Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

4 %, tingle. The doubts and depressions were swept away instantly as if banished by a fairy hand. The knowledge that he pos- sessed this beautiful girl made him realize that, even though perplexities sprang up on every side, his game was worth playing. And then immediately another distraction made his brows wrinkle. How long could this beautiful young wife go about such a place without complications starting? Carlton knew the general chivalry of the West, but he also knew the free-and-easy attitude of men accustomed to dance-hall girls and the less free-and-easy ideas of certain others who were not accustomed to being balked. The first complication along these lines came late in the afternoon, when Carlton returned to the hotel after looking over some men who might assist him to hold his little - yalley. His wife was seated on the ve- randa, and alongside her was the quiet, well-mannered Jim Black! Black arose courteously when the en- gineer arrived, and the engineer seated him- self, feeling that Black was just a bit enter- The Boss prising. es . “Mr. Black has just been telling me about ' Anam and Hue,” explained the wife, with a smile, 4 ‘What? i “Anam and Hue and Bangkok and Singa- pore and a lot of other places. Mr. Black } has been all over the Orient!’ She said it : as if she had made a find. The engineer’s eyes narrowed. He knew from many instances how the East Coast blunts the morals of all but the strongest of men, and he began to appraise Black better. : Black was a Westerner, all right, but he did not fit into this settlement. He belonged im some seaport town like San Francisco or Seattle. Yet he had been here for a long time. What was the answer? What was he hiding from? And Silent Jim had been talkative! “Td like to hear of Mr. Black’s travels— all of them,” said Carlton with malicious 1 courtesy. : ‘ Black’s cold gray eyes flashed sideways % i an instant, but his reply was peace- if * “Pleased to, some day,” he replied, arising. “T’ll have to move along now. \ Got to see a friend. Good day, Mrs. Carl- ton; good day, Carlton!” And, tipping We his hat, he was off. = 3 * ee . a! There was a long period of silence on the porch. ‘“He’s a mystery to me,” said the wife H at length. . “To every one,” grunted Carlton. He z produced a pipe and started filling it. “I ‘ guess it’s best to let him alone,” he con- cluded. The girl’s brown eyes flickered as she . considered this. “Well,” she offered, “he seems to be about the best in the camp.” “Maybe. Still, it might be wise to let him alone. I don’t trust him.” “Neither do I, exactly,” she admitted. “That’s why I’m curious about him. There’s something—something going on somewhere, and he’s in it, and I don’t know what it is.” The engineer smiled grimly. “You mean you want to pump him?” “I might be able to.” The calm optimism of this innocent young girl made Carlton gulp. He changed his tactics. “Know what a bobcat is?” he asked suddenly. “It’s alynx—a wildcat. Highly excitable. Well, if you want a real good time, go get a nice lively one, bring it up close to you and then ask it questions. It’s no more dangerous than fooling with Jim Black, and you'll get just as much information!” . ya his own way and got something, He was not really hoping for infor- mation, but anything that came into his net was welcome. He and Black hap- pened to get together two days after Carlton came to town, and they sat at Dolan’s back-room table, where the boss ~ spun his webs. a. *. DAN DOLAN, however, tried it in - “How’s Finch gittin’ along?” asked Dolan casually, over a glass of beer. a “Dunno,” said Black. i “They say he’s got eary-sipilis,” volun- teered the boss. “Pizen. There’s dirt in 3 the wound.” a Black nodded. te ‘Bum doctor!’’ continued the boss. = Gs Black nodded again. >: a “Doctor prob’ly let dirt git in,” offered Dolan. ‘New doctor comin’ from down- cranes to look him over. Finch’ll prob’ly gi WEL. é i . J of Toy _ Black lifted a beer glass to his mouth > , ‘ ' = aed = “i rh £ aig » ~ ‘a eas os ,