Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

VALOR. 9 An ominous light sparkled in her gray eyes. ‘“* Just as long as you don’t have to talk with me, [ suppose?” she inquired sarcasti- cally. ‘“‘ Jus’ for company,” amended David. “Well, I said just as plainly as I could that I don’t want you to ride with me!” ‘cried the amazing female. ‘So good-by, and the sooner you go the better.” David gazed down upon her with the most serious consideration. “[ didn’t go for to rile you up, ma’am,” he drawled softly. “Perhaps not, only you’d just better learn manners, that’s all. I’m going to wait here till you’re out of sight,” she said; and turning abruptly, and rather prettily, thought David, upon her heel, she walked back to the wagon and clambered nimbly to the seat. “I hope you’re not going to keep me waiting all day!” she cried. The*two riders brought their ponies to her side. “ Better let’s ride along together, ma’am,”? suggested Aleck amiably. “ It'll shore rumple the kid all up in his feelin’s if you send him off this away.” “ You’re keeping me waiting.” She ig- nored Aleck completely, speaking crisply, and with frigid disapproval to David. In return David raised his eyebrows in com- plete bewilderment, decided that he was just wasting time, and turned his pony to the trail. j “Come on, Aleck,” he said, and brought the mare up to an even canter. Aleck, still grinning followed him, and the girl, sitting resolutely on the wagon seat, watched them go. They hadn’t proceeded far, however, when her voice followed them. “ Wait a minute!” she cried; and turning they saw her hurrying after them with something in her arms. They reined in, and David would have dismounted, but she was at his side too soon. “Here,” she said. “It’s for you. Take him with you.” And with the gesture of a vestal virgin presenting burned offerings, she reached up and placed a wriggling, pink- eared, black-nosed puppy on his pommel. David was silent in his confusion. ‘““Ma’am?” was all he could say. ‘You said you’d like to have a dog like that,” she explained, and David was amazed to find that her voice was as uncompromis- ingly frigid as ever. ‘‘ Take it.” She turned back to the wagon again. He started his horse to follow her, but she waved him away. ‘“ Good-by!” she cried, pointedly. He gazed at her for a moment, uncom- prehending. “She means ‘ so long’,” explained Aleck. . And David, holding the puppy before him, rode homeward. CHAPTER IV. THE EXECUTIONER. HE Parmelee ranch occupied an an- . cient stronghold of the range. The widespread, one story building of dun colored adobe, seemed from a distance to hug the earth; seemed indeed a part of the earth, a hardly discernible mound upon the surface of the plain. But the walls were three feet thick at their base, and had been reared with Spanish craft to defy Indians, time and the sun. Whil@the land outside lay parched in the searing heat, beneath that thick sodden roof, held firmly upon giant beams, there was blessed shadow, and refreshing cool- ness. And this retreat from the oppressive sun had been artfully carried out into the open air by an extension of those great beams along the northern side of the house so that they bore the thick roof forth to cover an open terrace. At a little distance from one end of this terrace was the covered spring which gave the rancho its water supply, and, allying that water with the cool shadow of the ex- tended roof, the Castilian rancher had caused a garden of ferns and flowers to color the retreat and make its still air fra- grant. Old Man Parmelee had not encouraged such things as ferns and flowers with his approval, so that the veranda had fallen upon hard days and differed from the ancient rancho almost as strikingly as the interior of this strange household, which had possessed it before the invader came. Gomicdooks (C@ os eh