Adventure Magazine Cover — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

‘ sun-Dog Trails With a twist of his body Brick crashed Bunty against the side of the door, where he plucked Bunty’s pistol from its holster and sent a bullet so close to Three Star’s ear that Three Star lowered his rifle and felt to see whether he had lost an ear or not. Scott Martin had snatched his own pistol from its holster and was covering Three Star, who capitulated audibly. Bunty’s head had hit the wall so hard that he had little interest in present conditions. “I told him,” wailed Three Star. “I told him.’’ ; “What did yuh tell him?” asked Brick. “T told him to wire the governor to send out a troop of cavalry. Iain’t got a danged thing against yuh, Davidson.” “Workin’ under protest?” “Yeah. Soon as he wakes up I’m goin’ to resign. I'll take my forty a month and punch cows.” Bunty took plenty of time to wake up, but awoke audibly. His feelings were hurt, and he felt it entirely within his rights to give vent to his feelings in profanity; but Brick promptly gagged him with a handkerchief, much to Bunty’s indignation and disgust. The handkerchief was none too clean. . It had all happened in less time than it takes to tell about it. Martin had buckled his belt on again, and now he handed Brick’s gun and belt to him. “That was what a Frenchman would call a ‘fox pass,’” grinned Brick. ‘Them darned masks made things look kinda bad for us; eh?”’ Bunty gargled something, but Brick gave him a withering look and his eyes dropped to sullen contemplation of his toes. Three Star shifted his feet nervously. “J—JT don’t understand.” ean shook her head. “Neither do I,” admitted Brick, “but ’m havin’ a lot of fun in my ignorance.” “Vou knowed Bunty had a warrant for yuh, didn’t yuh?” asked Three Star. Brick nodded. He turned to Martin. “To yuh know King Cleeve?” Martin shook his head. “No, only by sight.” Brick wrinkled his brow and wondered if Silent had been mistaken. “You used to live in Idaho?” _ “Ves; we came here from Idaho.” Brick stepped against the building, where he could keep an eye on Three Star and Bunty. Then he said to Martin: 27 “About eight or ten years ago you almost lynched the wrong man. Do yuh remem- ber it, Martin?” Martin’s eyes grew wider and wider until they were almost complete circles; then they snapped back to mere slits, venomous as the eyes of a rattlesnake. The lines of his face stiffened into a mask and his body seemed to lengthen until the shoulder seams of his shirt threatened to snap under the strain. His lips did not seem to move as he breathed: “Davidson, who are you? For ’s sake, say something!” Brick glanced at Jean. She was leaning forward, looking at Martin, her hand raised as if to reach for his arm. Brick snapped a glance at Three Star and Bunty. “Can’t yuh talk?” gritted Martin. Brick stooped and picked up a coiled rope beside the door-step, and turned to Martin. | “We'll tie up our visitors, pardner; then talk.” Martin relaxed and stepped forward. “You'll pay for this!’ snarled Bunty as the gag slipped from his mouth. ‘You can’t tie up the sheriff BS “Mebbe not,” replied Brick, “but we'll do our little best. There’s worse places for a rope than around your hands and feet. You don’t mind, do yuh, Three Star?” “Nawsir. Help yourself, Brick.” Martin opened the door and they put the trussed officers into the next room, which was unused. Bunty made many rash promises, but no one seemed interested. Back in the living-room Martin faced Brick, and Brick noticed that Martin had aged years in the last few minutes. His eyes had lost their glare, and his hand trem- bled as he drew it across his eyes. “Davidson, if you know—anything—let me—give me a chance, will yuh?” Martin’s voice was pleading, and Brick wondered at the change. ‘‘Pardner, I ain’t goin’ to cheat yuh out of anythin’. I don’t know much—yet. Will yuh tell me a few things? Mebbe what I know will fit in with yours.” Martin nodded. “T’)) tell all I can, Davidson.” “Who did juh buy this ranch from?” ‘‘A man by the name of Mohr.” “Zell Mohr?” “Ves.” “Whatcha know about that?” Brick frowned down at the floor. COpmicooolkx (GO)