Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

30 THOMSON BURTIS You will find, on the Mexican side of the river, a field with a white cross in it. You will land there. If there are other ships in the air, all will be lost. If you have guns on your ship, all will be lost. You will land. If all is correct, a man will meet you, and you will be directed where to fly to give over the money and to return Lieutenant Mac- Dowell to his father. If nothing happens, surely you would not expect us to let him go free?” He waited a moment for reply. He was enjoying himself to the hilt, the outwardly composed but inwardly boiling Daly could see. Tex was a streak of flame. He was half crouched, ready to spring on all those guns at once. “Now,” the leader went on with relish, “we shall proceed. Bind Mr. Ivers and Mr. Daly, caballeros. I know that Mr. Ivers and Mr. MacDowell, senior, are partners. There will be no excuse for lack of money.” — For a second Daly considered showing his hand. The next instant he discarded the idea. Doubtless he and Tex would be deader than doornails the second he denounced Ivers. As he stood quietly, allowing his hands to be bound behind his back and his ankles to be strapped, he thought things through. If Ivers was a secret ally of Derringer, he was doubt- lessly in league with these bandits. A kidnaping of Tex—he would be justified, from the world’s point of view, in put- ting up the money without even consult- ing the elder MacDowell. The very next day, as a matter of fact. “Our little trip down here was figured to put about sixty thousand dollars of Tex’s father’s money into the pockets of Ivers and Derringer!’ Daly reflected. Suddenly the fat, flabby, basilisk eyed Ivers became a monster to him. Never had he felt so utterly repelled by a per- sonality as he was by the man who had suddenly become like an unclean animal. Double crossing his dearest friend, un- hesitatingly committing him to mental anguish and enriching himself, hke a ghoul... “Buenas noches!” The bandit leader was standing in the doorway, looking down at the two bound and gagged men. Daly was lying three or four feet from Ivers. “J’ll be all right, Duke,”’ Tex said, his voice choked with fury. The outlaw put out the light, and Daly could hear the door lock click. ITHOUT a second’s delay Daly writhed across the floor toward Ivers. With his back to the merchant, he felt with his fettered hands for the hands of his enemy. The bonds on Ivers were very loose. Tex was in no special danger, he reflected. However, something always to be figured was part of the temperament of the Texan. He ‘would seize the slightest excuse_ for making a break. The getaway to the Border must be all arranged for, of course. And men who would dare, under no matter what protection, to kidnap an Army officer would certainly take no chances. Nor would they hesitate to shoot, and shoot to kill, if necessary. Above all, the situation at Verona de- manded cleaning up. From Ivers and Derringer and Donnelly and those men, on whom there was no absolutely ironclad evidence which would hold in court, he could expect no confession. In that bandit gang, however, there would be men who would talk. Ivers’ hands were free. His bonds had been a joke. He untied his ankles, and the Duke heard him get to his feet. The next moment the light was on again, and the fat storekeeper was untying Daly. ‘This is a hell of a note,” he was saying, his full moon face woebegone. ‘“‘Bill’ll never forgive me for this.” As Daly got to his feet he was wonder- ing for the dozenth time whether the gamblers had gotten word to Ivers that the flyers had known that their signals had been given away. He decided that the chances of that were slim. They could not be sure, anyhow. Nothing could be gained, and every- thing lost, possibly, by giving away his comicloooks.com