Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

118 carrying the child, was safe from gunshot. It was a moot question whether he could run him down on Pete, who was still labor- ing for breath. And there was always the question of what the desperate man might do to the child if hard put to it. The safety of the baby demanded quick action, and he prepared to take a chance that only his skill rendered possible, a trick that the cowmen sometimes played on each other in their rough play-time frolics. Twisting and turning among the cactus thickets came two riders, the foremost hug- ging a child to his breast with one arm, the second quirting viciously at a laboring horse, =< “Halt!” cried the two cowboys simultane- ously, leveling their rifles. With an oath the second man felt for his pistol, setting spurs to his stumbling horse. Sam’s Winchester spat and the kidnapper swerved in his saddle, clutching at the horn. A second shot brought the horse crashing to the ground, throwing the rider heavily. Sam dismounted and walked toward him, carrying his rifle at his hip. Sandy fired from the saddle and the reins fell from Ham- mond’s right hand to his horse’s neck. The outlaw cursed as the bullet pierced his wrist, dropped his quirt and clasped the child in » both arms, urging on the animal with knee and spur and voice. Sandy hesitated a second, his finger on the trigger, half tempted to fire again, re- luctant to adopt his last expedient. Then he flung his rifle into the cactus and started in pursuit, sending out his lariat in widen- ing circles as he rode. Pete, fired with the chase, responded gal- lantly, gaining leap by leap in the desperate spurt his master called for, racing directly behind the other horse until both were in exact line. Sandy kept him there until ‘both were free of the cactus. Then his lips tightened and his arm shot out. The rope coils flew ahead, straightened with the loop, rigid as wire, poised for an eye-wink before it fell, settling inexorably, pinioning Hammond’s arms tightly about the child. Sandy snubbed the rope to his horn and Pete stood rigid to the shock as Hammond hurtled from the saddle, dragged squarely over the cantle free of the stirrups landing with a smash upon neck and shoul- ders on the soft dirt. Adventure There was a cloud of dust into which — Sandy, swiftly springing from his saddle, ran, pistol in hand, while Pete maintained the tension of the lariat. The man lay senseless from the unexpect- ed shock. Sandy hastened to throw off the rope and lift the arms that had involuntar- ily cushioned the child in safety. He picked up the baby and held it, frightened, whimpering, but unhurt, on his left arm and stood with ready gun surveying Hain- mond. “Yore neck wasn’t meant to be broken that way,” he said, as the man moaned and opened his eyes. “Here, Sam—” as the latter joined him, the second man, shot through the shoulder, walking sullenly ahead of him—‘“‘you han- dle these two. You'll have to mount ’em- on one hawss. Betteh take ’em oveh to the ines shorter. I’ll take care of the VII THE sheriff’s posse, swelled by the cowboys of the Curly O under the direction of Mormon who had brought in the Mexican to the ranch, rode swiftly through the gathering dusk. Fast as they sped, ahead of them gal- loped Barbara and her husband, closely fol- lowed by Barton. As they topped a rise they drew rein for an instant to determine their direction. “Hush,” said Barbara, her hand on her husband’s arm. ‘‘Listen.” Through the fragrant sage in the twilight, beneath the brightening stars, came a tired horse and its master, who held a little bun- dle close cuddled in one arm. A deep voice crooned tenderly: Se “Said the coyote to the ca’f, ‘Yore motheh was a fr’end of mine,' I loved her like my otheh ha’f An’ aim to treat ye jes’ as fine.’ ” “Sandy!” called Barbara Redding, her eager eyes outmatching any of the stars. “Sandy!” The tired horse pricked up its ears and whinnied. ‘Hush up, Pete,” said Sandy. “Here he is, Miss Bahba’a. The li’l son-of-a-gun’s asleep.” (€(0) Wook (EO)