Adventure Magazine Cover — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

SE 62 | | Adventure They changed their formation and advanced abreast of each other. ‘ ‘This maneuver brought the one with ‘the gun close to Putnam’s covert; and the ranger’s lips clamped together like a trap as he ap- preciated his advantage. Gently relinquishing his rifle, he drew his ax and gradually worked to his knees. On crawled the Mohawk, his beady eyes glued on the spot where the puppy was con- ducting further investigations. The three were now strung out with wide intervals be- tween so as to close in from three sides, leaving only the eastern side open. If the prey escaped in that direction he would be forced to return up the mountain and into the hands of the Abnaki. Now the Mohawk was so close that Putnam could hear his deep breathing. His sinuous movements were practically noiseless. Draw- ing up the left knee, he would place the right hand holding the gun ahead. Then the right knee and left hand were likewise advanced. Like some wonderfully efficient and thor- oughly oiled piece of mechanism he came to the edge of the ranger’s hiding-place. The brown hand holding the gun fell into position almost under Putnam’s nose. The weight of the body was partly resting on it as the left hand was being put ahead. It was at that precise: moment that Put- nam’s arm shot from the bushes and brought the ax down on the back of the brave’s neck, the force of the blow almost severing the head. And as the blow landed, and before the other Indians could comprehend the situation the was caught up from the dead hand and discharged at the nearest savage. He came to his knees, screaming, drilled through from- side to side: The survivor began rolling under some cedars; but with his own gun and its generous charge of buckshot Putnam got him’as he was flopping from sight. s* 29 THE two explosions and the terrible 3 death-cry sadly frightened the puppy, He came rolling down the slope, his small soul exhausting itself in shrill howls. “You derned nuisance!’ growled Putnam, snatching up the white, fluffy form with its ridiculous black eye and stuffing it into his shirt. Then he appropriated the Mohawk’s gun, ran to the foot of the slope and took time to load both weapons. From the mountain and from the north came the yells of the militia as they swarmed through the woods. Thread- ing this general clamor together was the ulu- lating signals of the red allies. With a gun in each hand Putnam ran at right angles to the enemy sweeping down on his right, or from the north. He heard the disappointed howls of the red men who were eS > descending the mountain and who were now * meeting the reenforcements cutting in from the north to head the fugitive off. They had shaken out the bag and the quarry had escaped. But the chase was far from being ended. There could be but one way open to the ranger; and the pack, in full cry, made for Lake George. “T like a straight run: bettern’ being boxed up between two or three bunches of the var- ments,’ Putnam confided to the penitent puppy as he sped like a deer for the water. On his immediate right he could hear the soldiers excitedly talking as they followed along the Carrying-Place trail. The fact that’ they stuck to the trail gave him confidence. They must be regulars, as the militia would have taken to the bush to rout him out. He could mark the progress of the pursuit as the savages descended the slope and sounded their view-halloa as they met with bands coming round the mountain. The answering calls finally ceased, and he knew that all his — pursuers were at his back with the swiftest of foot racing in a dead line to reach the lake ahead of him. As he was convinced that none of the enemy was abreast of him on his left he bore off to the southwest, although this course would bring him out far below the spot where he had concealed his canoe. At last through an opening he sighted the blue water and slowed down to a walk to ease his aching lungs. Cautiously gaining the edge of the shore, he found he had emerged directly below a narrow point. Three canoes were drawn up on the beach. As he prepared to make a dash for one of these two Indians came out of the woods, filled kettles with water and leisurely went back. It was obvious that these and the band they were camping with had not as yet learned of the white fugitive. He waited until they had disappeared from sight, then ran to the canoes and with his knife spoiled two beyond repair. Placing his two guns and the puppy in the third, he dropiped it into the water and seized the paddle: Paddling with all his power, he made across the lake diagonally. The puppy waddled and rolled about in the bottom of the canoe and whined dolefully at first; then became an opti- .mist and curled up with his head between his white paws.and slept. Putnam traveled so swiftly that when a faint howl warned him that he had been dis- covered the men running along the shore’ were only dots. They were sure to find canoes speedily, and the Canadian Mohawks, like their pagan brothers in the Long House, were among the best boatmen in North America. However, his great lead stilled any fear of being captured on the water. Already the long, bare slopes of Rogers’ Rock towered ahead; ‘ CONMICDOOKS Gcom: