Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 25, 1924 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

VALOR. coldly. ‘‘ You git out there an’ tell him so. Fer twenty-seven years now I been clear- ing this range of rustlers, holdups an’ cutthroats. ** You boys who’ve worked with me know how much sheriff's an’ such like ‘ve helped— They can get the man as good as anybody, but there’s only one thing that’ll cure him, an’ that’s a necktie party— You got to take him away from the sheriff to work that, an’ it spreads talk— “You go out an’ tell Westock I want to see him. Tell Dasent that soon as Westock leaves him, he’s to round up Harper Preest. An’ I don’t want-there to be need for Wes- tock to worry about it any more. If he don’t listen to reason why I want Dasent should have Preest all swung up an’ quiet before he can take any other action— Now remember that!” He regarded Tansey for a moment in silence; his face held the death sentence of Preest; his lips were drawn with a grim intolerance for any interference; his eyes held the driving order to be obeyed. “ Preest an’ his crowd could ’a’ been with me if they’d like!” he cried suddenly in a high, discordant tenor. “ Tell him that. They had their chance. And they missed it. Now Preest is the only one left. When you get him, before you string him up, tell him that! “ Tell him I said that every outlaw in the Pajarito valley was to get out or hang. An’ he’s got to hang. I said it. I promised it. And Westock’s got to stay out of this, It’s my game this is, and I want Dasent should hang that skunk before morning.” Parmelee’s voice dropped suddenly. A notable silence fell after its grim dis- cordance ceased, and Tansey found himself in the position of a man who has heard the mandate of a prince, and is dismissed to carry it abroad. “T'll tell ’em,” he said, and as he rolled away to his waiting pony, Aleck Sheffield spoke from his place on the threshold of the door which opened to the house. “ Looks like we’re doo for a little peace,” he said jauntily, as he advanced. Parmelee turned upon him in much the same manner as a grizzly might turn toward an intruder. Old Man Parmelee might be 11 occasionally surprised, but he was never Startled. When a smaller animal surprises a grizzly, it is seldom the grizzly who re- grets it. . When he recognized immediately the un- expected speaker, however, Parmelee’s face visibly softened. His attitude toward Aleck had ever been unique. No other hu- man being shared with this young cow- puncher a relationship with Old Man Parmelee that was so essentially human. His grin now was wry, but it seemed to ad- mit the confidence of friendship. ‘That don’t happen,” he remarked sour- ly. “With Preest gone, there'll be some no-account fool to take his place. Men are all kinds, but they split up into two lots; there’s women folk an’ fighters, and in this country all men are fighters. I want it so. I want a man should fight for me or against me. If he’s agin me, I get him— but he’s a man. [If he’s yellow, I set him feedin’ hawgs. He’s a coyote.” The old man grinned. ‘“‘ When’d you come in?” he asked. ‘“‘ Long about when you let Tansey know what was expected of /im,” said Aleck hu- morously. Parmelee closed up at that; shrank like a sensitive plant from the im- plied pleasantry, but he shrank into some- thing resembling flint. ‘“ Ef Westock bobbles this deal, I’m goin’ to raise dust,” he said. Then suddenly he spoke with a note that reminded Aleck forcibly of the unspoken terms under. which he enjoyed this strange man’s confidence. ‘““ Did you bring in that boy?” he rasped. *““ Dave’s in the kitchen,” replied Aleck. “With the women!” Old Parmelee narrowed his eyes and frowned. ‘‘ What doin’?”” There was no mistaking the com- mand in his voice; no hint of any other re- lation but of master and man. “Feedin’ a pup,” said Aleck; his voice remained imperturbable, and therein lay his hold upon the other. Parmelee had never broken Aleck Sheffield, nor had he ever broken with him. In nine long years that drawling baritone had never lost its humor- ous, bantering tolerance; but Aleck had never failed to obey. It was a peculiar complexity which the old man had never possessed the subtlety to question. Gomichbooks (C@