Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 177: what you’re looking at

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

Law West of the Pecos attention as the train slacked down at the station. It was a weather-beaten building with the usual cow-town false second story,-and be- sides the pair of swinging doors and two epaque windows its front was embellished with a startling aggregation of signs. BENJAMIN GOODE’s OreRA House, Town Hawi & SEAT OF JUSTICE. Wines, Liquors, Crcars & JUSTICE. Jupce Benjamin Goope, Law WEST OF THE PECos. He read no further, but snatching up his cap made for the door. Mangy cur dogs and hound pups snap- ping languidly at flies obstructed Con- nolly’s path from the train to the steps of the gallery, and groups of Mexicans with corn- husk cigarets dangling from their lips made as little effort as the dogs to move away from the door and give himself and a fellow tourist entrance. Outside it was a hundred and ten but in- side it surely reached sixteen. The narrow room was crowded with lank individuals wispy of mustache, bowed as to legs, guile, less, but penetrating as to eyes. At the far end of the room a stumpy mild- faced old man sat behind a plain deal table. Beyond the antique six-shooter that weight- ed down the open volume before him, there was little indication of the characteristics that blazoned him to the world as Law west of the Pecos. As the strangers entered, the judge pounded on the table with an ordinary claw- hammer and drawled in the tone of a benev- olent old circuit-rider reading the text for the day— “Court minutes.”’ He removed his long, judicial frock coat with ponderous ceremony and in his resul- tant white-shirtedness stepped in behind the bar. “Will you name your pleasure, sirs?” Michael Winthrop ordered a bottle of beer and laid down a half-dollar. The other ordered the same, sliding a ten-dollar gold- piece across the bar. The judge pocketed both coins and stepped back to his table. He resumed his frock coat, rapped on the table, smoothed his thin white beard delib- erately, and announced: — will adjourn for two-theee 71 “Court is again opened. Bill Kincheloe is reminded that all weapons is in his cus- tody and must remain so until court is adjourned for the day.” Michael Winthrop’s amused eye now noted the orderly pile of miscellaneous hard- ware back of the bar, with Kincheloe on guard, and the embarrassment of numbers present who swung empty holsters at their thighs. He felt that he was in a foreign land, and that in the event of trouble the wise thing would be to make for the nearest American consul. Judge Benjamin Goode went on admin- istering law west of the Pecos. “Testimony shows that the deceased was found daid—drowndaid—on the banks of the Pecos, with forty dollars and a six-gun, and no marks of identification. As his murderous intents is unquestionable in entering our peaceful little community totin’ a gun, it is the order of the Court that deceased be fined forty dollars, and that further “Say, you, where’s my change?” broke in the owner of the gold-piece. “Order in the court! Order in the court!” Judge Goode commanded as he rapped on the table with his hammer. “It is the further order of this Court——” “See here, you give me——” “Stranger, you are in contempt 0’ court!” “Contempt be ——! You fork out my nine dollars and fifty cents.” “For contempt 0’ court, and the use of profane language in the hall of justice———~” “Give me my change!” “You are hereby fined nine dollars and fifty cents.” The engine gave its warning whistle. The wild-eyed tourist realized that he could choose between losing his train or losing his money. He sputtered incoherently, while Michael Winthrop rocked with the first real laughter he had known since Boston. “TH take this neers up,” the man ex: ploded. “You'll see. PU appeal “Sir, there ain’t no sech thing as appeal where I’m concerned. Benjamin Goode is Law west of the Pecos.” The empurpled tourist flung out the swinging doors and made for his train. Connolly tore wildly after him, dashed into the coach, and, seized with a sudden freak- ish determination, grasped his belongings, CORMMICLOOOKS (E@)