Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

32 ‘Tex, I’ve been a fool,” he said. MacDowell turned his head slowly, winc- ing a bit as a raw place on his cheek chafed beneath the bandage. “OQ. K., boy. We understand each other, I guess. Let’s forget it.” Their eyes met in complete understand- ing. Dave told Tex that Captain Kennard, Hickman, Miller and Binder had all flown over that morning, and would be in to see them that afternoon. In the wreck of land- ing Tex had got a nasty bump on the head that had kept him unconscious for a long time. _ They lapsed into silence again. Tex lay quietly, but Ransom occasionally moved uneasily. “Tex,” he said finally, his voice barely reaching MacDowell’s ears, “‘there’s some- thing I want to tell you. I want you to know first; you'll understand. Natalie— promised to marry me the night before we left El Paso.” ‘All the congratulations there are, Dave. T’ll tell you more about how lucky you are later, but croaking away with this flannel throat of mine is awful.” “Thanks,” whispered Dave. ‘ He lay quietly beneath the covers and in a moment had drifted off into a doze. Tex eased himself over a trifle. He stared at the ceiling. So Natalie was to be mar- Adventure ried. What was the cause of that little stab of pain—or was it pain—that had gone through him at Ransom’s announcement? Ordinarily the least introspective of men, Tex nevertheless thought of himself for a while. Was he in love with Natalie or had that instinctive feeling been—well, pride, for instance? He thought of himself as a married man, even with so charming a life- partner as Natalie. A slow smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ‘‘And some moonlight night I might have asked, knowing no better at the time, and if Dave hadn’t come along she mrght have said yes. I’d have roped and hog-tied my- self as sure as shooting. A moonlight drunk is the worst in the world!” he reflected. Tramping feet came to his ears. The footsteps were coming nearer—probably Captain Kennard and the rest of the bunch. His smile widened to a grin as he turned to look at the sleeping Ransom. ‘Guess Id better keep you around, Dave,” he remarked to no one in particu- lar. ‘I seem to need you to keep me out of trouble.” A minute later Captain Kennard was greeting him, with a small crowd of flyers, doctors and nurses pressing behind. “Tm feeling fine,’ Tex assured them. “IT thrive on narrow escapes.” It is doubtful whether any of them knew exactly what he meant, even Ransom. COmicloo CO