Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

120 whether he’s washed himself! Have ye seen ?em??”’ Rocket with one voice assured Loudon that he was drunk, and advised the water- ing-trough. “T ain’t foolin’,”’ expostulated Loudon. “‘The gent on the black cayuse, which his name Is Block, sheriff 0’ Fort Creek County, was tarred an’ feathered in Paradise Bend this afternoon.” Partisan Rocket cheered, and, in the same breath, grieved that neither of the fugitives had been seen, and claniored to know de- tails of the tarring and feathering. Rocket was in Sunset County, and it was delight- ful to hear that Fort Creek, in the person of its sheriff, had been insulted. Loudon, sitting at ease on his weary, drooping-headed pony, told the tale. He carefully refrained, however, from mention- ing his own leading part in the affair. Rock- et received the story with howls of mirth. Later, the male portion stuffed its night- shirts into trousers, pulled on boots, and gathered three deep around Loudon and Scotty while the two devoured cold beef and beans in the dining-room of the hotel. ‘Glad to see yo’re feelin’ better over yore hoss,”’ observed Scotty, when the last Rock- eter had departed. ““Oh, I made ’em laugh,” said Loudon dis- mally. “But it didn’t make me feel like laughin’ a little bit. I feel just as bad as ever—worse, if anythin’. Why, Scotty, that hoss could do everythin’ but talk.” “Sure,” said Scotty hastily, ““but we can’t do nothin’ now. We’ve done all we could. They didn’t come through Rocket, that’s certain. They’ve done turned off some’ers. We can’t trail ’em tonight, an’ by tomor- row they’!l be forty mile off. There’s no use in keepin’ it up.”’ Scotty looked anxiously at Loudon. The latter made no reply. He was staring at the lamp on the table, his expression bitter in the extreme. “Tell ye what,” hazarded Scotty. “Ye can have that bay yo’re ridin’. He ain’t like yore reg’lar hoss, but he’s a good pony. Look at the way he went today. Got bot- tom, that hosshas. Go till the Gulf 0’ Mex- ico freezes solid.’’ ‘“‘That’s right good o’ ye, Scotty, but I couldn’t take him off ye thataway. I might buy him some day.” “The offer goes as it lays. Ye don’t have to buy him. He’s yores whenever ye want 3 Adventure him. Well, what are ye figurin’ on doin’?” “Tt’s no use chasin’ ’em any more now. I know that. Might as well wander back where we come from. Later, two or three weeks maybe, I’m goin’ south.” ‘Goin’ south!’ Scotty was aghast. He did not wish to lose his best man. “Yep. Goin’ south. Don’t expect to find Cutting first off. But I’ll find Block, an’ I guess he’ll know somethin’ about friend Cutting. Id go instanter, only I want to give Block time to get back an’ get settled before I pay him acall. I tell ye, Scotty, I want that hoss o’ mine, an’ I’ll get him back if it takes me the rest o’ my life!”’ “You gents want beds?” inquired the landlord, suddenly appearing in the door- way. “Sure,” replied Scotty. “Two of ’em.” ‘Say, who’s the postmaster here?”’ Lou- don asked. “Me,” was the landlord’s weary reply. *“‘A couple o’ days ago,” said Loudon, “a letter addressed to Frank Doubleday in Paradise Bend was mailed here. Remember who mailed it?” “‘Couldn’t say, stranger,’”? yawned the landlord. ‘‘Oh, sure,’”’ he added, as Loudon looked incredulous, “I could tell ye every- body else what mailed mail for the last month. But that one letter I couldn’t. I didn’t see the man, woman, child, or Injun, what mailed it. Three days ago when I got up in the mornin’ an’ went outside to wash my face I done found that letter an’ two bits a-layin’ on the door-step. That’s all. Just a letter an’ two bits. I clamps on a stamp an’ sends her along when the up- stage pulls in.” ‘“‘Any parties from the Bend in town that day, or the day before?”’ ‘“‘Nary a party as I knows of—but then I ain’t got eyes all over me. Some sport might ’a’ slid through an’ me not know it.” “T ain’t askin’ questions just to make talk,”’ said Loudon sharply. ‘“‘So if ye ain’t got no real serious objections I’ll ask a couple more.” ‘“‘No need to get het, stranger,” soothed the landlord. ‘“‘No need to get het. Ask away.” ‘“‘Any strangers been in town lately?” “Two, today. They’re the only strangers I’ve seen for quite a spell, an’ they’re up- stairs now. Lady an’ gent they are, trav- elin’ separate. Goin’ to the Bend I reckon. Yest’day the off hind wheel o’ the stage CoOMmichoooks (©