Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

10 very well. Tell me, do the outfits around here object to nesters?” “Why, ma’am, of course not. Whatever made yuh think that, I’d like to know? Yo’re twice as welcome as rain in the Sum- mer, an’ that’s whatever.”’ “Mister Jason, the man in Marysville, said it was all free range here. This old house and the land we’ve begun to cultivate doesn’t belong to anybody, does it?” The brave black eyes carried more than a hint of worry. “Belong to anybody!” Chuck laughed. “Which I should say not. Leastwise it belongs to you now. Why, nobody’s lived here for years an’ years. This used to be the C-Y ranch, but they sold out to us, an’ since then——”’ “Sold out to you!” she interrupted, her face paling. “Shore, to the Bar-S.” “T thought you said this house didn’t be- long to anybody?” “She don’t, ma’am.”’ “But you said the C-Y was sold to the Bar-S. Then the Bar-S must own this house.” “No, ma’am, not fora minute. The Bar- S only bought the iron, see—only the cows an’ hosses. It don’t care nothin’ about the house like I say. Why should it? What’s aold shack? You got as much right here as the next feller an’ don’t let nobody tell yuh diff’rent.”’ “Are you sure?” “Shore as yo’re a foot high.” “We haven’t any desire to trespass “V’aint, so don’t let it worry yuh. This here Lazy River country is all free range. If anybody comes prowlin’ round yuh to drift, you just let me know, ma’am. [I'll talk to ’em. But nobody’ll come, yuh can gamble on it. This is shore a right nice spring,.ma’am. Feelin’ thirsty?” CHAPTER III THE AMBUSH = HY didn’t yuh say they was two sisters?’’? demanded Chuck, turning in his saddle after waving the last of several goodbys to Jane Dale. “Vuh didn’t ask me,” retorted the Twin. ‘Besides I’d no idea yuh’d cotton to that red-headed Jane girl. I thought yuh’d we gotta look out for. Adventure shore try to cut me out with the pretty 1i’l black-haired Molly.” “Oh, yeah, her name is Molly, ain’t it. Kind o’ good-lookin’ too, in a way.” “Kind o’! In a way!” roared the in- censed Twin. ‘“‘Say——”’ ‘“Well, I never did like black hair a whole lot,” defended Chuck. “But her sister Jane! Say, feller, that hair o’ hers shines like a new copper ingot when yuh cut into Hoe “T never seen no copper ingots, so I dunno. But I got eyes. Her hair’s red, I tell yuh, an’ for looks she don’t stack deuce high ’longside o’ Molly.” ‘You keep right on a-thinkin’ so, yuh poor benighted fool, an’ you an’ me’ll never quarrel. But I wouldn’t go bellerin’ my thoughts out too loud. Yuh might strain yore delicate throat or somethin’.”’ “Well, I won’t say nothin’ if it bothers yuh any, but I got my own opinion, y’ betcha. Anyhow, they ain’t nothin’ the matter with the old folks. Them’s a coupl’ o’ whizzers, both of ’em. Can’t do enough for yuh, by gummy. Me, I’m out to see they stay where they’ve throwed down, if I lose my job for it.” ‘‘T’ll take some more of the same. She’s goin’ to be a reg’lar job, too.” _ “Yo’re shore whistlin’. ‘Old Salt’ ’Il stand up on his hindlegs an’ bite chunks out o’ the ceiling. He’s a good feller in some ways, but in others he’s meaner’n a mean hoss.” “Tom won’t like it, not any,” Chuck observed soberly. | “Yeah, but Tom can be got around. He’s human. Let him ride down an’ see ’em once. He’d be for ’em same’s we are.”’ “T guess yo’re right. It’s the old man An’ we gotta do it quick—tonight.”’ “How?” “T dunno. Hell’s bells, I dunno.” “Yuh gotta know, so scratch yore head, old-timer. If she’s gotta be fixed up to- night, an’ I guess she has, yo’re elected; cause I ain’t pullin’ in till tomorrow.”’ ‘An’ why not?” “This is why,” said the Twin, tapping the bundle tied behind his cantle. “I gotta get them things into the bunk-house to- night, but I don’t do any arrivin’ till to- morrow. No, sir, ‘lil? innocence’ comes strollin’ in tomorrow mornin’, long after the truck is all found. The outfit won’t know that he’s come an’ went an’ holed up for the COMMGIOO C©