Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

124 “So that’s your game! Waiting for a sure thing. You don’t like to take chances. Just come in when you’ve got them all, eh?” “That would be safe poker playing,” mumbled Goss as he picked up the hand dealt by Snap. Seth groaned on finding openers and opened against his inclination. Burt promptly raised for cards. DeLouge stayed, as did Goss. Snap threw down his hand and announced he had had enough and, gathering up what remained of his money, quit the game, standing while he completed his deal. Goss shifted his box down the table to have more room and called for one card, standing on three tens and a queen. He picked up a queen. Seth dropped his hand and retired from the table. “Tl play these,” announced Burt. DeLouge hesitated and hummed a bit of the old love song under his breath and whimsically remarked— “Probably cutting open another dog. One card.” Seth started the play for five dollars. Burt promptly raised the hmit. DeLouge did likewise. Goss stayed. Burt grinned triumphantly and raised the limit again, and eagerly suggested: “What about the three of us lifting the limit?” “Not on your luck,’? murmured De- Louge, seeing the raise. “And twenty-five more,”’ announced Goss.’ y ’ “To you!” cried Burt. DeLouge leaned back and examined his cards, shook his head and carefully slipped his hand into the discard and sorrowfully informed— “Gentlemen, I am burying the rottenest set of threes I ever held.” ‘“‘And twenty-five,” said Goss. “To you. What about wiping out the limit?” demanded Burt. “T have about fifteen hundred dollars in front of me. Bet up to that.” “By ! At last Pve cut your comb, mister man, who don’t want folks to see his hand!” . And with feverish haste he pushed for- ward his money and, without waiting to see Goss’ hand, he crowed shrilly and threw down four nines and an ace and started to rake in the pot. The tipsy man behind him laughed loudly and cried— Adventure “‘Here’s some you’re forgetting, Burt.” And he unsteadily thrust a hand into the. man’s lap and picked up three cards. In the’ few moments of dramatic silence he cheer- fully explained— “You dropped ’em, Burt, when the stranger was shifting his box to git more room.”’ Goss spread out his cards and with'a quick movement of his left hand and arm drew the money to his side of the table. DeLouge kicked back from the table, the scar on his face growing livid. Burt screamed like a wild animal and leaped to his feet, at the same moment drawing a bowie knife from his boot. Before a hand could be raised to stay his bloody purpose he plunged the weapon into the side of the grinning drunken man, killing him on his feet. Almost in the same second he wheeled and with uplifted knife lunged across the table to stab Goss. The gambler’s hand plucked the derringer from his left cuff and fired as the man was almost upon him. “What doings are these?” yelled Seth, glaring wild-eyed at Burt, sprawled across the table, shot between the eyes, and then at the murdered man on the floor. DeLouge’s lips crept up on one side, dis- closing his teeth. “This must be settled here,” he hoarsely whispered, and his hand sank to his belt. Goss shifted the derringer to his left hand and covered DeLouge while he drew a heavy gun with his right. Standing, he an- nounced: “T protected myself. He is still clutching the knife he used in one murder. Keep your hand from that gun, DeLouge!”’ For a bit only the snores of the drunken sleeper and the deep breathing of Seth and Snap disturbed the quiet of the room. Then DeLogue softly said— ‘You and your hatchet-face! We were peaceful and friendly till you came. We were pards. We came to Colorado to- gether. We were going home together. _ Now two of us have been wiped out.” “T’m going,’ announced Goss, turning over the soap box without removing his gaze from DeLouge. With his foot he moved the box under the edge of the table and pawed the gold and paper money into it. “Tm going, DeLouge. The first move made to stop me will kill you. Your friend stole his hand from the discard. I held the winning hand. He has killed a man and I COMIGIOOKSEEO