Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

32 Steve leaped and dragged his captors with him, but the force of their combined bodies was too great. By this time the affair was attracting general attention. Folks were standing up and looking. Men crowded in to see what was going on. Wilcox arrived early. “What is this?” demanded the boss. “T can’t tell you!’ gasped Steve. He looked at Lopez with murderous eyes. ‘‘Come outside—Come out!’ “Do you insist?” asked Lopez. Steve launched a stream of insults which made even the swarthy face of Lopez flush. Lopez jerked his hands away from his friends. ‘All right! Come on! Come on!” “Stop!” commanded the boss. “Here, you men. Let go of Adams. What devil’s business is this? Steve, speak up!” “T can’t tell you.’ “You are going outside with these men?” “Ves, ) “Stop it. This is a trap!” “I’m going!” “T forbid it!” The flaming eyes of Steve Adams looked at his employer. ““Tll take your orders about anything clse, Mister Wilcox, but this here is per- sonal.”’ | The boss stared. Then he turned his back without argument.” It looked queer. Some of the men around Steve were sur- prized, but they soon forgot about it. Daphne elbowed through the crowd. She had heard that Steve Adams was in the mixup near the door. ‘What is it?” she asked, BraDDIne his arm. “‘Nothing.”’ She looked puzzled. ‘“‘There is something! I don’t know what it is, but don’t do it! Don’t do it!’ She clung to his arm and looked up at him. ‘“There’s something wrong, Stevie. What is 1t?”’ Steve turned away. “T’ll be back in a minute.” “No! Stevie!’ There was a mocking echo from Tonio Lopez. | “No, Stevie!” Steve’s muscles twitched, but there were too many persons between them. “Come on!” he choked. “Let’s start it!”’ The crowd surged to the porch, with Steve and Lopez near the center. They Adventure halted for parley just beyond the porch, with the strains of the Arkansaw Traveler coming through the lighted windows. “There is too much crowd here!’’ sug- gested Lopez. ‘Some one will be hurt! Here I have it! Come! Around the barn there a ditch, over by the alfalfa field. I go ahead. You come behind me. See? Yes! I turn when I reach the ditch. It is dark. The chances are even. Come!” Steve was seeing red. He forgot every- thing else. “All right! Lead on! where!” Lopez started walking away. The crowd spread on his flank, but away from any line of fire. It was a very mixed collection, mostly curious punchers who wanted to see the fight. They watched Lopez go without comment. Steve started forward also. “Come on!”’ taunted Lopez from the dark- ness ahead. “I’m coming!”’ promised Steve. ‘‘He’s losin’ his mind!’ bawled Tupper. “‘Dog-gone it, this don’t look right!” And Tupper followed along the flank of Steve Adams, unobserved. The boss had disappeared behind the house. With a jerk of his head he had summoned his men. The boss told a few men to lurk near Steve. drew aside. “Mount your horses and await orders.” ‘‘Hosses?”’ exclaimed one of them. “Horses!” The men didn’t like to be sidetracked. “Huh!” snorted one of them. ‘‘Lopez ain’t ridin’ tonight.” Il get you any- “Mount!” 3 THERE was a snap to the order. es The men sought their horses. The boss moved forward toward the ditch with his cigar glowing brightly. ““What is it?’? came Daphne’s worried voice alongside him. ‘Something awful is happening. What is it?” The boss rightly assumed that Steve’s girl had been involved in the case. Nothing else could make Steve lose his head. Wilcox now felt that she had been in it enough. “T don’t know yet. Stay here.” Shit “Stay here!” The girl halted and wondered. The boss went ahead and rounded the barn. cConmicloool Cc Five others he (C@