Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

140 Fes THIS happens in the mornin’, And ie we spends the day layin’ low and «™ waitin’ fer somethin’ tuh happen, which it don’t. It begins tuh look like this Pancho feller is aimin’ tuh kinda starve us out. Come night and about first guard time, Bill pops out the subject that’s been layin’ back in the brain uh every man in the outfit. “Boys,” he says in that there rumblin’, camp-meetin’ voice uh his, “we’re ina tight place. We got one bet. That i is, fer some gent tuh make a try at gettin’ past Pancho’s men and ridin’ fer help.”’ Now we all had knowed what Bill was goin’ tuh say. Every man there knowed it. And we’d all been feelin’ the way a man feels when he’s about tuh fork a bad hoss. And now that it was said, we all breathes freer like that bad hoss weren’t such a snake as we figgered. In less time than it takes tuh tell it we’re all a-fightin’ tuh see who goes. “Keep yore shirts on, cowboys,” advises Bill. ‘‘We’ll let the cards decide it.”” And with that he draws a deck from his jumper pocket. “How about Wyoming and them other boys that’s guardin’ the hosses?’’ puts in some boy. “Do we wait fer them tuh come in, er do we draw afore they come and let them pick their cards when they git here?” “Might as well start the drawin’ now,” says Bill, shufflin’ the cards. “TI hear ’em corrallin’ the hosses now. They’ll be here ina minute.” He lays the cards on a kyack box and nods fer me tuh cut ’em. Which I does. Then Bill glares around at all uh us fer all the world like a school- marm that’s tryin’ tuh locate the kid that’s just hit ’er in the back uh the neck with a spitball. “Which uh you gents has a wife and kids at home?” he growls accusin’ like, as if it was a crime tuh raise a fam’ly. “Speak up, gents.” Not a dang peep outa ary man. Bill looks het up. “Don’t set there like a lot uh buck In- juns,” he growls. “Come clean.” ~ Reluctant like, two uh the boys pleads guilty tuh havin’ a wife and kids bogged down somewhere across the border. “You two gents is out uh the cuttin’. Go on out to the corral and send them other boys in,” says he and stands his ground firm as —— against the argument they puts up. Adventure “Now,” says Bill when the two married gents has gone, “we start the cuttin’. High card wins. The man that draws low card makes the try fer the Federal troops.”’ And with that, the game opens. One by one we steps up and draws our card from the deck. I’m the second man tuh draw, and I backs off into the corner a-cussin’ at the queen uh hearts. Just as I sets down near the door uh the tent, in comes the two boys that’s been on hoss guard with Wyoming, and I sees by the look on their faces that they’ve been told what’s goin’ on in the mess tent. Anxious like I looks fer Wyoming; but he ain’t in sight. Then I peeks around the corner uh the tent, and over where my bed is layin’ I sees a match flare up and sees the boy humped over somethin’. Then the match is blowed out, and Wyoming steps into the tent. We’ve all drawed cards now except him. Low card is the four uh clubs, and Bill Wag- ner is a-holdin’ it. “Yuh gotta go low tuh beat me, Wyo- ming,” says Bill; and hanged if I know whether that ketch in his voice is on ac- count uh his bein’ tickled er whether he’s tryin’ tuh cover up his disappointment. He ketches my eye and gives me a shore hard look. Because, yuh understand, I know somethin’ that no other man in the Lazy Y knows. Bill has a wife and two kids in El] Paso. He’s made me swear I won’t say nothin’ about it. Says he got us into the tight place, and he aims tuh take his chance with the single gents. “Unlucky at love. Lucky at cards,” says Wyoming in a quiet voice; and outa the tail uh my eye I sees him look over to where Pete McCloud is layin’ on the cook’s bed. Then he picks up a card from the top uh” the deck. His spur seems tuh ketch in somethin’, and he kinda loses his balance, fallin’ like and upsettin’ the candle. There’s a second uh dark, when Wyoming lights it again. He straightens up, and there’s a queer sort uh smile on his lips as he holds out the card in the palm uh his hand. “Sorry tuh deprive yuh uh the pleasure, Bill,’ says he in the happiest tone I’ve ever heered him use. ‘But I’ve drawed the deuce uh spades!”’ Does old Bill Wagner kinda straighten up like he’s breathin’ more free? It looks thataway tome. And I ain’t blamin’ him. GOmiiGdoo (©