Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

wish any trouble, and I certainly don’t care to shoot any of your boys, and I’m afraid I’ll have to if they should attempt a 34 “T. feex you!’ whispered Laguerre in Lanpher’s ear, accompanying his statement with a look calculated to chill the blood of a braver man. his soul!’ muttered Jimmy, and then cursed himself for what he considered his betrayal of the Kid’s Twin. “Oh, he seen me in the clo’es all right,” the Kid’s Twin exclaimed recklessly. ‘“They was Sam’s chaps, an’ Dave’s gun, an’ Buff Warren’s hat, his new one with the black an’ gold band, an’ Chuck’s pants an’ Hol- liday’s boots. I took ’em all for a joke that day I went to Farewell an’ I went to see a—a friend in ’em, an’—an’ that’s what took me so long.”’ “Them nesters again!’ lamented Mr. Saltoun. ‘I knowed they was bad luck! You went to see one of ’em, Twin! Don’t yuh deny it! When will yuh learn sense? An’ me needin’ yuh-all on the ranch! Telescope, drag it now with yore dirty squealin’ freight! Quick! ’fore I get any madder an’ finish what the Twin left!” ‘Don’t you worry, Twin,’ Mrs. Kate cried heartily. ‘“The week of the ninth of last month you were at Packsaddle line camp, a long two hundred and fifty miles north of Seymour City. So that’s all right. Any number of us can swear to your alibi as well as Chuck’s.” The lieutenant, having arrested two of the Bar-S men, felt a certain delicacy about spending the night at the ranch. It may be that he even believed that a camping-place removed to some little distance might prove the safer. ‘““You see,” said the lieutenant, ‘‘I don’t rescue.” “They won’t,’ Mr. Saltoun promptly assured him. “T’ll see to that. You stay, ‘cause I want to ride with yuh an’ take two o’ my boys along to swear to the alibi in case them saloonkeepers an’ gamblers down at Seymour City don’t remember well. An’ as my boys won’t be ridin’ in till after dark, I’d take it as a favor if you’d stay.” So Chuck and the Twin were locked up in the blacksmith shop with an armed guard and a lantern to keep them company. Out- side the door another sentry was posted. The lieutenant was taking no chances. The two punchers, wakeful by reason of the handcuffs on their wrists, spent most Adventure of the night in verbally plaguing their guards, who were relieved every four* hours. But the guards, two dish-faced Swedes and a chill-ridden Arkansan, would not rise to their baitings. Toward dawn the prisoners fell into an uneasy sleep. But their comrades in the bunkhouse did not sleep. They enthusiastically occupi- ed. themselves in vilifying the United States army and formulating wild plans for a rescue. As it was, only the arguments and armed presence of Loudon and Mr, Saltoun prevented them from potting the sentries, jumping the soldiers’ camp and otherwise complicating a situation that was already sufficiently difficult. -IN THE morning the detachment and its prisoners started south. Mr. Saltoun and two punchers who were prepared to swear to the alibi rode with it. With the actual departure from the ranch Chuck’s heart slipped quietly down into the toes of his boots and remained there. For now what, or rather who, was to keep watch on Cutnose Canter? True, Mr. Saltoun had given Loudon his orders. The foreman was an efficient person, remarkably so. He was prepared for any eventuality. But what mortal man, where she is con- cerned, has faith in another? Chuck was miserably positive that Cutnose Canter would frequent the C-Y vicinity unchecked and consequently annoy Jane. Anything might happen. Anything. And all be- cause of a stupid mistake on the part of an order-bound army officer. “Are you sick?’’ queried the lieutenant, struck by Chuck’s expression. “No, I ain’t sick!’ retorted Chuck, glad of the opportunity to vent his pent emotion. “But if I look at you much longer I will be sick, you poor, drivelin’ Johnny-fall-off- his-hoss shavetail! I don’t s’pose yuh can help bein’ a fool. I’ve noticed that comes natural to army off’cers. But yuh’ll wish yuh had helped it when we’re all lined up in front o’ the colonel, an’ the witnesses say they don’t know either of us. Say, don’t yuh ever think, or do yuh use yore head just to hold yore collar on?” The lieutenant, with a very red face, returned to the head of the little column. Mr. Saltoun, the Kid’s Twin, and the two punchers guffawed heartily. The cavalry- men would have been pleased to join in the merriment, but the regulations prevented. CoOMmiclsoo CO