Adventure Magazine Cover — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

‘around gambling-places. ‘ “You are still carrying considerable money with you?” “About thirty-five hundred more than I had when I left Deadwood. Took that much from the fellow with the busted head. I’m remembering that I owe you a prize for tipping the deck.” “T wasn’t thinking of that. I knew you’d treat me all right. Any one could have tipped the deck, but a wakan witshasha is better than a common man,” gravely said Scissors. ‘I’ve learned things from being Only a _ road- agent, or a gambler would bet so much money on one card like that man did.” “T bet like he did,’’ reminded Dinsdale, his eyes glinting. “You’re no road-agent,” promptly de- clared Scissors. ‘You haven’t any partners up here. You may be a train-robber. It’s no business of mine if you’re one or the other. But that man back there worries me. He’s no gambler or I’d have seen him in Deadwood. A man willing to bet as he did wouldn’t hang around Rapid City, drinking Calvin’s whisky and singing his foolish songs. Not being a gambler, nor a miner, he must be an agent. As robbing folks is his business he won’t knuckle down to losing so much money, nor letting you get away with what was your own. If I was a card- man I’d bet we’ll be held up inside the next ten miles.” Dinsdale was frankly concerned, although he tapped his guns and grimly declared: “Let them come. You just lay low and when they heave in sight leave it to me to receive them.”’ “My old owl would know better than to_ make such talk. He’d know the agents would never give you a chance to pull a gun. The man with the sore head will mates—and he has men within call—that it’ll be dangerous to give you a show. Yes, old Sitting Bull would ruffle up his feathers and tell us we’re fools to be following this road to be overtaken. Your horse is tired. Mine isn’t much good. They’ve got the best horse-flesh in the hills. This minute they’re probably pounding after us, taking it easy so’s not to overhaul us till we’re quite a few miles from Rapid City.” Dinsdale glanced over the winding back trail, then pleased his companion by saying: “Y’m not a fool even if I do wear two - belt-guns. We'll swing one side if you think best. I have quite a lot of money on me in tell his é Adventure greenbacks and a decent pot of gold. What’s more, San Juan Joe is in a hurry to see me on a business deal. I can run just as smart as I can fight.” ‘““Good! Now you make a medicine talk!” cried Scissors; and within the next quarter of a mile they turned down a narrow gorge . that ran east. They followed this for less than two miles and then swung back until they were movy- ing parallel to the stage-road and separated from it by a long ridge. Pointing to the ridge he announced: “From the top of that one can look down on the stage-road. If we had time to spare we could get up there and see if the sore- headed man and his friends are after us.”’ - “We'll take time. I’d like to be sure if that’s Mr. Easy’s game,” declared Dins- dale. Scissors turned in toward the ridge and galloped to a clump of spruce and secured his horse. Dinsdale did likewise. The ascent of the ridge was easy as there was no ground growth and the timber was scat- tering. As they neared the crest Scissors directed: “Take off your hat and play Indian. Just below us the road narrows. Stage- drivers call it the ‘bottle.’ Maybe Sore- head hasn’t had time to fetch his friends along. Maybe they’re taking it comfortable and planning to jump us after we’ve camped. We'll see.” They cautiously lifted their heads and pulled aside the grass. The road directly beneath them was out of their field of vision, but toward. the south there was a long stretch in full view. They watched for a minute and then beheld some objects rapidly advancing into the middle distance. They were horsemen and riding furiously. Dinsdale counted six. From their elevated position it was impossible to distinguish one from another excepting the man who rode next to the leader. He wore something white about his head. On rushed, the cavalcade and disappeared by galloping between the vertical walls of the “bottle.” “My debt to you increases, Scissors,’ muttered Dinsdale. ‘“The second man was Easy, and he’s after my money. The way they’re traveling shows they’re keen to have it over with as soon as possi- ble.”’ “Tm very wakan. My pictures are wakan. But the pictures I see inside my * MICLOOKS (c (C@ (CO)