Adventure Magazine Cover — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

164 none of my business, Brick, but I thought yuh ought to know.” “Much obliged, Barney,” said Brick. “Mighty good of you to tell me this.” “Not so danged good,” smiled Barney; “but I want you to get a square deal as far as I can help yuh.”’ Brick went to the stable and found Silent saddling both horses. “T don’t need to write a resignation, do I?” asked Silent. “TI just natcherally quit and that’s all there is to it. That was the worst job I ever had.” Lafe and Harp met them at the front of the office. “Will vuh do me a favor, Harp?”’ asked Brick. “Hope to die,” drawled Harp. ‘Stay here in town this evenin’ and find out what they’re aimin’ to do, will yuh?” ‘Be home by ten o’clock, bustin’ with news,’ nodded Harp, and turned his horse back to the hitch-rack across the street. Brick, Silent and Lafe rode out of Marlin City, heading into the sunset, silently, except for the soft thud thud of horses’ hoofs in the soft dust, the creak of leather, jingle of bit-chains. From the side of a little butte came the sharp bark of a prairie- dog. Overhead came the shirl of a bull-bat. A great owl flapped softly across the road in front of them; a flying ghost, headed for an indistinct cottonwood clump. “What did yuh do about them sheep?” asked Brick softly. Lafe jerked up his head as though Brick’s question had jarred him from sleep. “The sheep? Voorhies decided that we might be liable for damages if we destroyed "em. We argued it out, and finally agreed to have Barnhardt and Breamer take care of ’em until we can find the owner and make him take ’em away. They’re goin’ to hold "em on the Weepin’ Tree ranch. “Seldon tell ’em he’d allow sheep on the Weepin’ Tree?” “Uh-huh, kinda funny, Brick. Seldon and Voorhies both talks big against the sheep, but after they meets you today they kinda gets cold feet.”’ “It’s to be expected,” erinned Brick. “Who do yuh reckon they’ll appoint for sheriff ?”’ “Some friend of Voorhies, you can bet. on that,” replied Lafe. “‘Voorhies is gettin’ too much to say about things. Somebody will come along and cut Adventure his comb some of these days, and there won't be no mourners from the Nine Bar Nine.”’ ““He’s sold a lot of cattle lately,’’ observed Brick. “Mostly thi he’s got,” replied Lafe. ‘I dunno what he means by sellin’ out so short. Maybe he’s goin’ to sell out.” Brick grinned and shook his head. ‘“He’d better hurry, Lafe, ’cause there’s a big dust-storm gatherin’.”’ Lafe looked curiously at Brick, but asked no questions. IT WAS a few minutes after ten o’clock when Harp rode in. Brick, Lafe and Silent were sitting on the ranch-house steps, and Harp delivered his news before stabling his horse. ‘“Voorhies got hold of Steve McLean and Sam Boyle, two of the commissioners, and they accepted your resignation, Brick. Then they proceeds to appoint Pete Kane sheriff. They’re goin’ to hold a coroner’s inquest tomorrow, and they’ve got it framed to swear out a warrant for you as soon as the jury brings in a verdict. Voorhies said there was no use holdin’ them sheep-herders so Kane turned ’em loose.’’ Lafe grunted his disgust, but Brick made no comments. “Sun-Dog County’s goin’ to the dose” complained Lafe. ‘I’m goin’ to oil up my old six-gun, y’ betcha. I ain’t acted foolish for a long time—years. Are yuh goin’ to fade out of the country, Brick?” Brick got to his feet and leaned against one of the porch posts. A big, pale moon was Just peeping over the mesquite-covered hills, casting a soft blue mist over the ugly corrals and low, mud-covered barns, and making them things of beauty. From the corral came the low bawling of a calf. Brick touched a match to his cigaret, and Lafe noticed that Brick was smiling. Brick snapped the match away and shook his head. ‘‘No-o-o, I don’t reckon I will, Lafe. Fact of the matter is, I reckon I’m goin’ to become prominent, like a boil on a pug nose. Any time I run—I’ll be the one behind.”’ CF THE next morning after breakfast, Brick, Silent and Harp saddled their “horses. Silent and Harp asked no questions as Brick tied the horseshoes to his saddle. Both of them had rifles in their saddle-boots and their belts showed no empty cartridge-loops. Lafe Freeman came a pe Conn Clooolkks (©) iin