Adventure Magazine Cover — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

44 cowboys should offer to work the Double Bar 8 for nothing. He watched Hashknife, who hunched over the counter, taking much time over the composition of his letter. Lee moved over to that counter and bought some tobacco he did not need. Hashknife sealed the letter and began directing the envelope. Lee walked slowly past him, getting a flash of the address on the letter, which was directed to Leesom & Brand, At- torneys at Law, Chicago. If Lee Barnhardt expected to find any clue to Hashknife’s identity, he could hardly find it in the address of a letter, but he smiled queerly as he walked to his office and sat down, twiddling his thumbs. But it was not a pleasant smile, and his head sunk into his collar until the wattles of his wry-neck protruded. For about ten minutes he sat thus, totally absorbed in his own thoughts, which were finally broken by the entrance of Tex Alden, who had been depleting the stock of the Oasis saloon until he fairly reeked with alcoholic fumes. “What do you know about them two fel- lers goin’ out to the Taylor ranch?” he de- manded of Barnhardt. “Eh?” Lee looked up quickly. “Oh, yes. What about ’em?”’ “That’s what I want to know, by ——!” “VYou’re sore about something, ain’t you, Tex?” “Vo’re right Iam! Who authorized them two punchers to run that place?” “Well, I didn’t. It wasn’t any of my business. Tex, you don’t need to get drunk and come roaring into my office. I never sent them out there. It seems to me that Miss Taylor was perfectly willing to have them go out there. And they talked with old Apostle Paul. Don’t hop me; hop them.” “Hop, ——!” Tex leaned on the desk and glared at Barnhardt. “Go to it, Tex. Hop anything you want to, but leave me out. Did you offer to run the ranch for her?” “1 did, ——— it!” Lee smiled at Tex’s flushed face. ‘‘What did she say?” “None of yore —— business!”’ “Mm-m-m-m! Must have been a good reason.” ‘“‘Who are these strange punchers?”’ Lee shook his head. “How would I know? They’re going to run the Double Bar 8 for nothing. Rather W. C. TUTTLE charitable for a pair of strangers, don’t you think, Tex?” “Too charitable.” “That’s my opinion. But I don’t knowa thing against ’em.”’ “Know anythin’ for ’em?”’ bluntly. “Not a thing, Tex. Marion is a mighty pretty girl, and—” “Drop that!” snapped Tex angrily. ‘Leave her out of it.” “Oh, all right. But she didn’t talk as though she hated either of them. I heard her talking to them in Moon’s store a while ago.” Tex’s black eyes snapped angrily. “T want to know a few things,’ he said evenly. “I’m no fool!’’ “Well, you’ll not find out anything from me, because I don’t know anything to tell you, Tex. I’m no judge of human nature, but I'd go easy with those two men. I don’t think you can scare ’em. They’ve probably got a reason for running the Tay- lor ranch—for nothing.” “‘They can’t scare me, by “‘They probably won’t try,” smiled Barn- hardt. ‘‘Any way, they have no reason for trying to scare you. Tex, does their names mean anything to your” “Their names? Hartley and Stevens? Not a —— thing.” ““Ask Plenty Goode about it?” “What would he know about ’em, Lee?”’ “Do you remember one night out at the X Bar 6, just after Goode had hired out to you, and I was there? We were talking about rustlers and horse-thieves, and Goode told us some of the things that happened in the Modoc country. He lived at Black Wells, I believe. Don’t you remember the names now, Tex?”’ ‘“‘Lee, I believe yo’re right. What was it he called the tall one?” }?? ‘““Hashknife.”’ “That was it! But are these the same men, Lee?”’ “T heard the tall one called by that name a while ago.”’ ‘“Afuh! What do yuh reckon they’re doin’ over here?” Lee smiled crookedly. “T dunno, Tex; but it has probably got something to do with the train robbery. And if I had held up that train, I’d sure hate to have these men on my trail. Ask Goode more about them, Tex.” COMmMiclboook (©