Adventure Magazine Cover — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

IIo drenched, torn and filthy. Lund, on his back in the grass, one arm thrown up to shield his face, was fast asleep. He had given all that was in him, to the last ounce, and he had collapsed the very minute he had been able to drag himself back to Rushton’s side. The latter, leaning against the tree-trunk, was talking to Mitcham in a clear sharp voice that carried above the shriek of the wind. “You saw the storm coming up,” he was saying, ‘“‘yet you made no move to help us. Gilding delayed you! What is Gilding to your Your place is here.” “TI don’t ’ave to be told,” growled Mitch- am. ‘Gilding said 2 “He made you an offer for the run. Fif- teen hundred pounds! And you think I’m going to sell, you think I’m going to creep up to Burdette and accept his bribe?” “It’s a fair price. And ’e may change ’is mind if we ain’t quick about it. Anyhow the whole show’s bust up proper after tonight.” “Tt seems to please you.” “Since you put it that way—it does! What did we come here for—to grow daisies? We came to bleed Burdette, and ’e’s crying for mercy already. But we can’t fight ’im, ’e’s got too much power, ’e can do things to us. ’E just wants us to move on quick, see? “And what’s more he knows ’e’s up against me and that makes ’im go easy-like, because ’e wants me to tie up with ’im again——”’ Rushton laughed. ‘So this is the climax of your fine fury! Because Burdette sends his foreman to offer you one thousand five hundred pounds and a chance to work for him again you are ready to crawl at his feet.” “T’m not and don’t you try “To crawl at the feet of the man who haunted you through the streets of Mel- bourne, the man who insulted and struck you! Mitcham, you have the pride of an underfed guinea-pig.” “Tf you say . “And you think you can make me sell for fifteen hundred pounds? How simple you are! How cheap! Yes—cheap, and don’t clench your fists like that or you'll frighten me. This outfit cost about five hundred. On a fifty-fifty basis we should have a thousand pounds to share.” “What more d’you expect for a couple of months’ work?” 99 Adventure “Much more. But I won’t sell. We’re going to make a success of this run instead of trying to blackmail Burdette.” “Yeah, and a sweet chance you’ve got. Cattle all gone to Stores and fixtures busted up! What can you do? Old John ain’t going to leave us alone much longer. Either we meet ’im awf way or ’e’ll turn us out. And I want my share—it’ll do me.” “Then work for it,’”” Rushton countered. “Why didn’t you hustle back instead of flirting with Gilding? Lund and I couldn’t hold the cattle; with you to help we could have turned ’em—if you had the guts.”’ “I’ve taken enough of your lip,’”’ Mitch- am shouted. “You shut up for a while and do some thinking. I’m taking no orders from you—I’m giving orders from now on. Get that? We’re closing with that offer to- morrow or I'll stretch you out.” “Very well,” said Rushton, “since you like Burdette so very much go to him. The quicker the better. Work for him and try to knife him as you tried to knife me. So far as I am concerned we’re through.” ‘We are, are we? ! Why did I ever let you in on this? I might ’ave known. Don’t you talk about old John. ’"E’s a man, ’e is, nota little runt like you. What if ’e is ’ot ’eaded? Ain’t ’e said ’e was sorry ’e done me wrong, and ain’t ’e trying to do the ’andsome thing let- ting bygones be bygones and offering fif- teen hundred pounds when ’e might ’ave us chucked out for the awsking? ’E’s square, old John is!” Half-seen through the dusk and the rain Rushton taunted him: “A fine frenzy, my dear Mitcham! Splendid! You do it to perfection. Don’t allow yourself to relax! In a minute or so you are sure to reach the homicidal stage and precipitate yourself upon me as With a roar Mitcham lunged forward, both arms flaying the air. He was indeed crazy-mad to hurt, to mangle, to kill. The long-repressed bitterness of many days boiled over and made him forget all cau- tion. He went stumbling through the mud and the slippery grass in pursuit of Rush- ton, who dodged away and stayed just out of reach. As the seconds passed and his prey still escaped him, Mitcham’s fury redoubled. He felt huge and strong and unconquerable, the blood raced through his veins, yet he NOOK 1@)