Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

24. _Adventure into his pockets and drew deeply at his stogie. Steve rolled a cigaret. In the silence falling upon them they could hear the sound of the mechanician’s wrench. “Anything wrong with the car?” asked Steve for the sake of breaking unpleasant silence. “Not that I know of. He’s jus’ takin’ a peek to make sure, I guess. That’s what he’s for. He knows I got to get back to my place in a couple of shakes.” Steve smiled; by wagon-road his grand- father’s ranch home was. fifty miles to the northward. “You won’t think of going back before noon.” “Won’t I? But I will, though, son; Blenham’s sticking aroun’ waitin’ for my say-so what he’ll do nex’.” He snapped open a big watch and stared at it a moment with pursed lips. “T’ll be back home in jus’ one hour an’ a half. All I got is fifteen minutes to talk with you this mornin’.” “You mean that you can drive those fifty _ miles in an hour and a quarter!” ‘““Have done it in less; if. I was in a hurry I’d do it in an hour flat. But, allowin’ for time out, 1 want fifteen minutes more’n that. And now, if we’re goin’ to get any- where te E stopped suddenly and stood toying with his big watch, passing it back and forth through the loop he made of its heavy chain, his gaze steady and earnest and searching tpon his grandson. “Stephen,” he said, abruptly, ‘I ain’t playin’ any favorites in my ol’ age. An’ I ain’t givin’ away big chunks of money hit or miss. You wasn’t countin’ on anything like that, was you?” “‘No, I wasn’t,”’ announced Steve quickly. “T remember your old theory: that a man should make his own way unaided; that——”’ “That whatever he got he’s got to get with his one head an’ one set of han’s. Now, the things I got to say [’ll spit out one at atime. Firs’, I’d like to have you come visit me for a spell at my place. Will you doit? Today, tomorrow, any time you feel like it.” 3 “Yes; [ll be glad to.” “‘That’s good. Nex’, not even if you was the right man for the job, you can’t save this ranch now; it’s too late; there’s too much to dig up in too short a time. I’ve got my hooks in deep an’ whenever that happens I don’t let go. I want you to quit before you get started.” Steve looked his surprize. “Surely,” he said wonderingly, “you don’t want me to give you the ranch just because you happen to hold the mortgages on it?” “Business is business, Stephen,” said the old man sternly. ‘Sometimes, between Packards, business is It’d be that for you. I’ve started out to get this outfit an’ I’d get it. An’, doin’ it, I’d be wastin’ your time besides breakin’ you all to smithereens. Better drop it.” Steve had hardly expected this. answered calmly, even lightly— “T think I’'d lke a try at holding it.” “That’s two things,” old man Packard said crisply. “‘N umber three is this here: Blenham tells me you’ve put Royce in as foreman under you?”’. “T offered him the place. He could have ft yet if he wanted it. But he refused. I’ve_passed the job on to a man named. Barbee.” “Barbee!” cried the old man. ‘Barbee! That yellow canary bird? Meaning him?”’ “Ves,” retorted Steve a trifle stiffly. “Anything wrong with him?” “T didn’t roll them fifty miles to talk about jay birds an’ canary birds an’ such,” growled his grandfather. ‘‘But here’s one thing I’ve got tosay: This ranch is goin’ to - be mine real soon; that’s in the cards, face up. It’s as good as mine now. I’ve been runnin’ it myself for six months. I want it right, hear me? What do you know about running a big outfit? What does a kid without whiskers like Barbee know about it? ‘Think [ want it all run down in the heel when it comes to me? No, sir! I don’t! Blenham knows the lay of the land; Blenham knows my ways, Blenham knows how to run things. I want you to put Blenham back on the job!” Steve bit. his lip, biting back a hot reply. “Grandfather,”’ he said slowly, “suppose we take a little more time in getting squared around? I want todo what’s right; I know that you want to do what’s fair and square. I am willing to consult you about ranch matters; I’ll come to you for advice, if you'll let me; I'll try to keep the ranch up to time and—”’ with a smile—“in my hands and out of yours. That’s a good sporting proposition. But as for Blenham——’”’ But he comicbooks > t as 2 Se a ee ne § eee ee ee Nr ee