Adventure Magazine Cover — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

170 “He, he, he,” cackles Sol Vane. he, he.” “Sol Vane, you’re goin’ to choke to death some day,’ states Hashknife. “Right in the middle of one of them laughs you’re goin’ to quit seein’ the funny side of serious things. Now, you snake- hunters, pick up that would-be assassin and drift. I don’t want him clutterin’ up the scenery. Tell your friends that we’re receivin’ company at any time.” They files past us and picks up Lem Seller. I don’t reckon Lem)s plumb dead, but he ain’t in no shape to help himself much. They loads him up and drifts, while me and Hashknife and the little kid stands there and watches ’em go. “He, GLORY is inside the house. After they drifts out of sight I steps up to the door and peers inside. I see Glory standing by the front window. Then she turns and leans a Winchester’ rifle against the wall. Hashknife looks over my shoulder and sees her place the gun, and then he looks at me kinda queer-like. Glory wasn’t takin’ no chances on Willer Crick smoking us up. The little kid hangs on to Hashknife. “T like you,’” says the little jigger, looking up at Hashknife. “Well, for gosh sakes!’ gasps Hashknife. “Whatcha know about that. Buddy, me and you are goin’ to bunk together for quite a spell.” “You play wit’ me?” he asks. “Well, my gosh!” says Hashknife foolish- like. ‘Well, whatcha know about that?” “Brother,” says the old man, “was you serious about takin’ Buddy?” “VYou’re a preacher,” says Hashknife, “and I admire preachers a heap, but just you try takin’ him away from me. Ain’t nobody sayin’ I can’t takevhim, is there?” Glory looks at Hashknife and then down at the kid. 7 “T’m glad for Buddy,” says she. “Buddy glad,” says the kid. “Well, my gosh!” gasps Hashknife. “Don’t this beat and high water?” Willer Crick never made no _ {foolish breaks when we went up with Eph Sillman’s old wagon and team and brought Eph’s body back with us. Me and Hashknife went up there and took it—that’s all. They’d moved him off behind the sidewalk and putaold blanket over him. The store . Adventure was closed and there wasn’t man, woman nor child in sight. Glory said they wouldn’t bury him, and I reckon she was right. Me and Hashknife dug two graves and Hashknife built two boxes. It’s awful to have to plant folks thataway, but we done our dangdest to make it look right. The old man kind a broke down over the sermon, which was natural, and Hashknife finished it up. Glory was there. It was her brother, and I reckon she thought a lot of him. Buddy didn’t know what it meant, but he bawled anyway, which made a real pleasant party all the way around. I reckon the old man was kinda loco over it all, cause he went out, got on his mule and pulled his freight. Glory didn’t have much to say after it was over. She kissed the kid, and then got on her horse. - “T ain’t had much chance to talk to you two,” says she, ‘but I want you both to know I’m obliged to you. Maybe they won’t let me see you again, but I-hope you’ll take Buddy and get away—which I know you won’t do.” : “Glory Sillman,” says Hashknife, ‘‘you’re welcome—and we won’t.”’ She smiled at us and rode away, and we stood there with our hats in our hands, like a pair of fools until she’s out of sight. “Well,” says I, ‘‘we’ve met Willer Crick.” “Not all, Sleepy; there’s forty more, so they say. Glory left her rifle. It’s standin’ in there, and hangin’ to it is a belt plumb full of shells. She likely didn’t know we had a pair of rifles.”’ ‘She did,” says I,‘‘but she wanted to have an extra one here when she showed up.” We cooks supper, but neither of us has any appetite. Buddy wants to get on Hashknife’s knee ali the time, and Hashknife ain’t got no conversation in his system, except, “My gosh!” They’ve got the house fixed up kinda nice inside. There ain’t nfach furniture, but it’s clean, which is something in Willer Crick. “Don’t yuh never have no little boys to play with?” I asks. “Li'l boys?” says Buddy, “I’m li’l boy.” “This country ain’t human, Sleepy,” says Hashknife. ‘“‘This here family must ’a’ been ignored complete, the same of which would drive anybody loco. Honest, I thought Jim Sillman was half-human, but he ain’t. CORMICLOOOKS Glory’s a humdinger, but she’s . (E@