Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

= Shee E ernando; you tell me ‘this: IT saw = | him mount with @ cigarette in bis mouth. Did he still have that cigarette when he was on the ground?” "Non! But then again, si! He had = some of the paper between his teeth.” — “Well, then you put this in your head: See Tve heard that if a cowboy keeps his jaws together when a high roller lands on its front paws, you can count on his being a —_Yaan no one can beat. Makes no difference if he was thrown, You remember that. ~ He weren’t beat! Now vamose out of my = sight—and tell Wyndham I want for to see = ~ Wyndham eame in answer to the sum- = ‘wons, sheepishly rolling his ‘sombrero and: ~_ crushing the crown into shape. a = = What happens Wyndham?” the = = Basel if 1 know, ma’am. I tried to — tighten my knees on the critter and found she just wasn’t there.” : = want. for you to leave off. tryin’ to =e that mare,” his employer said. “TI — ~ got. somethin’? else for you to do. It’s much = harder.” __ Harder, ma’am?”” “You're the one man in the world Id Di ick out for the job.” you didn’t see me lose this fight with the old hell diver.” = Ze “J did see it. That’s why I’ve chose you. for this here job. You didn’t lose the fight. In a manner of speaking, you won.” = e -added peremptorily: “* Come into this = “here room.’ — a THE LONG TRAIL. a= = SHE ‘Widow Crockett’s room did not == = _ Sustain the typical Arizona atmos- = phere of the rest of the house. She a= ‘tad remvek the more picturesque details; _ the wall candlestick, which was a cedar log - with rusty nails, had been replaced by a hanging oil lamp with a painted tin fan: __ the olla, with its Hopi legendry, once used = 2a. the —— ‘was replaced ay a wash- = € Pm the one man, ma’am. 23 PES ARGOSY- ALLSTORY WEEKLY. crockery—the sort that the widow had ae in the Doxey Hotel in town. : The Navaho rug—a relic of Dan Crock- ett’s rather peculiar taste—was discarded as Savoring too much of a frontier hut, and in its stead the puncheon floor was covered by a fresh, brightly hued domestic carpet. ‘Similarly, i in the stone fireplace, was a = stove of a modern make. Although Phil Wyndham eaeleek a room with Hopi blankets and bear skins, he regarded these innovations of the Widow Crockett’s as evidence of her good taste. They were incidentally an illustration of her marked dislike of the crudities of stone fireplaces, adobe chinks, and slats rived out oi wood. It was quite obvious that she preferred the luxuries of town life. : “Now, then, Wyndham,” Mrs. Crockett began, “I see you lookin’ around sharp- like at these decorations in my room, and it occurs to me that you should orter be lookin’ soe to everything in the whole ranch.” — Phil stared at the widow with a ques- tioning glance, and was surprised at the change that had come over her, Ordinarily a tanned, deeply wrinkled little person, her illness had not drawn any contrasting marks upon her. But on this close Scrutiny Wyndham could see that that same wrin- kled brown skin was now like parchment, the lips were tight, yellowish. Her root-like fingers seemed weak, futile, unable to grasp—like the roots of a yucca overturned In a desert wind storm. : “J figure you want me to take an in- ventory again,” Wyndham said, with a premonition that the old place was_at last going to be sold. - “You figure right,” the woman said. “Because every stick of furniture, every foot of wire in the fences, every head of cattle in the corrals, is going te mean a right smart lot to you from now on.” Yes, there was a big change coming, as” the foreman had feared ever since old Doc = Winkler had ordered the owner of the Seven C’s ranch to keep to her bed. “T don’t want my daughter, Hallie, ars nin’ this cow outfit. It’s what broke me.” She tried to sit up—a little figure hunched in. a . Caere gouE and a yellow ‘flannel : —¢€om choo Ks.¢ €o -U