Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 4, 1922 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

"ert. FEUD FOR “‘ That’s easy,” he said. ‘‘She’s got to let us cross her land with the cattle, or we won't let her out to get water. Of course, we wouldn’t really stop her, see, but we'll make her think we would.” Which goes to show how little he knew about Rose and about ‘the etiquette of feuds in general, I let him think it would be easy, ’cause I wanted to see how long that grin would last. Bill went. into town next day. He didn’t tell me what for, but it turned out later that he had wired his home town across the Hudson, which was the home office of this defunct Valley Development Company, for an option on their property: He was going about it right to sew up Old Rose so she couldn’t get a drop of water in the long summer spell. Ridin’ back from town it was just Bill’s grinnin’ luck to meet up with the prettiest girl in the State—Old Rose’s Molly. The girl was on her way to the pump with three barrels, and Bill found her almost cryin’ in the middle of the road because one of the wheels of the cart had come off and she couldn’t put it back. With that Gala- had way of his Bill got off his pony and repaired Rose’s cart. From what I heard about it later I guess he didn’t confine his attentions to the cart either, for it seems he made quite an impression on the girl herself. When he got back home he could not talk about anything but her, askin’ who she was and describin’ her yellow hair like a regular poet feller. He had forgotten all about the yearlings until I brought him back to that subject. Then he said he had decided to drive ’em up to the range right away, startin’ that night. He didn’t think Old Rose would stop him, and anyways he wasn’t goin’ to be stopped. Well, he was the boss, and I got ready to obey orders. We started that night, sure enough, and everything was pleasant until we came to the dry creek bed that marks. off the Straight H from Old Rose’s parcel of des- Then one heifer got iconoclastic like, and went right into Rose’s garden patch and started to chew up the dry cabbage. Rose came runnin’ out with that sure-shot- THOUGHT. 371 rifle of hers in her hand, and in half a sec- ond that poor heifer was on the way to veal cutlets. Bill heard the shot, which sure surprised his innocence, and rode right over to the heifer, at the same time driving the other Strays back where they belonged. Rose let loose at him, but didn’t hit him, although one shot came so darn close to my Stetson that it riled me, and I banged away at the three full water-barrels Molly had brought home that day, which were still on the cart in front of the house. I had those barrels imitatin’ a geyser, believe me, with that precious water bursting out from a dozen holes. Then Rose exchanged a few shots with me, politely missin’ all vital parts, but comin’ too close for comfort. When Bill saw what I had done to the barrels of water, he got all riled and told me to stop. It was too late, of course, and I couldn’t see his logic, anyway. Then little Molly came runnin’ out with a dish- pan, tryin’ to catch what was left. She got half a panful, along with some tears she was sheddin’, when Bill rode up to Old Rose, right in the face of that vicious- lookin’ rifle, and actually apologized, and also offered to pay for the barrels and to get more water. Molly was so surprised to see Mr. Gal- ahad there on the side of the Haskells that she dropped her dishpan. If I’d had it my way Oid Rose would have been in for some drouth, but you never can tell about these young fellers. Old Rose cussed him and all the rest of the Haskells and ordered him off her land. She wouldn't accept his apology and she’ said she could get her own water. Then Bill sprung his surprise, which was that he had an option on the Valley Company and wouldn’t let her have any water. Besides, he said, grinning all the time, he would have to prosecute her for trespassin’ if she used his road to get to the pump. She wouldn’t believe him at first, but then she saw he had no reason to lie about it and told him again to get off her place. She wouldn’t let him drive his cattle through if hé owned all the water in the desert. She would rather die of thirst than ‘be be- COmiclbooks.Gom