Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

46 ride de Cross-T buckskin, un she ees de wan w’at sell de beef to Mees Dale. You forgeet heem, huh?”’ ‘“‘No, I ain’t forgot him. He’s in it, too. I just found out today from the Dales that he was wearin’ white angora chaps, a pearl-handled gun and a hat with a black an’ gold hatband when he sold ’em the beef.” “Dat ees all fine, but now you have two buckskin cayuse’. Dere was only one w’at de man geet away on.” “How djuh know they is two cayuses? Yuh dunno but what Henderson might ’a’ lent his hoss to this other jigger. I forgot to ask Racey whether Henderson’s hoss was at the ranch that day. Anyhow, she don’t matter much. Yuh can gamble him an’ Henderson are in cahoots.” “Well den, by gar, [dunno, me. She ees all one tangle o’ dees t’ing un dat ting. But I know dees: I know Hen- derson have lef’ de 88.” “What?” “Shore. W’en I drive Lanphair dere we was pass dees Henderson on de trail, un’ she say she was queet. Un’ w’en Lanphair say ‘Don’t she wan’ hees money?’ Henderson was say: ‘ de money,’ un’ ride off. But leesten, Chuck, w’en I tell you. I have been de scout, I have leeve wit’ Enjun, un’ I have learn for read de face. By gar, eef I have not/I be dead man plenty tam. Un’ I say Henderson ees not de bad man.”’ “‘He’s bad enough to just miss killin’ me by one li’ black hair, but if he’s quit the 88 there’s no use goin’ over there after him. Yuh needn’t laugh. I’d ’a’ done it. I need that five hundred. I may get it yet. If the jigger’s left the 88 that means Cut- nose Canter is about ready to turn his li’l trick.”’ ‘But you say before Henderson was not friend’ wit’ Cutnose.”’ “I said I didn’t think he was. An’ I didn’t then. But I ain’t thinkin’ that way quite so strong now. Yessir, when she comes to the show-down I’m bettin’ yuh’ll find Angora Chaps an’ Henderson an’ Cutnose an’ the busy li’l stranger who rid out o’ his way to tell Lanpher about the dead cow, all know each other by their first names. Listen to what happened at the C-Y toda es Laguerre listened with interest. “She shore wan’ for have dat ranch-house empty,’ was his comment when he had heard it all. ‘“‘W’y, I can not tell. By Adventure gar, cannot. Dem nestair bes’ look varree sharp w’at dey do.” “I told ’em that, an’ it’s we, you an’ I, who’ve gotta look sharp some, too. What with Old Salt all wrapped up in his six hundred head on the Buffler Flats an’ not willin’ to take any advice we got a reg’lar job on our hands. That C-Y ranch bein’ the joker thisaway we gotta keep an eye on it, an’ how we’re gonna do it an’ keep Old Salt happy I dunno. We can’t get any help from Willie’s Old Brother-in-Law —Why? He was nicked in the neck an’ drilled through the shoulder today. Some- body, an’ I’m _ bettin’ on Cutnose, cut down on him from them box-elders north 0’ his camp.” “You have right,” nodded Laguerre. “‘Cutnose she have never lak’ dat Piegan, un she know, by gar, dat Enjun ees bes’ man for read sign sout’ o’ de Canaday line. Un she know dat Enjun ees friend’ wit’ us. She shoot heem, bien sure.” “There! What’v’ I been tryin’ to tell yuh? Don’t every little thing show the deal’s comin’ off soon? If Old Salt sends me down on the Buffler Flats, I don’t stay long, orders or no orders.” CHAPTER XIII BUSHWHACKERS _ HICH I’d shore admire to know where yuh been?” demanded the irate Mr. Saltoun. “Didn’t the judge tell yuh?” said Chuck demurely. ‘He said yuh was called north on busi- ness or some such fool thing. Business! I know better. Yuh can’t tell me, Chuck Morgan.”’ “T ain’t tryin’ to,” grinned Chuck. “Humph,” grunted Mr. Saltoun, pre- pared to say more. But he reflected that there really was no harm done. And Chuck was one of his best punchers. Still, one must show that one is boss. Mr. Saltoun coughed aus- terely and fished out his tobacco-pouch. ‘Well, it’s all right this time, Chuck,” said he, “‘but don’t let it happen again. To- morrow I wish yuh’d take the mules an’ the buckboard an’ drive to Farewell. I’ve got a letter to go over, an’ Kate wants a lot o’ airtights an’ fixin’s. But these here ain’t the main thing. I want you to sort o’ get it COMmiclsoo CO