Adventure Magazine Cover — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

The Silver Fox then bent and examined him closely. He rose and put an arm across Conroy’s shoulders. “You broke his neck,” he said, soberly. Then added, ‘‘Justifiable homicide, I call it. What, boys?” And the crowd, who would have shot Conroy a short two minutes ago, growled deep-throated oaths of assent. - | Conroy watched the men put the crooked body of the Weasel on its toboggan. He said no word, only he gazed in dull wonder at his hands. When all was ready for the start McMurtry came over to him. “You comin’ out with us?” he inquired. Conroy shook his head. “Better git your money for the silver,” McMurtry insisted. Again Conroy shook his head, and said slowly: “LT don’t want that money. Seems like I wouldn’t enjoyit now. You better keep it.” The sheriff laughed understandingly. “T’ll tell the factor to keep it for ye,’ he said. ‘‘We all are obliged to you for riddin’ us of a nuisance.” With gruff farewells, the party started off down-river. Conroy gazed after the re- treating forms until they were swallowed up in the flying whiteness. Then he turned and walked heavily to the cabin. He lighted a fire and boiled some water. He reached down the tea canister from the shelf, opened 147 it, and measured out one teaspoonful into a cup. He started to measure out a second. ' Suddenly he stopped, stared at the tea, dropped it and sat down heavily in his chair. Again he looked uncomprehendingly at his hands. He gazed around the empty cabin. All was silent, save for the quiet, mysterious whispering of the snow-flakes on the roof. Outside, the great spruces seemed to dip their branches toward him in understanding sympathy. Then an engulfing wave of misery and loneliness swept over him, and he threw himself upon his bunk and wept great, racking sobs. After a time he calmed down and was silent. He lay there, turning over in his mind the events of the last two days. Slow- ly he adjusted his world once more upon its old basis of calm simplicity. Wethers, he decided, had been no partner at all, but just a crazy, humpbacked crook. ‘Therefore he had done‘well to kill him. When he had settled this well in his conscience, and his mind had digested it, Conroy’s eyelids began gradually to droop. As he drifted off to sweet, refreshing sleep, his last thought was that old Ben Saunders would be back next Winter. He was a real partner. The giant’s heart thrilled with a little glow of pride, and as he slept his face was the face of a tired, contented child. e) Tar 93 = x “of . “ ~% G ‘4 wae > : ng 4 4 > “as 8 % Py sand ok ® ‘ 7 . = z = ' 9 ° > 2 OSA Sea < "EA 4) MT 5; C e by ; Pa” oo py Jo. ‘ > e Ag, ‘ TE SD. } by) } ) = eo + ms niet ok '. ; ’ ‘ << c PE eS) =. “ > C3 e ¢ 3 } Ve p< se” Me fase 73 pts E >. + ~ eth Sate mi ‘ 3 ’ 1DOO C@