Adventure Magazine Cover — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

~~ sS Silver Zone Dal’s depressed spirits immensely. He now had something definite to work on. “If he could get the goods on Hasbrouck for rus- tling, and utterly discredit the man, ity would go a long, long way toward his own vindication on the murder charge. He felt . now that instead of being handicapped by the necessity of helping Vincie and her father, their hour of trouble was the luckiest thing that had happened to him for many moons. It was after midnight when he reached Hog-up, a small trading town built around one of those mysterious springs that oc- casionally bubble up out of the desert. He routed out a sleepy livery stable keeper, and had him feed and water old Spot. From this man he learned that the doctor was out on a case at a ranch ten miles away, and would not be back until morning. He ob- tained the liveryman’s permission to bunk in the hay loft, and in ten minutes was sleeping like a log. He was as hungry as the proverbial wolf when he awakened in the morning, but having no money he tightened his belt, and began looking for the doctor. He found the man of medicine just turning in to his home to get some sleep. He was not altogether gracious about the matter when Dal ex- plained that he was wanted on a case fifty miles out in the desert. “Tt’s a broken back, an’ the man can’t wait,” Dal argued against the doctor’s objections. “Well, I'll go,” the doctor reluctantly conceded, “but the fee will be one hundred and fifty dollars in advance.”’ Dal was staggered at the sum. Evidently $ the doctor knew perfectly well how to take advantage of the absence of any other medical man on the desert. “You'll go without a cent in advance,” Dal said grimly. “Tl give you my note.” “And who are you?” the doctor sneered. “Y’m a man who always make it a prac- tise to git what I go after,’”’ Dal shot out. The doctos looked half-startled, half- amused. “T can easily hand you over to the au- thorities if you start any rough stuff,” he saki, trying to feel out his man. rf “Tf I have to start anything rough—there won’t be any time for you to call for help. I’m going to stick to you like a cockle-burr to a sheep till we git to Silver Zone,” Dal remarked pointedly, The doctor was a fairly good judge of — human nature. He inspected the cowboy * critically. Hefelt he had taken the wrong stand, and that there was an easier way out than by making threats. “Of course you're jokmg about using vio- es lence or that sort of thing now, but I be- lieve you are just bull-headed enough to — | = = shoot a man if he didn’t give in to you.” “I wouldn’t shoot you—a dead doctor wouldn’t be any good to me, but amybody that tried to interfere with me takin’ you wouldn’t have any particular value to me,” Dal announced. , “Now look here, cowboy,” the doctor argued, “a doctor has to have his pay just — like anybody else if he is to give satisfac- tory service. Don’t you see that if I go out there os my will I won’t do the patient any—the amount of good I should.” Dal contemplated the doctor with un- friendly eyes. It was in his mind to suggest that there were ways by which even doc- tors could: be persuaded without money, but reflection told him that it could not be done. For Vincie’s peace of mind, if noth- ing else, the doctor should give his services cheerfully. Then Dal made the supreme sacrifice. “T’ve got a horse and saddl@ down in the livery stable that’s worth more than a hun- e i dred and fifty dollars. Dllleave em there = for security if you'll give me time to redeem em,” he said with a reluctance that the shrewd doctor did not overlook. “All right, Pll give you ten days if the security is worth it.” “T want three months.” “No—worse than that,” Dal said grimly. . “Make it thirty days, or —— me ifI don’t = march you out there at the pointofagun.” They made a trip to the livery stable, and Dal was forced to stand helplessly by with clinched fists while the stableman, at = the request of the doctor, ranimpioushands = over old Spot’s glossy coat and dimbs, and = took liberties with his mouth. “This old pelter ain’t worth much,” the stableman declared in the belittling tone of | knocked out much, but he’s older thanthe — the professional horse trader. Dal knew that old Spot was sound as a ee dollar, but his age.was against him. He was a three-year-old when Dal bought him, =— and he had owned him for ten years. mile “Say, what do you think I am—a pawn- broker?” the doctor demanded indignantly. — z (eC) I00K