Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

TROUBLE RANCH. “P. D. Q.!" he muttered. “ I'll tell the world that lad’s well named. He’s put himself on the map in this burg and no mistake. “Any gent that se an ambi- tion to get Peter has to snap out of bed mighty early in the morning—and he never even used his gun! Just wait till he does! ! This bunch ain’t seen any- thing yet.” Aleck glanced curiously at his em- ployer, to. see how he had been im- pressed by the prowess of this wan- dering cow-puncher ; but Varney’s face, which bore its usual masklike expres- sion, told nothing. One could gather, however, that Varney was not inclined to fight young Spofford’s battles. The girl whom Peter had rescued looked shyly at him; then drooped her eyes in embarrassment under his gaze. “T want to thank you for what you did,” she whispered. “Don’t say a word, sister,’ Peter replied. “It’s sure a pleasure to han- dle riff-raff like that.” She shivered at recollection of what had just passed. | ‘“ You’ve made some dangerous ene- mies, I’m afraid. Mr. Spofford and those men of his will be coming back to kill you.” “They won’t be back right soon,” Peter laughed easily. “ They'll be needing repairs, I wouldn’t wonder.” There was nothing at all boastful in Peter’s tone; he was merely making a - matter-of-fact statement. Again the girl shuddered, swaying as from a sudden attack of weakness. A sharp stab of pity stirred in Pete’s breast. She was so young, so forlorn, and so helpless. “ Sit down,” he suggested in a kind- ly tone. “ Tell me all about it. You don’t belong in a joint like this one.” Her haggard face searched his ques- tioningly, seeming to find in Peter’s smiling. eyes an answer to the unspoken words. ‘Gosh, she’s just a kid,” he thought. - be girl slumped into a chair, elbows A 465 ‘resting on the liquor-stained table, her face deathly pale save for blotches of rouge, unskillfully dabbed on. “Well?” Peter prompted encourag- ingly. Dully she raised her eyes, which Peter perceived were swimming with tears. Suddenly she spoke: “Can you imagine what it would be for a girl to be stranded in a town like this one—without a cent of money and without a friend ?”’ “Tt wouldn’t be very pleasant,” Peter agreed. ‘“ How did about ?”’ “I was going home,” she murmured, flushing wretchedly, “‘ and they put me off the train at Cactus Springs because I didn’t have a ticket or money to pay my fare any further. “I—I was really trying to beat my way—lI lost my purse containing my ticket and a little money—or else some one stole it. ‘That didn’t make much difference anyway—after it was gone. “ When they put me off here I was desperate. I went to a house, begging —and a woman who lived there told me this was the place where I belonged —fand slammed the door in my face.” Peter swore under his breath, “And I bet that damned old hen calls herself a respectable woman,” he growled to himself. “ You didn’t come here just because she told you to, did you?” he asked aloud. “No. J met a man on the street— it was Mr. Spofford—and he promised to see that I was taken care of. He brought me to Mr. Varney, who gave me a job, saying that there was noth- ing wrong about it. I just had to do something, so I took it. That was two days ago. “Mr. Spofford won’t let me alone, and when I complained to Mr. Varney he laughed and said I was a little fool not to know when I’d fallen into some- thing soft. I’m afraid of Mr. Spof- ford.” Her terrified eyes roved over the busy room, as if dreading to see the man whom she feared. Ky S ee Pee fight ea eeptae aah ne a , wm ~ >, hak al = y's “wee a}. >: ie ~ > oe * ‘ it come Ps comicbooks.com