Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

150 There are white men far down the river. Le Borgne is much concerned. He does not know whether they are allies of the Sioux or not. You must have a dream tonight that the white men are led by your father, the big white chief, that they are coming here with many guns, that worse than death will be the fate of any one who interferes with your liberty, let alone seeking you as a wile. Flat Mouth will interpret it to Le Borgne. I read it to Flat Mouth and he smiled appreciatively and declared my “mystery talk’? was very big medicine. I asked him if he had met any Minnetarees on his return by the river road. He shook his head, and I decided that for twenty-four hours at least Le Borgne would not know he had been to the lower village. the girl’s announcement -concerning the strangers down the-river would come in the nature of a dream-revelation and make a profound impression on the savage chief. Whatever the supernatural powers had to report to their red children was revealed through the medium of dreams: You could never make Le Borgne believe that the visions seen in sleep were not veritable views of the unseen world wherein all earthly affairs were ordered and the future of every man foreseen. AKING our guns, we made our way through the “darkness to Choke- Cherry’s hut and after much bother got him. to open the door. We would ‘have proceeded to the girl’s hut were it not for the guards on duty there. For two inches of tobacco I bribed him to make. one of his women take a bowl of fresh water and a bowl of corn to the girl. I explained to him that the piece of bark I placed on the corn was a medicine to make her hungry. The Pillager and I followed the woman until we heard her explain her errand to one of the guards and the door open and close upon her. This was about all we could do and, as the morrow promised to tax-our strength, we went back to our hut and turned in for a few hours’ sleep. With the first gray light the Pillager aroused me. He had procured fresh meat from some of the hunters and hurriedly broiled it over the fire. As fast as a portion was cooked enough to be edible he cut it off for me and took the next slice, practically raw, for himself. In this fashion we made a hearty meal and set out to see if Miss Dearness had complied with my directions. . Thus. Adventure As we came in sight of her prison I knew she had acted promptly, for the guards, - four of them, were grouped before some- thing hanging on the outside wall and were staring at it curiously. The savages gave way sullenly as we advanced to read her message. They were in half a mind to order us back, but Flat Mouth was too forbidding to be hustled about. His statement that I was the only one who could tell what was in the mystery talk afforded them an excuse for permitting us the freedom of the porch. Miss Dearness had written on the reverse side of my piece of bark: People of the Minnetaree, and the Blind One, their chief: In the night dream-medicine came to me, I saw many white men with many guns far down the Missouri coming to these villages of the Mandans and the Minnetarees. I saw the big white chief, the greatest of all traders, leading the white men. I saw the Sioux begging them to stop with them. He is too strong for them to rob or kill. I heard him tell the Sioux he was coming here to build a post because the white woman, Medicine Hair, is here. I heard him tell the Sioux he would return and build a post in their country if he was not treated well by the Minnetarees, or if the white woman had not been treated well. The Sioux begged him to give them some of his many guns, and he told them they should have them if the white woman was troubled in any way by Le Borgne or his people. Le Borgne, the Blind One, the dream means you will-bring the Sioux against you, every warrior carrying a gun, if you do not let the white woman come and go as she wishes, and if you do not tell your people there will be no feast, no new hut. I translated it hastily to the Pillager, and his eyes glistened as he pronounced it good. I noticed in the writing what, perhaps, he did not. She did not refer to herself as being the daughter of the mythical big white chief. I had made much of the relationship, taking: my cue from Flat Mouth. She had acquiesced in it. Now, apparently, she could not do it, though Red Dearness would be the last to object to his daughter using any subterfuge - to cheat an Indian. Flat Mouth was for bringing out the robes and placing them on sale at once. I ad- vised waiting until we could learn the chief’s mood. Flat Mouth then asked if we should take the writing to the chief now. Again I was for delay. of thinking the girl’s “dream” should be announced to Le fap ata psychological To my way - Eomichbooks (E@