Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

Longhorns “T asked yuh,” persisted Mr. Saltoun, “what yuh did come here for?”’ ‘‘All I want is justice,’ was the somewhat lame and exceedingly snappish reply. “Vuh’ve come to the right place for that,” observed Mr. Saltoun, ‘‘but I dunno whether yo’re so hot for justice as yuh say. Now, Lanpher, now!” Mr. Saltoun’s gun was out and pointing in the direction of Lanpher’s side. Lan- pher’s hand slowly slid away from his gun butt. “What d’I tell yuh, Lanpher?’’ queried Mr. Saltoun. “Yuh’d ought to knowed better’n that, specially after me tellin’ yuh what would happen if yuh did.” “Morgan went after his gun!” defended Lanpher. ‘““Yo’re a liar!” said Chuck calmly. Lanpher made a convulsive movement of one shoulder, but refrained from touching his gun butt. - “Yes,”’ remarked Mr. Saltoun, “I expect yuh are a liar, Lanpher. ’Cause, honest, if Morgan ever went after his gun yuh’d ’a’ been dead. Shore would. Chuck ain’t so slow with a gun. Now unbuckle yore gun- belt, usin’ yore right hand only—That’s right. Now get up, leavin’ the gun-belt on the chair, an’ come an’ set down on the other side o’ me where yuh’ll be good an’ safe from temptation.” For an instant Lanpher hesitated. But Mr. Saltoun’s gray eyes were steely. And Lanpher greatly desired to continue living. Lanpher did as he was ordered. ‘‘We’re all settled now, I guess,”’ contin- ued Mr. Saltoun. “Chuck, let’s hear yore story o’ what happened at Moccasin Spring.” The puncher told the tale simply, and Lanpher squirmed. During the telling Mr. Saltoun’s face grew more and more serious. At the finish he looked as solemn as a judge on the point of passing sentence. ‘This is shore serious,” he said slowly. ““Chuck, it seems to me yuh’ve done failed in yore duty.” At these totally unexpected words Chuck’s frame stiffened, and he stared in some wonderment at his employer. “Yes,” continued Mr. Saltoun, ‘“‘yuh shore didn’t do what was right, Chuck. Yuh hadn’t ought to let a little feller like Lanpher take down a big heavy quarter 0’ beef all by himself. Yuh’d ought to helped him.” 31 And Mr. Saltoun slapped his knees and roared with laughter at his own joke. Not so Lanpher. His lips drew up and away from the gums, and he spat on the floor of the porch. He leaped to his feet and shook his fist at Mr. Saltoun. = you!”’ he shrieked in a high voice that almost cracked in its intensity. “ you! I tell yuh them nesters at Moccasin Spring must go!” NOW none of them, so absorbed ) were they in their conversation, had heard the creaking of wheels fore- telling the approach of a wagon. Which wagon was the wood-wagon driven by the Kid’s Twin. The Twin drove past the house at the precise moment that Lanpher uttered his vehement pronouncement. The Twin did not even halt his mules. He sprang from the seat, landed on all fours, scrambled, up, and dashed for the porch, dragging at his gun. Chuck Morgan, at the thud of running feet behind him, turned, took in the situa- tion, and dived at the onrushing Kid’s Twin. But the Kid’s Twin was coming like a missile shot from a catapult. He struck Chuck with the full force of his hurtling body. Both went down in a tangle of arms and legs, Chuck, even in the shock of the meeting, snatching at the Twin’s gun. He wrenched the weapon from the other’s grasp and flung it away. He grabbed a leg, but the Twin, nothing daunted by the loss of his artillery, gained his feet, and pelted onward, leaving in Chuck’s grip a bootstrap. All this had taken but a few seconds. Lanpher, raging at Mr. Saltoun, was still facing his tormentor with clenched fists, when the Twin hopped up on the porch and struck Lanpher full swing on the nose. The 88 manager reeled backward. The Twin kept at him, flailing away with both hands. Lanpher had started to topple at the first blow, but before he fell, the Twin, willing worker that he was, had hit him six times on the stomach. When Lanpher’s length thumped the porch, the Twin promptly sprang on top of him and proceeded to beat his features to pulp. “Grab him, Chuck!’ bawled Mr. Sal- toun, who felt that Lanpher was in some measure his guest and as such must be pro- tected. COmicloo CO