Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

Longhorns | “‘Yessir,’? Chuck continued in loud tones, for he had suddenly bethought him of a certain misfortune that had befallen the Twentieth when that regiment was sta- tioned at Fort Daley. “Yessir, Ill gamble my last chip you was off’cer o’ the day that time four men o’ K troop deserted an’ took with ’em twenty-five good hosses. Own up, now. Wasn’t yuh?” But this was a matter of which the rank and file were not proud. The soldier on Chuck’s right fiercely commanded him to close his face. But the puncher, strong in the knowledge that his handcuffed condition gave him unlimited license of speech, turned promptly on the soldier and criticised him scorchingly. The wrathy lieutenant wheeled his horse. “If you don’t keep quiet,”’ he exclaimed, “T’ll have you gagged!” “You will, hey!’ bawled Mr. Saltoun. “T don’t think you will! You’ve got hand- cuffs on him ’cause sixteen men ain’t able otherwise to keep him from gettin’ away on yuh, but yuh ain’t a-goin’ to gag him. An’ if you try it, me an’ yore colonel will have one little talk after we reach the fort an’ “An how’ll it sound,” cut in Chuck, “when he hears yuh got so riled up over what a prisoner said to yuh that yuh had to gag him.” “Yuh know yuh oughtn’t to lose yore temper,” chided the Kid’s Twin, who hither- to had taken no part in the discussion. **Y’ain’t pretty when yuh lose yore temper.”’ “That’s right,” Chuck commented. “Yore face gets all red, an’ yore neck swells up an’ yore jaw-muscles work in an’ out. Look out, yuh’ll bite yore wagglin’ tongue in a minute an’ then where’ll yuh be? Yuh couldn’t chaw to- backer or eat or nothin’.”’ “Yuh gotta treat prisoners with kind- ness,’”’? contributed the Kid’s Twin. ‘No two ways about it, yuh gotta. It’d shore be a fine note if yuh couldn’t manage ’em without gaggin’ ’em. I guess it’s a free country.” The lieutenant hesitated. He had been thinking things over. Perhaps he had made a mistake. It was more than pos- sible. And this ranch-owner and his people were so confoundedly ready to swear to alibis. Yet—the lieutenant shrugged ex- 35 asperated shoulders and trotted forward beyond earshot. § ON the sixth day out from the Bar-S mule? the handful of horsemen rode up to the squat guard-house of Fort Sey- mour. Chuck and the Twin were thrust within, and Mr. Saltoun posted off to in- terview the colonel. The latter was a human being and pos- sessed an open mind. He did not belong to that red-taped and hidebound class which believes that justice cannot move swiftly. On Mr. Saltoun’s stating his case he sent for the saloonkeeper, the gambler and the two privates. The prisoners were paraded and the witnesses were requested to identify them. “This feller,’ said the saloonkeeper, indicating Chuck, “is about the right size, an’ he’s got the same kind o’ stiff black hair an’ blue eyes, but that’s as far as he gocs. It ain’t the feller no more’n I am.” In this the gambler and the two privates concurred. As to the Kid’s Twin, the witnesses swore that he resembled not at all the other murderer. “Which that killer was nigh on to three or four inches taller’n this sport,” declared the gambler, ‘‘an’ fs “‘Why—why, I thought he was two or three inches shorter than his black-haired companion!” exclaimed the lieutenant. ‘‘And a man at the Bar-S ranch swore that he saw this fellow wearing exactly the same ~ clothes that the murderer wore, white chaps, pearl-handled gun, hat with black and gold band. It doesn’t seem possible that I could have made such a mistake.”’ “It seems that you have,” said the colonel softly. ‘It is unfortunate all round, and I’m more than sorry that these gentle- man have been put to such inconvenience. Sergeant, unlock the handcuffs. Gentle- men, you are free. I am sorry. Un- fortunately, I am not empowered to go further than that. However, if you should happen to run across these men, why— there is a reward of five hundred dollars for each of them, dead or alive.”’ “Five hundred apiece!’ cried Chuck, tenderly feeling his chafed wrists. The colonel nodded. The Kid’s Twin whistled. “No wonder that lieut’nant was anxious to glom onto my two boys,” Mr. Saltoun grunted vindictively. _ COmicloo C©