Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

158 “Did all yo’ boys fetch yer guns?” asked Dave, unfolding his arms and resting his hands on his hips. “T have only a squirrel rifle,” answered Bud, ‘‘and ye tole me not to bring hit.” Gus patted his left breast. “Me ’n’ Pap’s got ours,” he said. ‘So has Mitch thar. But Sam he never owned a weepon in his life. Too stingy to buy one, I reckon.” He chuckled sarcastically. “Yit that Tabor shore kin use a knife,” he declared. ‘‘At hawg-killin’ time he’s the best man I know. Sam kin stick a sow to the heart afore she has a chancet even to squeal!” Clint Hawkins swore almost audibly. And here he had believed the trader was innocent, absolutely above suspicion after the night’s developments. Yet Sam had seemed mighty curious that morning on the road. He was the first abroad near the forks and wanted to know what had “‘happened”’ where the sheriff came from. Clint now was certain of nothing. His conclusions were in a panic. But Andy should be back within the next hour. That was his last hope. Sheriff Hawkins was dis- couraged and becoming impatient. ‘Yo’ don’t need Pap and me both here,” complained Gus Skaggs, after several min- utes silence in the room. ‘Dave, supposin’ ye let me go home jest long enough to feed the chickens and do the milkin’. Then I’ll come right back, I swear I will.” Dave Arnett stubbornly shook his head, but said nothing. “T didn’t bring no victuals,”’ whined Bud, squirming in his chair, “and I’m a-gittin’ hungry.” “Here,” promptly spoke up Mitch, reach- ing into his coat pocket. ‘‘Ye kin have my snack. I feel like I won’t never want to eat ag’in.” : : Reuben stirred on the bench, grunting in his sleep. Mitch Robertson looked at him, then at Sam, sighed enviously and turned his back on the coffin. “T shore am glad this night’s about over,” he muttered. ‘‘Hit’s made me see sights I ain’t thought on in many a year. Good Gosh!”’ And he sank limply into his chair. Dawn would soon be breaking, Clint knew, and still the lifeless figure of John Bradshaw had wrung no confession from any one of the five men. It was useless to Adventure continue the test longer. Even. if Sam was a skilled knifer, that was not evidence enough on which to hold him. Sheriff Hawkins lifted himself on his elbow, determined to go down, explain his folly to the posse and dismiss them. va THEN, suddenly, his eyes were “5% drawn again to the hole. There * was a scream below and a human body thudded heavily to the floor. Reuben Skaggs. ‘Have a bad dream?” grinned Dave, while Gus grabbed his father by the arm and roughly jerked him back on the bench. There the old man sat blinking’ and trembling. “Reuben Skaggs—’ Deputy Arnett leaned forward, his grin hardened to piercing It was ) scrutiny—‘“‘whar was yo’ last night? Tell me, quick!” ‘*]-I—-we ’? stammered the moon- shiner, rubbing his eyes with his fists. “Jeb Fraley was in town that night,” blazed Dave, lying. ‘‘Yo’ and Gus weren’t with him ’r nowhars near his still. Then whar was ye hidin’ out—atter yo’ all left Uncle Johnny’s corpse at the forks yonder?” Gus Skaggs stiffened against the wall, his features colorless. “Tit aint so!’ he shouted furiously. = yo’, Dave Arnett, we’uns didn’t do hit! Pap—wake up!” Old Reuben was awake, awake and alert, and Clint saw a wicked leer twist his bearded lips. At the same instant his hand crept to his shirt bosom and Gus’s right foot lunged toward the table. But Sheriff Hawkins’ bellowed command was drowned in sudden darkness below, the darkness shivered by two pistol flashes— then a third—then two more. There was a hoarse curse, a groan. Something bulky and soft struck the earthern floor. Bud Kash yelled. Outside, from the road, sounded a familiar hallo, Andy’s voice. Then silence and darkness again. Clint, the flashlight in one hand, his re- volver in the other, stumbled down the ladder, facing the room as he descended. He snapped on the electricity in the torch and focused it about the room. Bud cowered in the corner behind his chair. Mitch sat open-mouthed and gasp- ing with terror. On the edge of the bed was fat Sam Tabor, swathed in his blanket, his Ccomicbooks.c© in