Adventure Magazine Cover, December 10, 1922 — page 129: what you’re looking at

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

Tameless Days drew a deep breath and went all over it again. He wondered if the law-abiding men in the diggings understood that murderers could be killed just as easily as they had killed their victims. And once the process of elimination began working wouldn’t murderers be afraid of death as much as their victims had been? pax NOW he had arrived at his second A great conclusion, and he told it to =“ the mountains, saying— ‘We don’t have to stand it any longer than it takes to pull a gun and shoot.” His shoulders squared. He began to sense the thrill of victory. An inexorable nemesis had dogged him, and now the road behind him was safe. : It had not entered his feverish thoughts that although Baldy was dead there were others to carry on the horrible work and strip -him of his gold; strip him of his life. He knew only that unaided he had come out of a great peril and had solved his own problem. Then a shadow fell swiftly upon him, and his eyes widened as he watched an approach- ing horseman. The man rode with gallant ease. As the two drew nearer together the one from the north stared steadily at the one from the south and reined in, still staring. Beach’s heart began its old trick of pump- ing spasmodically. George Ives could not be fooled by simple ruses. And Ives was surprized to see him. More than that; he was amazed, “Why, Content, I scarcely knew you,” he slowly greeted him. ‘‘You look as if you had seen a ghost.”’ “T’ve been held up!” cried Beach. “Held up a few miles back in a clump of spruce where I had camped.” ‘Well, well! Robbed, eh? How much did you lose?” “Six hundred dollars. But it wasn’t mine. Belonged to the man who hired me to go to Bannack.” “T thought you were going to Bannack to get work,” mused Ives reminiscently. “T was to say that to any one who asked my business. True in a way, too. I believe my job depends on my doing my errand. Now I’ve failed!” “Tf see. I know how you feel, but your boss can’t blame you. Don’t take it seri- ously. Could you identify the man if you saw him again?” Too bad. 123 “T don’t think so,’”’ muttered Beach, shak- ing his head despondently. “TI was so stirred up. It was new experience for me. Took the gimp out of me.” Ives was studying him reflectively, still trying to puzzle out why the victim was here alive on the stage road. ‘Was the man alone?” he asked. “Alone. Just one man.” “Suppose you turn back with me. We might pick him up on the road or in Ban- nack.”’ “No! Inever want to see him again. My nerves are all shot to pieces.” “Any one feels queer the first time he’s robbed,” said Ives. ‘My knees knocked together the first time I was held up. Now if you could describe the fellow e “T can’t. It would be useless for me to try. Much obliged to you. I must be getting on.” Ives was debating something in his mind. He was still puzzled and undecided. Beach sensed his indecision and was compelled to use all his will-power so as not to betray himself as the two rode by each other. Then the struggle to keep from turning his head. Ives had stopped, for there was no sound of the horse in motion. Beach knew the blue eyes were watching him, with the man still undecided, and he expected to feel a bullet in his back. He kept his eyes to the front, however, and managed to check his wild desire to send his horse into a mad gallop. It was not until a mile had been covered that he remembered the demo- cratizing effect of a Colt forty-four han- dled expeditiously. Ives in turn was bewildered. He knew that Baldy was entirely lacking in finesse and had a fine capacity for bungling, but he was never one to overlook an opportunity — to kill. It had been necessary on more than one occasion to restrain this lust in the fellow; always, of course, for politic rather than humane reasons. Ives rode leisurely, trying to piece the puzzle together. Frequently he stared back after Content and wondered if he himself — had not erred in allowing the young man to escape. Had Beach lifted his horse out of its jogging gait and revealed the panic filling his heart he doubtless would have been pursued. While Ives weighed the few facts as he understood them Beach topped a ridge and vanished. There was the chance that Baldy Gomichbooks f iam <= (Eo)