Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

S76 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. moment, resolved to offer herself as the kin escape a man’s punishment an’ yit a needful sacrifice, Cynthia, who had always man ter ther amount thet he kin go ‘round been weakly selfish and full of self pity, half murderin’ women-folks—then either leaned panting against the wall, her nails him or me hes got ter leave these mountings biting into her palms. She was bracing her- —an’ I aims ter stay.” self—and for the moment she hung back That ultimatum carried on the clear night hesitant and breathless. air like a bugle call, and after it there was She edged forward until she stood almost a long and painful silence. Then, while within arm’s length of the trio, still obliter- Cynthia braced herself as one does for a ated in the inkiness of shadow, but while high dive, there flashed from the black cloak her own thoughts and doubts had obsessed of the hillside a sudden spurt of flame with her, she must have missed something of the a thunderous roar of sound in its wake, and talk. Now, she was conscious that another Wade Murrell’s hat went spinning from his wice was speaking—one that she had head. not heard before. That must be Covey‘ Instantly Wade’s hand swept to his atm- Small. " pit and his pistol glinted in the white light. “T hain’t gainsayin’, Wade,” declared At the same moment Covey Small took off the voice, “ thet my boy’s done give me a his hat and wheeled to face the lawre] passel of trouble—he’s done been a disable, thicket. “ Stop thet!” he bellowed. “ What shiftless kind of a boy an’ from time ter damn foolery air this? Quit hit, I say!” time he’s done got hisself inter scrapes— But the trance that had held Cynthia wags but still he hain’t nuthin’ but a boy—an’ broken. She had flung herself as a screen in I don’t skeercely low thar’s no real harm front of Wade Murrell and her Voice in him.” sounded thin and agitated. ‘“ This is my “He's nigh emough a man ter stand es show,” she cried out. “If you’ve got to tall an’ weigh es much es I does, Covey,” assassinate somebody—shoot me! I'm the answered Wade Murrell stiffly. “ An’ thar’s Jonah, shoot me!” enough real harm in him fer him ter seek ter gang-murder a helpless woman.” “She war a woman he’d done heered his CHAPTER XY. elders belittle fer a wanton, Wade—not but what all he heered mout be lies.” “She's a woman my maw an’ me hes HE sight of that slight figure, appear- done vouched fer, Covey. Whoso belittled ing with such abruptness out of the her, belittled us, likewise. Does ye aim ter darkness, and the sound of that new do thet, too?” voice, intervening in a counsel so closely The other man spoke hastily. guarded, came with almost as much impact “T reckon ye knows I doesn’t, Wade.” of surprise as had the roar of attempted All right, then. I cotched this boy of murder from the hillside—a roar whose youm in a manner of wickedness thet broken echoes still rolled and grumbled sought ter do murder. I-caught him red- through the timbered slopes. fisted an’ I punished him—less sorely than = Possibly it was more surprising, for the his rightful deserts. I did ther like fer Jake shot from ambush was an old and familiar Carmichael an’ I stands by what I done.” manifestation—but the uninvited bursting “JT wanted ter heer yore side of ther of a “fotched-on”’ woman into clan affairs story, Wade, afore I plumb made up my of life and death was without precedent. mind. Thet’s what I come hyar fer ter- | As Cynthia had leaped between her pre night.” tector and his would-be assassin, some In- “You've done heered it, Covey. Now I stinct had driven Covey Small forward aims ter tell ye somethin’ else.” Murrell with the same intent, and now two human was speaking in a tone of deadly resolute- bodies stood masking the one ‘that waited ness. “Ef so be ye kain’t manage yore with a drawn weapon in its hand. The? boy—ef he’s a boy ter ther amount thet he two standing shoulder to shoulder were the ““FAMISHED FER HER!” COMmica@oo SS Co