Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

Longhorns “Don’t yuh mind her,”’ advised the older and denser man. ‘‘Kate’s took this way frequent. Y’ ain’t lived with her as long’s I have. Waittill yuhhave. Pore li’l Junior. It’s shore a good thing for him his grand- daddy’s livin’ in the same house.” “From the wild eccentricities of his mother, good Lord deliver him,” chanted Mrs. Kate. “If that blessed baby turns out badly it’ll be his granddaddy’s fault. If he wasn’t such an angelic youngster he’d have been spoiled long ago. What were you people rowing about when I so clum- sily lost my ring? Oh, yes, those nesters on Soogan. You were saying they could stay as long as they liked, didn’t you, dad? Look at Junior hang on to your finger. Isn’t he cute? Do you know, yesterday morning when I was dressing him he said ‘Granda’ plain as anything.” ‘An’ yuh never told me,” reproached Mr. Saltoun, delightedly hugging his grandson. “T forgot,” briskly pursued his daughter. “‘T believe he’s growing to look like you more and more every day. Don’t you think so, Tom?” “Shore,” agreed the pliable Tom, seeing through her little game and wondering hugely why she should so suddenly and strongly interest herself in nesters. ‘‘About those nesters, dad,’’ continued Kate, gently ruffling the top of her parent’s head. “If they don’t hurt anything or rustle your cows or run off your horses or otherwise commit crimes against the peace and dignity of the Territory and your prop- erty in particular, you won’t mind, will you” “Lordy, Kate!”’ exclaimed her admiring father, “yuh can whirl words like I can a rope.” ‘“The nesters, dad, the nesters.” “Oh, have it yore own way. Anythin’ for a quiet life. Say, this here Junior child is gettin’ another tooth. He just bit me, the lv’l’ fat rascal.” CHAPTER V THE STRANGER ry THE morning, wrapped in an old sack, the outfit’s missing possessions were discovered on the bench beside the bunkhouse door. Tally was correct and nothing had been damaged. More mysti- fied than ever, the punchers went to break- 15 fast. Jimmy the cook hinted darkly at ghosts and nearly precipitated another riot. Chuck was the first to finish and instead of going to the corral crossed to the ranch- house to deliver the information supplied by Willie’s Old Brother-in-Law. Mr. Sal- toun was alone in the office when Chuck entered. ‘The ranch-owner crossed one leg over the other and stared surlily at the puncher. The generous mood _ superin- duced by his daughter and little Junior had worn thin at the edges. His ‘‘Well?”’ was more of a grunt than a word. “Tom Loudon’! want to hear what I have to say,’’ remarked Chuck, dispassionately eyeing his grouchy employer. When the foreman came in obedience to Mr. Saltoun’s loudly delivered summons the puncher hurriedly reported the words of the Indian. At the finish Mr. Saltoun was gazing out of the window with a very sober face and Loudon was scratching his head. ' “This night-ridin’ is shore a bad habit,” observed Mr. Saltoun after a long minute’s silence. ‘She’s all o’ that,” agreed Loudon, “but it ain’t a hangin’ matter—yet.” ‘“‘No, but we don’t want to lose any cows or hosses. An’ we might lose quite a few before we could clamp our evidence an’ paws on Cutnose an’ his friends.”’ ‘Yuh can’t hop out an’ lynch Cutnose for nothin’. Yuh gotta let him rustle the beef first.” ‘“‘An’ that’s just what I don’t want to let him do. Lordy, Tom, beef’s away up. I don’t want to lose a single solitary calf. You wait, I’ll scheme out somethin’ to catch Cutnose an’ not lose nothin’. Just you wait. Who put the hole in yore hat, Chuck?” “He didn’t say,” grinned the puncher, ‘fan’ I was in too much of a hurry to ask. I’ve found askin’ questions don’t always pay.” Mr. Saltoun took the hint. Nettled, he sat back in his chair and reached for his tobacco. | “Have yuh told anybody bout what the Injun said, Chuck?” inquired Loudon. “TI told Telescope.”’ | ‘‘Then don’t to anybody else an’ tell Tel- escope to keep his mouth shut. There’s no sense in lettin’ on to the boys till we’ve got more to go on than we have now.” ‘““How’s chances for a job?’ queried a drawling voice from across the room. COmicloo C©