Adventure Magazine Cover — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

| There sem which hinted at ited t Blisod: __ More than one envied the miner, lying flat -_ owhis back where he had’ been hurled, who ‘s te nol ani : f ' (Als \ tat ¢ we ‘a ae fs Nes sah i was now snoring loudly. in the cause for Free’s rage. ~ deadly menace in the round eyes. None dared brave the tempest by~attempting to withdraw. There was nothing psychologically subtle He wanted to drink but, although confronted with an in- exhaustible supply, he dared not imbibe. His tattered dress and uncouth appearance bespoke a long journey through lonesome places, and he had hailed the Happy For- tune as an oasis. Then instinct had insisted that. he keep sober, though every nerve urged him to get drunk. It was true he could shoot uner- _ ringly when half-drunk, oras long as he could see, but the Santa Fé experience, repeated on a minor scale at Las Vegas, had warned him that his drunken, indiscriminate kill- ings were becoming tabu, that he must practise more economy in victims, It was this suspicion of himself, animal-like in that it did not rise, above instinct and was but vaguely understood even by the killer him- self, that was feeding the fires of his sullen rage. From beneath his hatbrim the moun- taineer watched him and interpreted the The street door opened and a newcomer in- stantly attracted the killer’s attention. Uncle Dick, simulating sleep, heard the door open and close, but dared not move his head. He kept his eyes on Free and was surprized to see the malignant eyes lose some of their venom. Free appeared to be almost pleased to behold the newcomer. Old Tommy’s warped face wore a smile of greeting as the stranger advanced down the bar. Shorty gave him a glance; then re- volved his head toward Free and laid aside his knife. By some telepathy the-drinkers understood the climax had been postponed and all relaxed. As the stranger crossed Uncle Dick’s line of vision he appeared much like any way- farer. He was travel-stained and wore a dark scarf round his neck, which, with the slouch hat pulled low over his eyes, blocked even a view of his profile. Without any hesitation he made for the end of the bar and halted at the corner, his back to Uncle Dick. Instead of resenting this intrusion, which cramped him for room should he eee to get in Soe oe is Foor ote! = a << SS ¥ a or — ee eae : a toward the wall a step, filled two glasses and eagerly drained his own. “Feels safe to guzzle it down now,” in- wardly commented Uncle Dick. a ~Voices were loudly raised at the bar. Those near Free and the stranger unos- tentatiously moved away a few paces, leav- ing the two quite alone. Free’s lips curled slightly in welcome and he nodded as the other made some remark from the corner of his mouth. For several minutes the two talked with fluttering lips. Free motioned for the bottle and refilled the glasses—no few, meager drops now. Then Uncle Dick noticed something which was lost on the other patrons. Be- fore setting down his glass, Free sent one stabbing glance around the room. Then he placed the glass on the bar, as if impelled by something the stranger had said. The lat- ter pushed the bottle back, after examining it briefly, and motioned for another. As Old Tommy hastened to serve him, the man said something, and the proprietor’s wrin- kled visage grew blank and then showed re- luctance. Although he could see only the man’s back, Uncle Dick knew he was urging something on Old Tommy. The other was holding back. ‘Then Free, without looking at him, said something, and the withered countenance hardened, the deep-set little bird’s eyes glittered, and he dropped his head in assent. “T’d like to know what that tall galoot whispered to him,’ mused Uncle Dick. “Something’s going to be pulled off here that the crowd ain’t expecting.” OLD TOMMY now left the pair ‘ alone, but in passing Shorty he murmured something that may have been connected with the bartender’s abrupt cessation from wiping glasses. Pick- ing up a heavy knife, he began slowly carving the meat, although one would have said the supply already exceeded the demand. The two at the end of the bar drank from the new bottle, and again Free sent his cat- like gaze sweeping the room. =e it! What’s up?” Uncle Dick mur- mured. “Something is going to happen.” Free’s eyes dropped back on the empty glass, and in that moment Uncle Dick’s fin- gers were advanced till they rested e top of his boot-leg. The killer toyed with his: =< as if: weigh- | ing some e problem His. _ompaanay eee =. = : > ** ~~ - -— ‘< ~ a — = c= > % —_ ee ee EA ies