Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

Ethics Y around a bit of mesquite that had quite hidden us. The distance was hardly more than ten yards. He faced about quickly, and my heart jumped. Bronzed, hardened, with lines of dissipation in his face, and with whitened hair, it was Ed Moore. “So,” said Altgelt, and he smiled, “‘we meet after a long time. It is twenty years since Caracas, and eighteen since—other things. And now, it seems, you are an invader.” His voice was jeering, but he was stand- ing as motionless as a cat just before the spring, his eyes on Moore’s eyes, his body a trifle bent from the waist, his right arm hanging loosely, with the back of the hand to the front, and the fingers spread out for the clutch. Moore had instantly dropped into a po- sition not unlike that of Fritz. It was the pose of the gunman before the draw. “Those hombres,” the Englishman said, ‘“‘came to me in Reynosa last night and told me there was an officer here who wanted me to come across and get orders. They said his name was Castanola.”’ “So you came across, armed, to invade the country of a friendly nation,” mocked Altgelt. “You are one of the soldiers who fight under the Plan of San Diego.” “Am I fool enough to take any stock in that nonsense?” : “Ts the evidence not perfect? Mexicans —with some foreign renegades—are invad- ing. You are of a band. Your companions have run away. You are attempting to es- cape when you are killed. When you are killed, you understand—by me!” he re- peated croakingly. Te WE CAME upon him noiselessly 179 “Ts this a plant?” demanded Moore. “Of course it is a plant,” replied Fritz. “T hired those hombres. I sent you that mes- sage. I am Captain Castanola, as much as there is any such man. Also I am a law officer, and I shall kill you as you try to escape.” “You’re going to—murder me?” “Murder? No. I have not drawn any weapon. You are a good shot, and quick on the draw. Gotoit! Iam waiting.” Moore’s eyes flinched. The yellow will show. And there is no reason to believe he had ever heard of Altgelt’s ability at gun- play. He was much the superior at that in the old days, you know. ‘“‘Are you afraid?” taunted Fritz. “You are a traitor! You are a dirty thief of wom- en! You are a coward!” And then, as he paused, and still Moore’s fingers did not clutch, he slowly hissed the last fighting epithet of the white world. And Moore snapped his hand to his gun. Altgelt flipped his wrist and fired, as Moore’s pistol was raising its barrel from the holster, and Moore’s bullet tore up the ground at his feet. The Englishman pitched forward without a groan. | ‘“‘And the report to the Governor,” said Fritz, as he looked up from the body, “‘will be that a band of invaders attempted to cross into Hidalgo County, and that an un- known man among them was killed while trying to escape. Legally killed. Killed by an officer of the law, duly provided with a commission to do it. Executed! Exe- cuted—for all his crimes, old and new.” He laughed like a boy. | “Gottl”’ he cried. ‘How glorious it feels to have a clear conscience at last, after all these years!” j ADVENTURING by MARY CAROLYN DAVIES BEVERY man adventuring, o’er the earth we go, Adventuring, adventuring, in paths we do not know. Trails cross, and trails are lost, and trails are cut anew; Ere you take your way again, pal, here’s luck to you! comichook a METI? NPRM etl) we) J - - yA : - > er tet Oe tee Pad Beef : i OY IIT can i ELD Se eae oa ee S| ore?