Adventure Magazine Cover — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

16 “Just grazed me, parson,” he said softly. “Hit me dead center with plain United States, will yuh?” “T do not understand you.”’ Skeeter reached out a hand to the minister. “Shake,” he grinned. ‘‘Sabe sign-talk?”’ ‘“Sign-talk? No, I—I-——- ‘“We’re kinda ace-deuce, I reckon, par- son. Your talk goes antegodlin’ to me and I reckon my wau-wau fogs your brain com- plete-like. Just what did you ask mes”’ ‘He wants to know what you do for a living,”’ explained Mary Leeds, smiling at Skeeter’s serious expression. ““Mee?” Skeeter debated for a moment. “T’m a horse-thief.” ‘“‘A horse-thief?”’ echoed Mary, while both of them stared blankly at Skeeter. ‘‘When there’s horses,” nodded Skeeter. ‘Feller can’t be too particular, yuh know. Might get into a goat country and starve to death.” “T can not believe that statement,’ de- clared Mary. “Yuh can’t?” Skeeter’s smile faded. “‘That’s the worst of it,” he wailed. ‘“‘If I lied you’d believe me, but when I tell the truth I’m called a liar.”’ ‘Surely you are not sincere,” said the minister. ‘No man will willingly admit a thing that would incriminate himself. It is ridiculous for you to assert to us that you follow such a sordid profession.” Skeeter got slowly to his feet and brushed some crumbs off his wrinkled shirt. “T reckon you two can ride my bronc to Sunbeam. He’s broke to pack double, but I dunno a thing about this hammer- headed ring-tail what belonged to Mears; so I’ll fork him myself.” 7 “I do not attempt to follow your dis- course,” stated the minister, “‘but I wish you would eliminate the profanity, especially in the presence of the lady.” “My !’ gasped Skeeter Bull, and turned to Mary. ‘‘Ma’am, I spent six weeks in a Cree Indian lodge. Had a busted leg, and the sheriff was ridin’ sign on me. It was natcheral that I hankered for infor- mation, but the old war-whoop didn’t sabe English and I didn’t sabe Cree; so we argued to beat —— for six weeks and parted friends, ’cause neither one of us knowed what the other one meant. I’m kinda be- tween, ‘I reckon. A wise man uses words which I don’t sabe, and a —— fool talks stuff that there ain’t no sense to.” Adventure “Please do not swear so much,” begged the minister. ‘““Swear—so—much?” Skeeter Bill was amazed. ‘Why, parson, I ain’t swore once.” “T do not wish to appear critical,” stated the minister, “but your adjectives are a— uh—trifle—uh as Skeeter Bill scratched his chin and studied the old minister, who was trying to grasp the proper word to convey the exact meaning. Mary Leeds turned away to hide a smile. Skeeter broke the silence. “We'll let her go as she lays, parson. There’s peace between us now, but I’ll send you a red belt as sure as , if yuh don’t quit talkin’ thataway. Let’s hit the trail. I want to get home before the judge gets so drunk I can’t rope him to a saddle.”’ VI 2) | JUDGE TAREYTON awoke from a> 4 his debauch. To him there was no birds SA “morning after’”’ because of the fact that his drunks corresponded to the average man’s daily doings. The jug was empty, which also corresponded to the empty cup- board to the average man. The judge did not hunger, but he thirsted a-plenty. As he placed the jug back on the chair, some one rapped loudly on the door. To have said, ‘‘Come in’ would have been a very great effort for the judge’s dr throat; so he got shakily out of bed ma answered the knock in person. It was a miner, bearded to the eyes and with the muck of the creek upon him. The judge shoved his frowsy face thorugh the door and waited for the other to speak. “Feller named Sarg live here?”’ The judge took this under advisement, but finally admitted it with a curt nod. “Here now?” asked the miner. The judge considered this question, but gave a negative shake of his head. The man turned as if to leave, when the judge decided to take a chance on his vocal cords. “What did you require of him?” The man stopped and looked at the judge, as though undecided whether to disclose his mission or not. He stepped in closer and in a confidential tone inquired: “Do yuh know if he heard about the vigilance committee or not?” Judge Tareyton’s face twitched, but he cleared his aching throat and shook his head. Go 1IOO S C@