Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

§2 “{ dunno. ’Course I didn’t stick there idle none, but she’s kind o’ hard to hit what yuh can’t see.” ‘“‘Shore, shore, but —— —! If it ain’t a fine note when a gent can’t go peace- ful an’ free to Farewell without he’s held up an’ his team beefed! Them mules cost me a hundred an’ fifty apiece, too, an’ they didn’t run away only so often. I s’pose the buck- board’s busted some, ain’t it?” ‘“‘Kind o’ scraped round the edges. Most o’ their lead went through it.” ‘OQ’ course! Bad luck, nothin’ but bad luck all the time! How’n ’s aman to make a dollar in this country I’d like to know.” “D’juh see Cutnose?” put in Tom Lou- don. ‘Fle was out o’ town,” was Chuck’s reply. ‘“How many boys are down on the Flats, Tom?” asked Mr. Saltoun. “Six.” “end six more down there right away. Tell ’em report to Telescope. , By —| I’ve a good mind to go with ’em.’ “TI was goin’,” said Loudon a “Oh, was youe” snapped Mr. Saltoun. “Well, if you think yo’re goin’ to have all the fun, yo’re mistaken. Ill go ’cause I want to see them fellers caught. Betcha they’ll be fiddlin’ round there tonight or tomorrow night, if they wasn ’t last night. She’s just the right time o’ the month for that kind o’ work—a late moon. Betcha when we get ’em we'll get the same jiggers that tried to massacre Chuck. You tell the boys, Tom. Chuck, yo’re comin’ with me.’ ‘The old man’s shore six kinds of a fool,” muttered Chuck on his way to the bunkhouse. “Where yuh goin’, Chuck?” hailed the Rainbow from the porch of the ranch-house as, after supper, Chuck led up Peppermint and Mr. Saltoun’s black. “T dunno,” lied Chuck. “Ves, you do,” she insisted. ‘‘You’re go- ing after the men that shot you up this morning. Don’t try to tell me you’re not. Didn’t I see six of the boys start off fifteen minutes ago?”’ “Maybe yuh did.” at guess I did, and I guess T’ll go with you, too.’ “Oh, stay with me, Rainbow,” urged Mrs. Kate. ‘You haven’t been here an hour.” “Can’t. I’m still on the lookout for the man who shot uncle, and there may be Adventure some connection between him and Chuck’s ambushers. You never can tell.” When Mr. Saltoun emerged from the office he found the Rainbow astride her red horse waiting with Chuck. ‘‘Where you goin’?” he demanded point- edly. “With you,” she replied sweetly. “‘T think you need a woman’s guiding hand.” _ Now look here, Rainbow: this ain’t goin’ to be no picnic, maybe, an’ y “Now, look here, Mister Man: I may come in handy. I’m a much better trailer than Telescope, you know. Climb on your ny.” ‘‘S’pose yuh get plugged.” “‘Lord help the man who does it. Come on.” “Yeah, an’ Lord help me from yore rela- tives . They’ll hold me responsible.” ‘‘We are waiting,” sighed the Rainbow, rolling up her eyes. With a helpless shake of the head Mr. Saltoun mounted his horse. “This really ain’t none o’ yore affair, Rainbow,” suggested Chuck who, knowing the lady, should have known better. “Thank you for putting me right,” she flashed, wheeling her horse in a wild skitter of pebbles. ‘But it’s barely possible that you may be glad I went.” He was destined to thank Heaven that she went, but at that precise moment he felt like shaking her, slamming her hard into a chair and bidding her stay there. He did not want any girl riding with him and disturbing his thoughts. He wanted to gloom and grouch in peace and comfort over his troubles. Which troubles consisted mainly of the fact that he was accompany- ing his employer on what he regarded as a wild-goose chase, when the desire of his heart was to be at Moccasin Spring with Jane Dale. Then, too, he had an uneasy feeling, as of impending evil or disaster. He had had the feeling for an hour or two, and it was becoming stronger. ‘Are they worth a penny?” hazarded the Rainbow. There! She was starting already. Why couldn’t she leave a fellow alone? Did she think he wanted to talk to her? Well, he didn’t, and he would show her. He tried to, and there was an animated quarrel lasting over several miles. But the honors re- mained with the Rainbow. Topping a ridge at dusk, they heard the CoOMmiclsoo CO