Adventure Magazine Cover — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

| i “Meaning you'll sic-him-Tiger on to me. Well, we have to take what comes. Good day.” “T’m afraid Allen will get you first,” she jeered. He halted his steps and contem- plated her curiously and mused: “So you’re the one who set the yarn going about me fighting that rabbit.”’ “You’re as poor at guessing as you are at cards.”’ “Tt doesn’t matter. You’re only the twentieth person to speak of Allen to me today. Some one has been very busy.” ‘““Y’m not subtle when I move. I go direct. You’ll know when I become busy.” “Work fast, little woman, as I shall be leaving the gulch soon.” Her pink and white face hardened and the blue eyes squinted up with malice. “When you feel the rope that McCall dodged remember me, my bad-man.”’ “T shall remember you for a long time; but I’m not your bad-man,” he softly re- minded her as he passed on. ' Kitty the Schemer bit her red lips and watched him swing up the street. The experience of having young men ignore her undoubted charms was both new and in- tensely disagreeable. She sauntered on, her nimble wits devising ways for bringing the careless stranger very low. He interested her to the exclusion of all other men for the moment; and she was sure she hated him. If only he could be brought as low as he carried his head high and could discover she was the only one who could save him! Would she interfere in his behalf? She was unable to decide; and the very doubt an- gered her against him and herself. ae is 3 the others. From tent to tent and il) from dance-hall to saloon he trav- eled, lavishly acting as host to crowds of men who already were whispering their belief he was one of the Ogalala train- robbers. In the Big Ace, devoted entirely to faro and largely patronized by profes- sionals who had made killings at poker, he added to his unsavory reputation by win- ning two thousand dollars in gold and then promising to shoot his way clear of the joint when the proprietor became over in- sistent on his remaining and tempting for- tune further. As he left the place he was thrown into a sudden spell of anger by a poor creature THE night began for him as had Adventure creeping to his side and attempting to tell the same old story about Bandy Allen. “You scum!” he growled, reaching for the fellow’s neck. = sakes! Don’t!” spluttered the “You give me a bill this morning. I tell you fellow. I wanted to do you a good turn. Allen’s going to try for you.” “Excuse me, neighbor,’”’ sighed Dinsdale. “I’ve been trailed pretty strong by your friends today.” “T ain’t after no more money. I owed you a few words, I thought. No funny business to it. I heard French Curly as much as tell Big George you was having your last night—’less you seen Bandy Allen first. Them was his exact words, almost. Believe, or forgit it.” And he ducked away up the street. Dinsdale rubbed his chin and mused: “I’m inclined to believe it. But what the is behind it all? That poor fool isn’t acting "less some one’s pushing him forward. French Curly knows so much about the inside of it I reckon Curly may be in on the ground floor of the enterprise. If anything happens I'll have to look Curly up. But I can’t do anything to a man already three-fourths dead with lung- trouble.” Only hilarity filled his shapely head when an hour after midnight he entered the Grand Central and immediately became a central figure. His voice was reckless, yet that of a braggart as he poised in the office. He invaded the bar with a mob at his heels and made it free to all. While he dumped some of his golden faro winnings on the bar the word was carried to the street that the “Greenback man” was throwing everything wide open and without limit, and homeless men flocked in and jammed the place. passed an endless procession of drinks over their shoulders to those behind. Never had the derelicts of a mining-camp such a host before. Constantly Dinsdale’s laughing voice was calling to the perspiring bartenders: ‘““More gentlemen back here with a thirst. Make it quick, Aprons!” — It was while the last of the mob was being satiated that Scissors squirmed through the press and -thrust a note into Dinsdale’s hand. Opening it Dinsdale read— Most important you see me now—Joe. COnnicloool< Those holding preferred positions (C@