Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

264 “They eat here, I reckon?” he asked. “Once in a while. Not regular. Seems they ain’t hooked on nowheres yet. They come an’ go. There’s a fat guy comes in here with them once in a while. I’ve heard them call him Green.” “Green in town?” ‘““He was here yesterday. I seen him ridin’ south yesterday at dusk.” ‘‘ Givens an’ his friends in town?” ‘* Ain’t been here for two or three days.” “You’d know if they was here?” ** Shucks!”’ laughed Breen. ‘‘ Them guys sure have to eat!” “Doctor in town?” Channing asked, af- ter a pause. “Gone to Denver. Won’t be back till next week.” His eyes brightened. ‘ Some- body sick? Why, hell, of course they must be! That’s why you hit town at this hour of the mornin’! Shucks; it’s too bad. But I’ve noticed that when doc’s needed he’s never around.” Breen watched Channing while the latter ate at a table near by. Those men who had been eating when Channing came in had gone. Some of them knew Channing, and they nodded to him as they paid their bills. One man’s unconcern was too apparent. He had been seated alone at a table when Channing had come in, and he had watched Channing with veiled interest. Also, he had listened intently to all Channing and Breen had said. And when he paid his reckoning at the cigar case he had not looked at Channing as the other men had done, but had stood, staring out of a front window, his back to Channing as he had waited for his change. Then he walked out. As he moved west- ward along the front of the building he was compelled to turn his profile momentar- ily toward Channing, and the latter saw that his eyes were glittering as for a flash- ing instant he gazed through the window near Channing. Channing walked outside and sat on a wooden bench in front of the eating house. Apparently he had small interest in what was going on around him. He was still sitting there when Breen came out, and he talked to Breen at some length about con- ditions in the section. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. But he had been covertly watching the man who had tried to conceal interest in him. The latter was talking with half a dozen other men at a little distance down the street, westward; and while Channing watched he observed the man slouch to- ward a pony hitched to a rack. He stood beside the pony for a few minutes, evi- dently continuing his talk with the men, and then he vaulted into the saddle and rode southward. ‘““New man, I reckon,” said Channing. ““T ain’t seen him hangin’ around Laskar before.” ‘* Mellert,” grunted Breen. ‘ Locks civi- lized. But get him talkin’ an’ you’ve sure enough got his breed.” “Him an’ Givens friendly?” asked Chan- ning. ‘“ So you noticed him sizin’ you up when you asked about Givens! I wasn’t thinkin’ you was lookin’ his way.” Breen’s gaze narrowed; he felt a new respect for Chan- ning. “Well,” he continued, ‘a man’s got to be a heap careful how he talks. I ain’t wantin’ no trouble with Givens an’ his friends. But that guy Mellert is sure bad medicine. I ain’t never followed his movements none, but I’ve heard he hangs out at Pete Nelly’s place, over on Wolf River. An’ I’ve had it straight that that’s where Givens puts in a lot of his spare time. An’ I’ve seen Green headin’ that way.” When Channing finished his talk with Breen he walked slowly down the street. Lounging in front of a store, he carefully followed Mellert’s movements. He ob- served the man riding rapidly ina flat gully between some hills. Later he appeared on a rise. A dust cloud trailed him. ‘He’s burnin’ it,” was Channing’s thought. His eyes gleamed with suspicion and saturnine humor. ‘“ He wasn’t so damned active in town, here. The way he was hangin’ around that hitchin’ rack, gassin’ with that gang he’d been with, you’d have thought that him an’ time didn’t have a heap in common. He was wastin’ a mighty lot of it. Not wastin’ it now, though.” In an hour Mellert had ridden out of GOMIGIOO S (C@) nn