Adventure Magazine Cover — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

74 “Tt ain’t too far.” “T got a notion Luke Tweezy will find important business to keep him here 1 in Fare- well the next four or five days “TI wonder what kind of a a cafe Lake has got,” murmured Racey. “___. if I know,”’ said the judge. “You know anythin’ about dynamite—how it’s handled, huh?” “Shore, handle it carefully.” ss mean how to prepare a fuse an’ de- tonator an’ stick it in the cartridge. You know how?” “T helped a miner man once for a week. Shore I know. Yuh cut the fuse square- ended. Stick the square end into the cap until it touches the fulminate, an’ crimp down the copper shell all round to hold the fuse with a dull knife, then yuh make a hole in the end of the cartridge an’-——”’ “T guess you know yore business, Racey,”’ interrupted Judge Dolan. “You'll find a package on that shelf by the door. Handle it carefully. I’m glad you dropped in, Racey. Nice weather we’re havin’.”’ “But there are some people about due for a cold wave,” capped Racey, stopping on his way out to take the package from the | shelf and wink at Judge Dolan. The wink was not returned, But the judge’s tongue may have been in his cheek. He was a most human person, was Judge Dolan of Farewell. Racey, handling the package with care, went back to the draw where he had left the two horses. In the draw he opened the package. It contained six sticks of dyna- mite and the necessary detonators and fuse. “Geed ol’ judge,” said Racey admiringly and rewrapped the dynamite, the detonators and the fuse with even more care than he had employed in unwrapping them. He rolled the package into his slicker and tied down the slicker behind the cantle, of -his saddle. Untying the two horses, he mounted his own and, leading the other, rode to the hotel corral. Bill Lainey was only too glad to lend aon a fresh horse and a bran sack. Tt was dusk when he dismounted at the Dale corral. There was a lamp in the kitchen. Its rays shone out through the open door and made a rectangle of golden light in the dust. Molly was standing at the kitchen table. She was stirring some- thing in a bowl. She did not turn her head when he came to the door. Adventure “Evenin’, Molly,” said Racey. “Good evening.” Just that. “Uh—Yore ma around?” “She’s gone to bed.” Still the dark head was not raised. He misunderstood both her brevity and the following silence. He left his hat on the wash-bench outside the door and stepped into the kitchen. 3 “Don’t take it so to heart, Molly,” he said awkwardly. “It’s hard, but—Shucks, I got somethin’ to tell yuh.” In very truth he had something to tell her but he had not meant to tell her se seon. “Lemme take care of yuh, Molly—dear. Yuh know I love yuh, an’-——” “Stop!’ Molly turned to him an expres- sionless face. She looked at him steadily, “You say you love me?” she went on. “Shore I say it.” He was plainly puzzled at her reception of what he had said. Girls did not act this way in books. “How about that—that other girl? Marie, I think her name is.” “What about her?” “A good deal.” “What has she got to do with my lovin’ you, I’d like to know?” “She loves you.”’ “Marie? Loves me? Yo’re crazy!’’’ “Oh, am I? If she hadn’t loved you do you think for one minute she’d come riding all the way out here to give you a warning?” “Marie an’ I are friends,” he admitted. “But there ain’t no law against that.” “None at all.” Molly’s eyes drepped. Her head turned back. She resumed her operations with a spoon in the bowl. “Lookit here, Molly——” “Don’t you call me Molly.” Her tone was as lacking in expression as was her face. “But you gotta listen to me,” he insisted desperately. “I tell you there ain’t nothin’ between Marie an’ me.’ “Then there ought to be.”” Thus Molly. Woman-like she yearned to use her claws. Rit ——” “Oh, I’ve heard all about your carryings- ~ on with that creature. Hew you talk to her, and people have seen you walking with her ‘on the street. I saw you myself. Yesterday when Mis’ Jackson drove out here to buy three hens she told me when that girl was arrested and fined for trying to murder a man you stepped up and paid her fine. Did you?” “I did. But——” (EMMI CKO) \< (C@)