Adventure Magazine Cover — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

- S <a a ee ~ od “a => aCe ae Soe Pe x sp ee th ee av : ~ Bf sae: a nau see ’ - _ bef Rr . von ate? wins a = <4 . 2 ers > ee ge ie et ; Se < . x St "With: a little cry the girl eed | ~ like you!” | “To save his life?” fiercely insisted the Sea “God save me! ’d—I’d try,” she moaned. “His life for the gold?” he harshly per- sisted. “Yes or no!” “Ves. 33 “T reckon I’ve brought back yer mem’ry to ye,” exulted the outlaw. “Now ye can spit it out.” “When you’ve taken me to Mr. Wooton Ill tell you—not before,’ she slowly answered. Chuckle-Luck demanded the secret then and there, but she remained obdurate. ~ “JT don’t trust you an inch,” she insisted. ““Get me out of here and I’ll tell.” Realizing he was wasting his time, he sullenly promised. “All right. Pm game. [I'll go an’ fetch two hosses. -May take some minutes to fool the gang, but I’m Caen never worry.” Uncle Dick writhed as he heard the out- law cautiously withdrawing’ Only by a mighty effort did he manage to hold himself “Old Wooton, is it?” he thought. ‘Huh! Tl cut out that dog’s heart for what he said to her and about me. Lord! But didn’t she lie like a good one when she thought I was in danger!” -back. BUT now a new act in the little Se drama was unfolding. Chuckle- emmad juuUCk, on returning to the light: of the camp-fire, began to appreciate the magnitude of the task before him. The men were at ease, but for him to secure two horses and get the girl out of the shack without being seen seemed impossible. Consequently he was in a vile humor when one of his mates called out: “Here’s Chuckle-Luck now. Come an’ try yer luck, Chuckle. I can clean ye out.” “Go to ——!” growled Chuckle-Luck, making to pass the party of gamesters. The one who had invitéd him to sit in reached out and grabbed his leg, insist- ing— fest I shall but I’m goin’ to trim ye st ) _ With a bellow of rage Chuckle-Luck drew _ back his foot and kicked the man in the side. The fellow etait, sprang to ‘his - > . = - x , a ae a feet, his face gray with anger at” the un- “That would be too evil, even for men expected assault. “Kick me, will ye, ye low-down ——}” he roared, jumping forward with a long knife glittering i in his hand. Chuckle-Luck seemed to welcome this vent to his sullen rage and at once prepared to fight by yanking a knife from his belt of revolvers. With a whoop of delight the gang jumped to their feet, one crying out: ‘Make it a good one! Over the hand- kerchief!’” “That’s th’ talk! Over the hanker!” There was a cold-bloodedness about the - proposal that caused the man who had been kicked to draw back a trifle. His hesitancy was almost imperceptible, but Chuckle-Luck detected it and gloated: “Over the hanker it is. Stand to yer medicine, yer yaller dog. I’m goin’ to cut yer throat!” “T’ll have somethin’ to say about that, yer eyes!” yelled the other, now com- mitted to the gruesome contest beyond any possibility of retreating. Exuberant at the prospects of the bloody sport the men tied two handkerchiefs to- gether and made them fast to two picket- pins. The latter were driven into the rocky soil, On each side parallel with anda scant three feet back of the handkerchiefs, a line was drawn on the ground. Then one of the men announced: “Ye both know the rules. Keep be- tween the line an’ the hanker. Firelight seems right for both sides. Take yer places.” Chuckle-Luck rolled up his right alseve in a business-like manner and, grasping his bowie-knife, advanced. till the hand- kerchief brushed against him. “Now, ye dog, let’s see ye make me budge from this spot. Hop over thatl ine! Hump yerself! I’m waitin’ to fill yer boots with blood. Come up here or I’ll take after ye an’ slice ye into little bits of pieces.” This unexpected situation brought Uncle Dick to his feet, a great hope swelling his heart. So preoccupied were the outlaws that he believed he could get the girl out of the shack, to the rope and up the cliff before the gang could interfere. He ad- vanced boldly to the back of the shack and was about to whisper her name through the window when she spoiled his plan by : Be Seen at the oP = ak voice. - « “-.. ~ oe Ee ER = oy sey: a aS. fy eet. c~s - ie a a as Satins age 8 oe pa orate. 4 Se se BS es is a pan ara ake r. - : een ee “us. ‘ere pens ne 2 Me ow Pia -< * > . os aes oo Se Se 3 Son eS =a fee oe ECO MICOOD iia