Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

104 Ellis could only accomplish this maneuver by rolling. The man loosened the noose a bit and allowed the mule to stagger to his feet. Near by was a pifion, and the stranger led the half-choked animal to this and fastened the rope to a bushy branch. Then he ran to Ellis and released his hands. “You were in a bad fix, pardner,” he commented. “TI was in ,’ feebly answered Ellis, sitting up and rubbing his benumbed legs and ankles. “I was going crazy with the thought of the death I must die. If you hadn’t happened along 7 It was too horrible to finish. The man laughed softly and corrected: _ “YT didn’t happen. I came on purpose. You're the second man Jonathan Leaper has given a ride within two weeks. It’s his love of cruelty that will undo him. Usu- ally a man enters this gulch and is never seen or heard of again. But I’ve got the other feller ready to give evidence, and you make the second witness. Now I'll put him where he belongs. What’s your name?” “Frank Ellis. Got lost. Met him on the Cafion City road. Stayed at his cabin over night. This morning he robbed me of my money and roped me to that beast.” “Tt couldn’t have happened better. My name’s Farnham. Live at Buckskin. United States marshal. Leaper’s been playing his games for two seasons. He never troubles any one going up to the mines. Gives them food and shelter. But he catches them coming back when they come alone. If it hadn’t been for his ’s liking to torture a victim by tieing him to a mule he might never have been suspected. “Few people notice when a man disap- pears out here. Coming and going all the time. No house within twenty miles of this gulch except the one at the Salt Works. Men are strangers to each other, and no one’s concerned over what happens to a stranger. “But about two weeks ago Leaper played the mule trick on a man who had a thousand in_ nuggets and was riding a fine mule. Turned him loose on the mule. It was two days before the fellow was rescued. Man chopping wood quite a few miles from here happened along. And he had to risk killing the rider by shooting the mule through the head. Then I got into the game. The Adventure man’s evidence explained several disap- pearances last season and this.” “Ym awlully obliged. What will we do next?” asked Ellis, his anger flaring up as he thought of his money. “Keep low til tonight, then sneak down to the cabin. If he’s alone [Pll get him.” “There was a man there part of last night,” informed Ellis. “Bill Waggle.” “You know Waggle?” curiously asked Farnham. “Only by sight.” “Just where were you hailing from when you met Leaper?”’ “Frying Pan Gulch,” lied Ellis. “Heard about a killing up in California Gulch, I suppose?” “Heard about several. Some one is shoot- ing or knifing some one else up there right along, I guess,” replied Ellis. He began to feel nervous under the ex- amination. “T referred to a hotel keeper. named Skillings.” “T don’t remember that name.” “Well, my first job is to nail Leaper and take him to Denver. We’ll keep the mule tied up here and wait till dark. And we must watch to see if Leaper is curious how your ride came out and wanders up this way.” Ellis felt much relieved to have the ques- tions cease. He was sorry he had volun- teered any information about Waggle. He dreaded the possibility of an interview be- tween Leaper and the marshal for Waggle had told the former about Skillings’ death and the camp’s suspicion as to the slayer. He began to believe he had escaped imme- Man diate death only to be faced by a murder charge in a Denver court. Farnham shifted the position of the mule so he could graze in a patch of thin grass, and led the way up among the rocks, where they could discover Leaper, should he ven- ture up the gulch. Time passed slowly. Ellis reclined on his back and watched the blue sky and specu- lated on his fate. He heartily wished he had risked remaining at Twin Lakes until Goss was able to travel. | Farnham was intent on studying the guich floor and the sloping walls. Finally he began to talk, and he told Ellis some- thing of the criminal trail that extended from New Mexico to Denver and the moun- tain camps. He declared his belief that COMIGDIOOKSEEO