Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

Longhorns instant action. The bewildered Chuck, taken by surprise, with an army revolver trained on his abdomen, put up his hands forthwith. “Sergeant, dismount with two men and arrest that man,” commanded the leuten- ant briskly. “Say, looky here!’’ shouted Mr. Saltoun, advancing on the lieutenant. ‘‘That’s one o’ my boys yo’re arrestin’, He never killed none o’ yo’re swaddies.”’ ““Now you look here! I’m sorry this man on whom the sergeant is putting handcuffs is one of your punchers, but that does not alter the fact that his characteristics tally with those of one of the murderers. Blue eyes, black hair—Take his hat off, sergeant —Yes, I thought so. Stiff black hair. Precisely like that of the murderer. About five feet eleven or six feet, lean, sunburned, straight nose, square chin, and a bold expression. You must admit your man fulfils these qualifications.” ‘“‘When were all these killin’s?”’ demanded Chuck. “On the ninth day of last month,” was the officer’s reply. ‘“‘They were, huh? Well, I’m tellin’ yuh, on the ninth day o’ last month, an’ every other day o’ the month, I was right here punchin’ cows on the Bar-S ranch. An’ I can prove it.” “Tt will be an excellent thing if you can,” the lieutenant observed dryly. “Otherwise you will hang, I think.”’ _ “T know he was on the ranch every single day last month!”’ Mr. Saltoun asserted. “And I know so, too!’? Mrs. Kate ex- claimed warmly. ‘‘Especially on the ninth, because that was the day Junior fell into the watering-trough and Chuck Morgan, the man you’ve arrested, was the one to pull him out.” “I’m truly sorry, madam,” declared the lieutenant, “‘but what else can I do? I have my orders. I’ve no doubt but that your testimony and that of the others on the ranch will clear him at the trial. It may even be that the saloonkeeper and the gambler and the two other privates who were in the game with these murderers fail to identify this man. If they do fail he will be freed at once. I'd like to search this ranch, if you don’t mind.” “Oh, shore,” Mr. Saltoun growled bitterly. “Perhaps yuh’d like to look under all the beds an’ in the baby’s cradle. 33 If yuh do, help yoreself. Anythin’ to oblige.” “You see,” the lieutenant went on, un- heeding, “‘we haven’t a very good descrip- tion of the other man. All we know is that he was young, two or three inches shorter than his comrade, wore white angora chaps and a pearl-handled revolver and a brand-new hat with a black and gold Mexican hatband. But I’ve an idea that the witnesses can identify him once he’s brought in.’ “Did yuh say white angora chaps, a pearl-handled gun an’ a hat with a black and gold hatband?” It was the voice of Lanpher speaking. “I did,” said the lieutenant, turning toward the bandaged figure on the buck- board. ‘‘Why?” “Oh, nothin’,” Lanpher snarled, “but it was only last week I seen a young feller wearin’ clo’es just like you say. He was ridin’ north along Soogan Creek, an’ there he is now.’ Lanpher stretched out an arm and pointed at the Kid’s Twin where he stood at the heads of the horses. “Why, he don’t own no such clo’es as that!’ protested Mr. Saltoun, watching with anger and gloom the arrest and searching of the Twin by the military. “It was last week when somebody stole the boys’ clo’es,”’ blurted Jimmy the cook, and could have bitten off his tongue the next instant. “Do the boys’ clothes happen to include angora chaps, a pearl-handled revolver and a hat with a black and gold hatband?” shrewdly questioned the lieutenant. “Tf dunno nothin’ about ’em,”’ sullenly replied Jimmy. “S’pose they did,” chimed in Chuck. “It was last week Lanpher seen the Twin— this man over on Soogan, an’ that was near three weeks after the killin’s.” “Even so, he’ll go to the fort with us,”’ the lieutenant said smoothly. “You can see for yourself that he’s young and that he appears to be about an inch shorter than the man you call Morgan.” “An I’ll swear to seein’ him in them clo’es!”” Lanpher vowed with joyful vin- dictiveness. ‘‘An’ just as soon as yo’re able to hold a gun, I’ll make yuh wish yuh’d never learned to swear, Lanpher.” Thus grimly Mr. Saltoun. 7 COmicloo C©