Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

718 Just for a moment an idea came near_ stampeding me. I could see my boss, Rip Jaimson, as he lay there white and still on his cot in our ’dobe. I looked across the table. The short guest was as white as. snow, and the long. fellow’s face was all’ twisted’ until it looked like nothing human.. His right hand gripped one of-the table knives. There was fight in him, and‘ I knew right then that he was a.hard one. © Why not Jet the sheep men have them? But Rip Jaimson had. his heart set- on doing things according to the law, and he’ expected me to play the game: that way;. and that was that.. I eased up to the door alongside ‘of Jim Barber, my hands unoc- cupied but resting easy near a most pow- erful argument. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. . them in their legal rights they’ve got a right to protect themselves. That sort of evens up the gamble.” I didn’t hear any wild cheering atid hand- clapping when [ finished that speech, so 1 started inagain. . - - “J know it’s sort of hard to make a quick decision on a thing like this, so I suggest that you hold a meeting out there some _ place and.talk it over and see. which card Before . you want to put your. money ‘on. you name your bet-it might be worth while to calculate what’s going to happen if some one in these parts kills.a deputy United “* Gents,” I said, “ it jooks bad ‘for these. two hombres, and: I reckon there was a time " when I’d have been glad to join you in | stringing them up to the nearest tree. But I’m a minion of the law, and I’m expected to deliver these fellows to the law. If it’s _ possible for a redhead like me to do it, of course I’m a going to deliver. ‘Now just read the cards. There’s six of you all and there’s just one of me, and all I’ve got on me is an old style five-gun. If you insist, one of you fellows probably will get my prisoners, if it’s just you and I for it. But the minute you start anything I’m going to give each of my prisoners his shooting iron, because if I can’t protect States marshal. Somebody will have to answer for it if they have to send the cav- alry into this country to get him. If you decide you'll risk your chips on trying to take these two. men away from me, I'll know it when you start shooting.” With that I deliberately pushed Jim Barber back into the room and slowly - closed the door. The minute it was shut I dropped the heavy bar in place and got busy with Jim, out of range of the windows. Right at that moment I would have given a minion of the law’s yearly pay if I could have been _in Winslow, and less than ten hours later I’d have given the pay and a mortgage on my life if I could keep away from Winslow, the which goes to show that life is more or less -uncertain and unexpected, more so. at not TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEER U ~~ - | FRESH AIR ‘HE air it kissed her on the brow, And trifled with a curl, _ And then caressed her dimpled neck— ~ Oh, such a pretty girl! The air it kissed her on the lips! 'Undreamed of liberty! ~The air was getting pretty. fresh— That’s how -it seemed to me! Hamilton Pope Galt. getting our two prisoners | at COMICclooe (Cc S C@