Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

Solomon brothers from their range up in the Big Hatchets, Belding’s Bar B boys, the Circle K outfit, and countless others, all on hand to boost, bet, rope, or ride. Talk shifted from the buckaroo riding to the roping contest, only to come back to the most talked of event of the day—the two- mile Sweepstakes. The Don had arrived in town the night before, and, accompanied by his ever present henchman, the big half-breed Fron- teras, had made the round of the three saloons leaving ten thousand pesos with each proprietor, to be placed before noon the next day on the black stallion, El Diablo. J. B. had requested the Bar B and Circle kK to maintain strict silence upon the Horse Shoe’s changed entry, and had wrung the promise from both Belding and MacQueen that they would hold off on the betting till the Horse Shoe boys arrived in Gila. It was past twelve and they had not appeared. Sudden silence fell, occasioned by a stir at the door. A high-heeled dapper ‘figure stepped to where the proprietor lounged in easy conversation, and with a slight nod of the head and a sweep of the hand indicated his wish to have words with him. They talked for a few moments—the dark stranger with rising excitement. Then he spun on his heel and faced the crowded room. ‘Not tall, but boyishly slim and graceful, with the black hair and olive skin of the Spaniard, he was a striking figure. He was unarmed, but he beat his breast and rose upon his toes in defiance as he informed the assembled ranchmen that the greater part of thirty thousand pesos remained un- covered, and challenged them to back their favorites. 3 Not wholly bravado, but spurred on by avarice, the Don persisted in his efforts. Not a man accepted the challenge. Then it was that the Don cast prudence to the winds, whirled, and with great burnished silver spurs clinking with each angry stride, crossed the room, and spoke a few low quick words to ‘the proprietor who disappeared through the door behind the bar. In a moment he returned with a heavy canvas sack which he tossed upon the bar. The Don pounced upon it and held it high over his head. “Carambal thousand pesos! I hold in my hands ten Is there not one who 163 dares to bet upon the race?” He searched scornfully about the room. “TI will give the odds, if it is that you fear the risk. Three to two I will bet upon the great El] Diablo— Hear!—Hear! Three to two!” he cried as he shook the offered money before the eyes of the near-by men. But not one of them stepped forward to take him at his word. With an oath the man hurled the canvas sack to the tobacco-stained floor and shouted—‘‘Two to one on my EI Diablo! Two to one!’ Several of the men who had edged in close pushed forward and placed their money upon the bar—not over five hundred all told. The Don turned to the proprietor, tossed him the bag with the words that he would be in to take over the money if it wasn’t placed, he flung out of the saloon, mounted his horse on the run, and cantered away up the street. Ten minutes later there was a rumble of hooves and voices, as the Horse Shoe boys with old J. B. at their head, drew rein be- fore the Oasis, tossed reins over drooping heads, and trouped to the bar. Belding and MacQueen rose and strode over to meet them. They talked in low tones over a round of drinks. Then the three older men ac- companied the proprietor into the little room beyond and closed the door. A few moments later they reappeared, drank again, then casually moved toward the door, edged out, sauntered across the street and entered the Bucket-o’-Blood. Here they quietly covered the Don’s money, drank at the bar, stalked out of the door and over to the standing horses. - Then they swung into the saddle and moved off down the street at a trot in the direction of the Rio. | Arrived at Gila’s third saloon, the men dismounted, filed inside, drank to the after- noon’s success, and covered the Don’s re- maining ten thousand pesos—all at odds of two to one on El Diablo. YS THE rodeo was in full swing. ¥¢| Ranch folk from miles and miles around had turned out in their best, which meant their brightest, and vehicles of all kinds, horsemen, and _ pedestrians thronged the flat sand strip at the edge of town on which feats of daring were per- formed each year. Men and women were like children—all COMmGcdoo Cc SS C©