Adventure Magazine Cover — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

“Sure, and I’ll wear armor next time I hunt for hard-hatted shepherds in the night time,” replied the other, and their voices died away into the night. I managed to clamber out of the hole, ‘suffering extreme torture all the while. I had not the slightest idea of direction; in fact I seemed to be lost. At any rate I climbed the hill, went down the other side and then climbed another, where I sat down on a rock. It was very, very quiet up there. Finally a dog came along. I tried to be friendly, but it slunk away at my whistle. Then another one came; and another. I said to myself— “Pettingill, there must be kennels near here.” f From a distant butte, against the pale light of the moon, I saw several more, and then came a wailing howl. From near me came a blood-curdling answer. I said to myself— “Pettingill, those ‘dogs’ are wolves!’ The realization was painful. I really believe I grew homesick. In all that waste I could not see a tree. I peered around. Ah! On a not too distant ridge stood a tree. : I stood erect, grasped my gun, and hur- ried up the slope, spurred onward by the howls of at least a million savage throats. Perhaps it was undignified, but 1 ran; actually ran. Luckily the branches grew low, and I was able, suffering as I was, to climb into the sanctuary of those thick branches. I breathed a sigh of relief, and exclaimed aloud— “Thank Heaven for this tree!” And from above me came— “Pettingill, it is fortunate that you spoke, as I was about to pistol you.” “Middleton!” . I gasped. ‘‘You here in this tree?”’ “Yes. I could find no other. II thought perhaps you—that perhaps that sheep had came back; don’t you see?” “Sheep? Sheep do not climb trees, Middleton.” “Well, I am glad to know there is some one thing that it could not do. I would readily believe it could climb, Pettingill.” “How did you happen to pick this tree?” I asked. sa “T claim no credit whatever, Pettingill. As the sheep came out of the gate, one of we 5 Adventure landed outside the fence, where I tried to conceal myself, but it searched until it found me, and each time I tried to get up it knocked me down. From there to this tree was just a succession of hard knocks.” “That is really too bad,” I replied. “T am physically imperfect myself, Middleton. I think there is nothing more that could hurt me. Have you a comfortable seat up there, Middleton?” | “Wouldn’t use it if I had!” he actually grunted at me. “Right at present I am hanging over a bough like a carpet on a line. Pettingill, I may never, never sit down again.” Gani WE CHEERED each other as @ much as possible through the long night, and were truly grateful when morning came. Looking at Middleton gave me a faint idea of my own appearance. He had neither shirt nor hat, and the upper part of his body was streaked with blood and dirt. His limbs were so stiff he could hardly walk, and mine were little better. I still retained my hat, although the crown would open and shut in the breeze. We wished for the coats we had left at our camp. Then we walked in what might be the right direction, and suddenly came to a road. Not a well traveled thorough- fare, it is true, but at least a roadway. Along this we limped for a while, when we heard the creaking of a wagon behind us. “Just suppose there should be some ladies aboard,” suggested Middleton, and we hastily crouched down beside some bushes. When the equipage was almost up to us we saw that the team was being driven by a man, and that there were no ladies. We would ask for a ride. We stepped into the road and threw up our hands, signal- ing him to stop. The driver was smoking his pipe, but as the team halted he opened his mouth, letting the pipe fall to the ground. Then he sprang to the. ground, grasped his hat in his hand, and ran back down the road as fast as possible. His limbs were very badlysbowed. — “What a ridiculous .thing to do!” ex- claimed Middleton. ‘Abandon his equi- page in this manner before we have an opportunity to question him. What will we do, Pettingill?” : a@ “We will drive on. No doubt the team them struck me very, very abruptly. I will take us some place. It is reasonable / ; | - €omicbooks.com-