Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 13, 1925 — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

042 ‘And the first false move your red- headed sweetie makes,” Julius said with a chuckle, “ every one of those pistols is go- ing to speak its little piece. So you're go- ing to teach me some lessons in etiquette, are you—-you mountain rat? All I have to say is that you’d better start the classwork mighty soon. Red Wilpin dropped his mouth to the girl’s nearest shell-pink ear. ‘“‘ Honey,” he whispered, so low that Ju- lius could not hear, “ whatever happens, don’t lose your nerve.” ‘But he says they’re going to hang you, darling!” ‘“ Ayah, he says lots o’ things. This is all kind of new and strange to you, Margie, but it’s purty old stuff to your red-headed sweetie. You stick close by me. Keep your wits handy. My neck ain’t in the noose yet, and this Yumpa gang ’d never stand to see a pretty little thing like vou swing from no cottonwood. Keep a stiff upper lip, lamb, and—~”’ “Ts this petting party to last all night?” Mrs. Yost cried impatiently. ‘* While you men are hesitating, that young rascal may be plotting some diabolical plan with that shameless girl. I move that we hang him without delay, and that we hang the girl from a limb of the same tree!” ‘“ Shore!” Spavin Yampdon cried hoarse- ly and with an evil attempt at humor. “ They’ve been a waitin’ t’ hang together. Whut I say is, let ’em!” The crowd of desert rats, horse thieves, cattle rustlers, claim jumpers, and dance hall girls that had poured out from Hell’s Delight until Yumpa’s main and only street was jammed, roared, but whether it was their wish to see Margery Corbin hang be- side the red-haired stage robber, or to spare her, it was impossible to glean. “Ves!” Marshal Sniffin interjected when the roaring had ceased. ‘“ Let’s hang them both!” Again the crowd roared; but this time the intent of that roaring was clear—-terribly, terribly clear. “ Atta baby!” a Joud-voiced miner made himself heard. ‘ Let’s have a couble hangin’.” ‘Shore! That’s th’ ticket! A double ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, yy? hangin scores of voices upheld him. There were, indeed, no dissenting votes. The dance hall girl whom Red Wilpin had rebuffed so urgently only a few min- utes before in Hell’s Delight, thrust her painted, leering face close to Margery Cor- bin’s. “So yo’re th’ gal he turned me down fer, are va? You , with yore meek ways and yore scairt eyes and yore leetle white face!” She snapped her powdered fingers under the Eastern girl’s nose, and a faint puii of talcum floated off on the stiff moun- tain breeze. ‘ Ya’d better cling tight to him while ya can, ya shiverin’ weaklin’, ya! ‘Cause why? Till tell ya, ya white-faced city rat. Ya see that cottonwood tree dowr yonder? Afore an hour’s gone, yore lover’s a goin’ t’ be a swingin’ f’m that! Now cry, ya white-faced baby!” “Tm not crying!” Margery Corbin re- plied in a steady, resolute clear voice. “ I’m not afraid. Nor is he. We can face death without flinching. We are not afraid to die---are we, dear?” Ked Wilpin dropped his hands, regard- less of the circle of steel surrounding him, and enfolded the girl more tightly to his breast. “No,” he said quietly, turning to the dance hall girl, “and if you and the likes of you-—you painted she-devil—had the guts of a rabbit and the soul of a snake, you'd stand by us and fight fer us.” The dance hall girl, snapping her pow- dered fingers under his nose, withdrew with a burst of mocking laughter. Margie nestled closer to Red Wilpin’s breast. He was scanning with tragic eager- ness the faces of the pack as it closed about them. He groaned. ‘“Oh, honey, I jest cain’t believe that Friday has gone and left us thisaway. It ain’t like him. Ever since I was a kid he’s stood by me, Jest as he stood by my pappy betore me. This was his chance to show whether he was a pal or jest a yaller dog, and—and now it’s too late.” “Too late?” she echoed. ‘““What chance have we now,” he said bitterly, ‘“‘ with all this gang against us? Don’t va see what we’re up against, honey? It’s jest you and me against the whole EO OO S CO