Adventure, August 1917 — page 155: 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 with the Enger Creek stampede, and the two had the cabin to themselves. Rookie produced his first-aid kit, and showed Bad Jack how to care for ‘his feet, but it was three days before the prisoner was able to travel. “We'll start for Sixty-mile in the morn- ing,’’ announced the boy as the two sat about the little stove, on the evening of the third day. Bad Jack stared a long time at the stove. ‘“‘The big feller had it doped out right,’ he ventured, after a long silence. ‘“‘He sure called the turn. I’ve been doin’ a lot of thinkin’ the last four days, kid. Sure wished I’d of listened to him instead of them others —but it’s too latenow. You’ve treated.me white, kid. It’s:like:he said—I got a wrong start. But that wasn’t nobody’s fault but mine. ‘‘When you arrested me I made up my mind I wouldn’t go to Dawson. But I’ve been thinkin’ it over considerable and I figured if I did get away from you, it wouldn’t get me nothin’. I’d always be on the run. I’ve had enough of trying to be a crook. Trouble with me is, I never done no thinkin’ before. Guess where I’m goin’ now though I’ll -have plenty of time to think things out. “T ain’t never ‘been mixed = in no crooked work ‘before. But that ain’t nothin’ to my credit—it was only because I never had a chance. I got:it all doped out now. The best thing for me to do is to go down and own up to the judge and take my medicine. And when I get turned loose nobody won’t have anythin’ on me. I'll make ‘me a new start. A man can’t run straight less’n he starts straight, can he, kid?” “No,” Rookie answered, meeting his gaze squarely. “He can’t. You said some- thing, then, Jack.” He held out a small hand and the other gripped it firmly. “Come on,”’ said Bad Jack, “‘let’s roll in, so aS we can get an early start. I want to hurry up and get it over with.” AT DAWSON, the prisoner was hustled into a cell and Rookie Adair sought out the assistant commis- an sioner with whom he was closeted for over an hour. When the interview closed the assistant commissioner reached for the telephone upon his desk and a few mo- 153 ments later a gray-haired man entered the room—a man who listened intently to what the assistant commissioner had to say, and asked Rookie a few curt questions. “Bring the prisoner in,” he ordered at length, and the boy hurried through the door and returned shortly with Bad Jack. The judge was the first to break the silence. “What is your name?” he asked abruptly. ““Creedy”’ answered the prisoner. “‘How- ard Creedy.” ‘‘Where do you live?” “Chicago,” answered the young man, “then ‘Montana, then Tetling over on ‘the Tanana, then I came over to the White River country.” “What did you go to the White River country for?” The prisoner flushed. “We figured there would be some one over there with money,” he answered. “We thought we’d hold ’em up. Then we found out about the safe, an’ we swiped a few pocketbooks out of the tents, so the men would deposit their money and things. Then we waited for the snow to cover up our tracks and blowed the door.of the safe.” “It was a pretty smooth trick, wasn’t it?” asked the judge sharply. “That ain’t the way it looks from here,” answered Bad Jack. ‘“‘Were these your ideas? Did you think them out?” Bad Jack shook his head. “No sir, but I was in:on the job and if it had worked I would have taken my share.” The judge’s frown deepened. ‘So you admit you were guilty of safe robbing?” “Yes sir,” answered Bad Jack firmly. CF do.”’ A constable entered with a telegram which he laid upon the Assistant Commissioner’s desk. The officer read it and handed it to the judge. ‘Your friends have been arrested,’’ he said, turning to the prisoner. ‘They ain’t my friends,”’ answered Bad Jack. “I thought they was, but I know different now. I ain’t got no friends. There’s only one reason, Judge, it’s because I ain’t earned none. You see, Judge, I thought it was a fine thing to be known as Bad Jack Creedy. I thought I was get- tin’ away ‘with it, until the kid’s pardner, the big feller, called the turn on me. Then, I begun to see what a fool I was. Comiclsoo CO =