Adventure Magazine Cover — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

The Spark of Skeeter Bill “That’s danged queer,” he muttered aloud as he peered across the enclosure, trying to see the horses. He walked cautiously across to the other side and halted near a wagon, the cover of which was missing. Suddenly he turned his head and glanced down at the ground. A beam of moonlight struck across the body of Rance Williams, lighting up his face and glinting from the pistol in his hand. Skee- ter Bill stared at him. He knew Rance. A sudden noise caused him to whirl around and his heart skipped a beat. With- in a foot of his face was the face of a girl, peering at him from over the edge of the wagon-box. The girl’s face showed white in the moonlight, a white face, with wide, frightened eyes, surrounded with a mass of wind-blown brown hair. For several moments they stared at each other. The girl’s hand came up and pushed back her hair, and the action seemed to bring Skeeter Bill from his trance. ‘“‘Excuse me all to ,ma’am,” he mut- tered inanely. “‘Wh-what happened?” she whispered. Skeeter Bill’s gaze traveled around, tak- ing in the body of Rance Williams. From under the wagon came a half-surpressed groan and the figure of Dr. Weston crawled out into the moonlight. He got painfully to his feet and leaned against the wagon. Skeeter Bill watched him for a moment and turned to the girl. “When things git through happenin’, mebbe I can answer your question, miss.” The old minister slowly drew a hand across his forehead and looked at Skeeter. “I—I do not exactly understand,” he murmured. “Ts that you, Dr. Weston?” asked the irl, “T think—I—I am almost positive that I am,” replied the old minister haltingly. He moved painfully up to Skeeter and stared at him. “T do not think I know you, sir.”’ “You ain’t got nothin’ on me, pardner,” said Skeeter. ‘‘Do yuh know just what hap- pened.” “No.”? Dr. Weston shook his head. “I remember that some riders came. A shot or two was fired, I think, but something seemed to strike me and I—I think that was all.” “‘T was in this wagon,” said the girl wear- ily. ‘I think I came to get something, and Il the men began shooting. Then the storm— it was terrible.” Skeeter Bill walked across the enclosure and looked down at the crumpled figure of a man. It was Mears, the one-eyed outlaw. Near him lay the body of a saddled horse. Skeeter turned and went back to the wagon. “How many folks in your party?” he asked. ‘Six of us,” said the girl. ‘There were four drivers, Dr. Weston and myself.” She climbed down from the wagon. Her clothes were drenched and the moonlight shone on her wet hair. Skeeter watched her go to the old man and take him by the arm. “Vour daddy must ’a’ got bumped,” ob- served Skeeter. ‘‘Better fix a place and let him lav down.”’ He helped her lead the old man back to where the fires had been, where they let him sit down on a wagon-seat, while Skeeter re- built the fire. Just beyond the fire lay an- other man. Skeeter picked him up and car- ried him inside the enclosure, where he placed him beside Mears. It was Jack Brent, a young outlaw. The girl was sitting beside the old man, moodily staring into the fire, when Skeeter returned. He asked where he could find food and cooked supper in a short time. Dr. Weston’s appetite had suffered considerable shock, and the girl, still dazed from the events, did not touch the food. After a long period of silence she turned to Skeeter. ‘Do you know a man named Leeds?” Skeeter slopped a cup of hot coffee on his knees, staring at her, open-mouthed. “Leeds?” he asked wonderingly. “Yes. A man in Pickett told me that he had heard some one from Sunbeam speak of a man named Leeds.”’ ‘“‘Leeds,’’ mused Skeeter aloud, recover- ing his composure. ‘‘Ma’am, I ain’t so awful well acquainted in Sunbeam.” Skeeter refilled his cup and stared into the fire, his brow wrinkled as if in deep thought. **Know him when yuh see him, ma’am?”’ The girl shook her head. “T do not think so. It has been fourteen years since I saw him, and I was only four vears of age. I have been trying for a long time to find him.”’ “What did he ever do to youP” asked Skeeter. é The girl smiled. ) GOMIIGooo <S' C@