Adventure Magazine Cover — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

The Spark of Skeeter Bill 9 A small, white-haired man, timid of man- ner, came up to him and Rance Williams turned from tying a rope. “Howdy, parson. How yuh standin’ the trip?” ‘“‘As well as could be expected,” replied the small man. “It is unpleasant at times, but a messenger of God must not complain of discomforts, Mr. Williams.” Williams looks down at him and smiled. “Yore packin’ a message to folks what won’t sabe it, old-timer. Sunbeam ain’t receptive to yore kind of cheerfulness.”’ A girl came from between the wagons near them and stood looking off,across the desert. She was a tired-looking girl with a tangle of brown hair, which she brushed nervously away as the wind flung it into her eyes. “Evenin’, miss,”’ said Williams kindly. ‘““Good evening, Mr. Williams,” she re- plied, turning toward them. “You also, Dr. Weston. Will we ever get out of this eternal desert?” “Tomorrow, miss. Sunbeam is about twelve miles away, but it’s a long twelve miles. I reckon the men what measured it used a rubber tape.” The girl smiled and went on toward the fires. The two men watched her go away and Williams turned to the minister. “Too danged bad she’s goin’ to Sunbeam. I tried to argy her out of it, but she won’t listen to me.” “T shall Jook out for her,” minister. Williams looked at the rolling storm clouds for a moment and then back at the frail-looking man beside him. “Lemme tell yuh somethin’, old-timer; you ain’t never been in Sunbeam. You’ve done all yore sky-pilotin’ in a place where a policeman would arrest yuh if yuh velped after nine o’clock at night. Sunbeam’s raw —raw as Know what I mean? If one moral thought weighed a ton, yuh wouldn’t find enough in this country to fill a .22 ca’tridge with. Yuh mean right, par- son, but Gawd help yuh both if yuh get off on the wrong foot.” The Reverend Josiah Weston shifted his feet uneasily. He did not understand this rough, kindly man at all. What could be the danger in Sunbeam, and what did he mean by “getting off on the wrong foot?” “What is this danger, Mr. Williams?” ‘“She’s a dead open-and-shut that Sun- replied the beam don’t hanker fer gospel, but they do admire a pretty face. Bein’ hated is just about as dangerous as bein’ desired. I reckon I better anchor some of this outfit before the storm hits us. Kinda looks like she was goin’ to come a-whoopin’ ”’ Williams turned, ducked under a rope and disappeared. Dr. Weston walked slowly back to the camp-fires. He was an old man—old in the service of the church, possessor of a snug berth, but had given it up to carry the gospel into the dim places. This was his first pilgrimage, and his old body ached from the desert days. The country and people all seemed unreal. He missed the respect of a silk-hatted congregation. Men called him “Old-Timer”’ and cursed openly before him, without shame. When he explained his mission to Sunbeam, they laughed and advised him to get a pick and shovel and let the devil alone. One man had sent a message by him, a verbal mes- sage. It was very confidential. He asked the minister to give his love to the Honka- tonk girls. The minister agreed to carry the message, and worried for fear he would forget the family name—Honkatonk. No doubt they were foreigners. Dr. Weston walked slowly up to one of the fires, where a man was busily slicing bacon. A swirl of sand blew into the man’s face and he got to his feet, cursing profanely. Dr. Weston started to remonstrate with him over his language, but just at this mo- ment six mounted men rode around the circle of wagons and pulled up near the fires. Raa THEY were a rough looking crew, fgen with rifles across their saddle-forks. wan Their restive horses sent the dust hd sand flying as they milled around. Some of the men came from another fire, looking inquiringly at the riders. A whirl of sand seemed to blot out the group for an instant, but above the hiss of it came Rance Williams’ voice— ‘Look out, men!” The man beside Dr. Weston dropped his slab of bacon and jerked his pistol, but one of the riders swung his rifle forward, fired, and the man plunged forward to the ground. From behind a wagon came the whang! of a rifle, and the rider slid sidewise off his horse. With a yell the five riders plunged for- ward. One of the horses struck the minis- ter, knocking him under a wagon, where he (C@ DOOKS C@