Adventure Magazine Cover — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

' The Heart of the Range Peaches was sadly superstitious. He looked at Racey, and theré was something much akin to wonder on his countenance. He shook his head and was silent a long thirty seconds. ‘“Yo’re too lucky for me—I quit,” he finished. “How much?” “Complete, I tell you. y don’t buck no such luck as yores no longer. I'll never have none myself if I dd. I’m goin’.” Peaches Austin got to his feet and walked across the street to the hotel. Twenty min- utes later Racey, sitting on the bench in front of the blacksmith shop, saw him issue from the hotel, carrying a saddle, packed saddle-bags and cantenas, blanket and bridle, and go to the hotel corral. = Within three minutes Peaches Austin rode out from behind the hotel. As he passed the blacksmith shop he said, ‘“‘So long” to Racey. “See yuh later,” nodded that serene young man. : “T hope not,” tossed back Peaches, and rode on down the trail that leads over In- dian Ridge to Marysville and the south. Racey watched him out of town. Then he went to Mike Flynn’s to see and, if it. were possible, cheer up his wounded friend, Swing Tunstall. But he was not allowed to see him. Swing, it appeared, had been given an opiate by Joy Blythe, who was acting as nurse, and she refused to awaken her Ans for anybody. So there. Racey went to the Happy Heart to orfiale the remainder of the hour set by Judge Dolan. The bartender greeted him re- spectfully and curiously. So did several other men he knew. For that respect and ‘that curiosity he understood the reason. It lay on a bunk in Nebraska Jones’ shack. No one asked him to drink. People are usually a little backward in social inter- course with a citizen who has just killed his fellow man. Of course in time the coolness would wear off. In this case the time would be short, Doc Coffin having been one of those that more or less encumber the face of the earth. But for the moment Racey felt his ostracism and resented it. He set down his drink half-drunk and walked out of the Happy Heart. fe “SEE anythin’ of Luke Tweezy late- se ¥ Bly?” asked Judge Dolan when Racey Mil was sitting across the table from him in the judg~’s office. _ “Saw him today.” 73 “Where?” . “Moccasin Spring.” Judge Dolan nodded and rasped a hand across his stubby chin. now,” said he. ‘T ain’t lost any Luke Tweezys,”’ served Racey, looking up at the ceiling. “I wonder how long Luke is figurin’ on stayin’ in town,” went on Judge Dolan, sticking like a stamp to his original subject. “Nothin’ to me.” “Tt might be. It might be. You never can tell about them things, Racey.” Racey Dawson’s eyes came down from the ceiling. He studied the judge’s face attentively. What was Dolan driving at? Racey had known the judge for several years and he was aware that the more in- direet the judge became in his discourse the more important the subject-matter was Itke- ly to be. - “No,” said Racey, willing to bite, never can tell.” “We was talkin’ one day about a feller makin’ mistakes.” The tangent was merely apparent. * “Yep, ” acquiesced Racey. ob- “vou “We was say- ‘in’ Luke Tweezy made a good many.” “Somethin’ like that, yeah. You run across any of Luke’s mistakes yet, Racey?” Racey shook his head. “No.” “Did.yuh go to Marysville?” “Why for Marysville?” “Luke Tweezy lives in Marysville.” “An’ yuh think there’s presse in Marysville would talk?” Judge Dolan looked pained. “I didn’t say so,” he was quick to remark. “T know you didn’ t, but “T don’t guess they’s many folks in Marysville know much about Luke—no, not many. Luke is careful an’ clever, clever. But they’s other things besides folks which might have useful information.” “eanr’: “Yeah. A gent, a lawyer anyway, keeps a lot of papers in his safe as a rule. Some- times them papers make a heap interestin’ readin’.” The judge paused and regarded Racey coolly. “They might prove- interestin’ readin’, that’s a fact,” drawled Racey. ‘Now I ain’t suggestin’ nothin’,” pursued Judge Dolan. “T couldn’t on account of my oath. But it ain’t so awtul far from Farewell to Marysville.” EOPNICLOOOL< “Luke is in town (e(o)