Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado Too many men are getting in each other’s way. We want fewer men—men we can depend on.” “We're waiting to start,’ said Joe. “Four or five men in each band is ’nough.” “‘Where’s Old Oakes?” asked Reason. ‘“‘Ain’t seen him for several days. Prob- ably at Hell-on-Wheels.”’ ‘We séen Half-Mask down Platte River Cafion way. Swapped lead with him an’ drew blood,” said Reason. “Pll be cussed!’ exclaimed Kitts. “Reckon I'd better let yougtwo do some talking and stop trying to say everything myself.” “Half-Mask has got white ha’r,” grimly added Joe. Kitts dropped his revolver and stared at the trappers with an air of amazement. “Good Heavens! You mean es “T mean we hanker to know where Old Oakes has been durin’ th’ last few days,” Joe quietly answered. ‘‘We don’t say he’s th’ only white-headed man round these parts, but he’s th’ only one we’ve seen. He’s a pizen pup, even if he does deal a square game. “When Half-Mask rode away from us he lost his hat. We seen his ha’r. White, like Oakes. I figger we three better light out for Hell-on-Wheels with orders for th’ rest o’ th’ boys to chase along after us. “After we’ve looked Oakes up at th’ wagons—if he’s there—Tom ’n’ me will take a few men an’ strike for Clear Crick Cafion an’ th’ cafion o’ th’ Platte. Them’s th’ two most likely places for Half-Mask to hide up in, or hide th’ gal in. “Durgin seems a cool-headed feller. Bet- ter have him come along.” “Tf there’s a chance of Oakes being our man we three may wind up this business: before the boys can overtake us,” said Kitts, belting on his weapons and shoulder- ing his saddle. ‘Ll get my horse and leave word for Durgin to pick a dozen good men and follow, us.” AFTER Kitts had talked with Durgin and rejoined the trappers on the western edge of the town Joe briefly narrated his and Reason’s experi- ences in the cafion and at the sacred spring. Kitts swore softly. “Anyway th’ fellers needn’t spend no more time huntin’ for Lucky Denham’s gold-mine,” said Joe. “I packed ’bout a 87 hundred an’ twenty ounces o’ dust in with me an’ threw it into one o’ Laramie’s wagons. Tommy an’ me want to give it to th’ gal when she gits married.” “You say he told you that the girl had been stolen? Did you recognize his voice?’ Kitts eagerly inquired. 3 “Voice sounded rough. Like a man that didn’t have much book-l’arnin’. Old Oakes is as full o’ tricks as th’ devil. He could change his voice as easy as he can change th’ cards after ye’ve cut ’em.”’ “Near as I can figger,’”’ spoke up Reason, “‘th’ gal must ’a’ reached th’ ’Rapaho vil- lage jest as Left Hand’s band was takin’ their path ag’in’ th’ Utes. Perhaps she hadn’t entered th’ village. If she had, she hadn’t gone by more’n a ledge or two. All th’ Injuns was bunched together on t’other side to see their men start off. “Half-Mask, or some of his men, was hidin’ in th’ sand-hills an’ seen her, an’ made a rush an’ picked her up an’ flung her across a pony. Then young Natchez comes along an’ gets rode down an’ knifed.”’ “That sounds like sense,” slowly agreed Kitts. “It was after sundown when Left Hand started. In the darkness it would be easy for a small band of horsemen to ride from the Indian village and not be noticed by the miners. They’d be mistaken for Arapahoes hurrying to overtake the war party. In fact, I’ll bet they followed close behind Left Hand. “But this is a puzzler: If the Mask had his gang with him I don’t understand how you fellows dodged them. Why didn’t they take a hand when you were chasing the Mask? They could have laid for you easy.” Joe combed his beard thoughtfully, then suggested: ‘“‘Reckon th’ Mask knew ’beut th’ spring an’ th’ gold dust, or had a netion ’bout it. ‘Reckon he hid th’ gal an’ then shook th’ gang an’ went alone to clean up.”’ “TI believe you’ve_hit it dead center. Now when we get near Hell-on-Wheels we'd better leave our horses and scout ahead on foot. If Oakes is there we must jump him, or he’ll take some of us along with him. If he’s the Mask we mustn’t give him any more show than as if he was a rattlesnake.”’ “Jump him but take him alive so’s we can find out where th’ gal is hid,” shrewdly warned Reason. “That’s th’ idee!” cried Joe. COMMCOOOLKS “Tommy, ” (C@)