Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

“Sure there are, but there’s only one Blakely. Oh, it was him all ight. m “Whoever it was, I’m goin’ to wander over onto the 88 range tomorrow, if Red or Hock’ll lend me a Winchester.” “Take mine,” said Hockling. “Red’s throws off a little.” “She does,” admitted Red Kane, ‘‘but my cartridges don’t. Ill give ye a hull box.” Followed then much profane comment relative to the 88 ranch, and the crass stu- pidity of Mr. Saltoun. “T see yo’re packin’ a Winchester,”’ said Loudon to Johnny Ramsay, when Hock- ling and Red had turned i in. “Hunter’s trip,” explained Johnny, his eyes twinkling. ‘The Old Man’s got his own ideas about this rustlin’, so he sent me over to scamper round the 88 range an’ see what I could see. I guess I'll travel with you a spell.” “Fine!’ said Loudon. “Fine. I was wishin’ for company. If we’re jumped we’d ought to be able to give ’em a right pleas- ant little surprise.” _ Johnny Ramsay rolled a cigarette and gazed in silence at the dying fire for some minutes. Loudon, his hands clasped behind his head, stared upward at the star-dusted heavens. But he saw neither the stars nor the soft blackness. He saw Kate and Blakely and thick-headed Mr. Saltoun bending over his desk, and he was wonder- ing how it all would end. “Say,” said Johnny Ramsay suddenly, “this here holdup cut down on ye from be- hind a rock, didn’t he?” “Sure did,” replied Loudon. “Which side did he fire from?” “Why, the hind side.” “T ain’t tryin’ to be funny. left side or the right side?” “The right side,” Loudon replied, after a moment’s thought. “Vore right side?” “Yep.” 3 “That would make it his left side. Did ye ever stop to think, Tom, that Blakely shoots a Colt right-handed an’ a Winches- ter left-handed?”’ Loudon swore sharply. “Now, how did I come to forget that!” he exclaimed. ‘O’ course he does.” “Guess Mr. Blakely’s elected,” said Johnny Ramsay. “Seems likely.” Was it the Paradise Bend 3 EARLY next morning Loudon and ® Ramsay rode northward along the bank of the Pack+saddle. They vis- ited first the boulder a quarter of a mile be- low the mud-hole. Here they found empty cartridge-shells, and the marks of boot- heels. They forded the creek at the ledge above the mud-hole, where the cows had been driven across, and started westward. They were careful to ride the low ground at first, but early in the afternoon they climbed the rocky slope of Little Bear Mountain. From the top they surveyed the surround- ing country. They saw the splendid stretch- es of the range specked here and there with dots that were cows, but they saw no riders. They rode down the mountainside and turned into a wide draw, where pines and tamaracks grew slimly. At the head of the draw, where it sloped abruptly upward, was a brushless wood of tall cedars, and here, as they rode in among the trees, a calf bawled suddenly. They rode toward the sound and came upon a dead cow. At the cow’s side stood a lonely calf. At sight of the men the calf fled lumberingly. Ramsay unstrapped his rope and gave his horse the spur. Loudon dismounted and examined the dead cow. When Ramsay returned with the calf, Lou- don was squatting on his heels, rolling a cigarette. “There y’are,”’ ing his free hand toward the cow. evidence for ye. Ears slit with the 88 mark, an’ the 88 brand over the old Bar-S. Leg broke, an’ a hole in her head. She ain’t been dead more’n a oe What do you reckon?” “That the 88 are —— fools. Why didn’t they skin her?” “Too lazy, I guess. That calf’s branded an’ earmarked all complete. Never was branded before neither.” “Sure. An’ the brand’s about two days old. Just look at it. Raw yet.” “Same date asits ma’s. They done some slick work with a wet blanket on that cow, but the Bar-S is plain underneath. Give the cow a month, if she’d lived, an’ ye’d never know but what she was born 88.” “Oh, they’re slick, the pups!” exclaimed Johnny Ramsay. “The Old Man ought to see this. When Old Salt throws his eyes on that branding Tl gamble he’ll change his views some.” 147 observed Loudon, wav-. “There’s . @)inyicelexeve) (E(8) aah ‘ Bt tt i ay - ? pe 7 , ' <b hi ahhh tA ae Rr cae ede see ee " had. RB) ¥ ” re rd a a4 ‘ Py : Tie MA 2) a Us pethde SUP eG fi : ot ale - iM he. Ve My (FOS we OM Ae la! Ae ( sa vie. A Se e yh oy oF Bod Gxt sr Ui Sek ae i" s A: Kg