Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

Longhorns horse and climbed slowly into the saddle. Chuck contrived to mount the fractious Peppermint without losing for -an instant the magic of the drop. “Yuh’d better trail along, Racey,”’ sug- gested Chuck. ‘“I’d kind o’ like to-have yuh for a witness to what I think is goin’ to happen.” Nothing loath, the 88 puncher fell in. be- tween Chuck and the Indian. In obedience to Chuck’s orders, Lanpher led the way across the creek to where, on the top of a knoll, lay the skinned body of a cow with the hind-quarter missing. “T hope yo’re satisfied,’ snarled Lanpher. “Yuh can see for yoreself fo ‘“‘Willie’s Old Brother-in-Law can see more’n any of us,” interrupted Chuck, and requested the Indian to read sign. The latter immediately dismounted and set about the business with placid ease. “Man shootum cow from pony,” he began. ‘How do yuh know?” Racey questioned curiously. “Bullet go een back de ear, come out w’ere ’ead un neck go togedder,”’ explained Willie’s Old Brother-in-Law, courteous as always. ‘“‘Cow fall, man stop pony over yonner,” he continued, ‘“‘geet off, un come skeen cow. She skeen cow quick, cut off hin’ leg, ride pony dees way.”’ Stolidly the Indian mounted his horse and headed back toward the creek. On the way Chuck inquired of Racey whether the 88 had hired any new men lately. The latter said that a new hand had been hired three days previous. His name, Henderson, meant nothing to Chuck, but his description, which Chuck casually wormed out of Racey, tallied precisely with that of the tall strang- er Behind a small clump of red willows directly opposite the old ranch-house the Indian checked his mount. He pointed at an irregularly shaped space where the grass was bent down and dabbled here and there with dried gouts of blood and bits of stringy flesh. ‘“‘Hide spread out dere,”’ he said. “Was the hide spread out when yuh found it, Lanpher?” Chuck asked. Lanpher nodded, his eyes piggily sullen. “O’ course, if that old man had killed yore: cow he’d leave the body on top of a knoll where she’d be seen half a mile off an’ the hide all spread out across the creek from his 19 house, wouldn’t he?’? Chuck spoke with biting sarcasm. Lanpher made no comment. ““S’pose you’d killed that beef,’ theorized Chuck, ‘‘an’ wanted to put the blame on Dale, yuh’d do just what that cowkiller done, y’betcha. An’ like him yuh’d take extra good care to sell or give the Dales a quarter. Shore yuh would. Yuh needn’t bite yore lip at me neither. I’m just s’posin’. Nothin’ fairer’n that, is they? I didn’t say yuh doneit. Tell yuh the truth, I don’t think yuh did. But yuh made a plumb bad mistake in tryin’ to fasten the cowkillin’ on the Dales. Yuh shore did, feller. "Bout what time was that cow killed, Willie’s O]d Brother-in-Law?” ““Yesserday,”’ replied the Indian. know exact. Affernoon, mabbeso.”’ “Was he a big or 1i’] man?” “‘She mak strong sign. She more beeger dan you.” “‘An’ I weigh a hundred an’ seventy in my stockin’ feet, an’ if that peaked li’l Dale man weighs a hundred an’ twenty with all his cloe’s an’ a buffler coat I’m Dutch. Yuh see how it is, Lanpher? Yo’re gettin’ more an’ more mistaken every minute. Don’t say anythin’ if yuh don’t feel like it. I wanted yuh to hear what the Injun had to say about the cowkiller’s size. Now we'll ride over an’ I’ll ask Miss Dale to tell us how big the gent who sold ’em the beef was. After we’ve heard her answer yo’re goin’ to beg*.her pardon, an’ say how sorry yuh are for makin’ trouble for her.” — “T’ll see you in hell first!” the over- wrought Lanpher gasped thickly. “Not first,” Chuck corrected gently. ‘“Yuh’ll either do what I tell yuh or have a lickin’, An’ when I say ’lickin’ I don’t mean I’!l take my hands or feet to yuh. No sir, I wouldn’t think o’ such a thing, not for a minute. But I’ll wear out my quirt on yuh, that’s what I’ll do, an’ do yuh know, feller, I kind o’ hope yuh’ll refuse to say yore sorry.” (Aa) OF THE Dale family only Jane was tae visible when the little cavalcade re- <—# turned across the creek. She was standing near the stockade where hung the hind-quarter of beef.. As they rode up she put her hands behind her back and faced them. Her face was expressionless. At Chuck’s request she described the man who had sold her the beef. He was a very “T no COMmMicloo C©