Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

Longhorns “Tf it had been he’d never ’a’ headed north in the first place.” ‘‘You never can tell what a man’Il do,” said the Rainbow sententiously. ‘‘Espe- cially a killer. He’s liable to do any- thing, just anything, no matter what. To tell you the truth I hope it’s Cutnose. There’s one man I never have liked. He tried to kiss me once over at our camp when uncle and the rest were all away, but I bit him in the neck and he let me go quick enough, the dirty beast. I’d have drilled him then and there, but before I could find a shell for the shotgun he’d left.” “T should think he might.” There was open admiration in Chuck’s voice and in his eyes. The Rainbow winked at him and smiled engagingly. She was not averse to a flirtation provided the man pleased her, and Chuck did. But Chuck did not play up. He was too engrossed with the danger that his goddess and her family stood in to indulge in dal- liance. The Rainbow’s face fell. As a pretty girl, she rather fancied herself. She did not turn sullen however. From her white father she had inherited a wide streak of healthy philosophy. ‘“‘I hear there are two pretty girls in the Dale family,” she hazarded shrewdly when the C-Y ranch-house was in sight. ‘There are—one anyhow,” said Chuck. The Rainbow stuck her tongue into an olive cheek and made a face at the land- scape. ‘So that’s how the crows are flying,” she observed with studied carelessness. “Crows? Crows? Where? I don’t see no crows.” “You wouldn’t, old-timer. Looks as if the whole family. was at the corral, doesn’t Sat Chuck saw that Jane and Molly and their mother, all three apparently in the best of health, were standing by the stockade. They were looking through the bars of the gate at the horses within. They turned as Chuck and the Rainbow trotted up. The puncher slid from the saddle and went straight to Jane. ‘Are y’ all right?”’ he demanded hoarsely. “Of course I am,” replied the puzzled Jane. “Why shouldn’t I be?” ‘“*Yo’re shore?” persisted Chuck. ‘No- body—nothin’s happened, has they? Cut- nose Canter ain’t been here, has he?”’ 4I “Of course I’m sure, and nothing’s hap- pened, and Cutnose Canter hasn’t been here,” replied Jane patiently. ‘‘What’s the matter?” But Chuck could only stare at her help- lessly, so great was his joy and relief. “You mus’n’t mind him,” laughed the Rainbow, tactfully coming to Chuck’s rescue. ‘‘He doesn’t mean anything by it. When he comes out of it he’ll introduce me.” Thus awakened to his duty Chuck made the Rainbow known to the Dales. Turning, his eye fell on the horses in the corral. He perceived that the Dales’ original three had increased to five, and that the two new- comers bore on their right hips the 88 iron. ‘“‘What are they doing here?” he asked abruptly. “That’s just what we’d like to know,” replied Jane. ‘“‘We found them in the corral this morning. How on earth they managed to get in, I don’t know.” ‘You found them in the corral this morning,” repeated Chuck. “Were the bars down?” ‘“‘No, they were up,” was Jane’s answer. ‘‘What’s the matter?” For Chuck had suddenly run to the gate and was throwing down the bars one after another. ‘“‘Can’t stop to tell yuh now!” he cried, hopping into his saddle. ‘‘Rainbow, turn 7em when I drive ’em out! We gotta get ’em across the creek quick! Look out, you folks, so yuh don’t get trampled.” The Dales moved to one side as the two 88 horses, driven by Chuck, scurried out of the corral, and were expertly turned toward the creek by the Rainbow. Whooping and yelling Chuck and the Rainbow chased them across the stream. ‘““My Lord!” exclaimed the Rainbow. ' “What a dirty trick to play!” “It’s worse’n that,’ agreed Chuck, “‘an’ why Lanpher ain’t here yet is beyond me. Tell yuh what, le’s drive these cayuses north a ways so there'll be no danger o’ Lanpher findin’ ’em before he comes to the C-Y. Maybe we can get somethin’ out of him.” For a distance of three miles northward they drove the two 88 animas, Then they returned to the C-Y, and Chuck ex- plained to the mystified Dales that the presence of Lanpher’s horses in the corral could mean but one thing. © “Yuh see,”’ said Chuck, ‘“‘Lanpher don’t COmicloo C©