Adventure Trails, February 1929 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

-gringoes value your precious hides most highly.” ne “HERE was a moment of silence, for Ted could think of nothing to say. The derisive tone of the voice sent an angry rush of blood to his head, but a man __with his hands in the air is not a heroic spectacle. The sharp clatter of gravel down the trail towards the town came faintly to his ears, and with a muttered exclama- tion Ted lowered his hands. For an in- stant he stood glaring down into the dying embers of his fire, and then he grinned sheepishly. “Ted, you're still sensitive in the pedal extremities, I guess. What a downright tenderfoot you showed up to be, hombre! Now you’ve got to go and change your answer to Wilson.” The smile lost some- thing of its humor, and the glint of the stars above was warm compared with the light that flashed for a moment in the blue eyes of the American. “Yes, sir, you’ve got to change the answer Wilson’s going to carry back to the chief. 3 “This time it'll be just ‘yes’ without any qualifications whatever.” He stared down the trail in the direction of the town, and again the cold blue light flick- ered in his eyes. “And don’t forget you asked for it yourself, my peculiar friend!” he muttered softly. He started whistling softly, under his breath, a trick of his when very thought- ful, and got ready to turn in. All traces : had left his face now, and only a slight | frown between his brows marred its : serenity. “Peculiar! Darned peculiar! Last night you saved my life; to-night you threaten it. What a country ! What a people!” he exclaimed. Ted had recognized the voice in the dark with the first word uttered. He knew that he had made no mistake in his in- stant identification of the man who had exacted his promise. It was the soft, youthful voice of the slim young blue-eyed Mexican. A. T. | and extended his hand. THE First CLUE — FS early the next morning Ted broke camp and looked up Wilson, =—S— whom he found ready for the trail. peer Se “Changed my mind, old man!” he re- marked smilingly, making sure that there was no one around to overhear the con- versation. “I’m taking the job.” Wilson was too old a hand to ask ques- — tions. He merely nodded approviagy. “I’m glad of that,” he said quietly. “y think you'll find the chief is right, and he'll be glad to hear you’re on the job. He thinks a lot of you. And now I'll say — so long: it’s a weary trail I’ve got ahead, and I’m not so young as I was! Good luck !” Ted watched him out of sight, and then = turned his horse’s head the other way and a trotted slowly down the north trail out — ; of Scaja. He was going back to the mine without a single one of the men he had come for, but he felt that he had something more important to attend to. The little incident of the night before had convinced him that there was something serious in the air; an invisible menace,. yet one that was at the same time all too real. If his aroused instincts were right, there was no time to be lost. Steadily he jogged along the rough, barely discernible trail, winding, twisting, first up and then down, over and around the heavily wooded foothills. It was an all-day ride to the mine, and he could not push the horse too fast. By noon he had made better than half the trip, which was good. He would reach his destina- tion before dark. He stopped for a few moments to cat, letting his horse drink a little from a little stream that dashed madly down thc hill- — side. A corn husk cigarette, dextrously rolled, topped off the meal. He was just == about to apply a match to his creation ae when the clatter of hoofs coming down the trail galvanized him to instant action. = j_- His carbine was across his knees when -comicboo KS