Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

P Oe On nl oe - ve OP 8 a ag me aes tla <S 128 “Gents,”’ says Magpie, “meet Bosco, the wild man. Eats snakes.” ap | could love you, feller,’ says Ace- High, “love you for being flesh and blood. Danged if I didn’t think my sins had began to react upon me.’ “Feeling so good I ain’t got the heart to chide you,” says Tombstone, “but if I was you—well, this is a he-man’s town, Bosco, and all that, but we’ve still got some of the finer feelings left, so I’d advise you to get some pants.” — When Slow-Elk and Hip-Shot shows up again, Hip-Shot bows low to us. “Proceed with your circus,’ says he. “All is well and good.” “You saw Scenery?” asks Magpie joyful-like. “What'd he say?” “Not much,” grins Slow-Elk. “He said to hang on to them keys, ’cause there ain’t no more = "em, but he spoke too late.” “T throwed:’em down that hole where Wick Smith bored for water,” said Hip- Shot. “Keys to what?” I asks. * “Cell door and the jail,’ grins Slow- Elk. “Scenery is bottled up.” The old judge gets up and shakes out his coat-tails. “Do you mean to say that our esti- mable sheriff is locked in his own jail?” - “T pass on the ’steamable part, judge,” grins Slow-Elk, “but you sure guessed the last of it to a gnat’s eyelash. Let’s all have a drink on the sheriff’s impos- sibilities.” HEN we enters Buck’s place. The rest of the surrounding country is in there and they’re enjoying the fulness of the world. Wick Smith is standing on the bar orating, and we listens to his wau-wau. Wick has been dallying with the weaving water, and his voice is full of silv’ry bells: “And friends of old, I says to thee all, there may be cities of gold and silver and palaces of paradise personified, but when a feller hankers for a pat on the back and the grasp of a honest hand Wen Wick happens to glance down at Bosco and seems to run short on vocal power. He stares at Bosco for a moment, lets his glance wander to the ceiling, shuts his eyes tight and proceeds— Ye ee Fae a ee oe ee _ z vv. ‘ ‘ = a ral +. . 7 ~~ oo AT ee a ON eA see ae : 3 ~ a7. ie ae + * Adventure “As I said before, when a feller hankers for a hat on the back and the hasp of a—a * Then he glances down again. “Judge,” says he, sliding off the bar, “you talk a while. I—I reckon my in- nards are ailing, I reckon.” . He weaves out of the door with his eyes shut. Bosco looks around at that assemblage and then walks out the back door. Wild men has feelings: the same as regular folks, I reckon, but to everybody outside of about six of us Bosco is the limit in hooch hallucinations. “V’d—I’d set ’em up,” weak-like. ’ Six of us faced the barrier but the rest shook their heads. Dirty Shirt took his under advisement. He walked to the door, rung the bell: three times, and joined us. “It may get me e-ventually,” he an- says Buck nounces, “but I’m still firm in my left hand, folks.” -All to once Wick stumbles back inside and flops ina chair. | “Send for Doc Milliken!” he yells, “Ailin’, Wicksie?” asks the judge. “Terrible!” Wick looks around, wild- like. “Ain’t nebody going to send for a doctor ?” “Will a little liquor take out the hurt ?” asks Slow-Elk. “Liquor -! TI need a antydote! First I see a cannyball and then I see a danged woolly dog!” Wick’s voice hits a high note, and he stares at us wild-like. “He seen a dog!” gasps Dirty Shirt. “Wick Smith has seen a dog! My gosh, this is terrible!” “Woolly dog,’ says Wick, like he was talking to himself. “It had a stick in its hands and was walking like a man. When it seen me it hopped up in the air and turned over and lit on its hind feet and——”’ “Snakes!” gasps Yuma. got crippled crawlers!” “You’re a liar!” howls Wick. I know a dog from a snake?” “Grab him before he gets violent!” yells Big-Foot and makes a dive for Wick. Wick might have been sick in the head, but it hadn’t affected his legs. He beat Big-Foot to the door and neither “Smitty has “Don’t Eomiebooks ete The) A pio “ee Boe, (E@) % Ae ee | ae