Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

Gentlemen of the North % moment, at some time during the sale of the robes. I knew the fellow well enough to realize that he could not be forced into any decision. ‘The pressure must be ap- plied gradually; the effect must be accumu- lative; then, if we could bring him to a pitch where he wavered, the girl’s revelation should be used as the last straw. The Pillager was good enough to proclaim my reasoning sound, only he destroyed all compliment in his speech by adding that it was the white woman’s medicine working through my tongue. We stepped clear of the porch and were about to return to the hut and our pack ‘of robes, when again I heard that fearful screaming. The guards scurried to less exposed positions; even the Pillager be- trayed concern. The screaming grew louder and the Pillager, too proud to run and hide, flattened himself against the wall of the hut and stared uneasily at the pitiable figure now appearing from between two huts. Le Borgne’s demented mother-in-law was a sorry sight as she passed us, tossing her hands and tearing at her hair. Since her last appearance she had slashed herself with a knife, for she was bleeding from several fresh wounds. She walkéd with her head thrown far back, yet she neither stumbled nor fell nor wandered from the middle of the narrow way. This to the Pillager was simply another proof that she was under the direct control of the great manito. She was making straight to Le Borgne’s hut. As soon as she passed a hut the inmatés would emerge and climb to the roof, none daring to follow her. I followed her, however, and for this reason the Pillager followed too. We halted on coming in sight of Le Borgne’s porch and were just in time to see the war-chief duck inside. The woman, with her head still Hung back and her gaze directed to the heavens, gave an ear- splitting shriek and ran forward. How she saw him or knew he had retreated into the hut wasa mystery tome. Nevertheless she did know and, with a maniacal cry, ran on to the porch and attempted to open the door. After several minutes of furious efforts she backed away and began cursing him: “Oh, one-eyed killer of women! May your medicine turn to water! May the Sioux tear out your heart and give it to the dogs!’”’ she screamed. / ; 151 The Pillager was so deeply impressed by her terrible prayer that he interpreted only patches of it. For some minutes she carried on in this violent fashion, then, with a despairing shriek, she turned and fled swiftly between the ‘huts. ' “Tt is bad to have such werds spoken against you,” gravely said the Pillager. “Le Borgne may say he doesn’t care, but inside he is very much afraid.” The’ more frightened the Minnetaree became, the better the day looked for us, and, feeling almost optimistic, I led the way to Choke-Cherry’s hut and cooked some meat and sent it to Miss Dearness. © Despite his hearty meal at our hut the Pillager broiled for himself several slices of meat and devoured them voraciously. When he had finished I said I was ready to offer the robes. objected. “The white woman’s medicine i is working through the mad woman,’ he insisted. “Let the medicine work. We will wait. We have until the sun goes down. My blood tells me something is in the air that will make this day remembered among, the Minnetaree.”’ “Do you think the woman’s people— she being a Mandan—will make trouble for Le Borgne?”’ He smiled grimly. “They are dogs. They do not dare lift their heads when he looks at them. They will say she took a Minnetaree man and now belongs to that tribe; that the daugh- ter, the dead woman, is. a Minnetaree. We will climb on a hut and watch what comes next.” This we did, selecting the hut we were in. Some. thirty warriors were already there. They respectfully made way for the Pillager, and we took a position facing Le Borgne’s hut. E SAT there but a few minutes, smoking our pipes and watching the many curious groups dotting the sur- rounding roofs, when we observed,* off to our left, a commotion among the spec; tators. They were swarming to the south side of the roofs, craning their necks and keeping very quiet. “She is coming again,’ Mouth, putting up his pipe. a ghost that can not find sleep.” As. the guttural chatter on the roofs 93 whispered Flat she is like EOPNIE LOO S To my surprize he iGO