Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

~ MINIONS OF THE LAW.".. We made quite an interesting parade as we marched up that: trail,.me trying to think just. what was proper for a minion of the law to do under the circumstances. It’s | terrible hard for me to think when I’m walking, and I hadn’t got very far by the time we made it to Jim’s place; and then Jim brought up a subject that drove every- thing else from my mind. ““T guess the first thing on the program is a little food,” he said as we came up to his shack, the which was a log house of two rooms with a lean-to hanging to the south side of it. . “Ves,” T said; “ ‘only the ‘little’ is si- lent and is never ‘pronounced | in the pres- ence of company.” “Very well, Red; I'll round up the grub while you get your live stock hobbled for the night.” « Yl turn old Napoleon into your corral and let him blow himself until we are ready to start back—”’ “Start back!” Jim exclaimed. ‘ You don’t figure on doubling back to-night, do you?” | “Just that,” I explained. there’s considerable news from Winslow, the which you haven’t heard. Consider- able of our voting population is out look- ing for these two hombres. Fact is, they are dragging the Shelf Country for them right now, and, more than likely, there’s going to be an election when I get back to town with these chaps.” “What’s the rest of the story?” Jim asked. . “Too long to tell you before supper: If you'll just keep an eye on these boys while I take care of Napoleon I’ll give you an earful later.” We herded the two mavericks into the kitchen and made several important adjust- ments in their rope decorations, so: that if they tried to run away they would have to do it sitting down and dragging Barber’s home made bench with them. Jim assuring me that they wouldn’t bother him much while he was getting the chow ready, I led Napoleon down to the corral, watered him, took off the bridle and saddle, and turned him in with Jim’s horse, Black Opal, a likely piece of horseflesh that cost me “ Reckon ‘it, 715 considerable dinero when she beat Hank Barrett’s gelding, Fence Buster, in the races last fall. Jim Barber was a reasonable cook, and after I had done my duty by that supper I wondered more than ever why he hadn’t long since been snatched into matrimony where his cooking would really count. Of course, he was doing his best because he had company. Because two of his guests didn’t seem to have very good appetites, the main burden of appreciating Jim’s cook- ing fell to me; the which is a burden I al- ways seem to be able to carry. I never tasted better coffee, and the three fried eggs I had were as good.as you could expect, considered they were fried. in bacon grease. The cold venison seemed to be a little tough, but I didn’t notice it until after my fourth helping; and the fried cabbage would have been. better if there had been more of it. me forget about the cabbage shortage; and, taken all in all, when we had finished, I felt the world was a comfortable place to live In, excepting right at the equator where things were pretty crowded even when I had let out my belt to the last hole. There was a reason other than food that made. me enjoy that supper. I did most of the talking, and that always makes a fellow enjoy the conversation. We had untied our guests as to their arms and hands, and moved the table over ‘to where they could get at it, that being easier than moving a bench with two men tied*to Jim and I sat across the table, Jim being near the door leading to the lean LO and ‘the cook stove, and I being near the door leading outdoors, “ By the way, Jim,” I began, “ what time was it when you pulled out from Winslow rid “night before last?” “ Can’t prove it by me,” Jim admits. “It was late or early, according to which way you figure.” “ Midnight, maybe?” a “Worse than that,” he replied. ‘“ Black Opal traveled right along, but the sun caught us before we made Weimer’s old shack.” | “Two o’clock, maybe?” I suggested. “ More like it.” | Two pieces of raisin pie made ~ comicoool. @ hn.