Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

138 Dolan’s hair was plastered well down over his ears and forehead. Dolan was pale yel- low of countenance and breathed strongly through his nose. He looked not a little sick. He pawed a way through the crowd and cast a bilious glance at Marie. He inquired of Jake Rule as to the trouble and its cause. On being told, he convened court on the spot. Judge Dolan agreed with Mike Flynn that the burning of the jail was a trivial matter requiring no official attention. For was not Dolan’s brother-in-law a carpenter ,who undoubt- edly would be given the contract for a new jail? Quite so. “You can’t prove nothin’ about this jail- _ burnin’,” he told Jake Rule andthe as- sembled multitude, “‘but this assault on Jack Harpe is a cat with another tail. It was a lawless act an’ hadn’t oughta have happened. Marie, yo’re a citizen of Fare- well, an’ you’d oughta take an interest in the community instead of surgin’ out an’ tryin’ to massacree a visitor in our midgt, a visitor who’s figurin’ on settlin’ here- abouts, I understand. ——— knows we need all the inhabitants we can get, an’ it’s just such tricks as yores, Marie, that discour- ages Immigration.” Here Judge Dolan frowned upon Marie and thumped the palm of his hand with a bony fist. Marie stood ‘first on one leg and then on the other and hung her head. Since her raving outburst at the time of her arrest she had cooled considerably. It was evident that she was now trying to make the best of a bad business. “Marie,” resumed Judge Dolan, and cleared his throat importantly, “why did you shoot at Mr. Jack Harpe?” “He insulted me,” Marie replied without a quiver. “T ain’t ever said a word to her,” coun- tered Jack Harpe. “I don’t even know the girl.” : The judge turned back to Marie: “Have you any witnesses to this insult?” he queried. ‘“Nary a Witness.” Marie shook her brown head. “Y’ oughta have a witness. It’s yore word against his. Where did this insult take place?” “At my shack. He come there early this mornin’.”’ “That’s a lie!” boomed Jack Harpe. “Which will be about all from you!” d Adventure snapped Judge Dolan, vigorously pounding his palm. “What did he say to you?” was the judge’s next question. “T’d rather not say,” hedged Marie. “Well, of course, you don’t have to an- swer,” said the judge gallantly. “But alla same, Marie, you hadn’t oughta used a gun on him. It—it ain’t ladylike. Nawsir. Don’t you do it, again or Ill send you to Piegan City. Ten dollars or ten days.” “What?” Thus Jack Harpe, astonished beyond measure. “Ten dollars or ten days,’ repeated Judge Dolan. ‘Takin’ a shot at you is worth ten dollars but no more. It don’t make no dif- ference whether yuh come here to invest money or not, you wanna go slow round the women,” “But I didn’t even say howdy to her,” protested Jack Harpe “She says different. alone.” Public opinion, which at first had rather favored Jack Harpe, now drowned upon him. He shouldn’t have insulted the girl. No, sir, he had no business doing that. Be a good thing if he was arrested for it pés- haps. What a virtuous thing is public opinion. : “T ain’t got a nickel, judge,” said Marie. “You'll have to trust me for it till the end of the week.” “T’ll pay her fine,’ nipped in Racey, glad of an opportunity to annoy Jack Harpe. “Here y’ are, judge. Ten dollars you said.”’ eaten dinner that Racey Dawson presented himself at the door ‘of Kansas Casey’s shack. The door was open. Racey stood in the doorway and leaned the shovel against the wall of the room. “Vou forgot yore shovel, Kansas,”’ he said gently, “or Jack Harpe did. Same thing, an*> here it 1s.”-— Kansas had the grace to look a trifle shamefaced. “Somebody said you’d done buried that knife—”’ he began, and stopped. “Vep, I* know—Jack Harpe,’ smiled Racey. ‘Li'l Brighteyes is shore a friend of mine. Only I wouldn’t bank too strong on what he says about me.” “ST ain’t,” denied the deputy. “Another thing, Kansas,” drawled Racey, “did yuh ever stop to think how come he You leave her IT WAS a few minutes after he had & COMICLOOoOkKSs (C@