Adventure, December 3, 1920 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

94 “Believe it? ——, no! But it’s fun to hear him splutter.” The men smiled grimly. They had held back from affronting their neighbor’s cousin. ‘They looked upon Dale much as they looked on Baby Kirst when he came to the settlement and whimpered because he could not find ripe berries to pick. They were deciding that Dale. was mentally irresponsible; only his malady took a different twist than did Baby’s. He was an Indian-lover instead of hater. Dale’s dark face flushed purple with anger. By an effort he controlled himself and said: “All right. You men want a fight. I’m afraid you'll have it. But I tell you that if Dunmore would call off that dog of a Connolly at Fort Pitt I could go among the Ohio In- dians and make a peace which would last.” “How about the Injuns being willing for us to go down into the Kentucky country?” spoke up Moulton. “If you want peace with the Indian, you must let him keep a place to hunt and live in. He can’t live if you take away his hunting- grounds.” “Then let’s take ’em away so they’ll die out tarnation fast,” cried Elijah Runner. “Whole batch an’ pilin’ oughter be hoofin’ it through !” added Hacker. Drawing himself up and speaking with much dignity, Dale said— , “T am sorry for any of you men who came out here to make homes if you will let a few Indian-killers, who never make homes, spoil your chances for getting ahead.” “We don’t go for to kill every Tnjun we see,” said Davis, heretofore silent. ‘I’m a fambly- man. I don’t want Injuns butchered here in the settlement like as Ike Crabtree done for Cherokee Billy. -No sense in that.” “That’s what I say, too,” agreed another. And this endorsement of Davis’ view became quite general. Of course I had known right along that the settlers as a whole did not look with favor upon indiscriminate slaughter of the natives. Dale nodded his approval and said: “Well, that’s something. Only you don’t go far enough.” Hughes angrily took up the talk, declaring: “You cabin-men are mighty tickled to have us Injun-hating fellers come along when there’s any chance of trouble. I’ve noticed that right along.” “Course we are, Jesse,” agreed Davis. “But that don’t mean we’re mighty glad when some of you kill a friendly Injun in the settlement and, by doing so, bring the fighting to us.’ ‘T low we've outstayed our welcome,” Hughes grimly continued. ‘You folks foller this man’s trail and it’ll lead you all to the stake. I’m moving on tonight.” ‘Don’t go away mad, Jesse,” piped up old Adventure Uncle Dick. “Talk don’t hurt nothin’. Stick along an’ git your fingers into the fightin’ what’s bound to come.’ “Y’m going away to kill Injuns,” was the calm reply. ‘“That’s my business.” “Hacker, Scott’n me will go along with you,” said Runner. ‘Now that Howard’s Creek has got a trader to keep the Injuns off, we ain’t needed here no more.” “T can keep the Indians away,” cried Dale. “When I offer them my belts, they’ll be glad to receive them. You send them a few trade- belts in place of the bloody ax and they’ll be your friends, too.” “Bah!” roared Hughes, too disgusted to talk. “What does the white Injun say?” yelled one of the young men. He had barely put the query before: John Ward stalked through the fort door,and stood” at Dale’s elbow. Speaking slowly and stress- ing his words in that jerky fashion that marks an Indian’s speech in English, he said: .“The trader is right. I have been a prisoner among Indians for many years. I know their minds. Dale can go anywhere among Indians where he has been before, and no hand will be lifted against him.” “You’re a liar!’ passionately cried Hughes, his hand creeping to his belt. Ward folded his arms across his deep chest and stared in silence at Hughes for nearly a minute; then slowly said: “No Indian ever called me that. It’s a man of my own race that uses the word to me.” “And a —— cheap sample of his race,” boomed Dale, his heavy face convulsed with rage. ‘“‘A cheap killer, who must strike from behind! Faugh! It’s creatures like you-—” PIE. Pleas jumped for him. Before we could “ram seize the infuriated man Ward’s arm was thrust across his chest and with the rigidity of a bar of iron stopped the assault. Before Hughes could pull knife or ax from his belt we hustled him into the background. His three friends scowled ferociously but offered no interference. It was obvious that the settlers as a body would not tolerate any attack on Dale. Inarticulate with rage, Hughes beckoned for Hacker, Scott and Runner to follow him. A few rods away he halted and called out: “Dale, I’ll live to hear how your red friends have danced your scalp. Then I’ll go out and shoot some of them. That white Injun beside you will be one of the first to stick burning splinters into your carcass. He’s lived with redskins too long to forget his red tricks. Come on, fellers.” This sorty disturbance depressed the spirits of the settlers. War was on, and there was none of the Howard’s Creek men who believed WITH an animal screech Hughes EOPMNIC OOOL< (E@) mM —