Adventure Magazine Cover — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

Lay Rustlers “Howdy,” says Hashknife, taking off his hat. ‘“‘Nice day.’ Glory kinda jerks back when she first sees us, but after the first look she kinda takes a deep breath and stares at us. I reckon she thought we was Willer Crickers at first. Then she says kinda soft— “You two!” “Yes'm,”’ says I. ma’am.” Just then a little kid comes out beside Glory. He’s alittle, round-eyed shaver, and he’s been crying dirty tears or has been crying tears on a dirty face, ’cause he sure is streaked. ‘“That’s his kid,” says Hashknife, kinda whispering. “Whose kid?” asks Glory, but before Hashknife can answer her the old man comes out. He brushes his hand across his eyes and stares at us. “Yuh beat us up here, grampaw,” smiles Hashknife. “Ves,” says he. ‘‘I—I reckon Idid.” Then he puts his hand on Glory’s arm and says to her: “Girl, [ want to thank yuh for your kindness to her. She tol’ me some of it. Yuh see, she never wrote to me and [I never knew how things was. I decided to come, yuh see.” “You're welcome,’ ful-like. ‘Seven year and a few months,” says the old man, like he was talking to himself. ‘Me wonderin’ why she don’t write, and— and it’s a long ways to Arizony—on a mule.” ‘Woman sick?”’ asks Hashknife. ‘Not now,” says Glory sad-like. “May- be she’s better off, I don’t know. Any- thing is better than livin’ here like she had to live.” “Where’s her husband?” asks Hash- knife, like he didn’t know. “Gone to town,” says Glory. ‘‘He—he was going to try and get some medicine.”’ “Ain’t yuh got no doctor?” I asks. “Ves, but——” “He wouldn’t come?” asks Hashknife, and.Glory shakes her head. “She was my daughter,” says the old man, and then he says to Glory, “Will yuh come in with me and he’p me a little?”’ The little kid looks at us and then follers them inside. Me and Hashknife looks at each other. We’re kinda hard-boiled, “Same old two of us } says Glory thought- 167 but it’s getting under our hides a little. Then we hears voices out by the gate, and here comes a. lot of men. We figures it’s the council coming to notify Eph’s wife. It ain’t right to feel thataway, but I’m kinda glad she wasn’t able to hear what they has to say. Hashknife touches me and I steps around the corner with him. This gang trails around to the back door and we hears one of ’em speak to Glory. The old man must ’a’ come to the door, ‘cause we hears somebody ask Glory who the old man is. The old man starts to talk, but one of the gang says: “We jist wants to say that Eph got killed today.” We hears Glory say: “Eph Sillman?”’ kinda strained-like. “Uh-huh.” “Dad, is this true?” asks Glory, but we don’t hear Jim Sillman answer, “What or who killed him?” asks Glory. “Nobody seems to know,” says a voice. “‘He’s layin’ up there in front of the store. Bassett heard the shot and so did several more folks. Bassett says that two fellers rode through town today, and he’s dead certain that they’re them same two cowboys what tried to steal the Godfrey place. Them two is likely the ones what done it.” “They better not show up around this country,” states a voice. “I’m lookin’ fer them two, y’betcha.” Hashknife pinches me on the arm. “That’s one of the fellers what tried to hold me up for the five hundred dollars I never got. I reckon LI shot high.” “Eph went to see if he could get a little medicine,” says Glory, and her voice is high pitched. Then she adds, “But it wouldn’t ’a’ done any good.” ““Pid—did she die?” asks Jim Silman. “She was my daughter,” says the old man. “My daughter.” “This here e-state will need considerin’,”’ says a voice. “My gosh, there’s Sol Vane!” gasps Hashknife. “How about. the kid?” asks some one. “He don’t count,’ declares another. “He’s the brat of a outlander. Mebbe we better look around fer them two gun- fighters.”’ “T’m lookin’ fer ’em, y’betcha,” states the feller who has promised to dance our hair. “All I needs is one look.” Hashknife steps away from the side of the COPMIGLOOO KS com