Adventure Magazine Cover — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

66 Hashknife grinned widely and thanked Johnny for his information. “Thasall right,” said Johnny. ‘“Yo’re sure welcome. Yuh see, we don’t care much for the sheriff and his deputy. They said we ought to be run out of the country; so we kept still about what happened to us. But when they jailed the Taylor outfit, I just got to thinkin’ that mebbe our evidence might help to land the right ones. I didn’t want to give it to Wade, the railroad detec- tive, because he acted so smart; but I’m givin’ it to you, because you—because I had a talk with Goode, over at the X Bar 6.” “Well, that may not help us all the way out, but it’s somethin’ to grab on to,”’ smiled Hashknife. “That feller Goode probably lied a lot about us, but he means all right, I guess.” “Well,”’ confessed Johnny gravely, ‘“‘he sure scared me into tellin’ yuh all I knew.” “You look like a feller that scares easy,”’ grinned Hashknife. ‘‘I’ll betcha all three of you fellers would run from a shadow.” ‘“‘Well, yuh can’t do much damage to a shadow, yuh know. We’d like yuh to know that if yuh need three fellers that are strong in the muscle and weak in the head, yuh might call on us.” “Thanks, Grant. I reckon Nanah and Marion are cookin’ dinner, and if I was you, I’d stick around for the meal. Marion wants to thank yuh for offerin’ accommo- dations to us on the round-up.” “George Bonnette done that, Hartley. ’S funny Tex Alden didn’t offer to take care of yuh.” “T reckon he’s sore about Jimmy bein’ here.” ““M-m-m-m-m-m. Hartley, no matter what yore personal opinion is of Tex Alden, he’s a white man, and a of a good cow-hand. Mebbe he’s kinda off-color on account of carin’ a lot for that girl, but he’s a square shooter—all the time.” “Yeah? He ordered Jimmy Legg to get out of the country. ' That night Jimmy was shot, just after he had left Marion Taylor, at the front of the Blue Wells hotel. A little later on, a shot from the hill out there almost got him again.” “IT know that,” Johnny shook his head. “Tf I was goin’ off at half-cock, I’d nod to- ward Tex, wouldn’t you?” “I suppose I would, Grant—but I don’t.” “Noe Well, that’s good. I talked with W. C. TUTTLE | Tex the other day. He admits that it looks as if he done it.” Marion called to them from the rear door, and they headed for the wash-bench, drop- ping the subject of Tex Alden. And while they ate dinner at the Double Bar 8, Lee Barnhardt rode into Blue Wells, stabled his horse and went to see the doctor, who did a little to alleviate the pain in his jaw. Back in his office, he filled his pipe and tried to enjoy a smoke, but flung the pipe aside, because he couldn’t keep his mind on tobacco. It was the one time in his life that Lee Barnhardt was thoroughly mad. Just now he hated everybody, and everything— especially Tex Alden. And while his anger was at fever-heat, Scotty Olson, the sheriff, walked into the office. ““How’s yore jaw?” asked the sheriff. ‘“‘None of your —— business!” The exclamation seemed to hurt Lee’s jaw, and he clapped a hand to the side of his face, shutting one eye tightly. “T reckon it’s all well,” said the sheriff sarcastically. “Tex hit yuh a dinger of a punch, didn’t he. I never did see a feller flatten out prettier than youdid. My—, you was jist about as animated as a scare- crow, after yuh pull the braces out of it! I asked Tex a while ago why he hit yuh, and he said for me to ask you.” ‘“‘And you came to ask me, did you?” Barnhardt was almost crying with anger. ‘You haven’t a brain in your head.” “T thought there was a reason,” said the sheriff mildly. ‘Of course, if he was jist doin’ it for fun—” “Fun, eh?’ gritted Barnhardt. “T’ll make him think it was fun. He owes the X Bar 6 eight thousand dollars, and he’ll pay it, or go to jail for embezzlement. I'll show him! And for your own informa- tion, I'll tell you that Tex knew the money for the Santa Rita was coming in on that train.” “How did he know that, Lee?” “By ——,, I told him it was!” “How did you know?” “T guessed it.” The sheriff sat down and studied the sit- uation, while the lawyer caressed his sore jaw and wondered if he was showing good judgment in telling all this about Tex. “And you think Tex held up that train, Lee?” “T didn’t say that, Scotty.” cComiclool (C@