Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

TWO-GUN MAGIC, other man’s left leg; the gray trousers just above Larkins’s boot appeared to be spattered with blood. The blond man frowned as he no- ticed Solitaire’s gaze. “That’s some of MacGill’s work, damn him,” he said angrily. ‘ Some- body shot me from ambush early this morning when I was scouting around the Lazy X—that’s his ranch. We been havin’ a little trouble; sit down an’ I” tell yuh about it.” “Never mind that now,’ said Stevens. ‘‘ Let me take a look at that leg of yours, Larkins.” ‘All right,” the other nodded, and Solitaire noticed that the man’s face was drawn with pain. “It hurts right considerable. I ain’t had time yet tuh try and fix it,” he grinned. “I been watchin’ yuh—I seen yuh ride up tuh th’ house.”’ Gently Stevens removed the heavy boot and rolled up Larkins’s trouser leg. He examined the wound and found a bullet had gone through the fleshy part of the calf of the leg. With some first aid materials which the fore- man indicated upon a shelf above one of the many bunks in the room, Solitaire dressed and bandaged the wound. “Thanks,” said Larkins when the two-gun man had finished. ‘“ That feels a lot better now, I’m right much obliged.” “ Forget it.” Stevens sat on a bunk close to the other man and rolled a cigarette. “ Yuh say yuh been havin’ trouble?” He knew that the Cross Bar J’s own- er had been having trouble, and plenty of it, but he wanted to find out just how much information Larkins pos- sessed. “We sure have! This outfit consists of five men, including myself.” Lar- kins scowled. ‘“‘ An’ durin’ the past two weeks them other four fellers done disappeared one by one!” “ Disappeared!’ Solitaire looked startled. “ What yuh mean?” as. Sts -what:£—said. 205 Pe Them four punchers just vanished intuh thin air, that’s all. I ain’t been able tuh find a trace of one of them. An’ now th’ boss, Miss Shaw, is gone, too! “[T sure would like tuh know some- thin’ about that, although I kinda figures she has gone over tuh see Major Marsh — he’s a friend of hers —he owns th’ Circle T over tuh the north a ways.” “Yes, I know,” said Stevens slowly, “JT was there last night. But somes body killed Major Marsh—choked hint tuh death.” “What?” “Yes, and the sheriff and his deputy are huntin’ Miss Shaw to arrest her for shootin’ Denver Hopkins out on th’ range yesterday morning.” “Good Lord!” exclaimed Larkins. “What’s it all about?” “T ain’t quite figured it out,” said Solitaire. “ But here’s what happened last night.” Swiftly he related everything that had occurred from the moment he had heard the faint, creaking whisper as he stood outside the door of the Circle T until he had finally made his escape after rescuing the girl from the clutches of Guido Lomond, and the two strange creatures who worked for Major Marsh. Larkins listened intently, voic- ing a caustic comment now and then. *“An’ so that’s why I come ridin’ here this mornin’,” finished Stevens. “TI figured that Miss Shaw might be here, and as it looked like she didn’t have much of an outfit if they wasn’t doin’ anythin’ tuh try and help her—I thought I better be around.” “ How could we help her? I didn’t know a thing about it, an’ the rest of th’ boys are missin’.” “Yea, I know that now. What yuh guess happen tuh them fellers, Lar- kins?” “Yuh got me stumped. But I’m bettin’? two tuh one that MacGill’s crowd has somethin’ tuh do with it, all right. Fact is, now that yuh told (EO) DOOKS AMG (E©)