Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

150 him say it. Lookit, while I was at McFluke’s alone day before yesterday Doc an’ Peaches Austin an’ Honey Hoke was all three bellyin’ the bar, an’ while I was tuckin’ away my nose-paint they was mumblin’ to them- selves how you was all kinds of a pup an’ | would stand shootin’ any day.”’ “Mumblin’ loud enough for you to hear, huh?” “Naturally, or I wouldn’t ’a “Then they wanted you to hear. they know yo’re a friend of mine.” “Guess they do now,” Rod Rockwell said > heard it.” Guess grimly. “‘What-do yuh mean?” “Oh, nothin’. I just talked to’ema li] bit.” “An’ you wasn’t shot? nothin’?” “c Didn’t they do no,’ Rod denied -disgustedly. “Kansas Casey come in just at the wrong time, an’ throwed down on the four of us an’ said he’d do all the shootin’ they was to be done. An’ when he went he took me with him. Said he’d arrest me if I didn’t go peaceable. Ain’t that just like Kansas?” “Wearin’ the star shore means a lot to him.” : “Aw, since he’s been deputy he’s gotten too big for his boots. An’ Jake the same way. The country’s played out, that’s whatsa matter. Law-an’ order, law an’ order, till a feller can’t turn round no more without fallin’ into jail.” “She’s one lucky thing for you, cowboy,”’ said Racey seriously, “that Kansas did come. Three of ’em! You had yore gall. Lookit here, next time you let ’em talk. Names don’ t hurt less they’re said to a feller’s face.” “They knowed you was my friend,” said Rod simply. “Anyway, you keep away from McFluke’s.”’ “Maybe I will take yore advice. It has its points of interest, as the feller said when he sat down on the porkumpine. An’ speak- in’ of porkumpines, have you seen Lanpher?”’ ‘Shore. ago. Guess he’s in*the office—Lanpher.” “See anythin’ of Tweezy ately?” “Tuke seems to be livin >with us lately.”’ “T never knowed him an’:Lanpher was good friends?” Racey cast at a venture. “T didn’t either till lately.” “Jack Harpe ever come out here?”’ “Long-geared feller, supposed to have capital? Hangs out in Farewell? The one Him an’ Alicran pulled in a hour_. Adventure that Marie girl tried to down? No, he ain’t been here as I know of, but then he could easy drift in an’ out an’ me not know it.” Racey nodded. ‘Marie jump Jack again, do yuh know?” he asked. if I know. Don’t: guess so, though. I seen her pass him on Main Street, an’ she didn’t even look at him.”’ “T’ll bet he looked at her.”’ “You can gamble he did. He ain’t trust- in’ her, not him. I wonder what was at the bottom of the fuss between him an’ her?” A sharp glance at. Racey accom- panied this remark. =a | ae, ese Racey. ‘They say Mr. Harpe has had a career both high, wide an’ handsome.” “That’s what-I’d call one too many,” grinned Rod Rockwell. “You can put down a bet the career has been one too many, too.” “Yeah,” said Rod, wondering what was coming next. “Veah,” said Racey, nodding mysterious- ly, but disappointing his -friend by im- mediately changing the subject. “Say Rod, I’d take it as a favor f you an’ Tile an’ Bill would sort of freeze round the bunk- house till after I’m through with Lanpher.”’ “Shore,” said Rod. ‘““I'weezy’s in the office too, I guess.”” —- Racey nodded and started his horse to- ward the office. He understood well enough that Rod and the other two punchers would not interfere in any way with him and whatever acts he might be called upon to perform during his conversation with Lanpher. Loyal to the last cartridge and after, whenever it was ranch business, none of the 88 punchers ever felt. it incumbent upon him to go out of his way so far as Lanpher personally was concerned.. The manager was not the man either to engender or foster personal loyalty. At the open doorway of the office Racey dismounted. He dropped the reins over _his horse’s head and walked to the doorway. There he stopped and looked in. He saw Lanpher sitting behind his big home-made desk. Lanpher was watching him. At one side of the desk, on a chair tilted back against the wall, sat Luke Tweezy. Luke was chewing a straw. His eyes were half- closed, but Racey detected their glitter. Luke Tweezy was not overlooking any bets at that moment. COnmlicloooks (C@