Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado “Young feller up there named Sheridan— second lootenant, or something. If th’ reds git to cuttin’ up rough out here on th’ plains he’s th’ chap to send after ’em. He’d give them Kiowas their needin’s; an’ I don’t mean blankets an’ rifles, neither. I was a plumb fool to quit that country. Still a man can’t stick round in one spot till he takes root.” ‘‘Reckon you two will be glad to be shut of me and the |Indian,” spoke up Oakes. ‘When ye quit us we can’t cry; they ain’t no hankers in this outfit,” Reason gruffly informed the gambler. ‘Oakes, ye sold four white men to Death to save yer own rotten hide,” Joe added. “ll always hold it ag’in’ ye. If we ever meet after this scrape one of us is goin’ to take th’ long sleep. Ye know that, so don’t keep sayin’ things that makes me repeat it. “We started to pull ye out of a hole; th’ game goes as it lays. But if ye can find yer way from now on, go; an’ may th’ devil keep ye comp’ny.” “Good , man! You wouldn’t turn us out until we’ve put more distance be- tween us and those red devils?” cried Oakes. ‘“Tomorrer mornin’, then,” ruled Joe. Reason spoke up to remark— - “Yer Injun don’t seem to be doin’ as much whittlin’ as he used to.” The Pit River man was riding with his back bent far forward, his knife and tally- stick clasped in one hand. Oakes favored his red companion with a murderous look. “He brought me luck. I think he will again when the game gets to booming in the mountains. I'll take him along and try anyway. If my luck quits me then he and me will part company.” “Quite a long way to take a feller from his home an’ folks an’ then dump him to shift for hisself,” mused Joe. ‘““He’s crazy. Don’t make any difference to him where he is.” “*Course not. An’ I was _ forgittin’ ye ’n’ yer friends killed his fambly; so he ain’t got no home or folks to go back to,” concluded Joe. “Tf ye don’t keep yer hand ’way from that gun I’ll blow yer head off,” called out Reason. Oakes’ hands flew high in front of him. Cahtornia: Joe chuckled loudly. 33 THE four men halted beside a $4) pool; and while the horses drank _. if and grazed the thin grass Joe climbed a spur of ridge and watched for their pursuers. Failing to discover any hostile signs, he returned to the pool and announced that the Kiowas had withdrawn, and that there was no reason why they should not part company, Oakes and his red protégé going their way deeper into the mountains. The gambler pleaded fatigue and _ in- sisted that their original terms be adhered to—a truce until the morrow. The trap- pers reluctantly consented. While Reason and the gambler collected fuel for the night’s camp the Indian re- sumed his task of cutting notches and count- ing them on his fingers. Joe turned hunter and went for meat. A half a mile from the ravine he shot an elk and packed in the cheice cuts. After they had eaten, the trappers took to their pipes while the gambler produced his cards and became absorbed. The firelight fell across his blanket, and there he sat, shuffling and dealinggcutting and shifting the cut, time after time. He dealt cards to imagin- ary opponents and evidenced an interest in reading the hands that he never showed when gaming for real stakes, At the beginning he often stole glances at the Indian, scowling malevolently as his opponent drew the strenger hand. Then his luck changed and with feverish eagerness he gathered up and redistributed the cards, breathing heavily as he re- peatedly drew the winning hand. After a final test he loudly exclaimed: | me! The luck’s still with me. Twelve times out of thirteen, and thirteen is an unlucky number! If I could have had those hands with real action! Thought the red was losing his grip on luck, but it sticks. [ll clean up better than the poor fools who dig and wash out the yellow stuff. They’ll be working for me. I’m going to turn in.” “Bleed to death if ye want to,” encour- aged California Joe. Neither Oakes nor the Indian had blank- ets, their flight being too hurried fer any preparations. Joe scowled at them blackly for nearly a minute, then rose and curtly said: ‘‘Here’s a coverin’. I’ve got two.” Reason opened his roll and tossed a ie Gomichdooks (C@