Pulp Fiction, 1953 · page 82 of 116
Fifteen Western Tales, January 1953 — page 82: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is **story prose** from a pulp fiction magazine titled "Fifteen Western Tales." The visible text presents a humorous narrative written in broken English, apparently from the perspective of Native American characters (Chippewa tribe members) addressing the "Great White Father in Washington" about a drought problem. The story involves characters named Long Tail Feathers, Sad Nose Joe, and One Eyebrow Sam discussing how the nearby town of Gunsmoke's activities are stopping rain clouds from reaching their territory, and debating solutions—including an idea involving lassooing clouds from "Mountain of the Big Snoot." The narrative employs heavy dialect and comedic tone typical of early-20th-century pulp fiction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
82 _ FIFTEEN WESTERN TALES Every body say what that got. to do with Chippewas? For: thousand moons, maybe longer, Chippewa pray to rain god for rain. Always work before. in Gunsmoke got better system? . Long Tail Feathers say no, not zakly. He say only Gunsmoke palefaces stop clouds maybe heading for Chippewa territory and make clouds turn to rain over Gunsmoke. Long Tail Feathers say mighty hard for even rain god to make rain without clouds. Everybody say that make sense, all right. Only one thing. What we do? Long Tail Feathers, he say only one thing to do. Write Great White Father in White House, Washington, D. C., Capital, United States, And So Forth. Make complaint. Say, please not let Gunsmoke stop clouds. Let clouds make up own mind where they want to go. Then everything be fairer and squarer. | Long Tail Feathers say Sad Nose Joe, you readin-writin’ man, and pretty good speller too, except sometimes, How about you write Great White Father in Washington. Xplane everything. So I, Nose: Joe, agreeable, all right. If cows get any thirstier, they going to give powder milk. I have writ down everything, Great White Father in Washington, zakly the way is. All Chippewas preciate you do something about this. Chippewas do not ask lot of things: diamond rings, fancy pens write under wa- ter. Just a few clouds once in awhile. That all. Not too much to ask. EAR Great White Father in Washing- ton: Get letter say you do not believe much can be done about cloud matter. Seem to be no visor, state law about clouds one way or nother. You say you have whole thing looked into though;: please let know if any developments. Sad Nose Joe will do. Some developments, so Sad Nose Joe write this letter. First development: Long Tail Feathers the medicine man your letter. Next development: Long Tail Feath- ers, he say, well, Great White Father in Washington mean good, but Chippewas can’t wait. Long Tail Feathers say if things get any dryer all Chippewa adam’s apples turn into adam’s prunes. Long Tail Feathers say we got to do something about it. Everybody tel] Long Tail Feathers that he You mean, palefaces. high and tall. Sad Nose Joe read. make good speech with the tongue. Only one thing. What can anybody do? Long Tail Feathers say that good question. Say he give lot of brain turning-over to matter. One - thing come to him: Gunsmoke palefaces stop clouds. But not stop clouds that come over Chippewa terri- tory that come from opposite way? True, quite a good many clouds seem to like to make trip by way of Gunsmoke; but not all. ~ Qne Eyebrow Sam speak up and say trou- ble is that clouds that do come over Chip- pewa range always seem in big hurry; never have time to stop and be senshibull. Long Tail Feathers say, ah, that is where we now use big strategee. What is good for goose is good for gander. We stop these clouds just like Gunsmoke stop their clouds. One Eyebrow Sam say that what Long Tail Feathers say seem to make sense; ex- cept maybe one thing. It very hard for us to get up in sky without fly-um-machine. Long Tail Feathers say that tough problem, all right. But he have idea. What about Mountain of the Big Snoot? One Eyebrow Sam say that so far as he -know, Mountain Of The Big Snoot stil] at same old place mountain always been. What’ Long Tail Feathers mean, what about Moun- tain of the Big Snoot? Long Tail Feathers say just this: Every- body knows Mountain of the Big Snoot real Somebody go up peak and lasso cloud from there and make cloud stay put until it turn to rain. © One Eyebrow Sam say never heard of anvy- body lassoing cloud before. How can any- body lasso and tie up something that’s noth- ing but dark air? Long Tail Feathers say Sam forget one thing. nary mountain but sacred mountain of Chip- pewa Indians. No doubt, that being case, mountain make some arrangement for cloud to stay put just to help out Chippewas. Surely, not sacred mountain for nothing. One Eyebrow Sam say the way things are, anything worth trying. Long Tail Feathers say glad to hear One Eyebrow Sam say that. After all, sacred mountain good enough for our ancestors, and they the only ancestors we are likely to have. One Eyebrow Sam say only one more problem: Who climb big steep Mountain of the Big Snoot with the tall, narrow peak? Too dangerous. COMicbookkSs.cO Mountain of the Big Snoot not ordi- Specially swinging away.