Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

The Torch-Bearers “On your life no shooting!” I warned. “Make no move till I say the word.” ‘“‘But they’re turning back,” he groaned. “Then we must let them go. Remember it’s the girl we’re after. Now they halt again. JNow they’ve decided to come a bit farther this way.” The two came on at a walk, whistling softly. When within a dozen feet of us one of them reined in and blasphemed roundly. The other also halted and called the dead man’s name. Then he growled— ‘“Let’s go back, Ike.”’ “Cap’n said to find him and learn what the shots meant, Bill.” “Don’t believe there was any shots. I didn’t hear any. Anyway, he ain’t here.” “He was below this. We ain’t rid far ‘nough, ” said Ike. “| Want to git back on Lynch’s Creek? It was right here he took to the woods.” “Tt was below this, I tell you. I’m going another quarter,” insisted Ike. . ‘‘Cap’n’s mighty bad man when he’s mad. He’s got one of his devil spells coming on. I heard him laffing in a old woman’s voice.”’ “That’s ’cause he’s thinking of the girl. Always has them spells when he’s caught a likely woman. The Macson girl at that! And won’t her Whig friends tear their hair and have fits!”’ ‘What luck can a woman bring? All risk and no pay. Only a fool will bother with women.” “Huh!” snorted the man called Bill. : ‘Sounds like you was finding fault with the cap’n.’ The other was silent for a few moments, then softly asked— ‘And you’re going to tel] him that I found fault with him, ain’t you, Bill?” “What put that fool notion into your head, Ike? Me tell on a good old friend!” “Bill, I’m mighty ’fraid of the cap’n. Bill, you got the notion to blab on me. You got it in your mind, or you wouldn’t ’a’ spoke of it. What if you happened to speak it in camp so’s the cap’n heard you He shot Slim Ellery for less’n that.” “Darn fool .talk, Ike,” scoffed Bill. “We're friends. Ain’t I always stood with the boys?” ‘You used to,” the boys now opine you're playing off to please the cap’n.’ “Pack of lies!” This very fiercely. was the slow reply. “But 123 ‘“‘Why, Ike, what sense would there be in that sort of play? The boys are dawg-gone fools ta git such idees. What good would it do me? We all share alike below the cap’n.” ‘“‘We do, except when we catch women. But it ain’t women that’s gnawing the boys. Do you know, Bill, they got the idee this fuss is bout over. Redcoats will be licked to and back. But say the reds win. That raid on our camp showed: how much they like us. One side’s got to win.. What happens to us after it’s over? Every man for himself. Cap’n going to look out for us? Bah! He’ll hog the stuff and make for New ’Leans or Florida. Mebbe he’ll need a hand to help get away with the stuff. And you’re shining up to him, Bill. Be you planning to make a journey with him at the wind-up?” They were now fairly abreast of us and only my hand on the captain’s shoulder restrained him from attacking them. There was tragedy in the crisp evening air. Even the captain sensed some gruesome climax shaping. ‘The man Ike’s thinly veiled accu- sation that his companion was planning to abandon the gang and flee with Ganner would not be glossed over or ignored. Both knew this and both maneuvered their horses until they faced each other. Each was leaning forward to watch the oth- er’s eyes. Ike must have realized he had gone too far unless he went the full distance; for he lost his head a bit and spoke rapidly, saying: “Bill, the ‘boys don’t trast you. They opine you told the cap’n things that made him shoot Slim Ellery. The reason he give was plumb foolishness. The boys opine the true reason as things Slim said when the cap’n wasn’t round and which you blabbed.”’ We could hear the deep intake of breath as Bill filled his lungs. Extending his empty right hand, he dramatically cried— . “Tke, I swear I hope that hand’ll wither if ever I said a dawg-gone word to the hurt of any man in our band.” And he lifted the hand solemnly, thus di- verting his companion’s attention for a sec- ond, while he whipped up a pistol with his left hand. The weapon was discharged close to Ike’s head, and without even a groan he slumped forward in the saddle and toppled over into the road. ‘“‘Never watch a man’s empty hand, Ike, COmicloo ZN ) (©