Adventure Magazine Cover — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

=THE HEART OF THE RANGE = a .eerere Story 47 William Patterson White Author of “Lynch Lawyers,” “High Pockeis,” etc. CHAPTER XXV STRATEGY ACEY DAWSON and Rack Slim- son, riding up a hill on the way to Farewell, simultaneously turned their heads and looked at each other. Rack’s expression was dolefully sullen. Racey’s was hard and uncom- promising. | “Who was it put you up to this?” asked Racey. 7 - “What?” ““Comin’ out here after me.” “T didn’t come out after you, I tell you!” “Shore, shore,” soothed Racey. “I know all about that. Who put you up to it?” “T dunno what yo’re talkin’ about.” “The ignorance of some people,” said ‘Racey, recalling sundry occasions when other folk had oddly failed to grasp his meaning. © They rode onward silently. _ When they reached the southern slope of Indian Ridge, Racey headed to the east. A spirit of unease alighted heavily upon the sagging shoulders of Rack Slimson. “You ain’t goin’ straight for Farewell?” he remarked at a venture. “T ain’t—no.” “T thought you was.’ “T am—but not Sekt 4g “Huh?” Rack Slimson wrinkled his forehead at this. a pw ee Se ““We’re goin’ in town from the side,” ex- plained Racey Dawson. This too was a puzzler. “Why?” queried Rack Slimson. “So’s nobody will know we’re comin’ till we're there.” The smile with which Racey garnished his answer was chilling to the soul of Mr. Slimson. “But I don’t see——”’ “You wouldn’t. Tl tell yuh how it is all in words of one syllable. comin’ into town from the east where that draw is an’ them shacks behind the dance- hall. We'll leave our hosses in the draw and proceed, like they say in the Army, on foot. Then,you an’ me——” ~“But why me?” Rack Slimson desired to know. “What are you always puttin’ me in for?” “Cause yo’re a-goin’ with me, Rack, that’s why. Yo’re a-hoin’ with me while I’m huntin’ for Coffin’ an’ Honey Hoke an’ Punch-the-breeze Thompson an’ Peaches Austin. Them four will likely be together, see; ’n’ I wanna use you for a breastwork sort of.” “A breastwork!”’ cried the now thor- oughly upset Mr. Slimson. “A _breast- work!” “Shore a breastwork. Ill shove you ahead of me into the saloon an’ if they— there’s four of ’em, y’ understand—cut down on me you'll be in the way.” “But they'll down me!” “T’m countin’ on that.” 68 You an’ me are - “comic 200 sy x — : . Tra tS ee ee ei eew a oe Ss o — 2 a Rea EE Beg ter CAO oe Ane a eee ei 2 S (E@)