Adventure Magazine Cover — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

The Smilin’ Kid crowded around the Kid to shake him by the hand and pound him on the back, like a pa’cel of crazy folks—which they was. The girls was all a-crying—now the dan- ger was over; the Red Child tore her way through the crowd and threw her arms around the Kid’s neck. The men was all laughin’ and talkin’ big and lettin’ on like it was all a joke—just to hide their feelin’s, you know. They was a hard lot, but they was men, at that. They'd fight at the drop of the hat, and do ’most anything when they was chasin’ gold in big chunks, but after they got it maybe they'd give it dll away in a day or a month and go out after more. I’ve seen it happen many a time. And the girls—well, they was bad—some of ’em anyway; but they had hearts in *em—and feelin’s—just like the rest of us; and in a time like this they showed It. “Old Six-Hoss” Simpson, founder of the camp and official town drunkard—loved by everybody for what he kad been—was the only one to keep his head. He picked up the guns and steered the bad-man out into the street. vq SIX-HOSS piloted Arizona around (ea) to Doc Porter’s office and helped = doc patch him up, and after a while we see Arizona sneakin’ past the Palace on the way to the Pioneer Hotel. He was one pious-lookin’ Injun, if you want to believe me! He looked like he would walk away around a jackass rabbit if he met one in the trail. Six-Hoss showed up at the Palace right away—he knew he was good for a whole pa’cel of drinks on account of helpin’ patch up Peets, and Six-Hoss was always drv—as long as he could sit up and swallow. He let it be known that according to doc’s judgment, and barring the loss of one joint from his left thumb, Peets would be good as ever in a couple of months or less. Peets hid out for three-four days, then disappeared. Nobody knew where he went to, but we all knew the trouble wasn’t settled yet; that Peets would be back again all in due time, and we knew he’d come specially to kill the Kid. Peets simply could not let the matter stand as it was. Known far and wide as a killer, and proud of his record, he could not be expected to let it go as it looked. To be outwitted and humiliated by a mere boy could be nothing but gall and wormwood IOI to a man of Peets’ standing; he would have to come back and shoot it out, or hide out for the rest of his life. The Kid had proved himself a long ways from being slow with a gun; still, nobody believed he could have won on his speed, for Peets was a marvel with a six-gun. The Kid had mixed in a little headwork, how- ever, and had won by a big margin. He had carefully led Peets to expect him to try with his right, and Peets had banked on him doing it just that way. The Kid had taken him completely by surprize by draw- ing with his left, and Peets hadn’t a chance. Of course Peets had set into the Kid’s game for the sole purpose of picking a row and killing him, and the Kid knew it. While Peets was busy plannin’ an excuse for trouble, the Kid quietly got his other gun ready to use with his left hand, which he did by layin’ it along his left leg and half under the table. Nobody, least of all Peets, knew the gun was there; so the surprize was comp.ete. It was a perfectly fair trick, and one that would sure teach Peets a lesson. Next time there would be no showing off on the part of Mr. Peets; everything would be strictly on a business basis. and we all knew it. Immediately after Peets disappeared the Kid palled up with Six-Hoss Simpson, which seemed strange, considering that Six-Hoss was the official town drunkard and the Kid seldom drank at all; and we all wondered what it meant. There was a lot of talk; but nobody, barring old Pop Baldwin, guessed within a hundred mile of the truth— and Pop talked mighty little with his mouth unless there was something in it. Six-Hoss had been an expert cabinet- maker in his younger days, and after he lost his leg and had to quit drivin’ stage he opened up a little shop and worked at his trade—once in a while, when he was sober enough—and for several days the Kid spent a lot of time in the shop. Then one morn- ing Six-Hoss and the Kid carried a brand- new card-table into the Palace, and the Kid tells Pop that he’s putting it in place of the old one—at his own expense. The old table was perfectly good yet; Pop smiled his cracked half-smile and rubbed his pitted nose. “‘Superstitious fiddlesticks,”’ he exclaimed disgustedly. “I thought you had more sense, Kid.” “Call it what you like,” returned the Kid GOMIIGooo S (© inn