Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

When Good Fellows Get Together the ship Ransom turned. Both men stood motionless for an instant—Ransom in con- sternation, Aldez in joyful surprize. He jerked his gun from the holster at his hip and walked toward Ransom with the weapon trained on him. His dark, handsome face was smiling, but there was a quality in that smile that was far from reassuring. ‘“‘I am ver’ pleased that we meet again, senor,” he said, raising his voice slightly. - The motor was still almost idling while Tex tried the switches and listened for any ill-effect from the patched gas-line. The Mexican was standing where he could keep aneye on both Ransom and the unaware pilot. ‘‘Well, I can’t say I am delighted to see you. Why the gun?” demanded the ob- server. “In case you do not like to say yes to what I say,” replied Aldez, still smiling. Just then Tex turned and caught sight of the Mexican. He did not wait for any command. With a heartfelt curse he jerked back the throttle and vaulted out of the cockpit. Both his and Ransom’s Colts were packed up in the rear cockpit and the Mexi- can’s gun looked very business-like. He strolled with apparent nonchalance toward the wary Aldez, stopping beside Ransom ten feet in front of his erstwhile poker op- ponent. ‘“‘Greetings,” he said with a grin. ‘‘Have you gone into the hold-up game to recoup your losses in FE] Paso?” The Mexican’s face lost its smile. “Perhaps, sefor. Sefior Feetzpatrick will be:ver’ glad to see you—even more than to get back the money.” “IT thought maybe Fitzpatrick might en- ter the game when I saw you. But how in did you happen to get down this way, or Fitzpatrick either?” “There is a leetle shack we use some- times. Sefior Feetzpatrick is at Tia Nita, but he will be glad, I think, when I breeng you in.” “So you’ve got a little smuggling hang-out near here, eh?” drawled Tex. . “The sefior theenks he is verry wise,”’ re- plied Aldez venomously. ‘But I will take the money, and we will go. Hands up, senores.”’ Tex, grinning at the coming discomfiture of the Mexican, put up his hands nearly as quickly as Dave. It was a queer scene— the clearing, surrounded by mesquite, bathed in hot golden sunlight, insects dron- 29 ing tranqujlly, and the three human actors standing quietly near the big De Haviland, two with their hands in the air. Except for the modern note struck by the plane, it might have been a Remington painting of the old West. “Turn slowly,” said the Mexican. The flyers obeyed silently. The tight Army breeches afd sweat-soaked shirts showed no signs of concealed guns. “Empty your pockets,” ordered Aldez, his gun trained on his two captives. “And I shoot vairry quickly. You are in Mexico now, sefores.”’ He smiled with malicious enjoyment as he reminded them of the full possibilities of their predicament. What followed was done so quickly, so unexpectedly, that it was over almost be- fore it happened. It was like the strike of a rattlesnake. As Tex dropped his hands he was six feet in front of Aldez and half as far to one side of Ransom. ‘“T’m afraid you’re going to be disap- pointed, caballero,’ he drawled, “‘because all that dinero——” Without warning or any sign of setting himself, the tall flyer hurled himself for- ward and downward, straight at the Mexi- can. The gun went off as Aldez fell, Mac- Dowell’s arms clasping his knees. Ransom sprang to help and in five seconds both fly- ers were squatting breathlessly on the re- cumbent form of Fitzpatrick’s henchman. Aldez poured forth a brief but blistering string of Spanish and then lapsed into si- lence. Tex stretched out a long arm and picked up the gun which had been knocked from the Mexican’s hand when he fell. “Now that it’s over, I must apologize,” remarked ‘Tex to Ransom. “I never thought of the fact that chances were ten to one that if Aldez hit anybody with a bullet it would have been you. The prospect of spending a couple of days as Fitzpatrick’s guest was so unpleasant I lost any sense I may have.” “That’s all right,” returned Dave. ‘Shall we let the spig up?” Tex grinned. “How about it, Aldez? gun?” A cursory examination failed to unearth anything but a knife which Tex confiscated. “Go get in the ship, Ransom, and get strapped in. [Pll hold Aldez down and then we can take off before he gets to his horse. Got another COmicloo oN ) CO