Adventure Magazine Cover — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

16 Hill fumbled thoughtfully with his black mustache. “Come inside. I want to talk with you.” Tom was curious, so he went. Soon they were seated at a table in a little side-room off the dance-hall. . Hill ordered refreshments while Tom studied his face. It was the first time Tom had been close to a high-class blackleg, and he found this specimen rather pleasing to look at. -Except for repellent eyes the man was almost handsome, and his manner was quite ingratiating. © “T understand you’ve found a good claim,” opened Hill. “Who told you?” “A fellow just in from the county seat. He said you’d had ’er recorded.” “That’s true. It’s funny, though, how news travels.”’ “Nothin’ funny about it. It’s business. For instance, I knew about your claim almost as soon as you found it.” “How?” “Oh, one of Finley’s crowd told us.” “TI thought you were fighting Finley.” “We are, but we’ve got friends among ’em. Maybe they’ve got friends in our crowd. I’d like to catch any!” Tom noted the system of spies and counter-spies, but Hill’s voice demanded attention. ‘What are you goin’ to do with your claim?” “Develop it.” “You'll need a little help, won’t you?” “Not that I know of.” ‘You don’t understand. You can’t work this claim alone. What you need is help.” “Not just now.” “Yes youdo. You need help.” Tom caught the hint. “Oh! What might you suggest?” “Well, I might find you a third partner. Maybe somebody strong enough to hold people off you.”’ “Jed Hill?” “Not openly.” “What sort of. partnership were you thinking about?” “Halves. You and Pete Dolliver’d be one-half. I’d be the other.” Tom almost admired the man’s nerve. He was no cheap freebooter, that was cer- tain! But Tom had to play a cautious game. It. was getting more dangerous every day. Adventure “T don’t know,” he considered. “It’s a pretty stiff proposition.” “Tt might be stiffer. You need help. No two ways about it. You need help.” Tom boldly led a trump card. He had been on the defensive about enough. ‘Yes, but maybe you need a little of my help too.” Tom was beginning to have an idea or two. With luck he could take advantage of this Hill-Finley feud. “What do you mean?” demanded Hill. “Do you know who shot Finley? I did.” “VouP’’ Hill sat back and appraised Tom keenly. The gambler knew men, and he gaged this one as honest, earnest and fairly shrewd, though certain little mannerisms betrayed traces of the odious pink-tea caste in spite of his square jaw and calloused hands. “How’d you happen to shoot Finley?” demanded Hill. Tom told a frank story. The location of his mine was now a public record anyhow, so he gave all the details. When Tom finished Jed Hill smiled sardonically. “You buncoed him. He’ll never forgive you. You should have finished him.” “Ym leaving that to you. If you hadn’t chased him into the brush he’d never have come across me.” “‘T’ll chase him some more.” “Well, you’d better have a good-sized crowd with you. The Finley gang’s pretty strong.” ; “T know they are. But where are they? That’s the only thing I can’t find out.”’ ‘(Do you know where Travelers’ Well is, out on the sand-flat near the Jaguar Hills? The Finley crowd’s operating from the well. They’re looking for my claim.” Hill jumped as if struck. He snapped his chair back. “What? How many are there?” “Oh, about a half-dozen. Why?” Hill did not wait to answer. He turned, ran outside, yelled toward some _bar- loungers and disappeared on the street. Tom, wondering, went outside in the wake of the hurrying men. He watched Hill lead a crowd on the jump toward a corral around on a side-street. “Now, what’s this all about?” muttered Tom. More men trotted toward the corral, one of them adjusting the sling of a Winchester. From around the corner came the sound of COmiclbook CO