Adventure, August 1917 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

The Taming of ‘Bad Jack’’ Creedy a jolt, when you can’t take your brand-new gun over the pass. So you come on to Valdez. “‘Then you drift among the camps workin’ further an’ further into the country. An’ always posin’ with your blusterin’ an’ bluffin’ as a bad man. You don’t fool no one. You don’t make no friends. The boys call you Bad Jack an’ they string you along, but you take it all in earnest till you - really get to believin’ you are a bad man. “Right there you hit the danger line. The history of most of the ‘Bad Jacks’ winds up about there. They pick out some quiet, doleful-minded cuss that is wearin’ overalls an’ mindin’ his own business, an’ start somethin’. Couple hours later, after the last of the gravel is kind of rounded up over the bad man the boys goes back to take a drink. An’ the kindest thing that’s said about him is, that the ‘ fool got what was comin’ to him.’ “Take you now. Tell me, how many friends have you got in Tetling? You ain’t got none, have your You knew that, an’ it kind of got under your hide. ‘Posin’ as the camp’s bad man don’t get you no friends. But you started in that way an’ you got to play your string out. “Then along comes Dick Sloan an’ he sizes you up in about a minute. He’s got some game or other up his sleeve, an’ he knows he can use you, so he starts in to be friends with you. He tells you about the White River stampede. He kids you ’long a little an’ you throw in with him. Why? Because here’s a friend—the first one you’ve found. An’ here you are.” McGovern paused and regarded the youth intently. Bad Jack had listened to every word, and as he listened his face was a study. His truculence changed to in- terest, interest to a foolish shamefaced grin, and at the conclusion the grin gave place to a swift scowl of anger. “Now don’t get mad, son,” said the ser- geant, noting the change. “If I’ve called the turn, you know—I don’t—I was only guessin’. But if I did, ain’ it a pretty good _ time to stop an’ get a-holt of yourself? Be- cause, believe me, I can tell you the rest of the story—an’ it won’t take long, neither.”’ For just an instant the younger man hesitated, then with a growling, unintelligi- ble retort, turned on his heel and the three officers watched in silence until he disap- peared in the edge of the timber. 149 “YOU had him goin’, Jim,” said Rookie Adair, as the figure of Bad Jack passed from sight. ‘‘Gee, he’s a fool.” “Ves, he’s a fool, kid, but he’s got some stuff in him somewheres, or he wouldn’t have had the nerve to push on into the big country. It’s just as I told. He’s got a wrong start, an’ I’m hopin’ we can bring him to his senses, before he gets in bad. We'll try to work him around to our way of thinkin’.. What’ll you bet that a year from now that kid will be ashamed he was ever called ‘Bad Jack’ Creedy?” “T don’t know,” grumbled Corporal Blaine. “Once a crook, always a crook.”’ ; “Not by a long shot,” broke in Rookie. “T don’t believe that for a minute. Be- sides, that fellow isn’t a crook yet.” “No, but he’s headed that way mighty fast.” ‘“‘YVes, and it’s up to us to head him off,” retorted the boy. ‘‘Jim’s right. He hasn’t got a bad eye. He’s just a fool. And I could see Jim’s words got under his hide. If we could get him away from that bunch ci Suddenly the boy’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s pinch ’em for ‘vags,’”’ he cried. “Then we can take our time with Bad Jack. The way it is now, with these fellows around to call him a piker, he’ll be ashamed to quit them.”’ ~ “Vou’re right there, son,” answered Mc- Govern. ‘Only we can’t pick ’em up for ‘vags.’ They’ve got claims staked an’ they’ve got an outfit.” During the morning, the weather thick- ened and the air was heavy with the feel of snow. Work on the claims was all but abandoned, while men hurriedly put the finishing touches upon their camps. To- ward noon the storm broke, and the whole world became a dancing riot of flakes that whirled and eddied and covered the ground with a thick, soft carpet of white. All through the night the snow fell. Early the following morning, Rookie Adair was awakened by a frantic clawing and scratching, at the flap of the tent. Mc- Govern and Blaine still snored in their blankets. Suddenly, an excited face was thrust into the interior. It was the face of Hodson, the company’s storekeeper. “Hey, get up quick!” the man roared. ‘Some one’s blowed the safe.” COmicloo CO S|