Adventure Magazine Cover — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

10 Adventure “ - interruption in the shape of three rangy- looking greyhounds, which came frisking into the front door. ‘They trotted a circle around the room and then headed for Brick. Dogs always came to Brick. He leaned down and was immediately the center of three plunging beasts, all seeking to get the bulk of caresses. Brick managed to back away from them, and just then King Cleeve and Zell Mohr came in. Mohr was carrying several fresh coyote pelts, which were tied together. The- inhabitants of the place surrounded them and Cleeve set up the drinks. King Cleeve was of the cool, calculating type of gambler. There was nothing flashy about him, except that he wore an enor- mous yellow sapphire ring on his left hand, and the mate to it flashed from his necktie. He was of medium height, graceful in his movements, with the long, tapering hands of a man who drew a living without hard labor. His face was not unpleasant, al- though his eyes were shallow and his teeth too short and even to make his smile friendly. Just now he was wearing a flannel shirt and a pair of well-worn chaps. “Tt’s the real sport,” stated Cleeve; but there was little exultation in his voice. “Think Ill get me some dogs.” “Dogs run ’em down, eh?” wondered Brick. ‘“That’s goin’ Some.’ “Run ’em down all right, ” assured Mohr. “Them dogs are runners.’ “Caught four of ’em, eh?” asked Brick, examining the bundle ‘of pelts. “Betcha them dogs had to go some. Had to shoot ‘em, didn’t yuh?” “After the dogs caught ’em,” nodded Mohr. “No use letting the dogs get chawed up.”’ “That’s right,” grinned Brick, fondling the lean head of a fawn-colored hound, and immediately becoming the center of the three dogs again. » Just then Lafe’ Freeman drove up in front of the saloon. Tied to the back of the buckboard .was a_ heating-stove, which threatened to cave in the rear of the flimsy vehicle. Lafe came in. He nodded to several of the men. “Hear about the robbery, Cleeve?” Cleeve nodded. “Yes. We met the sheriff down the street. He didn’t seem to know much about it.” “We wouldn’t,” said Lafe. “Yuh can’t expect him to. I think Limpy is goin’ after ’em himself. As I came past his shack he was packin’ a horse and he had a riding-horse saddled.” Mohr turned from the bar and spoke to his dogs. “Vuh got some nice dogs there,” re- marked Brick. Mohr nodded and turned to King Cleeve. “Reckon I'll be goin’, Cleeve. You keep them hides. As soon as I can get them pups I’ll let yuh know.” The crowd at the bar broke up. Brick and Silent watched Lafe swing out of town, team on the run as usual. “We'll borrow a couple of horses from Wesson,” said Brick as the three of them crossed the street. “I’d kinda like to chase coyotes,” ob- served Silent. “Go ahead,” said Brick. “Don’t let me stop yuh. At that you’d likely catch as many as them hounds did.” “Whatcha mean?” asked Silent quickly, but Brick did not say. Cale Wesson let them have the pick of his stable, and as they started down the street Limpy rode from behind the black- smith shop, leading a packed horse. “Goin’ huntin’ outlaws, Limpy?” asked Brick. Limpy squinted at Brick, glanced back up the street, where a, number of men were standing’ in front of the Dollar Down, and then back at Brick. “T dunno—yet. If this danged pack- animal will git animated a little I'll ride as far as the forks with yuh.” Brick swung in behind the pack-horse, and that worthy animal, knowing the meaning of such actions, broke into a lope. Three miles from town, at the forks of Whisperin’ Creek, Brick, Silent and Harp waved good-by to Limpy Squires, and then swung into the low hills of the Nine Bar Nine range. “‘She-e-e was a shrinkin’ vi’let And I loved her ten-n-n-der-lee-e-e. I called her-r-r mine, my I-i-iodine, But she nev-vy-v-er came back to me-e-e.”’ Silent’s face gradually came back™to normal as he wailed the last line. Harp Harris gave an extra doleful twang to his jew’s-harp and nodded in appreciation. “Yuh might like to know that Iodine ain’t a girl’s name,” remarked Brick from EComichbooks:co