Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

The Silent Captain the boss’s face grew deeper. He was fond of his boys. | Another loss was felt when a good half of all his cattle left him. They were rounded up and driven to the railroad in a vast herd whose dust could be seen for miles. They had been sold by the hundred, on the hoof. Trains were ready to whisk them to the eastern markets. The herd was well guarded on the journey and there were no untoward incidents. In town, the silent boss perched on a rail and whittled thoughtfully while half his ranch stamped through the great cattle-pens and disappeared into car after car, finally van- ishing forever down the long steel road that led toward the rising sun. brought Wilcox money enough to carry him for a long time, but it left him dejected. George Minden had offered to buy the cattle. Wilcox refused. He believed Min- den had all he could handle. Lan] MINDEN soon had another burden. OH The story of the gun-battle was pub- lished in the town newspaper. The editor in his glee wrote it up with vigor and abandon. The rustlers and gangsters had lost some friends and were not in a humor- ous mood. The editor beat them out of town by a hair. He finally turned up at ~ Minden’s ranch. | Wilcox disliked his turbulent presence in a sick-room but trusted to the tact and strength of George Minden. | 7 Wilcox found himself the talk of the county. The range woke up. It saw that the leader was not Steve Adams but the quiet stranger from the cities. The flanking ride of the Wilcox horsemen on that memor- able night opened people’s eyes. The silent boss received sympathy from unexpected quarters. Strange ranch-owners came to see him and decent citizens from town made furtive visits to give congratulations. Wilcox found time to visit Yellow Valley to see how his squatter friends were getting along. They were prospering. Valley was yellow no longer. The crops were growing finely. The wire fence was in better condition. The house was clean and its roof was repaired. Gennerveeve sang as she mauled the family washing. Tibbs welcomed Wilcox, but voiced fore- bodings. “T hain’t so sure as haow they’s things The sale- Yellow . 395 goin’ on hereabouts that ain’t right,” he opined. ‘Matters is sho’ heapin’ up pow’ful myster’ous!”’ “How?” “I dunno, but I’m a watchin’ mighty peart!”’ The boss was going to say “poppycock,”’ but he only nodded. “Thanks. Tell me anything else you hear.” Two days later Wilcox received a visit from Jake Curry. Curry came alone. He knocked at the ranch-house door politely and seemed quite genial, though his cold eyes always kept shifting sideways. It was a habit of Curry’s. “Well?” asked the boss, behind the long table. “T’m here to see if mebbe we can’t have peace.” It made Wilcox puff at his cigar for some time. Curry seated himself in the nearest chair and hitched his gun into his lap. “What do you want peace for?” asked the boss. “To stop all this trouble.” “Stop it, then.” “‘What terms are you offerin’?”’ “Terms?” “Sure. You don’t want your men to git shot up all the time, do you?” “Oh, you want peace if I buy you off.” “Suit yourself about the language.” “You are impudent.” “Suit yourself.” The boss kept smoking. He was too in- terested to lose his temper now. Curry was either whipped and trying a monvu-: mental bluff, or else he had come with a definite mission. Wilcox was curious. ‘What do you want? Say it.” “T want your ranch.” "Oh? “T reckon mebbe you can fix a low price. You don’t want no more trouble, do you? I'll buy any time you say.”’ Curry was far from whipped! “Where would you get the money?” inquiréd Wilcox. ‘“‘That’s my business.”’ ‘“‘There is something behind all this.” “You can think what you want. I want the ranch!” Wilcox stared. Curry was an intense person and the stare made him nervous. His hand slipped to the butt of his six- shooter, but Wilcox had forgotten all about COnmiclboooks Cc C@