Adventure Magazine Cover — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

166 “Get ’em durin’ the parade,” says Chuck. “Everybody will be interested in that, don’tcha see?” “Can’t be did,” says I. parade.” “What part are you, Ike?” “Tm half of the east end,” says I. you know as much as I do.”’ “Who's guardin’ ’em now, Ike?” “T ain’t sure, but I reckon Hassayampa is on duty.” Chuck goes away, leavin’ me to nod at the bartender and lean against Dirty Shirt. _ Then cometh Polecat Perkins and his pack of high-class mongrels. He’s got eight of ’em, all on ropes, and they proceeds to tangle themselves around our legs. “Greetin’s, everybody,” says Polecat. “Lay down, dogs!” Polecat joins our convention and gets enthusiastic over the fact that tomorrow is Labor Day and that we’re goin’ to have a jollification. “Take them dogs outside,” orders Buck. “My — this ain’t no doggery, Pole Cat. Take ’em away so folks will have a chance to git to the bar.” Just about that time Hassayampa Harris comes into that saloon. I dunno how far he jumped from the outside, but I know he scraped his head on the top of the doorway and landed plumb in the middle of the room “Yeeow-w-w-w! Look out!” he yelps. Right behind Hassayampa comes Cleo- patra. She comes among us, like a striped streak, hits in the middle of the room, lands on the pool table and goes plumb out through the back door, which has just been opened by Mighty Jones. Mighty’s feet flip up where his hat had been, and over him goes Polecat’s flock of dogs, each one tryin’ to yell louder than the rest. “That's our tiger!” explodes Buck. “You—you can huh-have it!” pants Hassayampa. “How did it get loose?” “Go and ask it. I—I was talkin to Chuck Warner at the front door of the stable when all to once I hears somebody yell, and here comes Cleopatra.” “Somebody yell?” snorts Buck. “By golly, Til bet some of that Paradise gang turned her loose while you was at the front door. Git down there, everybody, before they turn ’em all loose.”’ They all went down there, except me and Dirty and Buck. They could turn ’em “I’m part of the “Now Adventure loose as far as me and Dirty are concerned. A few minutes after they’re gone Old Testa- ment and Muley Bowles comes in. Testa- ment ain’t got no hat and his coat is split up the back. Muley don’t track very well and he’s got a swellin’ over one eye. “«*Tn the midst of life we are in death,’”’ says Testament, indicatin’ that he don’t want his lemonade straight. Buck looks ’em over. “You two been fightin’ each other?’’ he asks. “Tt—it was a mistake,” says Muley, drinkin’ the water and pourin’ his liquor in the cuspidor. “I thought Testament was a, —A¢——__—”” “He thought I was a door,” finished Testament, “and tried to go through me. Perhaps we had better go home, Muley.” “Yeah—and stay home,” says Muley painful-like. They went out just before the crowd came back. Itseems that Gunga Din and Sahara are all right, but they left five guards in the stable. “We found a hat,” said Mighty. “Has- sayampa said that they ain’t fed that tiger for two days, and I’m kinda scared thatwe won’t never find the man to put under that hat.” I’m goin’ to draw a veil over the rest of that night. It will be sufficient to say that mornin’ came apace, the sun came up in its usual way, and among us was brotherly love and the sweet spirit of progress. Civiliza- tion is sweet to the civilized. Magpie found us the next day. He looks us over, tells us what he thinks of our ances- tors, takes our guns away and leads us down to Wick Smith’s home. I’m kinda hazy on just what happened to us, but it seems that me and Dirty went to sleep on a bed. I DUNNO what time I woke up, » but I suppose it was afternoon. » Isets up on that bed and looks at o™~ the dangest person I ever seen. He was settin’ there, lookin’ at me. He’s kind of a dirty, brown-complected hombre, with somethin’ white wrapped around his head, and his body is covered with a striped gown of some kind. I bats my eyes a couple of times, but he don’t disappear. “T’m dead and in ——,” tion. it has the voice and eye of Dirty Shirt says the appara- Gomicbooks.com eS ee ee Oa 2... Yate 3 : re =