Adventure Magazine Cover — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

28 “Yuh know, Sheriff,” said Johnny Grant, anticipating the sheriff’s coming flood of profanity, ‘““you know it was an accident.” “Yea-a-a-huh?” blurted the sheriff. “‘Wh-wh-who was ridin’ that —— bub- bucker?”’ stammered Al Porter. Johnny looked around at Jim Legg, who was still a trifle dazed over it all. Johnny grasped him by the arm and turned to the deputy. “This is Jimmy Legg, the only man that ever stayed on Cowcatcher.”’ “T don’t give a ——!” roared the sheriff. “Every time I get in sight of you fellers, somethin’ happens. By ——, I’m sick and tired of it! Do yuh hear me?” “Louder and more profane,” begged Es- kimo, cupping one hand beside his ear. “A-a-a-aw, shut up!” The sheriff was too mad to say anything more. The stranger had ridden up closer to them, and was listening with an amused smile. He was a well-dressed, middle-aged sort of person, rather hard-faced. “TI got out of that pretty lucky,” he said, “I happened to be just outside the crash.” “Well, I didn’t,” said Porter ruefully. “Any old time there’s a crash—I’m in it. Boys,” he turned to Johnny Grant, “‘this is Mr. Wade, the detective for the express company.” The boys of the AK looked Wade over critically, but the keen scrutiny of these sons of the range did not embarrass Wade. He was what is know as “‘hard-boiled.”’ “Hyah,” nodded Johnny Grant. ‘‘What do yuh know?” “Not very much,” “What do you know?” admitted Wade. “T know m’ head, I know m’ feet, I know yow'll soon Stand up to eat.” Oyster Shell chanted it softly, noticing that the detective was sitting rather side- wise in the saddle. Wade grinned widely. “T guess that’s right,” he said. “I’m not used to riding.”’ “You workin’ on that train robbery?” asked Eskimo. “Yes, I’m supposed to be,”’ he turned and looked at Jimmy Legg, who was still leaning against Johnny Grant. ‘They tell me you're a stranger around here, Mr. Legg.” ‘“‘I—I’ve been here a while,’’ stammered Jimmy Legg. W. C. TUTTLE “Uh-huh,” nodded the sheriff, breaking in on the detective. ‘You showed up the night of the robbery, didn’t yuh?” “He did not,” said Johnny Grant quickly, “‘he was here the day before.” ‘Here at the AK?” queried Porter. “Yeah,” defiantly. “That’s funny,” smiled Porter. ‘We just met George Bonnette in Blue Wells, and he said you came here to the ranch the day after the hold-up. And that yuh wasn’t even hired yet.”’ ‘“‘And that none of the boys knew yuh, until they met yuh that day in Blue Wells,”’ added Scotty Olson. “Yuh bought all yore clothes there in Blue Wells, and you —— near killed me and Lee Barnhardt, because yuh acted like yuh didn’t know nothin’ about a six-gun. And yuh had plenty of money to buy anythin’ yuh wanted.” Johnny Grant, caught in a lie, did not back up an inch. He stepped in front of Jimmy Legg and glared at the sheriff. ‘Well, what if he did?’ demanded Johnny. “It’s nothing to quarrel about,” inter- posed the detective. ‘I merely wanted to know when, how and why he came to Blue Wells. He’s a stranger around here, it seems.” ‘“‘And if he is—what about it?” asked Eskimo. “There’s no law against a stranger comin’ here, is there?”’ “Not at all,” smiled the detective. ‘‘This man does not fit the description of any of the robbers, but we can’t afford to miss any lead that might set us on the right track. There’s a man and a dog to be accounted for. “It seems that this man shipped his dog in the express car. We have a fairly accu- rate description of the dog, but not of the man. ‘The express messenger fought with a man who got on his car at Encinas. They fell out of the car, while the train was in motion. ‘“‘This dog was on the car at that time, because the engineer and fireman saw him when the three robbers led them back to the car. The dog was there when the engineer got the messenger’s shotgun and started battle with the three robbers. “A few minutes later the engine crew sneaked back to their engine to escape the bullets of the bandits. The fireman says he thought he heard a man walk past the COMmMIiCOoooks Cc (C@