Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

Paradise Bend not believe in putting off till some future date what could be accomplished today. “It’s quite a list,” he said to himself. ‘Block, Rufe Cutting, Blakely, an’ the whole 88 outfit. An’ they won’t be happy till they get me. It kind o’ looks as if Blakely ain’t expectin’ to keep our little en- gagement in Farewell. Block wouldn’t ’a’ come up here, without Blakely sent him.” Thoughts of Blakely quite naturally in- duced thoughts of Pete O’Leary. Where was O’Leary? Loudon recollected that he had not seen O’Leary in the crowd. He looked up and down the street. O’Leary was nowhere in sight. His absence was a small thing in itself, but it might signify a guilty conscience. Loudon wondered. That disreputable person, Scotty Mac- kenzie, approached, leading his horse. ‘“‘Tom,” said Scotty, his blue eyes twink- ling, “don’t look so downhearted. He wasn’t worth shootin’.”’ “I dunno, Scotty,” replied Loudon. “It'll come to it some day, or I miss my guess.” ““Ye’ll miss it while yo’re workin’ for me. Block won’t never come to the Bend again, an’ ye can go the limit on that. D’je get the mail?” “I ain’t been to the post-office. have time. I sifted in.” “T’ll get it then. Cap’n Burr wants ye to eat dinner at his house. [I'll drift round later. Better finish up what ye come to town for before ye eat.”’ “T come to town to meet you.” “To meet me!”’ exclaimed Scotty. ‘‘Now look here, Tom, do I look like I need a gardeen?”’ ‘“‘Didn’t ye write to Doubleday,”’ said the bewildered Loudon, “‘tellin’ him to send me in to meet ye here today an’ for me to ride my own hoss?”’ ‘“‘What are ye talkin’ about? Doubleday! I should say not!” “Well, all I know is Doubleday got a letter from ye, an’ it was mailed in Rocket.” “Mailed in Rocket! Why, I never was in Rocket! It’s just luck me bein’ here today. If I hadn’t met Ben Burr down at the Wagonwheel I wouldn’t ’a’ come for another couple o’ days, mebbe.”’ ULes funny. That letter from Rocket is no dream.” “I hope Doubleday saves the letter. Well, you go on an’ eat. See ye later.”’ Didn’t I’ve been right busy ever since Me write [15 Loudon swung into the saddle and gal- loped to the house of Captain Burr. On the doorsill Dorothy Burr and Pete O’Leary sat side by side. As Loudon dismounted Miss Burr rose to meet him. “Oh, Mr. Loudon!” she exclaimed, ‘‘I’ve just heard about your frightful experience. I wish I’d been there. I’d have enjoyed see- ing them plaster up that brute of a sheriff.” ‘“‘He did look kind o’ odd,” said Loudon. ‘““Yore ma.sure saved my life.” ‘‘Wasn’t it luck ma was down street? I usually go myself, but this morning Mr. O’Leary came, so ma went. We didn’t know there was anything going on till ma came back and told us, and then it was all over. My! I’dlike to have seen ma talking to that stupid Dan Smith. The big idiot! Ma’s mad yet. Oh, I forgot. Have you met Mr. O’Leary?” “T know him,” said Loudon rather un- graciously, and nodded to the gentleman in question. “I guess I’ll put the little hoss in the corral.” “Ves, do. ready soon.” Miss Burr returned to the doorsill, and Loudon led away Ranger. So Pete O’Leary had been spending the morning at the Burrs’! It would be interesting to know why the engaging O’Leary had chosen to call upon that particular morning. Was it because he did not wish to identify himself in any way with Sheriff Block? Was it the guilty conscience? “Well, suh,” smiled Captain Burr, who was kneeling at the feet of one of his horses, “‘well, suh, it went against the grain to let that scoundrel go in peace, didn’t it?” Loudon smiled grimly. “T appreciate youah feelings in 1 the mat- teh, Tom, ” continued the Captain. ‘Such a pe’son should not be allowed to live. My impulse was to shoot him, but I stayed my hand. As I may have mentioned befo’, I am growing soft-heahted. That’s right, Tom, cuss away. If Block were otheh than he is, he would shoot-himself. No gentle- man would care to live afteh being ta’d and feathe’d. But Block will writhe onwa’d like the snake he is till he is crushed once fo’ all. “Do you remembeh what I said the day you made him quit right in the street in Fa’ewell? Well, suh, in o’deh to regain the respect of the town he did kill a man—an inoffensive strangeh.”’ Pa’s out there. Dinner’ll be CoOMmichoooks.€©