecy and in my Own way.” He smiled. “ Flint, you’re an artist after my own heart. I only wish you had breezed into Gorge City long ago. Lay your plans and I’ll give out tron orders that you be obeyed, on penalty ofemy lasting displeasure.” “To-morrow night, late,’ I ex- plains, “‘have Renwood here with three men, and let them be placed un- der my command. I'll run this little collar party. We kidnap Tucker and Brown, and if you want to traipse along you'll see one of the smoothest jobs ever pulled off. “Tm proud of my work, and you'll be, too, when you see how it will be executed.” ‘“T’ll be one of the spectators,” mur- mured Deveture evilly. “ Flint, you’ll never regret this.” I hoped not. Very late the following night Mark Tucker, owner of the Gorge City Weekly, and Hanly Brown, proprietor of the General Store, were rudely sur- prised in their homes by a gang head- ed by me. Neither man was yet in bed, but they might have retired within a short time. While pointed six-guns counseled silence the two men were gagged and their arms tied to their sides. Then they were quickly led to the street and placed on horseback. The little cavalcade galloped out of town, attracting no attention from the few folks abroad; we look like a flock of cowboys leaving town for some home ranch. It was not original with me, per- haps, having been figured as a grim jest somewhere in the Southwest, but the type of lynching I intended was GEomichbooks (©)