Show THE DOING BETTER FICTION ION CORNER By Richard H. H Wilkinson J T T LAURIE AURIE Sam Edgewater's pretty La daughter brought in the news Theres a nester squatting In our lower range she said Hes buildIng buildIng buildIng build- build Ing himself a home and when I told him to pack up and get out he laughed at me More than that he was rude and in insulting insulting in in- suiting Minute Sam Sam Edgewater 3 3 Fiction ter er too took one look into his daughters daughter's daughters daughter's daughters daughter's daugh daugh- ter's angry eyes and sent for Tex Tremont and Chuck Wellington Tex and Chuck had worked for him for 20 years Sam explained briefly w what h hat a t Laurie had said and added Well ride down and warn him off No violence this first trip But well we'll make it clear he aint going to be allowed to stay This heres here's my myland myland myland land by right of it En route to the lower range Sam fell to wondering how it was that the nester had proved insulting A young man was hewing logs In a clearing when the trio rode up He drove his axe Into a tree trunk and looked up at them smiling pleasantly Howdy gents he said Climb down and squat awhile Never mind the formalities mis mIs- ter Im I'm Sam Edgewater and I own this property We dont don't tolerate nesters They told me I could come down here and pick myself a home It'd be mine if I improved it some And AndI I 1 aim to improve it This heres here's been my property for 20 years Its It's mine by right of conquest conquest con con- quest Sam roared I IThe if it The redhead grinned Well you got papers to prove its it's yours I suppose Ill I'll have to get off oU OtherwIse Otherwise Otherwise Other Other- wise Im I'm staying Sams Sam's face grew purple He turned to Chuck and Tex Boys you forget forget forget for for- get what I said about this jigger Were We're gonna have a showdown showdown show show- down right now Kick him out None of them saw the redhead move but suddenly he had a gun gunin gunin gunin in his hand It exploded and Tex I r k d x x 2 The redhead wasn't grinning groining None of them saw him move but bu suddenly he had a gun In his hand was staring down at his shattered wrist s The redhead wasn't grinning Hai Hei HOI looked at Chuck Well mister Iguess I Ii guess youre you're Edgewater's hired gunman gunman gunman gun- gun man too How about it it want to try your pay Chuck looked mad but helpless He wasn't a fooL Sam recover recovered after a moment from the shock 0 of what had bad happened He ordered his men back on their horses O 0 K Kt he be said You win this play Re Red 1 but well we'll be back Yeah jeered the redhead UN Next ext time bring a dozen with you IGHT DAYS later Sam rode down downto E EIGHT to the lower Jower range at the head of ot ot seven grim-faced grim punchers Son said Sam Edgewater wo we dont don't want to hurt you none but we aim to kick you off this land You must have sense enough to realize you aint got a chance playing a alone alone alone lone hand The redhead grinned The government government gov gov- he said allowed I could have this here land However you look to me like a square shooter so Ill I'll make you a square proposition Ill I'll take on any three of your heroes 1 t tn marry your daughter if they beat me Agree not to what Sam bellowed bel bel- lowed The redhead looked surprised Shucks he said I thought Laurie Lauric had bad told you we were fixin to get married You see sec I kissed her the first day she sho come down here and that sort son of 01 settled things things- Laurie Is what this young whippersnapper whippersnapper whip whip- says true Is It Laurie looked at the young whIp whIp- then at her father H uH He did kiss me that first day I 1 came cam down she said Sam stared at her and swore under under under un un- un- un der his breath After a moment he turned his horse and galloped away and the punchers galloped after him Laurie confronted the redhead and her eyes were angry That she said was about th the most the most the most most- Her expression softened because Red was grinning The most unromantic way of at proposing proposing proposing pro pro- posing she finished I 1 can do better said Red Want me to Laurie didn't answer She didn't didn ha have vo to |