Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado a daily service between St. Joseph and Denver on a six-day schedule. California Joe told Laramie they should strike Cherry Creek about fifteen miles from the mining hamlet of Denver and follow the creek down. He scouted ahead and Reason guarded the rear. Although assured that there was nothing further to fear from Indians the trainmen were unnerved and would have quickly used up the mules in their frantic haste to surmount the inter- vening ridges had not Laramie and Natchez restrained them. But as the wagons crawled over ridge after ridge the dread of an Indian ambush gave way to wild hilarity. Each lagging mile brought them that much nearer to this last El Dorado Red Shirley, who had been sullen and indifferent, suddenly reasserted himself as wagon-boss, and the men obeyed him with zestful cheerfulness. Laramie was highly pleased and believed that all his troubles were over. Even Natchez commented optimistically on the changed attitude of the men. Miss June, however, was not so easily satisfied. She studied the crew gravely, two interrogation points creasing her fair forehead. As Reason rode closer to the train she mounted her pony and dropped back to join him. This move brought to the taciturn trap- per an experience which was more nerve- tingling than any Indian danger he had en- countered. He could look back over twenty years of wandering and enumerate on the fingers of his two hands all the white women of her caste he had met. The fingers of one hand would suffice for those with whom he had exchanged speech. So her approach was an almost overwhelming confusion as well as a wonderful pleasure. She was not an object to inspire love in his rugged heart; for she was something so different, so frail and dainty, that he likened her to a celestial medicine, and forthwith worshiped her. Had Miss June been set on making him talk she would have fared ill in the venture. Being perfectly agreeable to assume all the conversation, she found his companionship quite ideal.’ With a friendly nod she was babbling away as if they had been lifelong acquaint- ances, asking questions and answering them for him. After a first gush of generalities, and having satisfied herself that her pres- 43. ence was welcome, she described the changed demeanor of the men and added that her father and Natchez interpreted it as a desire to atone for recent behavior. “Wolves don’t change, miss,” Reason managed to say. “Just what I was telling myself, Mr. Reason,’”’ she said. “Something has hap- pened, or been planned, that makes them light-hearted.” “Rum?” suggested Reason, moistening his lips with a slight smack. She shook her head. ‘The liquor is in one wagon, and Natchez has charge of it. Nothing like that. Of course they think only of finding lots of gold. Yet there’s something else. They have queer ways of glancing at each other. We girls looked that way in school at St. Louis, when we: were fooling the teachers. ‘“They’ve come to some understanding. Shirley was deep in the sulks; now he’s very much the wagon-boss.”’ “Til drag a eye over ’em,”’ promised Reason. ‘How d’ye come to git out here on th’ plains, miss?”’ The question caused him great effort. His tanned face grew hot as he realized his boldness; and deep in his heart he felt more pride for his temerity than as if he had counted some tremendous mountain coup. The streams of her speech were bank full again. She told him of her school life, de- scribed certain short trips with her father, boasted of being one-sixteenth Arapaho blood, and shyly announced a preference for Natchez. This last visit to the plains resulted from her father’s plan to follow the immigrant road to the Salt Lake settle- ments, where she was to be left with friends while her father pushed on to the Carson Valley and the Washoe country. Rumors were very plentiful concerning fabulous finds of silver in that region. If on reaching Salt Lake Valley the Mor- mon leaders should satisfy her father that the silver prospects were exaggerated and the boom on the decline, then the goods would be traded in the valley and cargo of furs secured for the return trip to St. Joseph. ‘“Reckon there’s silver there all right. Joe ’n’ me has known it for years, even when them fellers was doin’ nothin’ but placer minin’,” broke in Reason. “Ye can find it in sheets, like lead. Some o’ them dawg-goned fools use to think it was lead. COMMICLOOolkKs (C@