Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

THE AVENGING SHEPHERD. “Help?” Thad shouted. “Git that truck out of my house!” he raged, point- ing to Slippy-foot and Grimm. Joseph looked at Angel as if asking him if he concurred in this, and the expression on the old Basque’s face well repaid the bov. Necia thought she saw his eyes smile as he motioned to the coyote. “Go,” he murmured. Slippy-foot hesitated for a moment and she bared her fangs as she glared at Angel. Joseph lifted his hand then, and she slunk out. ‘“‘ And you, Grimm,” he said to the crow. Grimm clacked his tongue sarcastically and, swaying from side to side, pattered across the floor and was gone. Thad’s sigh was one of relief. “ What’s the meanin’ of this?” he cried, and his voice sounded natural once more. ‘** What do you want me to do for you?” “For me—nothing. This lamb is suf- fering. I took it out of a trap a short while ago. Its leg is torn—it needs attention.” “Don’t bring no sheep to me,” Thad answered wrathfully, oblivious to Angel’s presence. ‘‘I reckon that ain’t the first lamb that’s stepped into a trap.” “No, unfortunately; but we know about this one. This poor, stricken thing—the most helpless of all God’s creatures—can not ask you for aid. Ido that. And you— will not—refuse me.” “You ain’t got nothin’ else to do but run around gathering up crippled sheep, eh?” Thad asked insolently. ‘I hear you got most of your flock that-a-way. Why don’t you take this one?” ‘Because I believe it belongs to this man,”’ and Joseph pointed to Angel. “I found it in the long arroyo below your fence.”’ Angel muttered something in Basque, but he did not offer to take the lamb. Joseph gazed at him, and saw that he trembled as if palsied. ‘““'What—what is your business?” Angel asked with some hesitation. ‘“T am a shepherd,” Joseph answered. ‘“ Shepherd, eh?—a herder,” growled Thad. ‘‘ And your range?” Angel insisted. “Wherever I find it.” 895 The Basque nodded to himself. ‘Do you want work?” he asked. Joseph shook his head. ‘“T have my work,” he said slowly. ‘It is far from finished.” “Seven years of it yet, eh?” Thad ques- tioned scornfully. “Seven lean years! — Huh!” ‘“‘ They will come to pass!” Joseph de- clared with some heat. : “You can’t preach religion to me,” Thad shot back. “I have no religion to preach,” Joseph asserted, ‘‘ and if I seem to have, it is more than I intend. I ask only that men do un- to me as I do unto them. And meanwhile, this lamb suffers.” “I guess if you go around to the bunk house some of the boys will fix you up,” Thad said by way of compromise, for in spite of himself he had begun to believe that Joseph possessed some mysterious power. The coyote—the crow—the boy’s quiet confidence—his unwavering eyes— were combining to put a bit of fear into Thad’s heart. Necia had taken no part in the conver- sation and, as her grandfather had stormed at Joseph, she had retreated to the other side of the table. But her eyes had not left Joseph’s face, and she came forward now on hearing him dismissed. “Why, grandfather,” she said disap- provingly, and Thad raised his eyebrows inquiringly; ‘‘ we cannot send this boy out, looking for help from our men. I don’t know of any one who would have bothered about the lamb. I—TI think it was noble of him to bother with it. I want him to come in.” For a moment, Thad looked at her as if not comprehending what she had said. He was anxious to see Joseph gone. “You orderin’ me to do that?” he asked, his voice husky. “YT ask it, grandfather,” Necia said simply. ‘‘ This is your home, and we can- not serve it better than by proving that a stranger can find justice and gratefulness here.” Thad nodded a grudging consent as Necia paused. Then facing Joseph, she said: COMmMiiclooe (©