Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

140 Racey was staring at Mr. Saltoun. His eyes began to narrow. ‘““Meanin’?” he drawled. “Now don’t go crawlin’ round huntin’ offense where none’s meant,” advised Mr. Saltoun. “But you know how it is yore- self, Racey. Any gent who gets so full he can’t pick out his own hoss an’ goes weavin’ off on somebody else’s is liable to make mistakes other ways. You gotta admit it’s possible.” The slight tinge of red underlying Racey’s heavy coat of tan acknowledged the corn. “Tt’s possible,” he admitted. Mr. Saltoun saw his advantage and seized it. “S’pose now this is another mistake?” “Tell yuh what Pll do,” said Racey. “You done said you had jobs for a couple of handsome young fellers like us. Aw right. We go to work. We ride for yuh six months for nothin’.” “Huh?” Mr. Saltoun and Tom Loudon stared their astonishment. “Oh, the cat’s got more of a tail than that,” said Racey. “You don’t pay us nothin’ for them six months, provided what I said will happen don’t happen. If it does happen like I say, you pay each of us two hundred large round simoleons per each an’ every month.” “Come again,” said Mr. Saltoun, wrin- kling- his forehead. Racey came again as requested. “Six months is a long time,’ frowned Mr. Saltoun. “If I lose a “But I dunno what I’m talkin’ about,” pointed out Racey. “I make mistakes; yuh know that. An’ you was so shore nothin’ was gonna happen. Are you still shore?”’ “Well—” hesitated Mr. Saltoun. “Tf you take us up you stand to be in the wages of two punchers for six months. That’s four hundred an’ eighty dollars. Almost five hundred dollars. Of course, it’sachance. What ain’t, I’d like to know? But yo’re so shore she’s gonna keep on, come day go day, like always, that I’d oughta have odds.” “Five to one,” mused Mr. Saltoun, pull- ing at the ends of his gray mustache. “An? fair enough—seein’ that nothin’ is a happen.”’ 2 “T wouldn’t do it,” put in Tom Loudon. “Them trick bets are unlucky.” “Oh, I dunno,” said Mr. Saltoun, running go Adventure true to form in that he rarely took kindly to advice. “Looks like a good chance to get six months’ work out o’ two men for nothin’.”’ “Looks like a good chance to lose twenty- four hundred dollars,” exclaimed Tom Loudon wrathfully. “My , Tom,” said Mr. Saltoun, cocking a grizzled eyebrow, “‘you don’t mean to tell me you think they’s any chance a-tall of Racey’s winnin’ this bet, do yuh?” ‘““They’s just about ten times more chance for him to win than to lose.” “Tom, do yuh ever see any lil pink lizards with blue tails an’ red feet? I hear that’s a sign, too.” “Aw right, have it yore own way,” said Tom Loudon with every symptom of dis- gust.. “Only don’t say I didn’t warn yuh.” “__ Tom, y’ old wet blanket, yo’re always a-warnin’? me. I never see such a feller.”’ “Aw right, [said. Awright. But when yore a-writin’ out a check for twenty-four hundred dollars, just remember how I al- ways told yuh somebody was gonna horn in here some day an’ glom half the range.” “Laugh,” said “Mr. Saltoun. “Yorre shore the jokin’est feller, Tom Loudon. Even Racey an’ his partner are laughin’.”’ “IT should think they would,’ Tom Loudon returned savagely. ‘‘I’d laugh too if I stood to win twenty-four hundred in six months.” Mr. Saltoun shook a whimsical head at Racey Dawson. ‘“Whatsa use?” he asked sorrowfully. “Whatsa use?” Ps “YOU was too easy with him,” 9 declared Swing, as he and Racey were unsaddling at the Bar S corral. “You could ’a’ stuck him for three hundred a month just as easy.”’ Racey shook a decided head. “No, there’s a limit even to old Salt’s stubbornness. I know him better’n you do— Aw, what yuh kickin’ about? We got enough coin in our overalls to last out six months, if you don’t drink too much.”’ “Tf I don’t drink too much, hey? If I don’t drink too much! Which I like that. Who’s——” : “Racey,” interrupted Tom Loudon, who had approached unperceived, “this is a fine . way to treat yore friends.” “What’s bitin’ you?” Go NOOK = a (C@