Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado wanted to git even with him,” mused Rea- son. ‘“There’s no sense in their killin’ Long Slim. Yet men don’t do such things ’less there’s something behind it.” “Nothing is stolen,’ repeated Laramie. “But why kill Slim?” persisted Reason, his shaggy brows contracting. “They didn’t kill Natchez. They could ’a’ waited till mornin’ an’ gone off with all of us watchin’ ’em. They started to go like In- juns. “They was ’fraid Natchez would dis- cover they was leavin’, so they fetched him a crack. Then they ran into Slim. Of course; that’s it. Poor Slim tried to stop ’em.”’ . “But why? They were free like birds,” interrupted Laramie. “Cause they was cartin’ something off they didn’t have any right to touch,” tri- umphantly concluded Reason. “Ts th’ gal all right?”? demanded Joe. “She was in the wagon when I left it after Missouri called out,’ assured Lara- mie. ‘Ho, ma petite June!’ summoned the fond father. “Wait a minute!” she replied. Joe breathed in deep relief. He had been assailed by a sudden fear that something had happened to her. Miss June from. be- hind the wagon covering had followed the excited exclamation and Joe’s report of finding Long Slim’s body. Even before the trapper could fully pre- sent his views of the tragedy her quick mind had rejected any theory except one that included some crime committed pre- vious to the murder and desertion. The homicide was to prevent a premature dis- covery of the first crime. As no one had been killed up to the time of Long Slim’s death the offense must be one against prop- erty. But the mules had not been dis- turbed. It would have been impossible to steal any goods from the wagons without arousing the camp; and doubly impossible to make away with anything of value with- out the mules. Her rapid process of elimination had nar- rowed to a point when her father called out to her. As she answered him she felt under the wagon seat and opened the stout box in which her father carried an emergency stock of gold. The moment her hands felt of the cover and told her it had been opened by force rather than by key, she knew she would find it empty. 4 49 Thrusting her head from under the can- vas she softly informed, “The money in the box is gone, mon pére.” ‘Gone! Ten thousand dollars in gold gone! But it can not be!” exclaimed Lara- mie, running to the wagon. After a brief examination of the’ strong- box he came back to his friends and quietly announced: : “Void! It is so. But how could they take it when we sleep in the wagen? It is a miracle! It is black magic!” California Joe quickly dispelled any suggestion of mystery by declaring: ‘Dead easy. They couldn’t take it while ye an’ th’ gal bunked in there. An’ they wouldn’t risk stickin’ with th’ train after they’d took it. They got it afore we made camp. What better time could they ask for then when we was standin’ off th’ In- juns? “Havin’ it in their paws, they made a bleat ’bout takin’ third o’ th’ profits. If they could ’a’ made ye knuckle under, or I’d been licked an’ ye was forced to make good, then they’d say th’ gold went teward their share, an’ they wouldn’t been skeered of havin’ ye jump ’em some time at a fort or in a minin’-camp. If they’d waited till mornin’ to go ye’d think it queer if they went without their wages. An’ if they asked for ’em it might lead to yer lookin’ in th’ box. ‘So they planned to sneak away tonight. They’re near ’nough to make th’ gold dig- gin’s without mules. ‘First they beat Natchez over th’ head. Then they got th’ gold from where they’d cached it in another wagon. Jest then they ran into Slim, who was cur’ous to know what. they was cartin’ off. He tried to raise a hullabaloo an’ they shet off his wind. He got in one jab with his bowie; then they rubbed him out.” Laramie nodded and softly said: “They owe me ten thousand dol- lars.” “That isn’t much. It can be paid back from one pocket of nuggets.”’ “They also owe for Long Slim’s life. It ' will take ver’ much to cover his death. He was ver’ brave man. He was loyal. I could forgive the money if they had left him alive.” “Th’ Rocky Mountains is a small place. We'll meet up with ’em,” optimistically promised Joe. “Now that we’re up we COmicloooks (C@