Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

132 “You better go around to the back door, Ike,” whispers Magpie. “Speak up loud!” says I. “What you trying to do, sneak up on her? Why should I go to the back door, Magpie? We don’t want to catch her, do we?” “Three minutes gone,” drones Wick. Magpie turns to the crowd and takes off his hat. “Feller citizens, I regret I have only one tiger to die for.’’ Then he opens the door. We walks in like Daniel into the lions’ den or Joner into the whale. The bronc is plain and visible, standing between: the pool table and the wall, with the reins looped around its feet. The card-tables are upset and the place shows that there has been a certain amount of action. — Sudden-like, up behind the top of an unset table come the head of Buck Mas- terson. He squints at us and his Adam’s apple bobs up and down like it was prac- tising to hop out the first time he opens his mouth. “Howdy, Buck,” says Magpie. each little thing with you?” “Tut-tolable,” says he hoarse-like. “Just barely so, so.” “Where’s the tiger ?” I asks and Buck’s eyes get round as nickels. He’s so scared he can’t speak for a minute; then he whispers: “Uh-under me! I can’t let loose!” “Still alive?” asks Magpie. “I—I don’t know. It ain’t moved for a minute. My ha-hands are paralyzed “from squeezing the blasted thing!” “Get up easy-like,” “and then jump back.” “TT may do it,” whispers Buck. He takes a breath, eases his feet under him and then jumps high and handsome. He falls over a chair, bumps his head against the bar and collapses on the rail. “My !’ he wails. “That was a close ehavel : Then up comes a tangle of green cloth off the card-table, mixed with a striped blanket. It rises to the height of a man and instead of the roar of a man-eating tiger comes these words— “Let us all arise and sing hymn num- ber sixty-seven.” The cloth falls away. He stands there, hands folded, and on his face is the look of a man who has made his peace and don’t care what happens. ““How’s Sas Pe St a age Re Seg tees Ag eee nS advises Magpie, Adventure Buck gets to his feet and weaves for- ward. “Tut-testament,” he quavers. “I-I’m sorry I ch-choked you.” “Take a front seat, brother,” says Tes- tament. “All sinners are welcome.” “Five minutes are up,” Smith’s voice. - “Go to thunder!” “Everybody’s all right. tiger in here.” I felt sorry for that poor bronc, so I goes over, untangles the reins from its feet and led it out of the door. The crowd splits to let us out and just as we gets out of the door somebody yells. I whirled and looked back. From the saddle-horn runs a rope back into the sa- loon and she sure is pulled tight. Some- body slaps the brone and Cleopatra came among us. I reckon she must ’a’ been behind the bar. She came out of the door, ducked behind the crowd like a flash and the next second about thirty citizens of Cowland are tangled with our tiger. yells Magpie. There ain’t no SLIPPED the rope off the horn and let nature take her course while I took mine—around back to the remnants of our circus. Bosco is there. Some of that gang must ’a’ lost a quart of hooch, ‘cause I finds Bosco trying.to reach a point where he can see snakes that he don’t have to eat. I takes it away from him and charms a few for myself. There’s a lot of noise around on the street but I ain’t curious. Alcibiades stands there like a rubber statue. He sure was about the laziest elephant on earth. Then cometh more noise and here comes the mob, Magpie in the lead, and around his neck is a rop -I starts to explain things to ’em and I’ got a rope too. Bosco tried to hide but they roped him from several directions to once. “Rope the elephant and you'll have the whole works,” says I “What will we do with ‘em ?” asks Yuma. “There ain’t no trees.” “Tt ain’t exactly a hanging matter,” states the judge and I could love him for them words. “They ought to be in jail —hblast ’em! If Scenery only had some way to get out and “He will,’ states “Ornery” Olsen. GEomichooks states Wick . (E(0) im , —a + " = SS Pe So =O = pg ree Re as Sk ne he o ~-,_hn a =i See a “ ail =a tN « 23 = SA he oa Wages gap Pek oes a ee al atin, Bs pas een, | Ee A 8