Adventure Magazine Cover — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

Battle of a Thousand Hoofs “Huh, it was only the bones I smelt, and the stick the animal was spitted on over the fire. As I said, there maybe was meat around some place, but when the Mexes found out the dirty trick you played on ?em they got to stirrin’ around and didn’t give me any chance to look much. They shot several times at me and Hunt before we got away.” “The gang’s busted up anyhow, with the Straddler in jail.” ‘“‘We could eat if you’d let me take this ol’ gun and sell it,”’ urged Jim. “‘No-siree-bob! That gun was taken off the prisoner, and J’ll turn it over to Bud Milroy all right and proper. Reminds me, we got to find some way to pay Coons for them things I stole last night. Lye and bluing and superior leather oil and——” “Shut up!’ Jim was haggard from hunger. Had he not been in that condition more than once before he would have called himself sick. Joash knew by the emptiness of his own stomach how the youth must be suffering, and after pondering a while he took pity. “Tell ye, Jim,” said he. ‘We got to drop our pride and hit Bud for a loan so’s we can eat.”’ Jim brightened. ‘“‘There’s Bud now, coming up the hill.” The Ranger, evidently out for his morn- ing stroll, came along slowly. The two men on the fence waited tensly for the outcome of their plan. When at last Bud was in hailing distance, Joash called out: “Hello, Bud. How’s tricks?” “Tricks are all to the merry, Joash, and the Straddler’s still in jail. You’re all right, old man.”’ 139 “Say, Bud, yuh couldn’t loan us a dollar, couldja, for a few dayse”’ Joash and Jim held their breath. The Ranger looked them over with a wise eye. He delayed answer while he scanned the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. Burros— little figures against the brown earth— could be seen here and there moving about hungrily and nibbling at the sparse foliage. ‘“‘Reckon all your property is over there on the other side,’”’ observed Bud. ‘‘Reckon your little scheme o’ pattering hoofs to break up the Straddler’s raid busted you financially, didn’t it, Joash?”’ “Kinda,” acknowledged Joash. “But I'll get on my feet somehow. May go to work.” The Ranger pulled out a silver dollar from his pants pocket and tossed it to the old man. Jim grunted at the, so to say, impact. “‘Reckon you know, don’t you, Joash,” asked Bud, ‘“‘that the Government’s been offering a thousand-dollar reward for the Straddler?”’ Joash and Jim slid from the fence with pop eyes and sagging jaws. “What did you say?” asked Joash. “Sure; a thousand dollars reward. All you got to do is apply for it with proper proofs, and I’ll help furnish the proofs.” Joash slowly pushed his hat to the other side of his head, then, changing hands, he pushed it back again. His diminutive figure gyrated in a half-dozen dance steps. He brought up rubbing his hands together and looking at the Ranger comically. “Say, Bud,” said he, “loan us another dollar and we’ll take you to breakfast down to Tubby’s.” Co NOOK 1 O)