Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

—688 - muster, climbed the ladder to find her- self on the threshold of a great court- yard that was filled with a throng of eager, expectant women. The moment she set foot across the entrance they set up a chant and opened out, leaving a lane along which she passed. One young woman dressed in white, backing slowly away from her, scattered dried maize blades before her as she came along with handfuls of golden grain. Back she went till she reached the open door of a large room, where she stepped aside. The chant ended as Mercedes en- tered the building and found herself in the cool, darkened interior of an Indian temple. It was’simple enough. A great square room into which a little light came through windows barred with wood that opened high in the thick walls. In the end of the room facing the door was a raised platform of adobe brick, on one end of which an altar had been raised. The altar was painted white and bore the red figure of a coyote and a snake. Two earthen jars upon the dais con- tained salt and corn meal, and a little bowl of curiously spiced drink stood be- fore the altar. Before the bowl, a small fire of some aromatic wood flickered fit- fully, filling all the room with a smell as of incense. While she stood wondering, aghast ‘at what had befallen her, two bare-footed Indiarfgirls, dressed in white, entered the room. They carried baskets of fine, tightly woven grass that were filled with water, a pile of white clothing and a platter heaped with small hot cakes of finest corn meal and small round pieces of white meat delicately cooked. Very deferentially they poured water upon her hands and one of them, pull- ing forward a small, hide-covered stool, motioned her to sit, and took from her tired feet her well-worn sandals. An- other poured cool water on her feet and dried them with a cotton cloth. Merce- des looked at her and almost wept. The kindness and tenderness of these savages had won the heart of the proud Spanish girl, who, for the moment, for- got that they were showing her the re- - spect due a goddess. “T am very tired,’ she said presently. *“T would like to sleep.” Adventure Instantly one of the girls went to a re- cess in the walls and drew forward a small bed-frame that-was strung with strips of rawhide. Over this she threw a gray blanket. “Sleep!” she said. “While Ari-zuna sleeps there shall be silence.” At her shrill call from the doorway, the singing in the courtyard ceased, and the tired Mercedes stretched herself at full length upon the bed. For a while she wept quietly, the hot, burning tears streaming down her cheeks, but the ex- hausted body could not long resist and presently, after a fervent prayer to the God of her Fathers Who alone could help her in her extremity, she gave a little tired sigh and was presently fast asleep. ’ In this manner did Ari-zuna come to Acoma. Vill ICOTL and Andres had no difficulty, in picking up the trail at the scene of the fight. The arrows sticking in the ground gave the direction from which they had been shot; the grass was plainly trampled and there was a little pool of blood upon the hard ground. A few dark drops scattered along the path told them that one of the attacking: party at least was wounded. Xicotl got the general direction, noted the sun sink- ing low and turned to Andres. “The sun will-be down in a half-hour, senor. After dark we can not follow the trail. Shall we take a great risk thus early in the pursuit ?” “What risk P” _ “They are but human. They must have water; especially for their wounded man. We know the general direction they have taken and I know where the nearest water-hole is. To follow the trail we must wait for dawn. If we strike for the water-hole we may miss them—if they have gone by another route. I know where the northern trail crosses the river bed.” “You know the country?” “For a few days travel only, seior. After that—no—! Shall we take the chance ?” “Yes. And hasten, Xicotl.” COMMEOOOLK (E@)