Adventure Magazine Cover, May 15, 1927 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

134 O’Steen was shot, and the rustlers can’t move cattle much after dark.” They turned and rode back to the ranch. N THE meantime Nelson lost no time in driving his Jaded horses to ‘Toma- hawk town. It was dark when he arrived, and he went straight to Reber’s house, where he found Reber with the old doctor. Nelson blurted out his story as quickly as possible. He helped the doctor carry Herd’s body into the house, and the doc- tor found that Herd had been killed almost instantly. Reber, still weak from his wound, sat down in a chair and swore impotently. “Just for that Pll wipe Buck Priest and Jack Silver off the map,” he declared bitterly. “You say you met Priest and his men? They circled back to see if you got help at the Half-Wheel. Oh, I know Buck Priest!” “Only one of em looked im at the body,” said Nelson. “They knew it was there. Oh, I'll make Priest pay. It was either Priest or Silver—perhaps both. They work to- gether. Nelson, go to the Tomahawk and see if any of my men are in from the ranches. Bring them here to me. Wait! Send them here. You get a horse and ride for the Half-Wheel. Don’t spare the horse. Tell Slim Patterson what hap- pened. Then you go to the Circle S and tell Jim Carlin to bring his outfit to the Half-Wheel and to send a man to the Lightnin’ for Jackson and his crew. We’ll all meet at the Half-Wheel.” Nelson ran from the house, and the old doctor turned to Reber. “You'll not ride tonight,” he said firmly. “You try to stop me, Doc.” ‘“Hm-m-m-m! Yovu’re a fool, Park. That wound isn’t healed up. You'll wreck your health, I tell you.” “Bah! Wreck my health! [’m goin’ out to find that girl and to whip all this scum out of the valley. Ive stood all Ill ever stand from Priest and Silver.” “It was a foolish thing, that sending W. C. TUTTLE of a woman,” said the old doctor. He had known Park Reber for years, and felt privileged to speak his mind. *“Mebbe,”’ said Reber shortly. “Mebbe not. She’ssmart, Doc. I wish she was my daughter. If things had turned out differ- ent I might have had a girl or a boy of about her age.” “Yes, that’s true.” “And she spoiled Buck Priest’s shot,” said Reber. “He’s got no love for her. I wonder where these men would take her? Not to any known place, that’s a cinch. She’s their ace in the hole. Id like to get my two hands around Buck Priest’s throat and choke the truth from him. Oh, he hates me, Doc! “When he looks at me with his lop-sided grin, I feel that he’s gloating over some- thin’.”’ “Be calm,” advised the doctor. “You’ll work yourself into a fever. Did any doctor ever have such a patient to con- tend with? That meeting almost ruined everything; and now you insist on getting excited and riding helter-skelter over the hills in the dark! I ought to tie you down.” “Here come some of my men,” said Reber. “Now you keep your tongue out of it, Doc. I’m goin’, if I have to go on a stretcher.” T WAS almost dark when Jack Silver led the way to the Two Bar X. There were no lights in the ranch-house. June dismounted and forced Jack to knock on the door. But there was no answer to his knock. The door was unlocked. With- out any orders from June, Jack lighted the big lamp in the main room. “Where is everybody?” wondered June. “Is this the Two Bar X?” “It’s the Two Bar X all right,” said Jack. His heels were sore from the long walk in high-heeled boots and he limped pain- fully. June pointed at a door across the room. “Open that,” she ordered. Jack limped over and opened it. cCoOmiclboolk CO