Adventure Magazine Cover — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

A Pot of Gold “Ladies and gents, I'll give my word that when Ike’s critter got into, the ring that big Dane—the dog that licked a fightin’ wildcat—jest: tucked his tail down and shivered and whined to gohome. That big first-class dog had struck somethin’ that no sane critter ever wants to run up against.”’ Pete stopped, looking at ae Helen voiced her curiosity. “What sort of an animal was it?”’ “A skunk.” Pete felt that the point needed elabora- ation. “The less you go near a skunk the hap- pier you'll feel. That sort of critter ain’t respectable. If a skunk gits into your house you've got to move out. If one of ’em gits into your mine you’ve got to git out. You just can’t et with ’em.’ <— THERE was a long and thoughtful i silence. It grew intense, even fa.i strained. Finally Helen’s mother arose. “If you'll pardon me, I think I’ll retire,”’ she said sweetly. The party broke up. Later Jed Hill strolled into the store, where Pete and Tom were spreading blank- ets behind the pine-board counter. “That was some story you told,’ ob- served Hill. “Who was you aimin’ at?” Pete looked dour. “Got a bad conscience? If the shoe fits, wear it.” “Veh? Suppose it don’t fit?’ “Suit yourself.” Hill looked from Pete to Tom and back again while the lights and shadows from a ° small kerosene lamp played on his deep- lined face and made it look diabolical. “I’m liable to suit myself. You two fellers seem.to want to tangle with me. I~ thought we could work together, but it looks like we can’t. Mebbe pretty soon we'll have a showdown.”’ Tom broke in, speaking quietly. ‘“‘We had one. Must we have another?” Wentworth ambled in during the silence. “It’s a beautiful night,” he observed: “Wonderful! I never knew a full moon could be so bright. This desert air. mag- nifies things. It’s marvelous.” Nobody spoke very quickly; but the financier’s arrival took the electricity out of the air and made the other three relax. AI There was desultory conversation, after which Hill left, though not without an ominous glance. There was another long silence while the aroma of Wentworth’s excellent cigar per- colated through the little store-tent and vied with the odors of coffee, cheese and new overalls, The financier brushed the top of a cracker-box and seated himself. ' “T had a long talk with Markum. He refuses to budge an inch. He insists that he bought your mine for five hundred dollars.”’ ‘‘He’s a liar!’ roared Pete. “Perhaps; but that might be hard to prove. At any rate I’m convinced that Markum’s rather an unreliable character. That leaves me only two courses to choose from. I must either force Markum out of the company or get out myself.” “Which will it be?” asked Tom. “T can’t tell yet. I think I’ll probably get out.” Tom felt like a general whose last ram- parts are crumbling. The mine would merely be the plaything of a crook. “T’m sorry about this thing,” continued Wentworth, “but——~” A woman’s scream came from the tents down the cafion. It was an ear-piercing shriek that made the men’s hair tingle. Lom, Pete and Wentworth leaped for the door. Another scream came, louder than the first. The moonlight disclosed two dark prowlers dodging into the shadows behind the foremost of the new guest-tents, where excited cries pierced the air. The three men scrambled out of the store and rushed across the intervening space. A fourth figure also darted toward the tent. He tore down the hill. He arrived first and bawled something intended to be soothing. The hysterical voice of Helen’s mother came from inside. “Two men! They came in! they? Who were they?” Tom, Pete and Wentworth heard it as they drew near. Tom took the lead. “T feared something like this,” he mut- tered. The fourth man turned the corner of the foremost tent and dodged into black ter- ritory where the moonlight could not reach. A line of flame burst from the shadows. A vicious report roared. It echoed down the cafion like thunder. Where are Comicbook C©