Adventure Magazine Cover — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

sun-Dog Trails where he sat on the edge of a bunk, massag- ® ing his toes, which were encased in an all- too-tight boot. “This one was named that,” retorted Silent. ‘“‘Todine is a medicine.” “So was she—good medicine, Brick.” Silent watched Brick rubbing his toes. “What yuh ought to do is this, Brick; massage your feet with a meat-grinder and then pour the results into a sausage-skin. What in a feller wants to pinch we “Them is my feet,” stated the ungram- matical Brick. “That there was my song,” reminded Silent, ‘but you took exceptions to it.” “Some folks takes exceptions to my music,” observed Harp. “Not me.”’ Brick shook his head seriously. “T like it, Harp. Sounds like a dyin’ Injun with his head in a barrel—and I hate Injuns.”’ “A feller can wear a hat that’s too small, and all she does is fall off,’”’ stated Silent, “but when he bunches his toes inside a boot what is three sizes too small— Of course, if I was a tin-horn gambler or was in love——”’ Brick glared at Silent for a moment, but the pain in his foot drew his attention away. He hooked the heel of the offending boot ever the end of the bunk and pulled his foot out, with a sigh of relief. He picked up the boot and looked it over. “Takes a lot of argument, but sometimes yuh show sense,’ remarked Silent. “I knowed a feller down in Wyoming who was a heap like you, Brick. He was herdin’ sheep for a while, but he didn’t have sense enough to herd sheep, so he——” Silent ducked just in time to escape the thrown boot, but as he ducked his head hit the table-top a resounding whack. Hestag- gered back, clutching at his forehead, dazed. He started for Brick, who was convulsed with laughter and unable to defend him- self. “Tf yuh kill him [ll never play for yuh again,’ declared Harp, stepping in front of Silent. “C-o9-0-oh, mama mine!’’ choked Brick. “Tf it hadn’t been for that table he’d ’a’ dropped his head on the floor!” “By cripes, yuh must think that’s funny!” howled Silent. “If yuh do you’ve got an- other think comin’.” II “Nobody told yuh to hammer the table with ‘your head.” Silent groaned and massaged his fore- head. Finally he grinned and said: “Well, are we goin’ to town, Brick? Thousand dollars ain’t much, but it helps a lot in these stingy times.” “Funny that the Whippoorwill don’t raise that ante,” remarked Brick, pulling on his old boots. ‘The county never lost nothin’, but still they offers a thousand.” IT WAS three days after the rob- bery, but no one had found the slightest trace of the bandits. Con- jectures were rife as to the contents of the iron box. ‘The superintendent of the Whip- poorwil] mine refused to issue any statement of the amount, and beyond the probable value, based on Limpy’s estimate of the weight, there was nothing to show the extent of the haul. And Limpy had disappeared. Whether on the track of the bandits or on personal business, no one knew. Limpy had been very brief in his statements, and outside of his first words to the sheriff, had not men- tioned the-woman. No one except Silent, Lafe, Brick and Limpy actually knew what happened at the hold-up. Brick and Silent had not been to Marlin since the day of the robbery, but Harp had made the trip each day, gathering the latest gossip. Harp had no idea of why they wanted first news of the reward, but it was easier to ride to Marlin and loaf around than it was to work on the ranch. If the Nine Bar Nine wanted to pay him for loafing in town, fine. And besides it gave him a chance to learn a lot of new tunes on his harp. Brick and Silent had deliberated on let- ting Harp in on the proposition. Harp was a square-shooter. He was fast with a gun and atoprider. They finally decided to let Harp in on their secret. As they rode away from the ranch Brick told Harp and let him read the note. “Well, ? drawled Harp delightedly. ‘“She’s a dead open and shut. Let’s go and arrest him.” “Him!” snorted Brick. ‘“‘We seen three, and from this note it looks like four. One of them initials, I reckon it’s J, stands for the female. We'll kinda investigate this here Martin, but for gosh sake use a little sense, will yuh? We ain’t got a danged thing except this letter.” comichooks.com