Adventure Magazine Cover — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

Ajax, for Example 145 “Clean case against him, judge,” states .’cause that goat hit him dead center and Scenery. ‘“He’s got the goods on him.” “Think I can’t smell?” snorts the judge. “This is an open-air case.” He pounds on his saddle-horn. “Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! This honor- able court is doing business. The prisoner will stay where he is. Are you guilty or not guilty?” . “I have no idea,” says Ajax weary-like. ‘“‘Prisoner, does that goat belong to Mighty Jones?” “T have no idea.” “Call it and see if it comes to you, Mighty,” “Like “Let the goat loose and see who it goes ”” suggests the judge. “Whoa!” yelps Mighty. ‘Don’t do that! T don’t know how he ever got the rope on it, but I do know it’s the champion butter of the world. You stick with it, feller, and get time off for good behavior.”’ ‘“‘This is the same one I had yesterday,” states Ajax. ‘‘It—er—struck the sheriff, I believe.” “Haw! haw! haw! whoops Magpie. “Tt upset our sheriff something awful.” We considers things for a while, and then the judge says: “According to my own reckoning there ain’t nothing to be done, but I has to pass an opinion. Being as the prisoner, smelling as he does, is of no value to the prosecution, and the plaintiff refuses to take back his alleged property, I adjudicates thusly: ‘The prisoner will be banished on his own recognizance. Feller, you better go away off some place. Sabe? Take your clothes and burn ’em and jump in the river or vicy versy. Given under my hand and seal this fifth day of August in the year of our Lord, and the County of Yaller Rock. ‘“‘Now I’d admire why a freak like that does things like he’s done?” “TI was desirous of observing the effects of astragalas splendens on the genus Ovius.”’ 1»? suggests Magpie. |?? “The you was!” snorts the judge. “Find out?” ‘No. I was almost prepared for the ex- periment when this unforeseen contingency arose.”’ “My grunts Magpie. “He was sure going to do something awful.” “Tt is nothing to——”’ | Ajax dropped his rope and stooped to pick it up; and didn’t finish his sentence, |? Ajax and his sack turned a cartwheel. The polecat came out of the sack and tangled with the goat, and then both of them started back down the trail towards Mighty. Mighty must ’a’ got his property back, cause as far as we can see ’em Mighty is still in the lead, but it’s almost a cinch the goat will win out in the end. Ajax watches ’em for a minute and then starts for the cabin. “Wait!” snaps Magpie. belongings for you.” “I am going away,” says Ajax sad-like; “going where intellect is appreciated. I came here on a scientific mission, and I find that research work is not appreciated.” ‘‘We may not be strong for you, Ajax, but it’s a cinch you're too strong for us,” says Magpie, tossing the valise to Ajax. ““Good-b~, Ajax,” says I. “Tell Middle- ton hello for us.’ “T shall tell him something for myself,” says he, picking up his valise. ‘Most surely I shall speak to Middleton about you both.” We watches him pilgrim down the trail, exuding odors of which there is no-imita- tion. - “Magpie,” says the judge, “have you any idea what he wanted?”’ “Not in my language, judge. I’m going to write to Professor Middleton and ask him what it is. I reckon Ajax came to the wrong place.”’ “Let me know, Magpie,” squeaks Scen- ery. ‘“I’d admire to hear what it was.” We didn’t hear no more about Ajax, and about three weeks later we’re down at Pipe- rock and got a letter from Middleton. We got Scenery, and the three of us went up to Judge Steele’s office. Magpie opens the letter and reads it aloud to us: “Vil get your DEAR MAGPIE AND IKE: Professor Green returned. Tell me about the thing he calls a hipwiggler. He dropped some in- formation to Pettingill regarding it, but refuses even to nod to me _In fact he is very reticent over the whole matter. He started to tell Pettingill about the “loofmad.” Pettingill wrote it out and happened to spell it back- ward Now Green won’t speak to Pettingill Please tell us why a vigilance committee in Silver Bend made him burn his clothes, which by the way con- tained his money. We are very anxious to hear all about it. : You ask the meaning of Green’s statement—to study the effects of astragalas splendens on the genus Ovius, MICLOOOK (C©