Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

THE DUKE AND THE DUCATS " which had not cost a cent less than sixty dollars completed his costume. His face was weatherbeaten until it wasamahogany color, and two very cold, very keen green eyes looked speculatively at the flyers. They were narrowed, and there were a ‘million wrinkles around them.«, His nose was long, and jutted forth boldly above a neatly trimmed mustache. He was a curious contrast—the clothes of a dandy, and the appearance of an oldtime cow- puncher. “Just a answered. One of the other two men laughed. He was tall and lean and dark faced, and his lips looked to be the kind which could twist easily into a sneer. He was dressed sloppily, his clothes spotted with oil. “Yo’re plannin’ to stay that long? What fur?” It was the little leader again, and his eyes flitted from one face to the other. There was a challenge in his soft voice—a sort of metallic ring. Daly looked at him in amazement at the question. “That,” he stated evenly, “would seem to be our business.” The leader’s face did not change, but the other two men chuckled. Not a par- ticularly mirthful chuckle, Daly decided with rising interest. The third man was short and powerfully built, a disreputable sombrero cocked on one side of his head and making his scarred face look some- what tougher than it would have ordi- narily. “Pretty cocky, eh, Newt?” he in- quired, and the leader turned on him quickly. “Keep yore trap shut!” he said softly, couple of days,” Daly and the trap was shut without argument. “Yo’re Border Patrolmen, ain’t yuh?” he asked quietly, and those eyes were like gimlets. “Yes,” nodded Tex. here on a visit.” The leader expectorated a large quan- tity of tobacco juice. “The hell yuh say,” he drawled. “I notice yuh brought yore guns.” “But we're just His eyes were on the machine guns which were mounted on the ship. His two companions drifted around the air- plane, as though looking it over. MacDowell was leaning negligently against the side of the fuselage, his hand playing with his Colt idly. Daly saw his eyes flame suddenly. His drawl was very slow when he finally spoke, but the danger signals were flying. Something in the at- titude of the outwardly inoffensive little rider had aroused Daly’s gorge, as well. “Well, what the hell of it?” MacDowell asked him softly. The stranger’s eyes flitted from Daly’s to MacDowell’s. He walked forward slowly. The other two men, out of sight on the other side of the ship, made no sound. As he came forward the rider pushed his sombrero far back on his head, and Duke could see more of his face. He had a lantern jaw, hollow, creased cheeks, and those eyes, seen more plainly, were very wintry looking. “Plenty of it, Mr. Patrolman!” he said with that harsh timbre suddenly obvious once more. “You wasn’t sent for, was you?” “No. We're not here on business.” “So you said. I’m tellin’ you some- thin’. You better go. Verona don’t want you. We can handle our own affairs around here, and don’t need no help from outsiders!” Daly could scarcely believe his ears. He took a step forward, glancing mean- ingly at Tex. “Listen, stranger,” he said in that cool, detached voice of his, “‘we didn’t ask you for any advice. And we expect to do just as we damn’ please. We told you we weren’t here on duty, but whether we are or not is none of your business. And since you’ve mentioned it, who the hell gave you any authority to speak for Verona?” “Yo’re pretty cocky, you boys, ain’t you?” drawled the Verona man con- temptuously. “I’m jest tellin’ you two things. We're havin’ a special election t’morrow, and I’m one o’ the candidates for the job o’ runnin’ this town. We comicloooks.com