Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado » “T spoke too quick. I can see the man must have attacked you first. Of course we whites don’t make much fuss over a dead Indian anyway. But to pop them off without cause is bad policy. It might mean their wiping: out the settlement. Some one has to pay some time.” “He tried to get me and I got him, red hound,” gritted Oakes, removing hand from his gun. Kitts picked up the arrow and after the first glance handled it gingerly. The head formed from quartz interested him for sev- eral moments. Oakes was watching him, his eyes closed to mere slits. He noted the extreme cauiton with which Kitts held the reed shaft. With an uneasy laugh the gambler remarked— “One would think there was some poison on the thing the way you hold it.” “T think there is,” slowlyganswered Kitts, letting the arrow fall to the ground. “I saw him just as you called,to him to bring the wood. He was stabbing something on the ground. I thought he was killing some- thing. They usually use a piece of meat that’s been poisoned by a rattlesnake’s bite. “T think he got you, Oakes. Even now he may be waiting for you to overtake him. Does your arm feel queer? Looks like it was swelling a bit.” CALIFORNIA JOE and Reason CE . | the his could hear the two men talking as they crept up to the stone wall. Then a revolver-shot brought them to their | feet and sent them running through the opening, their guns raised. They came to a plunging halt as they be- held the gambler on the ground and Kitts standing over him. “Thought ye planned to take him alive?” angrily cried Joe. “We was goin’ to make him tell where th’ gal is,”’ rebuked Reason. “Bless you, friends, I didn’t kill him. I wouldn’t be idiot enough to do that so long as the .girl is missing,” defended Kitts. “My guns haven’t been out of my belt.” “Then he killed hisself!”” gasped Joe. “Helped by the Indian,” corrected Kitts, pointing to the red man. “Seems the In- dian recovered his memory after Oakes creased his head with a bullet a few days ago. Seems he had a grudge against Oakes——” = OI “Oakes an’ his gang wiped out th’ red’s whole fambly to git some gold dust,” in- terrupted Joe. “and he shot him with a poisoned ar- row. ‘The second Oakes knew he was poi- soned he yanked out his gun and before I could stop him he shot himself.” “We-saw that redskin makin’ th’ poison,” Reason informed Kitts with a shiver. “We didn’t guess who he meant it for. “Some folks say th’ snake ain’t big medi- cine. Even th’ Kiowas don’t believe in it. But what other critter is there that can spit death?” Kitts remained staring down on the dead gambler. The right arm was slightly swol- len, showing the rapid effect of the venom. The right hand still clutched the Crimea revolver. “The Indian has spoiled our plans,” Kitts regretted. “I’d expected to take Oakes alive and make him tell where we could find the girl. I was even ready to turn him loose if she was returned to us. But now he’s gone, and the girl’s gone, and we're up a stump.” Joe would not agree with the last, his natural optimism finding a hole through the darkest clouds. ‘“‘There’s some o’ th’ gang left,” he re- minded Kitts. ‘They know where th’ gal is. Prob’ly some o’ them is standin’ guard over her. I'll start at once for th’ Platte River Cafion. Tommy can strike for th’ Clear Crick Cafion. We’re bound to find her. What’s yer snake medicine say, Tommy?” Reason sighed dolefully and replied: “Th’ snake medicine ain’t workin’ very strong. Reckon that dead Injun’s snake medicine was stronger’n mine. Then ag’in it didn’t help my medicine any to have that ’Rapaho squaw go heavin’ it round. But I’m off for Clear Crick. Where’s th’ men?” Kitts ran to the wall, jumped up on it and examined the country toward Denver. He waved his hat and motioned with his arm for some one to make haste. Turning to the trappers, he announced: “They’re coming. Durgin lost no time.” The trappers ran through the opening and in a few moments beheld a party of horsemen advancing. Following Kitts, they recovered their horses and were ready to ride when the posse rode up. California Joe spoke first, saying: “For my work I only want a few men. CORICGLOO© S (C@