Show j 1 J TODA TODAY'S YS Y'S SHORT STORY Fiction by Americas America's Greatest Writers I IF I I by u. u Lb Fin A. A aJ CA b GREETING A GUN HANDLER By Virginia Virgina E. E Roe j I That the tho old West was not entirely cono O ono lO vas was apparent on every Hille as aa tho shoddy hoddy old coach lumbered along llong A woman and three men rocked and bumped hun on tho the worn seaLs scats scat J inside and andUle the Ule tIe driver a a. L weathered old timer who who h handled his four lour lines Unes with the tho deftness deftness deft den nc ness s of ot a I. I lifelong habit swayed on tho Uio boot straight as nn an Indian in his blue flannel shirt Tho The woman was sUm slim and lIld handsome about thirty years of ot age clad in tho last word of ot urban taste taste the tho East by every overy sign and token And yet ct she sho bora boro one ono earmark of or tho she West vest she traveled light tor bag was I Only ono small alligator to her credit amid tho lu luggage gago Of ot tho the other passengers one was patently pa pa- a traveling tra man a a. dapper young Vest West was a m man n of or tho tim new one ono rancher middle aged and calm and ono one was that product that must tho illegitimate ever over draw apology tho apology offspring of ot the old and tho the new an nn worst irresponsible hybrid taking tho the strains of ot both parents He was neither a n. cowboy a n. miner nor a a. rancher rancher- neither a no farmer a n. promoter nor a business man and yet t he ho partook a little lit lit- tle of ot all nU Ho He was loud voiced with the overdrawn over over- drawn vocabulary of ot tory story book wild Westerners His Ills clothes were as motley motley motley mot mot- ley as M himself himself himself-a a sombrero a alight light flannel flan flan- nel shirt exaggerated open necked broadcloth trousers patent leath leather r shoes hoes and A d t cartridge belt from whose whoso 1 two holsters glowered tho bl black cl butts of ot a couple of or guns He lie monopolized tho the conversation and cast bol bold 1 glances at the tho young woman Yes he said loudly tho the West est what It usta be he Its It's ben hen overrun overrun over over- run Tun with th these o hero damned Johnny rye met a no few of ot em cm said ld the rancher quietly and Ive I've noticed that most of ot em cm make mako it a pint not to cuss before ladles ladies specially when that same is shet up in a stage with the cusser an an u cant can't help The woman shot the tho Interrupter a grateful glanco glance which struggled with witha a a a. smile for mastery U Hey said the tho bully bulb me me meT Tho The rancher looked calmly out at tho the dropping hills clad In their noble nohle vest vest- meats of or constantly heightening pines Shoe pinch ho of ot tho the scenery Tho The other studied him a moment in suspicious perplexity Old OId man he ho largely h a n few I years buck back you'd ou a got plugged l fer that Maybe h Hut But the c l has changed also also Its men Tho rho woman could not repress a thc tho smile that twitched her handsome mouth and she Iho gazed out or of tho wIndow window win wIn- dow at t the ic beautiful road and amI climbing among tho the Ic ledges The Tho dapper lapper t traveling n a-n man fidgeted uneasily edging aWu away from tho blatant black guns Tho The owner saw tho Uto signs o of tho the tenderfoot tenderfoot ten ten- and mistook tho womans woman's ab absorbed absorbed absorbed ab- ab study of ot tho the landscape for tor tho the fear of ot himself he loved to Therefore he tall talked d with heightened vigor The Tho West Vest what It was Vh Why ben bon a a. horse thief I up on Sleepy Sleep Fork rork fer er months an they men enough In the country country coun emma try to ketch him him an an string him up He Ho glanced at the woman expecting a shiver cr of horror lie He thought he saw It and pressed his hh lino line of ot talk Five yes Five yes three years back bacle hed he'd heda heda a 1 bon ben in h In li-In In heaven cn b by now An fifteen Why h cf et hed he'd a ben hen his doin's loins In DI Big Dilly Billy Daily's Dallys time he hed he'd heda heda a 0 a furnished sport fer the tho countryside Now there was a a. man I know kno the time he rode into Circle and shot three of tho the Burgess gang all by b his lone lone- some He was a u. gunman unman right Tho The trim shoulders in the blue traveling trav tray cling eling suit shivered perceptibly and the red lips of the woman drooped from their amused smile The bull bully went on delightedly man many of ot us left of or the tho old gun un handlers I know when Big Hig Bill Dill trimmed a Johnny Johnn Eastern's new sombrero sombrero sombrero som som- brero into a lacework fringe o on his head Gee Them was days das but a tow few of ot us left lent The traveling man was gnawing his hissman small mustache and the fingers of his Immaculate hands were gripped tight together Tho The ranchers rancher's kindly I eyes took In Inthe time the pain In the tho womans woman's face No 1 he said saIl the they an any left Oh I dont don't know said tho the other in exaggerated offhandedness hitching his holsters a a. bit to tho the fore forc No I dont don't know Inow Im I'm goin up on Sleepy Fork right now The men of the tho old days shot said tho the old old old rancher with cont contemptuous contemptuous con con- t sarcasm they didn't talk Its It's the mark of ot th the new West West these talkers like like like- Tho The sentence was sas never finished There was a a. startled Whoa from the old timer on the boot a gathering of ot taut lines a t cracking grind of tho the brake and the tho lumbering old stage lurched to a stand in the presence of ot TIm grim tragedy At th the tho side of tho the road whore where It turned around cm a 0 shoulder and spread out In a wide ledge a dozen men went about a work so wild so BO amazing In its steady grimness as to bring forward forward forward for for- ward with a Jerk that old West of which the little company in Sn the stage I were speaking With their backs to a n. ragged pine their arms pinioned at nt their sides and their silver stars gleaming gleaming- ridiculously ridiculous ridiculous- ly on their khaki shirts two officers of the tho luw watched In white wrath tho the deliberations of the rest These others nino men in cor corduroys uros wide hats and flannel shirts were I masked Ono One man alone alono was bareheaded bare bare- headed headd d bare balo faced and ho he stood among them with his hands tied and a rope about his neck Ho Tie was a n bad hall I type a heavy Y featured bold eyed manhoso man maim whoso whose record of or evil ovll was stamped upon Ullon his face tace Ono One of ot time the others was casting the loose end for tor a high h limb as lS tho the newcomers new mw comers corners stopped abreast With a n disdainful disregard ard for in interference interference interference in- in thI this bunch of ot avengers worked In silence not even eyen protesting against tho the stopping of the H stage Not so the two officers against as the tho tree For Tor Gods God's alce salce cried one hoarsely hoarse hoarse- ly h. set got out of ot there you ou men men and stop this outrage This man is our prisoner suspected prisoner suspected horse thief f from tram Sleepy Sleep Fork Fork and and w wc wc were taking him to Circle to the federal jail when these men took him from tram us h by force For Forthe Forthe Forthe the love lovo of ot God Cod do something Tho The rancher macher opened the stage f. f door and stepped out followed b by the weman woman wo wo- man man whoso whose c ryes eyes es were wide and beginning beginning beginning begin begin- ning to Tho The drummer cowered In tho farthest corner The bully bulb got Jot out ont slowly the grin going from tram his tac fac face Tho The big black guns In his holster at attracted attracted attracted at- at tho time eyes of or the sheriff l deputize you rou he lie yelled Cut these ropes and gl a mo a 3 gun Ull Stop them Ulem For tho first time ono one of or tho masked men spoke Just keep out outs out of or this A As theres there's theresa therosa a lady present Id I'd advise you OU to drive on Better quit this sort of or work put In tho the rancher macher weve a gunman hero one one of ot tho time few old han handlers lers left I r think holl plug plu the first man maim who moves rno He jerk Jerked d hi his hand toward the bully buny ItH bo be his duty you duty you heard him I deputized And nd ho ma makes cs I It a a. pint to i shoot fancy hon hos ben tellin us Tho The laughed grimly behind I his mask Why Why y wh why said Id tho the bull bully why this hant At this moment the ropo rope sailed over the tho high limb fell swung was caught b by a n dozen eager hands ant and snatched 1 taut in an nn Instant My God cried tho the sheriff My r God The Tho masked man who had h spoken whirled upon tho the newcomers whipped out a gun and pressed them lack hack torether to- to nether ether with ono one sweep of ot hl his hand Ready he snapped One two Ono two three three three-go-I'S go o l 1 Unbelievable Unbelievable- In the cl clear ar mountain sunlight the tho tragedy began i its enactment enact enact- meat ment Tho The eight el ht masked men stepped back backall nIl all to together r. r took good grip their hands reaching high along tho the rope nn and 1 liftIng liftIng lift- lift Ing lag one ono foot toot each e. for tor purchase and start heaved hard away Tho rancher was waa old In tho the ways of or ortho tho time wilderness and md be ho stood silent being being be be- ing only his dilating kindly C eyes showing his horror The bull bully was agape n with his hands up transfixed In m tho tim presence of ot death I Only tho the handsome woman be be- be I i I hind them was keenly alive it seemed As tho the tragic line lino swayed tautly backward backward back back- ward and down her two white han hands s. s from which sho she had stripped her gloves loves reached forward Tho The sensitive fingers ingers closed caressingly around tho the gun butts at the tho bullys bully's hips there was a n. flash of ot gun un metal a a. spring of ot tho the slim blue clad figure 1 uro to one ono aldo and tho next Instant the hills awoke to thunder as tho the horse thief thiel rose struggling struggling- Inthe in inthe inthe the air The first shot ahot a perceptible second apart was for the tho spokesman who covered covered cov coy ered tho the two men and the tIme driver on the box hox and it sent his gun Un hurtling against ag tho the rocks of the tho roadside Then hen In such swift succession as to seem a no roaring volle volley the black guns spoke to together and one b by one like liko leaves falling in a wind every cery second secondhand secondhand secondhand hand dropped red and shattered from the rope above e their heads The miserable thing at the ropes rope's end fell to tho the earth in a heap hrop Yells screams curses rose In fantastic fantastic fantastic fan fan- clamor as five tho men flung useless useless use use- Je less s arms in panic The others their grip so low 10 a as to be shielded b by their com comrades comrades' rad c bodies sprang away awny 1 Dont move said Slid a clear voice cuttingly cuttingly cut cut- tingly I have havo a few shots left In m my Cu guns ns She no nodded cd to tho the rancher Loosen that rope on the mans man's neck Thanks Now No tho the officers There was waI not a sound a as tho the rancher r-ancher helped the shaking culprit to his feet teet and cut the tho cords of ot the tho two officers only onh tho time breathing of excited menNow menNow men Now ow said tho the woman at last youma you ma may go all Jo all of ot you ou And Amid dont don't look back bacle Without protest the masked d line lino strung out out a n grotesque procession and amid disappeared down the white while road road its progress marked b by trailing in tho the dust Then speech broke out among those left and the officers nn and time the old driver were for tor almost groveling STO before her My r God What Nerve er e Where do you ou come como from 1 rye seen a range queen of ot tho the ol old days das come back How flow did you do it Jt But tho the woman only smiled and would answer nothing She handed tho the black guns to the gunman with a smile Tho Time West Vest what it was sho she said gold d. d Its ben berm b by damn damned d Johnny Johnn h I But nut tho the bully had no word He lie simply simply simply sim sim- ply climbed upon tho the boot beside the tIm driver And when tho the rancher and tho time woman woman wo wo- man waving farewell to the tho sheriff sherIf and lila his hi prisoner got Insl 10 the they found the little litHo traveling traveling- man fainted in his cor cor- ner nor At sundown the stage lumbered Into tho the forgotten town among the tho moun moun- Tho The woman looked wistfully around with tho the light of dim bored timings things In her eyes As they alighted at the tho tumble down shack that had been once Meadow Mines Mine's hotel the tho rancher took off his hat as ho he helped her out I r lOa may be buttin In on what you ou dont don't want to talk about he said Id but Ivo Ive seen Big Bill Dall Dally Daily shoot the tho buttons ort oft a abad abod bad bod mans mann V vest an ho had bad a n draw like no onos ono's In the world A sort of ot nip and flourish You his draw His bright kindly held eyes an nn Unspoken unspoken un un- spoken question The Tho woman smiled Why Vb shouldn't I n she sho said calmly calm cairn I ly Im his Ills daughter Ho iTo tau taught ht mo me how to shoot before he lie died ten years rs ago bO |