Adventure Magazine Cover — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

| 148 plunged back along the dark trail through the timber. A light shone in the open space as they approached the White clearing, and when they had reached the edge of the pines they discerned an illuminated lamp through the window of the White’s living-room. The district ranger dashed his horse across the clearing to the door, Randolph perforce following, tense with the expectation of a fusillade. a The superior sprang from his horse and revolver in hand flung open the heavy door. From his saddle Randolph caught a swift, familiar glimpse of the Whites’ living-room with the big table in the center surmounted by a green-shaded reading-lamp. About the table sat the White family. Elmer swung weakly to the ground. The Whites rose and came to the door. “He made a break for it half an-hour ago,’ the head of the house explained in answer to the district ranger’s question. “‘He’d never have got in, only he took me by: surprize. When he left he got away with one of my horses. I thought sure your ranger would nab him.” : The flood of light from the reading-lamp sweeping through the open doorway re- vealed the district ranger’s flushed _counte- nance. “The ranger came on into town after me,” he replied quietly; then after an awkward silence swung back to his saddle. Elmer stood by his animal watching the face of Florence White. She was regarding him from sad eyes that bore the same quality of pity as that which he had dis- cerned in the district ranger’s expression when he had made his report. Randolph winced. He knew with complete certainty that he could never again hope to make her believe that what almost every one else in the district was saying of him was untrue. He swung disconsolately to the saddle. White and the district ranger were con- versing in lowered tones. The girl emerged from the doorway and slowly approached. “T finished my course and graduated, Elmer,” she said by way of greeting. Randolph nodded. “T didn’t know you’d returned. Can I—may I call out some evening?” She regarded him a moment in silence; then shook her head. “T think not, Elmer. I—I’m afraid I’ve been wrong in my estimate of you. You quickly reread it. Adventure — see, when that man left the house dad ‘wanted to interfere, but I wouldn’t let him. I was sure you wanted no help. I—I guess other folks knew you better than I did, but I wouldn’t believe them—before. I’m sorry, Elmer!” The two Service men rode back to town in silence. Randolph went directly to his quarters; the district ranger lingered in the office to write a letter to headquarters re- questing Elmer’s transfer to another dis- trict. He mentioned no reasons for the request; he bore no animosity. The young fellow would probably prove up all right in a quieter, more established district. Two weeks later Elmer’s transfer came. The district ranger read the missive—and~ Then he began to laugh. For a quarter of an hour, at short intervals, laughter welled up in his throat. Elmer had been ordered to the wildest, most out- © law district in the department. The district ranger’s sense of humor was inordinately stimulated. After long reflec- tion he wrote a letter to an influential and gossipy acquaintance at Elmer’s new post. He laughed and smiled alternately as he penned the screed. He knew that the let- ter would be shown ail about. It should prove a rare joke. The new ranger, he explained in the let- ter, was a hard-bitten individual. He ad- vised any lawless elements operating coun- ter to the forest laws to mend their ways with dispatch. Ranger Elmer Randolph was decidedly a bad egg, a fighter before the hat had a chance to drop, a proper gunman, a sensa- tional go-getter. He couldn’t commence to count the notches on this remarkable young ranger’s gun. It was his earnest opinion that the famous Black Creek dis- trict was sure due for a gosh-awful clean-up! WHEN Ranger Elmer Randolph arrived at his new post he was more than a little disconcerted to find a welcome awaiting him. He discovered to his dismay that he was somehow a cele- brated character, distinctly a personage, quite somebody. He was justly bewildered at the awkward man-homage immediately lavished upon him by the sturdy denizens of the Black Creek country. At every hand; in strange contrast with the post he had just left, he found men eager to greet him. With veiled insistence — ¢€omicbook