Adventure Magazine Cover — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

26 matter now in San Francisco. Suppose it happens. Then what?” “‘Gosh!”’ exploded Tennessee. “It’s up to you fellows,” asserted Tom. “If I win out everybody wins. If this claim is worked your claims become valu- able. There’ll be jobs open. Think it over.” They thought it over. An enormous red-headed, red-shirted _ hulk pushed through the others and leaned _ his unlovely face toward Tom’s. It was the secretary of the association. ‘“‘Wadda you want us to do?” “Nothing. Just keep the association going and’hold the claims.” “Allright. I’m with ye. T’ell with Jed Hill. The quicker we bust with him the better.”’ Tom hadn’t anticipated that. To havea crowd of ruffans fall on his neck and call him leader was beyond his wildest aspira- tions. “No,” he countermanded. ‘That’s not necessary. Just go about your business and give me a chance to work this out.” “You'd better work quick, then,” roared Big Red. ‘Jed Hill’s got too or’nary. We can’t stand him much longer.” “T’m working,” promised Tom. Satisfied that the men would not oppose him though somewhat dazed by their sud- den stampede in his favor, he started for town. Tennessee went with him for a short distance. “Make good,” pleaded the lanky sinner. “T want a job.” The spectacle of a professional hold-up man so reduced that he longed for decent work made Tom gulp. mIN TOWN Tom came across Mike, the prospector who had first mY suggested incorporating. Certain stock in the big mine had been apportioned to him from the shares of Tom and Pete. The old fellow was electrified. He made another strong ally. Tom then went to the county seat. He wanted to meet the sheriff. The young mine-owner had often won- dered why this official was not more active. When he spoke with the drawling, leather- faced old pioneer he found out. “T ain’t a regiment, and this yere county can’t support one. She’spoor. There’s no property except a few little ranches and Adventure some mines that ain’t workin’. Taxes is hard to scrape up. I’ve got two deputies and a lot of pris’ners. The pris’ners eat hearty. If I git more deputies or more pris’ners the county goes broke.”’ “Don’t you get a posse together some- times after a crime?” “Not often. Costs too much to feed ’em.”’ Tom began to understand much. He learned that the sheriff was still working on a crime six months old. The sheriff was forty-five cases in arrears, with more coming in daily. His job was hopeless. The sheriff made an offer to Tom during their talk. “Tf you or any other feller wants to wear a deputy’s star and won’t ask pay for it, it’s all right with me. The more men I get the quicker things’ll quiet down.” That was what Tom was preparing for. He made tentative arrangements for the future in case he had to fight for his mine. He wanted to be lawful rather than lawless. He was looking ahead. Tom returned to Escalante late in the evening, while jangling music was pouring from various dives. Tom gave attention to his horse and ambled into the big dance- hall. Jed Hill was standing at the bar. He spied Tom and beckoned him into the side- room. Hill was wrathful. “T hear you’ve been monkeyin’ with my men again.”’ ‘Yes? What have I done now?” “T dunno what you’ve done.” Tom smiled tiredly. “Well, then why look for trouble?” Hill’s eyes were steely. “Yeh? Mebbe you think it’s a joke. It ain’t. I thought mebbe you’d savvy things, but it seems you can’t learn. All right. Now I’ve got somethin’ to say to you.” “All right. What is it?” “You've got jest five days to leave town.” VI WS of the offer of Markum, the pro- moter, came to Tom at the post-office next day. Tom accepted quickly. He would have jumped at any legitimate proposition. His situation was becoming precarious. Hill’s ultimatum called for quick action. a had defied him. It was now a show- own. ( COmiclbook CO