Adventure Magazine Cover — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

34 If yo’re wise, you’ll heed what I’m tellin’ yuh. I’ve give yuh a fair warnin’.” ‘Reminds me of what Miss Taylor said about rattlesnakes,” said Jimmy inno- cently. “They nearly always buzz before they strike, it seems. She says that is what makes them less to be feared than any other poisonous snakes.” ‘Tex stepped in closer to Jimmy, his eyes snapping. ‘Do you mean to call me a snake?” “No; only the warning. And don’t for- get, you called me a tramp.” “If you wasn’t such an ignorant —— fool,” began Tex—but at that moment Marion made her appearance leading the blue-black horse which had left her stranded in the hills, and Tex turned to her, leaving -his statement to Jimmy unfinished. “Mr. won’t be able to stay,” stated Tex. “If you'll show him which horse to ride back to the AK, Marion—” “I’ve changed my mind,” said Jimmy, hugging his knees. “I’m going to stay, Miss Taylor.” “Thank you, Mr. Legg.” Marion turned away to hide a smile. She realized that Tex had tried to make Jimmy’s decision for him, and she was glad that Jimmy defied him. Tex glared at Jimmy, but said nothing. Marion waved at Jimmy from the patio gate, but Tex did not turn his head. Marion had little to say to Tex on the way to Blue Wells. He tried to apologize to her for what he had said to Jimmy Legg, but she paid little attention to his excuses. Asa re- sult, Tex rode to Blue Wells with a distinct peeve against this stranger. He left Marion at the doorway of the sheriff’s office, and met Lee Barnhardt a little farther up the street. The lawyer might have ignored Tex’s presence had not Tex stepped in beside him. It was the first time they had met since the day after the hold-up. “What do yuh know about the arrest of Taylor, Buck and the half-breed?” asked Tex. Barnhardt glanced sidewise at Tex, and a knowing smile twisted his lips. “I know it’s probably lucky for some folks, Tex. You see, I’ve talked with them, and I’ll probably defend their case; so I haven’t any information to give out.” “Vea-a-ah?”’ “Yea-a-ah,” Barnhardt mimicked Tex’s drawl perfectly, but the expression in Tex’s W. C. TUTTLE eyes caused Barnhardt’s Adam’s-apple to jerk convulsively. The lawyer was a phys- ical coward, and Tex knew it; so he grasped Barnhardt by the sleeve, whirled him around and slammed his back against the front of the office. “——— you!” gritted Tex. “I’ve stood about all I’m goin’ to stand from you, Lee. Yo’re as crooked as a snake in a cactus patch, and we both know it. You told me about that Santa Rita pay-roll, because you wanted yore share. Now, —— yuh—get it, if yuh can!” Tex stepped back, his eyes narrowed dan- gerously, as he looked at Barnhardt’s thin face, which twisted to a sneering grin, when he felt sure that Tex was not going to do him bodily harm: “All right, Tex,” he said hoarsely. ‘No bad feelings, I hope.”’ : Tex shook his head slowly. “I don’t sabe you, Lee,” he said softly. ““Mebbe some day I’m goin’ to have to kill you.” 3 Tex spoke in a matter-of-fact way, as though the killing of Lee Barnhardt would be merely a disagreeable task. Barn- hardt smiled crookedly. 3 “You don’t need to threaten me, Tex,” he said. : “Oh, that’s not a threat.” Barnhardt straightened his collar. “You called me a crook,” he remarked. “You can’t prove anything, Tex; but you embezzled eight thousand dollars—and I can prove it.” “How can yuh? You haven’t the bill of sale, nor a copy of it. You had nothing to do with the sale. The check was made out to me.” “All right,” Barnhardt laughed shortly. ‘In two weeks the Fall roundup will be held, Tex. There’s going to be a shortage of X Bar 6 stock to account for. My report will show this, and I’ll have to explain just what happened—unless—”’ “Unless what?” “Unless you shoot square with me, Tex.” “In other words,” said Tex coldly, “if I’ll play a crooked game with you, you'll pro- tect me, eh?” “You don’t need to be so virtuous snapped Barnhardt. ‘‘You’re in pretty deep already. And any time I want to, I can cut you loose from your present job. Don’t forget that I can do you a lot of }?? GCOMIGIOO S (©