Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

Paradise Bend ‘“‘Nothin’—yet. what happens.”’ “Seein’ what happens may be expensive. I tell ye flat, Scotty, Sam Blakely has got somethin’ under the table for ye. He’s aim- in’ to put a crimp in ye. Ye can go the limit on that.” “‘There ain’t nothin’ certain about it.” *‘O’ course there ain’t. Sam ain’t goin’ to give himself away. I wish you’d let me Injun ’round some an’ see what’s up. I think, maybe ye’ll save money if ye re) 9) We got to wait an’ see “Well, I dunno—”’ hesitated Scotty. “Q’ course,” said Loudon quickly, “Blakely’s got it in for me. But whatever he’s cookin’ up for you, he thought of be- fore I ever rode north. My comin’ north has sort o’ upset his plans. He knows I know all about him, an’ he wants to shut my mouth before he turns his bull loose.” “Yo’re goin’ to meet him in Farewell, ain’t ye? Seems to me Richie said some- thin’ about it.” “Sure I am, but what’s that got to do with it?” “‘Why, maybe that’s the reason he wants ye out of the way. He may not hanker af- ter shootin’ it out with ye.” “‘No, Sam Blakely ain’t afraid,’’ denied Loudon. ‘He wouldn’t object any to meet- in’ me in Farewell if that was all there was to it. No, what’s worryin’ him is me bein’ here at the Flying M. An’ it’s worryin’ him a lot, or he’d never ’a’ sent Block two hundred miles.” “Well, I dunno. Ye may be right, Tom, but I don’t just guess Sam Blakely will try to put any crimps in me. He knows it would come kind o’ high. O?’ course it’s mighty puzzlin’. I don’t understand it none. One thing, Blakely sure tried his best to get ye down on the Lazy River, an’ that’s why it looks to me like Block was sent to put in the last licks.”’ “He was, but not the way ye think. I could gas my head off about Blakely up here in the Bend, an’ it wouldn’t matter a so long as he was down on the Lazy. But if he left the Lazy an’ come projeckin’ up to the Bend, then what I’d be sayin’ would count a lot. See now?” “T see,” admitted Scotty. “Well, gimme a chance to find out what he’s up to.’ “No, Tom, there’s too much to do at the ranch. I can’t let ye go. Yo’re too gooda 119 man. I need ye right at home. We'll wait an’ see what happens. Then we'll know what to do.”’ “T may be too late then,” grumbled Lou- don. “Tf it is, then blame me. lose anyway.”’ “Ye sure are.” Oh, the denseness of ranch owners! Was Scotty Mackenzie to turn out another Sal- toun? , “It’s a blind trail,” observed Scotty, pick- ing up the tangled thread of their discourse. ‘Some things kind o’ fit when ye look at ’em one way, an’ then again they don’t when ye look at ’em another. Cutting don’t fit, none whatever. All the time he worked for me, he only went to town twice, an’ the last time was six months ago. O’Leary never come to see him, so if somethin’s up like ye say there is, Rufe’s out of it. But that won’t help him none now. He'll go out if we ever come up with him.” “If we do,’’ supplemented Loudon. “My idea exactly. That hoss o’ yores can sure wriggle along, an’ he had a big start.” “I’m goin’ through to Rocket anyhow.” “Me too.” Till the latter half of the afternoon they kept the ponies loping. Then, slowing to a walk, they risked a short-cut, and did not strike the trail till the sun was setting. “Still keepin’ together,”’ announced Lou- don, after one look at the trail. ‘An’ still hittin’ the high places,” said I’m the one to Scotty. ‘“Them two cayuses sure have bot- tom. Cutting knowed a good hoss all right.” CHAPTER XI ROCKET HE two men reached Rocket before midnight and rode up to the door of the combination saloon and hotel. While Scotty hammered on the planks with his fist, Loudon uttered stentorian yells. Rock- et, male and female, awoke, poked their heads out of the windows and shrilly de- manded information. ‘“Hoss-thief!’’ bawled Loudon. ‘‘He’s rid- in’ a long-legged chestnut with a white spot on his nose! Fellah with him on a black horse! The sport on the black may or may not be dressed like a bird, accordin’ to CoMmichoooks CO