Adventure Magazine Cover — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

166 Brick stopped in the middle of his sen- tence and his hand went slowly to his fore- head. He leaned forward in his saddle star- ing at the ground. Silent and Harp both leaned forward, seeking what Brick ap- peared to be watching, but there was noth- ing except bare, sandy ground. They ex- changed glances, and then Silent spoke softly: ‘“‘He’s thinkin’, Harp; he’s thinkin’. Give him air, cowboy.” Brick did not hear Silent. There was a deep crease between his half-shut blue eyes and his mouth was partly opened, as though panting from exertion. Suddenly he threw up his head and Jaughed aloud—a laugh of joy. His eyes flashed from Silent to Harp and he spurred his horse in a quick circle, headed down the hill. ““Come on!” he yelled. Smith!” Silent and Harp swung in behind: him, and the three horses pounded down the hill past the ranch and swept into the road toward town. Silent and Harp did not know what Brick meant, did not know what lay before them, but they were willing to follow Brick wherever he might lead. They rode straight down the main street of Marlin City to the sheriff’s office. The hitch-racks were filled with a motley collec- tion of saddle-horses and vehicles, but not a person was in sight. Marlin City did not have a court-house nor city hall, but held court in an old dance- hall above Wesson’s store. Brick knew - that this was where the crowd was congre- gated, making a big event of the coroner’s investigations. At the front of the sheriff’s office they dis- mounted. Marlin City was very quiet. Suddenly a door banged shut. The three men whirled quickly, but it was only Le Blanc closing the door of his shop. Le Blanc was dressed in his Sunday clothes and was smoking acigar. He smoked three cigars a year: one on Christmas, one on the Fourth of July and another on his birthday. This day was none of the three, which proved the importance of the event. He fastened the door and then stared across at the sheriff’s offiee, shading his eyes with his hand. He looked toward the front of the hall and then walked swiftly toward the office. The office door was unlocked—probably for the reason that Brick had forgotten to hand “T’ve got ack _ plenty cayuse—me. Adventure in his keys, and spring locks were still unknown in Marlin City. There was no one inside. Brick stepped in, while Silent and Harp leaned against the doorway and watched the street. Brick went swiftly along the walls, glanc- ing from face to face on the old reward posters. Many of them were torn; the faces obliterated. Suddenly Brick stopped and felt of a certain old poster, but it was pasted tight. He took out his knife and cut out the section of sagging paper. For a moment he studied the paper, and then put it in his pocket before coming to the door, where Le Blanc had joined Silent and Harp. “Hello, Le Blanc,’’ smiled Brick. The blacksmith slowly removed the cigar from between his bearded lips. “H’lo, Breek. Me, I t’ink you be ’fraid for scare to come here today.”’ Brick laughed. | ‘‘As bad as that, Le Blanc?” “Ba gar, I’m t’ink she’s bad.” Le Blanc’s face was grave. “She’s —— bad, Breek, Everybody she’s say bad t’ing about you.” “Le Blanc, do you remember telling me about shoeing a horse in Dakota—putting on shoes without toe-calks?”’ Le Blanc stared at the ground, rolling the cigar between his fingers. He looked up and nodded. “Would you know that horse if you seen ite. Le Blanc scratched his head, while he studied the matter. “I’m don’ know, Breek. I’m_ shoe I’m be-lieve for sure dat she’s wan leetle brown mare. Mebbe two ‘year ol’ by dat time—four year’ ago. De leetle mare she’s keek! Ha, ha, ha!” : Brick untied the horseshoes from his saddle. “Come on,” he ordered, and the three , men followed him to the saloon hitch-rack. ie BRICK circled the horses to the fe far side of the rack, where he went +4 in between two of the animals, boosting one aside with a heave of his shoulder. He pointed to a brown mare, wearing a high-forked, beautifully stamped saddle. Le Blanc cocked his cigar at an angle and walked around the mare. He examined GOMIGoOO S (©) iin