Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado time. Sometimes he led his trailers far be- yond his cached gold, then slipped away from them. I believe, m’sieu, he planned to travel the last bit of his journey in the night when coming to town or making for his treasure. It was in the night that he was killed. “What fools they were to kill him! A pouch or two of dust when they might have had a mine!” “You and I think alike,” said Kitts. “The fellow was a physical wreck. He never did any real mining. What do you say if we pull in double harness and see if we can’t locate his hidden dust?” “Done!” cried Laramie. “I would say the same to Natchez, who loves and will marry my daughter when we get back to St. Joseph, but he is too hot in the head. I would owe M’sieu Joe and his good friend a share in the business, but they are here to- day and gone tomorrow, and gold does not tempt them. “You, M’sieu Kitts—if you will have the great politeness to permit me so to say—are a brain man. You think. You reason. “Tt happens that Pete La Blanche—Lara- mie Pete—was never the fool. I will not work at digging gold. Iama trader. But T will trade my time and strength in hunting for gold that some one else has dug and which no one owns. It is so between us.”’ Their hands met with a smack to cement the new partnership. This agreement tended to make them more confidential in their talk. Laramie Pete’s admissions were those of the born trader. There was but one thing he loved above the game of barter—his daughter. Kitts’ story was most prosaic, if not re- lieved by certain broad ambitions. Ohio born, he had wandered much without en- countering anything more interesting than. hard luck and occasional spurts of prosperity. But his soul possessed forces which in- clined men to listen to him, to serve him. He had proved it many times in the various mining-camps. Given a fortune, he would return to the States and become.a political power. As he confessed this much his head was held high and his eyes grew very mas- terful, as if he would stare Destiny out of countenance. “But yes. Why not? It would be ver’ simple for you, M’sieu Kitts,’ warmly agreed Laramie. ‘“‘But for me, La Blanche, the trader, give me more trains! Give me trading-stations! One near Fort Bridger for the Oregon and Mormon trade. One in the Carson Valley. Surely one where Bent’s old fort stood. Ah, such a spot is Bent’s old fort for trade if the cursed rail- roads but keep away! “My posts would grow into big depots. I would also have them on the Willamette, the Platte and the Missouri. So soon asa new trail was opened into the West—and more will be opened, for more gold will be found—imy stores would spring up there. I would kill out all competition.” “Lucky we don’t all want to do the same thing,” whimsically remarked Kitts. “Now we're coming to the wagons, and you better ride behind and let me do the talking.” Half a dozen prairie schooners, supple- mented with sections of rock walls, all ar- ranged in a circle, formed the little settle- ment known as. Hell-on-Wheels. Rocks were also piled about the wagons as high as their sides. The tops, weatherworn and much bedraggled, still served to keep out some of the storm. A portion of the inclo- sure had been roofed over with bark and brush. A narrow opening, facing the east, was the only point of ingress. ‘Toward this Kitts rode, but did not enter. Reining in his horse, he lustily called out: ; “Old Oakes! Come out here. calling.” Kitts is TWO men emerged from under the brush shelter. One of them was it J the gambler, the other being the Pit River Indian. Oakes clambered up the side of a stone wall between two wagons and made sure of Kitts’ identity, then hastened from the inclosure. He nodded to Kitts a surly greeting, flashed a glance at Laramie Pete, and waited to learn the meaning of the visit. Kitts began by saying— “California Joe and his friend are back in town.” Oakes’ eyes narrowed, and he laconically rephied— “T know it.” Kitts went on: “T’ve been talking with him. I’ve told him we won’t have any old quarrels settled in town. He has agreed to a truce while there. JI come to learn if you will smoke.” Oakes hesitated for a few seconds, then. crisply replied: COmicloool< 63, (C@