Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

Gentlemen ae the North they come back and ask for their property or an increase in goods. Whether Le Borgne would act in this fashion in an ordinary trade I did not know. I was inclined to believe he would trade fair, but, with the girl as the stake, the temptation would be great, once he got over his first enthusiasm in owning the robes. He might be cunning enough to believe that the white skin had already sent the Mandan woman from his village, and that she had seemed to be the source of his annoyance and trouble. That his murder of the younger woman was back of it all would never appeal to him. _ Soon the Pillager came back with the horses, riding one with his gun held high, his bow and quiver of arrows over his shoul- der and his other hand clutching the two halter ropes. He was closely followed by a crowd of men, women and children. Chief of the Wolves was very active in get- ting in front of -his horse and causing the chief to rein in. I stepped to Miss Dear- ness’ hut and spoke her name. She opened the door and came out, her head closely muffled, her face very pale and her blue eyes blinking at the sun. “T saw it all,” she whispered. hole through the hide-door. It was brave of you, wise of you. I’m So glad you— - bought me!” A commotion in the crowd attracted my attention. Chief of the Wolves, sensing our purpose and seeking’ to delay us, had crossed in front of the Pillager’s mount once too often. Struck by the horse’s shoulder, he had been hurled to one -side. An angry murmur arose. Flat Mouth brought the two horses to the porch and, as I took charge of them, he backed his horse violently, splitting the mob into two sections. Then he brought his animal about, faced the savages and, with his ax held out to one side, he leaned forward and cried— “Do you want to see a Pillager Chippewa cast his robe?” Old Choke-Cherry urged the men to give us room and not to crowd round us like foolish children. Chief of the Wolves “crawled to his feet and glared murder at the Pillager’s back. Then he glimpsed me with the double-barrel, and slunk aside. “Make a hole through them, Eshke- bugecoshe!”’ I called out, slapping the girl’s mount and sending her after the chief. “T cut a 59 Flat Mouth’s horse commenced prancing and bolting from side to side as if unman- ageable, and the crowd broke and scat- tered, some diving into doorways, some running in between huts, and, as the way cleared, the Pillager advanced with the girl close behind him. I came last with my gun half raised, watching the tops of the huts as well as the ground. No one, how- ever, made any active demonstration against us: We avoided Le Borgne’s hut and struck north for the Missouri. In my last glimpse of the Minnetarees I beheld Chief of the Wolves running toward Le Borgne’s hut with old Choke-Cherry bob- bing after him. We soon made the Missouri, and Flat Mouth quickly found a bull-boat. I pad- dled Miss Dearness across, and he swam over y.ith her horse in tow. Leaving my gun with her, the Indian and I went back. I remained in the boat and towed my mount over, while my friend repeated his feat of swimming. Flat Mouth said three days of cediciaee travel would take us to the Céteau du Mis- souri, the high ridge separating the waters of the Missouri and the Mouse, but believed we should make it easily in a bit less than that as we had no pack-animals and were sacrificing everything for speed. He set the course for Miss Dearness and me to follow while he rode down the river to pick up the Cheyennes. The girl and I had not gone.far before he came after us with twenty. warriors. They would go with ‘us to the Coteau, he said, but no farther, as our line of flight was along the western edge of the Sioux territory. When I asked him where the rest of the Cheyennes were, he said they had crossed the river to go home, being afraid of the Sioux. Before sundown our escort abruptly bid us good-by and galloped madly back to the Missouri. Perhaps it was better that way, for while the twenty horsemen gave us a brave appearance, they also furnished a large target for a Sioux eye. It would be necessary for them to delay and kill meat, and our pace would be much slower. than when we rode alone. That night Flat Mouth used his bow and arrows with good — effect, and we had fresh meat. For two days more we pushed on, watch- ing for the Assiniboins on the west and ahead of us, for the Sioux on the east and ahead of us. Then we struck the ridge EO) 9)(0)(6) AAV CS (C@