Adventure Magazine Cover — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

Ae SO Silver Zone her and the nurse in someplace where he was sure they would be all right until he was satished that there was to be no come-back from the Silver Zone raid. Wherever that was there was little doubt that Hasbrouck and Kutch were on their way there at that moment. Suddenly Dal had an inspiration. What place could suit their purpose better than Loneseme Jim’s cabin? Ina flash it dawned upon him who had provisioned the cabin two days before, and why. He was about to state his facts to Bradley when the detective turned his~ attention to the prisoners. “T want to know where the two girls are that Hasbrouck done took from Silver Zone last night,” he said dryly. “The first man to speak up can save his neck by doin’ it.” There was no response. “Where are they?” Bradley snapped, every tone charged with menace. “We don’t know,” a cowboy answered tremblingly. “Right after we left Silver Zone Hasbrouck an’ Kutch took the two wimmin an’ disappeared. Hasbrouck never took nobody into his plans ’cept Kutch, an’ Nevada when he was alive.” : “Looks like they was tellin’ the truth,” ‘Bradley commented. © “T think I know where they are,” Dal said. quietly. “You do?”’ Bradley asked curiously. Quickly Dal related how he had come to discover Lonesome Jim’s cabin, and why he _ believed Hasbrouck had taken the girls “Then that’s where the two hombres who got away ‘have gone,” Bradley exclaimed with a peculiar gleam in his eye. “We’ve got a chance to git ’em before morning.” Dal saw that the glint in the detective’s eye was that of the man-hunter, and that he was not concerned about the girls. “T want.-three of you to guard the pris- oners,” Bradley told his men. ‘Then who will volunteer to help me nab the two that got away tonight?” “See here,” said a bearded shepherd, ‘““we’ve helped you raid this ranch to pay up for the raid ‘on Sawyer’s outfit. That lets us out. We ain’t no more than got time to git back to otr herds before they start to movin’ in the mornin’, an’ we've left ’em too long already. Tf we ain’t with ’em by morning they'll be mixed up, the coyotes’ll be into ’em, an —— will be to pay all around. None of us has got the time to go — on any wild goose chase into the hills.” “Then I reckon I'll have to git ’em my- __ = “But two of you will = Zs self,” Bradley said.’ have to stay and watch these prisoners.” | “Let us have our way an’ they won’t need watchin’,” the herder retorted. In the end two young camp-movers who “2 eS cared more for excitement than they did ~~ for their jobs were detailed to watch the «> prisoners. For the first time Dal knew the bitter : taste of being a prisoner as he found himself — being herded with Hasbrouck’s men. It would have been bad-enough at any time, but it was a thousand times worse at this — precise moment to have his hands tied when Vincie Bently was in deadly peril. “Look here, Bradley,” he protested ve- é A hemently, “you can’t leave me here—you — need me. You won’t be able to find the — a es place.” ally when I’ve got the directions. I reckon I can make out,” Bradley replied “But there'll be two to one, and a : ‘fight at the end of the trail,” Dal warned desperately. “T reckon I can take care of the business é pa at the end,” Bradley returned evenly. - “You’re well heeled for conceit,” Dal exclaimed bitterly. “But recollect, mister, that if it hadn’t been for me tonight you’d have been a dead one. More than that I could have got away if I’d wanted to, and when we met before you come off - ‘second best.” Sa “The cold eyes of the detective playedover Dal questioningly. “Give your word that you won’t try to without a trace of feeling. : “You've got it,” Dal cried joyously. To Bradley’s credit he did not try to : se s Thereafter he treated Dal as a hedge. partner in the enterprise, with no suggestion of his status as a prisoner. Fresh horses~ were quickly obtained from Hasbrouck’s pasture and soon the two of their way to the place where Dal had first picked up the trail which led to Lonesome Jim’s cabin. Dal rode in advance with the ex-Ranger following in silence. To Dal it all seemed weird and uncanny, that midnight pilgrim- _ : ; age among the familiar ridges and cafions _ which now seemed vaguely unfamiliar as = = “I’m purty good at findin’ trails, especi- ae em wereon comicbooks.com