Adventure, February 1917 — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

_ little streaks’ or openings. 179 its steeply pitching course, holding the sad- dle from slipping forward by the grip of his legs. The curve of the trail was swing- ing him to the right in a wide circle that led him around the shoulder of the mountain. - Up above the curve the brush stood thick on the south slope and hid the trail from the eyes of the waiting deputy, except in Below him he could see these tiny sections of trail at three different levels and no one section over fifty feet long. The nearest one was close to a hundred and fifty yards away, the farthest nearly five hundred. While he was still shaking from his run, Logan heard the clup-clup of a shod horse galloping nearer. He swung the. rifle to bear on the extreme left end of the first visible section of trail, lifted it to clear the rock and waited. As the horse flashed into sight he tried to swing the muzzle in time with the hasting figure, but he did not have complete command of his muscles and it wabbled. Racing ahead of the rider the gun lined. on the second space and the nerves grew tense. In his present condition he could not do good shooting at the longer distances and must make good now. At the first sight of the bent shoulders the rifle spoke. Again ~ and again it barked and scored a miss. Gritting his teeth and letting the muzzle drop a trifle, Logan again squeezed the trig- er. : With a jerk the rider straightened in his saddle just as he went behind the first fringe of brush and again the rifle spoke, this time sending its messenger through the bushes at a man already concealed. Faintly there came up to the ears of Lo- gan a sound of lead striking flesh with that peculiar tkup that is known to hunters and soldiers the world over. Then a horse ap- peared at the next open space, a loosely swinging saddle under his belly and his legs __ actively engaged in an effort to kick it off. “Fourth and last,” said the deputy grim- Adventure ly, as he reached in his pocket for his hand- kerchief to mop the blood from his chin. IT WAS after noon that day when the people of Acton saw a man ride into the village, his chin bandaged by a huge red bandanna, clinging to the saddle-horn with both hands. Behind him trailed four horses and on his saddle-horn hung four belts and holsters. Kindly hands helped him from the saddle and ministered to his needs. The village doctor removed - bandages, made from a shirt, that crossed his breast, and cleansed a bullet-wound. “Glanced out again after hitting the rib. Rib busted, flesh a good bit torn, but noth- ing dangerous. Let’s see the chin now.” “‘There’s another crease across the right side from the back. Down near the waist, that is.” And the patient tried to turn over without help. “Hold up, there! Let us lift you over. ——, man! [I should say it is a crease. Only a flesh-wound, though.” When he had been patched and bandaged, Logan asked for a blank and wrote a tele- gram. - Mrs. Henry Lacy, Galion, Ohio. DEAR AUNT MATTIE: Planted Jim’s murderers to- day. Your loving nephew BILL. Later that afternoon the sheriff laid down a telegram from-Ben Thomas, stating that he had abundant evidence that the band of hold-up men had escaped by way of Elisa- beth Lake, to pick up another from Acton. He opened it and called excitedly to his chief deputy. “Tisten: ‘Got them. Stub Leayitt, Co- yote Parsons, Felipe Lopez and Juan Acosta. Recovered money. Meet me with ambu- lance 9:45 tonight. Acton buries robbers. — Bill Logan.’ “Now what do you know about that! He got ’em all and comes home all shot up, while Thomas swears they all escaped.” .OoKk (©) (E@)