Adventure Magazine Cover — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

46 Balthasar’s bleeding face. Gradually the yellow man’s pistol arm strained out. Las- siter flung all his failing force against it, but the muleteer’s sweaty skin slipped through his hold. A panic siezed Lassiter. He suddenly realized he would be killed. In three minutes he would have his brains blown out over a half-breed girl’s kiss! It was absurd! He tried to pant out some words through his slimy mouth, to reason before—he clenched desperately— “Nunes uv At that moment, a third hand was laid on Balthasar’s pistol arm and stopped it absolutely. | “Here, gentlemen,” called a _ cheerful voice. “Have you forgot what the Good Book says, ‘How good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity?’ Git up, brother, leave off this scufflng and rejoice with me!” As Birdsong’s fresh strength had com- plete control of the situation, both men let go. The colporteur lifted Lassiter by one arm and got him to his feet, then he picked up the. maltreated muleteer, keeping one hand casually on the pistol arm. He brushed aside the whole affair as trivial. “Brothers, rejoice with me!” he cried. “‘T have garnered three souls into the blessed fold of the master!” The promoter stared unsteadily at the jubilant colporteur., The blood pounded. in Lassiter’s ears and his head was splitting. It was all he could do to keep from falling. The Colombian spat out a mouthful of blood, touched his raw face, but said with a certain return of his habitual courtesy— “Senor, that is good news!” “Glorious news!’’ pzaned the colporteur. “And it was all accomplished, my dear Brother Balthasar, in the twinkling of an eye, through a miracle!”’ ‘“‘A miracle,” repeated Nunes, starting toward the lake to wash out his mouth. ‘Yes, a miracle, with the.aid of ordinary | parlor matches! I never saw a more divine manifestation. Ill ask you two brothers now, to give me all the matches you happen to have in your pockets.” Both the fighters fished out their lucifers and handed them over. Then Lassiter got unsteadily to the girl where she stood cling- ing to a palm. Every nerve in the man jangled. He could not make heads or tails of what Birdsong was saying. “Come on, Tilita—come on!” Adventure Before he could say more, he spat out — ropy saliva. The two started off aimlessly through the jungle. Birdsong and Nunes walked on down to the-lake. Birdsong was drawling away with great enthusiasm about his miracle. VIII mom PRESENTLY the promoter drew ae on Tilita’s arm and moderated what C2 was a flight down to a walk. He could not hurry so fast; his head was aching too badly. The girl slowed up trembling and glanced back through the. jungle. Her breast rose and fell sharply under her green bodice. ‘“H-He is a terrible man, primo,’ panted. Lassiter glanced down at his companion. she The struggle with Nunes had left red welts on her neck and breast and cheeks. One of her ears was crimson where his beard had scraped. Such tangibilia of her out- rage renewed Lassiter’s fury. The pressure in his aching head increased. “I—I ought to have killed him!” he gasped remorsefully. “I—I wonder why I didn’t kill him He tried to think. The fight was blurred inhismind. He plodded on trying to recon- struct it, trying to discover why he had failed to kill the Colombian. Tilita moved at his side through splotches of shade and sunshine. Presently it gave her the appearance of moving under some some sort of luminous tapestry that rose and fell with her gliding progress. She gave Lassiter brief side glances and pres- ently said, quite unexpectedly— “T mean, primo, that Sefior Birdsong is a terrible man.”’ Lassiter looked around, quite taken aback. “Birdsong!” ‘Si, I hate him!” she accented the word with a narrowing of her black eyes. “And not Nunes!” ““O-h—no She shrugged and evidently dismissed the Colombian’s case with slight concern. “After what he’s done——”’ self.”’ “‘Couldn’t help himself!”’ “He said he couldn’t help himself, primo—”’ defensively. DOOLK “The- poor fellow could not help him- (C©