Adventure Magazine Cover — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

THE BUCKAROO It’ll sure as —— be an education to you, if yuh want to bea puncher. But I’m if I know why yuh want to.” “Thanks,” smiled Jimmy. “Johnny Grant asked you to do this, didn’t he?” “Well, he said yuh was jist brainless enough to make a good puncher, if that’s what yuh mean.” “Don’t cowpunchers have any brains, Mr. Bonnette?”’ “Huh!” The old man spat explosively. “Evidence is all agin’ ’em! If they had any brains, they wouldn’t punch cows.” Jimmy thanked him for the half-pay job, and rode away with the three cowpunchers, after Bonnette had warned them not to antagonize the sheriff again. “Yo’re gettin’ a bad reputation,” de- clared Bonnette. “Next thing I know [ll have some cripples hobblin’ around here.” “We're plumb antiseptic now,’ assured Johnny Grant. ‘“There ain’t money enough in the crowd to start anythin’.” They headed for town, talking about the robbery. None of them had told Jimmy about their battle with the engineer and fireman. The AK boys were tight-mouthed over it, because they didn’t want to be hauled in on the case, and they were just a little suspicious about Jimmy Legg. Near where the AK road paralleled the railroad, it intersected with the road from Encinas, and as they neared the intersection they saw two riders coming from the east, jogging along through the dust, as if time was of no importance. The four riders from the AK drew rein and waited for the two cowboys, thinking them to be two of the Blue Wells riders. But in this they were mistaken, as the two riders were strangers to the country. One of them was a lean, rangy sort of individual, with a long face, prominent nose, wide mouth, and widely spaced blue eyes, set in a mass of tiny wrinkles. The other rider was of medium height, rather blocky of countenance, wide-mouthed, and with deep grin-wrinkles, which seemed to end beneath a firm jaw. His eyes were wide, blue and innocent. Both men were dressed in range costume, well-worn, weathered. Their riding rigs were polished from much usage, and the boys from the AK noted that their belts and holsters were hand-made by men who knew the sag of human anatomy. ‘The tall man removed his battered sombrero, disclosing a OF BLUE WELLS 37 crop of roan-colored hair, and the wide grin, which suffused his whole face, showed a set of strong, white teeth. “Howdy,” smiled the tall man. ‘Is this the road to Blue Wells?” “Tt sure is,” grinned Johnny. He in- stinctively liked this tall man, whose grin was contagious. ‘Well, that’s good,”’ nodded the shorter man. Johnny Grant’s eyes had strayed to their two horses, which were branded on the left shoulder with a Circle X, the iron of a ranch about twelve miles east of Encinas. ‘“‘We’re goin’ to Blue Wells,” said Es- kimo, “‘and we'll see that yuh don’t stray.” ‘“‘That’s sure kind of yuh,”’ said the inno- cent-eyed one. ‘You don’t know what a load that takes off my mind.” Eskimo squinted closely at him, but could not determine whether the man was joking or not. Johnny Grant moved his horse in closer. ““My name’s Grant,” he told them. He turned in his saddle and introduced the others, concluding with Jimmy Legg, of whom he said: “This is Jimmy Legg. He wants to be a cowpuncher so badly that he don’t know what to do—and we’re teachin’ him.” “T’m sure he’ll make a good one,” said the innocent-eyed stranger, sizing up the uncomfortable Jimmy. ‘Yuh can’t hardly tell him from one now. If yuh hadn’t told us about him, we’d never know but what he was a top-hand. My name is Stevens. My pardner answers to the name of Hart- ley, and we’re proud to know you gents.” “Proud to know you,” nodded the boys of the AK. “We might as well mosey along,” said Johnny. ‘You aimin’ to stay in Blue Wells a while, gents?” “All depends,” said ““Hashknife”’ Hartley. “We hear that the Fall round-up is about to start, and thought we might hook on with some cow-outfit. We ain’t never been in here, yuh see.” “Well, yuh might,” admitted Johnny. “T dunno how the rest of the ranches are fixed for help.” “Does anythin’ ever happen around here?” asked ‘Sleepy’ Stevens. “You know what I mean—any excitement?” “Everythin’ happens,” said Eskimo, and they proceeded to regale them with a story of the robbery. ) NOOK (C@