Adventure, February 1917 — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

Strict Justice, and Cheap position all was peaceful and devoid of any threat. With a deep breath he threw off the folds of the blanket and rose to his feet. In a low tone he called to the others and they stirred instantly in their blankets. “Come on, fellers. Let’s git a bite to eat and make our whack. Then we can git out independent.” Lifting his blanket, the leader strode out into the open glade and spread it smoothly on the dirt. The entire open space was scarcely larger than a city lawn and the trees stood about it thickly. There was no underbrush and they could see far out across the gentle slope, through the more scatter- ing growth that surrounded this central cluster. Carrying their blankets under their arms, the other three came forward to where the leader stood. Sitting down so as to form a square, the four dug into coat-pockets and brought out fragments of meat and bread which they wolfed down in haste, their eyes constantly searching-the landscape, each in his own segment. When they had eaten, the leader rolled . to his knees at the edge of the blanket and began to disgorge the contents of a leather bag that hung under his left arm. When it was empty he dug into his pockets and brought out several packets of bills which he added to the pile. Then he began to deal into four piles, as he would deal cards. Twice, while dealing, he stopped to listen and look all around, but nothing disturbed the deal. At last-he sat back on his heels and snapped a gold-piece into the air. As it fell in the center of the blanket he spoke. “There it is, fellers. Six thousand, two hundred fifty-apiece an’ the odd ten to match fer. Every man take his whack an’ light out, all separate. Take any piles you please an’ I’ll take the last one. They’re all exactly alike.” | Just as the Mexican with the puckered nose reached for the pile nearest him, a voice called sharply, albeit, somewhat weakly: . “Don’t touch it, Felipe. I take the pot.” EVERY -man of the four reached for his six-gun at the first word. ; Only fifty feet from the spread blan- ket lay an old fallen tree, its broken stubs of branches sticking up like shriveled arms. BG A tangle of fragments lay helter-skelter across the fork of the trunk where one twist- ed, gnarly section lifted its splintered end waist high. _ From this tangle, this little, insignificant shelter, which they had all overlooked as being too near to harbor danger, as well as too inadequate, there now burst a pale flame of gas and the Mexican doubled forward with a grunt, his gun sending a bulletinto that upreaching, splintery arm as he fell. Two other guns barked twice and the third three times. The dead bark flew in showers and splinters ripped off the dry wood. The answers to the popping revolv- ers came as fast as a steady, well-drilled forefinger could squeeze the trigger of the automatic rifle that thrust its muzzle from the dead branches, A last shot from one of the revolvers glanced through a section of the wood and cut across the chin that hugged close to the rifle-butt. — The shock threw the head back and the muzzle of the rifle rose till it pointed far above the last man of the quartet. With a quick spring he was on his feet and flying toward his horse. Before the attacker could shake the dizzy sparks out of his eyes and throw his gun down to a level again, the bandit had cut the tie-rope, vaulted into the saddle and was riding furiously out of the grove, heading for the winding trail which passed a hundred yards to the left. With blood streaming from his slashed chin, the deputy, for it was Logan, stag- gered to his feet and begari to run, weakly, heavily, his face white and drawn looking, the blood streaking his breast and arms, but.determination setting grim lines in his face. He ran at right angles to the trail and very nearly in the opposite direction to the line of flight taken by the fugitive. Panting with weakness, his knees wab- bling under him, he struggled on, his in- domitable will alone holding him to his ef- fort. Breaking through a fringe of brush, he at last reeled out to a rocky shelf that jutted out of the mountain-wall. At one end the rocks came up to a jagged parapet about three and a half feet high. One of its convolutions received the pain-wracked — body, trembling with exhaustion, and the rifle rested between two knobs of hard rock, : The bandit had sought the trail at its nearest point and had gone recklessly down (EOLMMUCE CS: (E@) 0\(0)(6)