Adventure Magazine Cover — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

The Spark of Skeeter Bill VII THE silver dollar worked wonders with Judge Tareyton. After the second drink he began to realize the seriousness of his position. Leeds’ warning, as told by Skeeter, came back to him. Ner- vously he ran the back of his hand across his lips and turned his head slowly, feeling that some one was watching him. Behind him, leaning against the edge of a table, stood Tug Leeds. They faced each other. The liquor had made the judge strangely cool, and his form straightened in dignity as he gazed upon the man who had ordered him out of the town. Then Tug Leeds spoke. “Still in town, eh?” “YT beg vour pa’don,” drawled the judge slowly, brushing an imaginary speck from the lapel of his frayed coat. ‘‘You spoke to. me, sir?” Tug Leeds walked slowly up to the judge, his heavy under-jaw shoved out, as if trying to intimidate the other with his physical appearance. He halted with his face within a foot of the judge’s face and stared into his eyes. “You know —— well I spoke to you!” snarled Tug. “I told Sarg I’d give yuh both five hours to git out of this country. I reckon he had brains enough to take my warnin’.”’ “You gave us five hours?’ queried the judge. “By gad, that was generous of you, sir—mighty generous. Not to be outdone in generosity, Skeeter Bill gave us five hours, and the least I could do would be to reciprocate, which gave us a grand total of fifteen hours. I am sure that Skeeter Bill will join me in thanking you kindly, sir.”’ For a moment Tug Leeds studied this reply. Tug was slow of understanding, but it suddenly dawned upon him that the judge was making a foo] of him and belittling his warning. Like a flash, Tug drew back his right hand and drove his fist into the judge’s face. The blow sent the judge staggering back, blinded by the impact. Leeds sprang into him, striking with both hands. The judge went to his knees, with both hands covering his face. Came the scrape of a boot across the threshold and a lithe, lanky figure flashed past the crouched figure of the old judge and faced Tug Leeds. Skeeter Bill’s face was 19 white with wrath. His eyes were mere, in- distinct slits under his eyebrows, and the big humorous mouth was as narrow and harsh as a pencil-mark. Tug Leeds’ hand dropped to his gun and he tried to move back, but Skeeter struck— struck as the panther strikes, and the blow, curving downward, struck Leeds on the chin. The force of the blow seemed to unhook Leeds’ under-jaw and paralyze his nerves. Swiftly Skeeter moved ahead half a step. A long, left arm uncoiled, with the weight of that long, muscular body behind it and the fist caught Leeds under that sagging chin. Came the snap of teeth, a short animal-like grunt, and Tug Leeds slumped in a heap— knocked cold. Quickly Skeeter Bill caught his balance and faced the room, a heavy Colt pistol tense at his hip. But the awed crowd made no move. Several of Leeds’ men were in the audience, but they remained unmoved. The judge got slowly to his feet, blood trick- ling from his battered face, and looked around. Tug Leeds did not move. The judge looked from Tug to Skeeter, and then stepped over beside Tug, where he appeared to examine the fallen man. “Skeeter Bill,” he said painfully, “I’m sorry you hit him so hard.” “You feelin’ sorry for him?” voice was barely audible. The judge nodded. “Skeeter, 1 am sorry for any man who was born without any conception of humor. This man would be a good citizen if he knew when to laugh.” Skeeter did not reply. It is doubtful whether he knew what the judge meant. He had not taken his eyes off the men in front of him. Now he spoke. “T just want to say to yuh all; I’m goin’ to stay in Sunbeam—as—long—as—I— live. Any of yuh can pack that talk to Tug Leeds when he wakes up. Yuh can tell him that I’m goin’ to kill the next man what touches my pardner. That goes for Sun- beam; sabe?” Without turning his head he spoke to the judge— 3 “Go out ahead of me, pardner.”’ The judge turned and went out of the door, and Skeeter Bill backed slowly out of the place until he hit the rickety board side- walk, where he stepped swiftly aside out of range of the windows and hurried after the judge. Skeeter’s GOMIGooo <S' C@