Adventure Magazine Cover — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

~ opening your lips. You'll tell me and I won’t do nothing but hold your hand gently, like this.” And as he spoke he took her limp hand and slid his grasp up along the wrist. *Much puzzled and a bit fearful, she stared at him, then threw back her head and laughed scornfully. “Are you crazy? Or.do you think you can read my thoughts? Or perhaps you’re one of those Salem witches?” “Some of my folks helped stop that cruel: business,” he~ simply replied. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think so. Now we'll begin. I’ll ask questions, but it ain’t necessary for you to bother with answering them. Just to hear myself talk, I guess.” “Vm glad you don’t expect me to talk,” she politely remarked. Y—@ HE SET the. candle to one side and , drew the girl back so she could not €x- tinguish it, and then began— “You hid the paper in the clothes, in some of the clothes.” He paused and as he had ex- pected her pulse continued beating smoothly. He laughed crvteuly and shifted his attack by sa eu dug a hole in the wall and put the paper in it.. Wrong? - I’m not surprized:” “What are you trying to do with me?” she 9 asked, her voice strained and worried. “T’m just waiting for you to tell me where the - _ paper is.” “You'll never know that from my lips.” “TI don’t expect to. But we’ll have patience,” he soothed. Then suddenly: “It’s under the fir beanie. No? 04 Wrong again of course. Now let’s see. “A small kettle on the fire. Not in that. Of course, it couldn’t be. You didn’t expect me to come. here and you haven’t hid it since you came here. “So you must have had it hidden when you come in. But not on, your person, else you wouldn’t be so keen to be searched at the fort. Yet you brought it with you, hid in its usual place. Ah! phat does tell on you! Getting warmer now.’ And without glancing at her he felt her pulse race madly for a part of a minute. Gradually it quieted down but did not quite return to normal. , Brought it with you in the place you’ve Been carrying it,” he repeated slowly. “I’ve thought of everything insthis hole and it ain’t in anything you found here: when you come in. Brought it with you, but not on your person. Brought it tucked in something you fetched in here. It can’t be in your ax or your knife.” ‘He waited and felt the telltale’ life-current surge and beat most madly. “But there is your gun!” he sharply com- pleted. » The Bushfighters press EO 49 With a shrill cry she endeavored to wrench her wrist loose. He held.her fast, saying: “T don’t want to hurt you, so don’t hurt yourself, But I must, have-that paper, child. You’ve done your best, but your blood can’t lie no matter how much you train your tongue.” “Let me go! Let me go!” she shrieked, kicking madly toward the fragment of candle. He held-her at arm’s length and stooped and . snatched up the gun and fired it againgt the wall. - She screamed in pain as he released his hold, not in physical pain, but in anguish that he should have discovered the prize. As he grabbed up the fragments of smoldering paper she ducked under his arm and kicked the dying candle from the bottle. The scream and the explosion of the gun had been heard by some one outside, for now both the girl and the ranger heard the sound of heavy pounding on the roof of the underground chamber, and loose dirt began falling into the fire. With a bourid the girl was under the_ blanket and swarming from the hole, ‘shrilly calling: “Help! Help!. Who will help a woman!” Stuffing the bits of paper inside his hunting- shirt, Putnam followed after her and gained the well just a$ strong hands lifted her over the ee “Tf you love me stop him!” he heard héf~ lead. ; With a bound Putnam leaped up and caught his hands on a beam and drew himself half out of the hole when a heavy body fell upon him and violent hands fumbled at his throat. Over and over they rolled, Putnam fighting for his life and taken at a disadvantage because his assailant had half a grip on his throat and seemed possessed of the devils’ own nimble- ness. At last Putnam got his knees’under him, violently bucked up his back, all but dislodging his antagonist, and succeeded in breaking the clutch at his throat. With a deep, bull-like roar he began a smashing offensive that carried his man backward. They were in the bottom of a trench and could see nothing. Each furious lunge invited impalement on some sharp stake. “Now, you frog-eater!” roared Putnam, se- curing both hands in a branny throat. my blood!” choked the other. “What?” yelled Putnam. “Ephraim Willis! You big fool!” “Tsrael Putnam!’’ choked Willis,. crawling blindly to his feet and caressing his throat. “In ’s name, what were you doing to that poor girl?” “Saving the little fool from the noose,” snapped Putnam. ‘What the do you mean by pitching into your officer, sir?” “T didn’t know it was you,” moaned Willis. .OO AMUCE S ) a