Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 147: what you’re looking at

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

THE FOXY GUY. grinned. Then they started down to- ward the camp. “ Say, I sure worried some about one of them mules while I was down that hole,” Jack said suddenly. “ He’s a ornery cuss, ol’ Sullivan is, and I had to tie him up. The other one I hobbled. Pore ol’ Sullivan kept try- in’ to cut back to Purdy all the time and so I tied him yesterday evenin’ and he ain’t been able to go get him a drink ever since. The other ’n’ could water down in the gulch. But I forgot. You been there; you must have watered him.” “Why do yeh call him Sullivan?” The Fox evaded the direct implication. “ He’s a fightin’ fool and he packs a wallop in his hind laigs like ol’ John L. Sullivan carried in his gloves. Boy, he can kick! If you ever treat him mean, he’ll never forget 1t. And that means he’ll get yuh and get yuh good, first chance. Mules is smart, Johnny Pike, yuh sabe that?” Then they stepped into camp and, as he saw the mule still tied to the tree and eagerly sniffing in the direction of the spilled water, the smile slowly faded from Jack Peebles’s face, leav- ing it pinched around the nostrils and lips and strangely pale. He whirled and confronted The Fox. “Say! What kind of an hombre are you? Didn’t yuh see that pore mule’s starvin’ for water? Why—” His wrath quickly subsided as he real- ized Pike might not be to blame for the oversight. ‘“ ’Scuse me,” he added apologetically. “I forgot yuh was a tenderfoot. I couldn’t expect yuh to know—’” Without further delay the mule was untied and Jack Peebles led it over to another pail full of water. The Fox walked over and picked up the bucket when it was emptied. “Tell me where to go and I'll fill it—” “Look out!’ Jack screamed. “Jump Sullivan! Get back there, you—" 713 There was a squeal of rage and a rush and the mule hit The Fox with a shoulder and floored him. Swift as lightning the animal reared and poised for a second, his sharp front hoofs held together, ready to descend and chop to pieces the fallen man—the old fighting trick of the born man-killer among mules. smiling Jack Peebles leaped and caught the swaying hackamore the mule wore. Swinging his weight on it he was able to pull the mule off balance so that the hoofs descended a foot away from the recumbent man. The Fox scrambled to his feet. “ Say—” he began indignantly. “Get out of the way, till I get him tied,” Jack commanded. And when that was done he said apologetically: “Ym sorry for that, but I reckon he figured you was takin’ the water pail away from him. I don’t suppose he remembered you didn’t water him when you first came. Anyway, you better watch him for a spell, although I don’t think he’ll have it in for yuh for long. Mules ain’t got human in- telligence, yuh know.” They went about the business of get- ting supper. And after it had been eaten, they decided to camp there that night. As he rolled up in the blankets, The Fox grinned to himself under cover of the dark. This was going to be easy. <A pipe! It was too easy. This guy would lead him right to the gold and then—hbam! Smiling Jack Peebles would smile no more. ‘Thus, in his smug egotism, thought The Fox. IV. Next day, on the trail, The Fox talked a great deal, asking about the country, the nearest town, the nearest railroad and if many people lived here- about. “Well, it’s kind o’ lonesome,” Jack replied. “ Mighty few people get in here now. Once in awhile a prospec- COMIC OOOKS (E@)