Adventure Magazine Cover — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

The Spark of Skeeter Bill Skeeter Bill laughed to himself, wonder- ing what Tug would think when his daugh- ter appeared in Sunbeam. Should he tell her who her father was? Skeeter thought it over, but decided to let her find out for herself. The old preacher—what of him? Then Skeeter remembered that his five hours were long past. Sunbeam would be a dangerous spot for him now. Leeds had beat him to the horses, and now, if he went back to Sunbeam he would have to fight. Would he go back? Skeeter stopped the rolling of a cigaret and stared at the ground. Hadn’t Leeds said that Sunbeam belonged to him? Yes, perhaps Leeds did control the town. Then Skeeter Bill crumpled the cigaret paper be- tween his fingers, threw up his head and laughed, laughed foolishly, but joyously. “Dance, you crooked Jaspers!’ he chuckled at the Joshua palms. “Shake yourselves! I’m goin’ to make Sunbeam dance, too.”’ He walked swiftly back to the camp- fire, where Mary Leeds and the old minis- ter were sitting. In the old man’s hands was a Bible, and his soft voice came dron- ing— ‘‘“And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.’ ” He stopped as Skeeter Bill came up. Skeeter humped over by the fire and began rolling another cigaret. “Do yuh believe that, parson?” asked Skeeter. “T do believe it, my son. It is the right way.” “But do yuh foller them teachin’s, par- son? If somebody stole your pants, would yuh yelp for him to come back and take your coat, too?” “I—I have never—uh—had my pants stolen.”’ “Wait till yuh do,” smiled Skeeter Bill. “No yuh wouldn’t do it, parson, and if yuh did yuh’d be loco as a shepherd. Rustlin’ and robbin’ wouldn’t be no occupation a-tall, if them was the conditions, ’cause everybody would be takin’ your pants— and I’m thinkin’ you’d be kinda pant- huntin’ yourself.” Mary Leeds laughed. It was ridiculous to think of the Reverend Josiah Weston stealing any one’s clothes, but there was crude wisdom in Skeeter Bill’s argument. 13 The old minister smiled at Skeeter Bill, and finally they all laughed. “T have been warned that Sunbeam may be hostile to me,” said the old minister,” but I am going to Sunbeam and open a church.” “You're right you are,” agreed Skeeter warmly if profanely. “I’m backin’ your play plumb across the board. Me and you are goin’ to peddle gospel in Sunbeam as long as you can talk and I can shoot. Them coyotes are goin’ to church; sabe? Sunbeam is headed for , and she’s up to us to crack in ahead of the stampede and turn ’em back, parson. There’s a lot of ring-tails in that cavvy, but me and you are goin’ to run ’em till the kinks come out.” Mary Leeds and the Rev. Josiah Weston stared at him. They were unable to de- cipher all of his meaning, but there was no doubt of his enthusiasm. ““My son,” said the old minister, “I am glad to hear you promise assistance to the cause. Have you ever been converted to any faith?” “No,” said Skeeter Bill slowly. ‘No, I don’t reckon I have, parson, but I’m goin’ to get more fun out of this than yuh could shake a stick at. Whoo-ee! If yuh get a bell, will yuh let me ring it?” Skeeter Bill laughed and got to his feet. “YT reckon you folks can find dry beddin’ in one of the wagons, can’t yuh? Go to sleep and don’t be scared, cause nobody is goin’ to bother yuh tonight.” Skeeter turned and walked back to where he had tied his horse, and led the animal back to the fire. He took off the saddle and bridle and tied the animal to a wagon- wheel. From one of the wagons came Mary Leeds’ voice— “Good-night, tall man.” “Skeeter Bill,” he called back at her laughingly. ““Good-night, my son,” came the call from another wagon. ‘Snore easy, parson,” he replied. IV TUG LEEDS was as sore as a ee | wounded grizzly. He got up from mali his desk and glared at the three men who had come to report of the affair at Poplar Springs. One of the men had his left arm in a dirty sling and was white-faced from suffering. “Kid Brent was killed first,” said one of COMmicaoo® S (© iin