Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

oa Te. - — ' “Then take the wife along.” Carlton read a warning in it. “What's the idea?” he asked. “Jim Black. Been watchin’ him. Finch’ll prob’ly git well, Goin’ to a hos- ital down below, mebbe. May git well. ad ry?” *You mean?” “T dunno. Not sure. Anyhow, git her out of town. If Black likes her, there’s trouble. If not, means trouble anyhow, Mebbe Black might hang around a woman jest to start somethin’. Husband flies off the handle, mebbe. Brings things to a show-down. Savvy?” “Oh—rats! It sounds too far-fetched!” The eyes of the old boss narrowed under their heavy brows. “Sure!” he admitted. “Sounds like melly- drammy. Only, let’s suppose — things. S’pose you was an old crook. Used a fine valley to trap suckers, Trapped a lot. Then a sucker came along who wouldn’t suck. Fought it out. Shot you in the leg. Hit you with a fence-rail. Watched you all the time with field-glasses. you had a gunman obliged to you for favors. Then what?” The boss concluded very slowly, making each word tell, ‘“‘And s’pose you was doin’ a lot of other queer business and this young sucker was livin’ a mite too close to you?” “Great Scott!” said Carlton. is this ‘other business’?” “Dunno. Mebbe I'll find outsoon, Sent a letter down to the county-seat to a law- yer.” “You? Dealing with a lawyer?” “Yep. Gotta git information. I work through Bill Campbell. On the quiet. I’m in bad with the county gang down below.” “County gang?” ~ “Sure. Office-holders. They don’t like me. Sheriff came up here once to git a man. The man was innocent. I kicked the sheriff out. The district attommey came. [ kicked him out. Deputy sheriffs came. They got kicked out, too.” * Carlton visualized the exciting picture. *Alone?’’ he asked. “No; I had a few huskies with me. Held off the whole mob till we co They got the party they wanted. " Gave him a legal trial. Freed him, accordin’ to agreement. I was made a deputy sheriff. Iam yet. They keep outahere. I keep “But what And s’pose- to agreements made after a free-for-all fight! And yet it seemed in keeping. It was as natural to this country as its sage-brush, its rattle- snakes, its heat and its careless population. “Huh,” commented the engineer, “it must be a fine gang of politicians down at the county-seat!” “Fine gang is tl” a esa the oe “Cheap crooks. Think they can git away ean in Some day ? they'll wake up! But mealone. I’m not in on their deals; oe out of mine. Peace rules—mebbe. Think you'll take the wife back to your ranch?” “IT don’t know,” considered Carlton. “Maybe I will. I'd like to have her with me, anyhow.” “Got plenty money?” “Couple of thousand left. I guess I can pull thro “Plenty more if you want it, Your credit’s good with me. Go as far as you like.” “Thanks.” Glad of the backing but not wishing to take advantage of it unless necessary, Carlton was about to join his wife, who looked as if she had heard much of the conversation. She her lips to say something just as a husky, excited man in corduroys and blue shirt came clattering through the doorway. “Hey, Dolan!” he bawled. “Heard the news?” “No. What?” “Cale Snow, your teamster, i dead at Mesquite Springs!” VII THE boss slammed a fist on the counter. In an instant his face was red with wrath. The cords on his bull neck were swollen, while his eyes seemed like lambent flames. Ehamirieibel ins : ™ e dh sar 4 - " = ee i ee. tie bas, by ie er . ee. a oe