Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 146 No. 4 — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

was the best thing you ever did for me.” “So?” “Yes. What are you going to do aiter this game is over?” “Darned if I know, Durk. What are you?” “Drift, my boy—drift West. Califor- ia is a slick place for the cold months; I'm “TI wish I could,” yearned Springtime as the wenderiust began to well up in him. =T wish I could.” “Well, why can’t you?” asked Durkin with a keen look. “ Springtime, I have an idea about you, and, boy, I'm going to save you. I have an idea that jane is after you and that you're falling for it. It’s all wrong, son, all wrong. Any guy that can bold down a train the way you can hasn't any business taking on family worries. Now we'll have a stake when I get through here—a good one, understand me? A good stake, something that will keep us both for most of the winter, provided we don’t waste our patrimony. Understand, 2 good, fat had Springtime looked at him and his heart seemed to turn ever in his breast. There E “ Oh, my good gosh, Durk, what are you talking about?” “ Easy, don’t spill it to the world! These hicks just dripping with coin and it criminal to let ‘em have it when your mouth and I'll fill it. That’sall” in a fever of apprehension. He could un- could see how any real hobo would fed more or less justified in skinning “ scissor bills,” yet for him there were so many com- plicating factors. Unless the game were thrown so cleverly that no possible suspicion could be entertained, the burden would fall upon him, and at the thought of the hold which Osborne had on him and what he could do with it, the cold sweat broke out upon his forehead. In addition there was Kitty who had shown almost as much - terest in the game as her father. “Don't do it!” pleaded Springtime. “Don’t do it! Durk, you couldnt get away with it in a thousand years, and if anything goes wrong I get hell, that’s all; just plain hell. [I’m asking you as pal to pal, don’t do it!” Durkin laughed and shook his head. “ Springtime, I tell you you've gone to hell since you saw that jane. In the old days you would have slapped me on the back and cheered me on. She has you stopped, boy; your morale is all shot, and I reckon it’s up to me to do a little missionary work and drag you out of here. Gee, Springtime, this is the first I ever heard of your being scared by scissor bills. Buck up, old son, and let the little fixer take care oi comicbooks.com