Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

y - him!” excitedly babbled one ‘of the men. ‘Snake medicine saved me, Joe,” proudly . announced Reason. ‘Never go to say any- thin’ ag’in’ that medicine ag’in. Ain’t it derned lucky th’ squaw wouldn’t let me leave it at th’ wagons?” “How bad be ye shot?” curtly demanded Joe, anxious to eliminate any suggestion of sympathy from his voice. “Jest tickled over th’ ribs. It would ’a’ gone clear through me, but I had that skin folded up in a wad, an’ th’ lead hit that, got tired an’ jest give my ribs a tunk. An’ here I be as good as ever. Why, th’ skunk was hidin’ ahead of us when we was breakin’ camp, an’ we never see hair nor hide_of him-———”’ “I know jest how it happened, Tommy. They play it th’ same style down Platte Cafion way. Where’s Kitts? I got a most important word for him.” Joe would have pushed by them and taken their back track had not Reason in- formed him: “Kitts went on ahead to Denver. Goin’ to git a lot o’ men an’ come back an’ run them fellers down an’ clean ’em up. He can’t be very far ahead ““Good-by till I see ye ag’in, ye weak- minded little funt. Take yer time gittin’ him in, men,” broke in foe; and, swinging his horse about, he scampered down the slope. ms INTO Denver rode Parson Kitts on seeee a jaded horse and passed the loungers before the Taos dealer’s shack without turning his head, although they clamorously informed him that the bed of Cherry Creek was dry no longer. As he was passing the group and making for the creek California Joe raced into view, his mount in but little better condition than that of Kitts. To the amazement of the miners Kitts turned in his saddle and without perceptibly diminishing his speed fired at the trapper, with the latter promptly returning the shot. With both men riding at a gallop their lead went wild. California Joe passed the shack with his revolver ready to be thrown down on the bobbing target. With yells of anger Kitts’ friends drew their weapons to take part in the astonish- ing affair, but there was something so grim and inexorable in the trapper’s dark visage that they hesitated. The two men rushed The Road to El Dorado 99 on, and the spectators were dissuaded from venturing nearer the creek as the roaring and groaning up-stream warned them that the watercourse was becoming a death-trap. Kitts had no thought of holding back be- cause. of the oncoming flood. When he struck the creek it was a foot deep’ with muddy water. ‘The clamor of the flood drowned the sounds of his and the trapper’s gun-fire. Without any hesitation Kitts forced his horse through the current and gained his shack in the middle of the creek’s bed. He dismounted, and, holding to the reins, © Almost instantly | stepped inside the door. he was out again. He carried a bag heavy with gold coins. As he fought his horse to a momenf of ac- quiescence ‘and climbed into the saddle something slipped frem his coat and danced away on the-oiling waters—a wig of white hair. California Joe, now arrived at the bank, saw the wig even before Kitts missed it. _He saw the bag and knew that it must con- tain the gold stolen from Laramie Pete. The water was now a foot and a half deep. The trapper endeavored to force his horse forward, but the intelligent animal dis- played great terror, reared on his hind feet and swung about with his head toward the slope and the spectators timidly venturing there. : Kitts opened his mouth in a laugh of de- rision and began shooting. No sound of his laugh nor of the shots reached the shore, for the voice of the flood was overwhelming. Two men rode up: and bawled a demand for the trapper to explain his attack on their friend, but as Kitts’ lead whistled unpleas- antly close they ducked low and rode back. The trapper’s horse was now leaping wildly about in evading the water. Kitts emptied one revolver and pulled another. A third miner dared the shower of lead, and to him Joe took time to yell: “He’s Half-Mask!, Durgin’s dead. Told ~everything afore he died.” The man wheeled and scampered up the slope. Joe kicked his horse. The animal stood upright and then crashed to the ground with a bullet through the head. Joe barely escaped being pinned under his mount. Standing to one side as if scorning to take shelter behind the dead animal, he fired at Kitts just as the latter started toward him. S EORMC OOO (CO)