Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

. 2. sez I, ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath;’ so I’m a-tryin’ to make things neighborly again. Now abaout them hosses.” Finch waved them away. “It wasn’t the loss, it was only the principle of the thing. It don’t look friendly to pizen hosses. You kin see that yourself. But now we kin forgit them things—that is, if you want to stay here. Mebbe you don’t want to.” Finch’s eyes showed a crafty look. ‘Let me hear your offer,’’ demanded Carlton tersely. “Well—you been right decent abaout that stock while I was away in the hors- pittle; so I calc’late I kin skeer up mebbe six thousan’ or so——” “T paid eight thousand!” reminded Carl- ton. “Well, you couldn’t expect me to give that much, considerin’ me bein’ sick with eary-sipilis with all sorts of doctor bills and a danged white nurse that cost me twenty- five dollars a week. ’Tain’t fair. I’m a sick man. You wouldn’t take advantage of me bein’ sick, would you?” The wheedling, self-pitying whine made Carlton want to hit the man. “Your price is too low!’’ he snapped. ““Well—'tain’t exac’ly the right thing to take advantage of a sick man that hain’t hisself yit; it seems like things is comin’ sorter hard fer me—sorter hard—but ‘Live an’ let live’ is my mottow; so mebbe I kin skeer up eight thousan’, Mebbe I kin borry an’ put myself into debt.” He stopped and sighed but received no satisfaction. . . “TI might be able to git even nine thou- san’.”’ He glanced sideways but got no response. “Or mebbe ten thousan’. I dunno, I reckon a man gits old an’ fool- ish. That land 4in’t wuth ten thousan’, but you’re a young feller, an’ mebbe it’s better fer you to have the money than a poor ol’ man with jest a few years to live.” He sighed lugubriously. “It’s takin’ ad- vantage of a poor, sick ol’ man, but——” Carlton leaned over the fence. “Do you know how much I'll take?” he shouted. “Lemme hear it.” “One million dollars!” _ Finch’s jaw sagged. : “Why—why—that’s plum’ foolish!” he gasped. a S. = ertan The whole talk is foolish! You couldn’t get this ranch for al f tt ig at - The Boss of Mirage his arm and shoulder muscles, and the crush- lish! glance the engineer saw a cold malevo all Gos ae dangerond as the tyres oF anaken ] a a money you've got! Now you get across that field and stay there! Move!” ml Finch’s jaw quit sagging and clamped to- q gether. «¥ “That hain’t the way to talk!” he pro- tested, 4 “Git!’”? snapped Carlton, pointing toward the upper ranch. The mandate seemed to touch some hid- ; den spring that threw away a mask. “Who?r Me?” The old miser trembled fora moment. “Hey? Hey? You'll talk outa the other side of yer maouth pretty soon! Dang you, I’ve hed abaout enough of ye! You hoss-pizenin’, sneakin’, spyin’ city-bred mongrel—l’ve stood fer yer non- sense abaout long enough! You git aout of this valley in ten days—the hull pack an’ passel of ye—or I'll give ye a taste of some- thin’ you’ll never git over! I'll show you! Huh—I’ll show you!” The engineer, at first startled by the transformation, looked one moment into the’ hectic face of Finch and then quietly started along the fence toward the front gate. He reached the gate before Finch was half finished, and he reached Finch just as . the latter came to the end. Finch backed away with his feet, but his mouth held its ground manfully. “Don’t you start nothin’,” he warned. “You hit me, an’ I’ll make things so hot | you'll wish you’d never saw the place! Carlton lashed out. It was his only comment. An instant later he regretted it. He had not properly gaged the growth of ‘ a «ie ing blow knocked Finch half-way across the lane. It crashed into that snarling, leering face just below the eye, and, when the en- gineer lifted the dizzy man up, he sawa bluish welt on that countenance as big as an) ol g. ' Carlton had struck a man just out of — the hospital. His temper disappeared in a flood of blame for himself. He lifted the — almost tenderly and stood him on his “T’m sorry,” he said contritely, before he saw how foolish the remark sounded. “Sorry you’re sick, that is,” he amended. | “If you were well, now, I'd take pleasure in knocking your head off!” < ae The victim gave him one look, and i ; i nce ae But = Pa Pre ous as the fangs of a snake. ~~ Eeomicbooks.com *