Adventure Magazine Cover — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

28 “It is time you were going. You have two minutes to start.” A querulous voice arose from the side- lines. ‘“‘Gosh—the young feller’s crazy!” Tom did not move a muscle. He spoke again to Hill in that low, murmuring voice without changing a tone. . “My partner’s friends in San Francisco are backing us with a big mining-corpora- tion. They are coming down here to help set the country on its feet and they’l!l bring in new money and new men. You are playing a losing game, and— Up!” In Tom’s right hand was a six-shooter. HILL was too late. The slow, soothing voice had deadened his action. The younger man’s hand fa whipped downward like lightning. Tom had beaten an expert at the draw. Hill’s hands slowly elevated from his hips. His face expressed plain amazement. The unbelievable had happened. One of his friends moved alongside him, but some- body behind Tom brought down the barrel of a rifle. Every one stood motionless. The very air seemed electric. “Tt’s a trick,” roared Hill. me off my guard.”’ “Thadto. I’mnogunman.”’ “No? Well, you’d better be.” Tom stepped forward and stripped off Hill’s cartridge-belt with its pendant six- shooter. The big gambler’s eyes were pin- points. Tom felt for more weapons and found none. Then he stepped back. He knew that twoscore calculating men were watching him. He had won by aruse, but that proved nothing to this crowd. They had to be shown. Tom deliberately sheathed his gun, un- slung his cartridge-belt and tossed the whole business behind him. The startled crowd murmured. Here was something new. ‘“‘Time’s up,” announced Tom. “TI told you to get out of town. Now you'd better start.” “You caught Hill turned.to a couple of men alongside him. “Get him,”’ he commanded. Tennessee came up the porch with a pistol in his hand. “Fair play,” he bellowed. keep off.” On the road Big Red jerked the lever of “You fellers Adventure his Winchester. The metallic sound had a quieting effect. cided. Hill sneered. “You fellers are fine friends! I’ve got half a mind to go. Then what’ll happen to you, hay? If I ain’t here to feed you, half you —— fools’ll starve to death.”’ It was true enough to start a murmuring in the crowd; but no one cared to begin a battle. Tom reached out an arm and clutched Hill’s shoulder. “Take my advice. Start.” Again Hill’s ferocious eyes showed a sur- prized look. Then he leaped. He swunga vicious fist in a wide arc. He lashed out again. He meant to punish, smash, an- nihilate. Tom guarded and hit him straight be- tween the eyes. Amazement—sheer, blank amazement— _ was on Hill’s stupefied face as he staggered back against the doorway. His world was reeling. He had held sway over rough crowds of gamblers, robbers, cattle-rustlers and all-round bad-men; and now a young fellow from nowhere was calmly tipping him over! It was unbelievable! ‘“‘“Gimme a gun,” he gasped. ‘For ’s sake, gimme a gun.” “You'll get no gun.” Hill’s face contorted diabolically. “Tl kill you!” he snarled with an epithet. It was Tom’s turn for anger. He lashed out with all his strength. His right fist smashed into Hill’s face. The impact knocked the big gambler into the doorway again. “Then he recovered. Yelling like a wild- cat he rushed at Tom, flailing arms savagely. Tom sidestepped and struck again. He was the master at clean fighting, but he for- got something. The trained athlete ob- serves the rules instinctively. There were no rules here. | Cornered, stripped of weapons and power in front of the men he had ruled, Hill was dangerous as a tiger. He breathed like a man drunk. Drunk withrage. He rushed like a bull, hardly feeling the powerful blows that flailed upon him. Tom avoided him. He charged again savagely. | The other men had left the porch, some jumping. Again Hill charged like a mad bull. Tom avoided him and struck. Hill seemed to fall on Tom’s shoulder. A hand like a steel vise grasped Tom’s throat. He tried COmiclbook Hill’s men stood unde-- CO