Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

96 “They'll be here in two minutes. If they’re Utes I’ll shoot one or two of ’em an’ run. They'll do for ye fine. If ye tell me what I want toknow I'll shoot ye before Irun. “Tf they’re ’Rapahoes I’ll tell ’em ye stole th’ white gal that’s got their blood in her veins. Then yer master, th’ devil, will arn some new lessons in deviltry.” A chorus of yells burst from the woods where Joe had left Rogers and Durgin’s sec- ond victim. Into the narrow opening came Rogers, riding with every ounce of strength left in his horse, and wildly shouting: “Mountains filled with Injuns! they come!” “Don’t shoot, ye fool!” yelled the trapper. “*They’re friends!” For he recognized Left Hand in the lead despite the bandage about his head. “The girl. Little brush shack. Back of Denham’s tent,” feebly cried Durgin. “Who killed Denham?” “The boss.” “Who robbed Laramie Pete?” “The boss.” “Tf Old Oakes wasn’t yer oe who is?” Durgin stared vacantly at his questioner. “Yer boss? Quick! Iwill know! Ohe-e/ Left Hand! This way!” Already Left Hand was riding down upon him, his dark visage grim with the rage of the defeated. Durgin’s eyes managed to behold the chief, and he commenced choking. The trapper lowered his head to the fluttering lips and caught the faintly whispered words: ‘Boss is scared. Going torun. I was to clear out with him. You oughter guessed him.” He managed to gasp the all-important word and died at the end of it. An expres- sion of great incredulity spread over his face, then was replaced by a ferocious anger. Springing to his feet, he seized Left Hand’s pony by the bridle?and demanded— “What has happened?” “The Utes are coming. Our medicine was weak,” howled Left Hand, tearing his pony free. “Come, white man.” “Your medicine is weak because you left the white-Arapaho girl unguarded and bad white men stole her!” thundered the trapper. “You must turn back and help me get her.” ‘We ride home to save our women and children. The Great Spirit of the moun- tains has frowned on his children.” “You ride with me to whip the Utes and turn them back. They can not fight when Here Adventure they are near the medicine spring. The girl is there near the spring. “Run away, and your village will be burned and your women taken away. Your warriors will lose their heads. The medicine spring is angry that you did not keep the trader’s daughter safe.” he white man does not know what his tongue says,” yelped a warrior who was im- patient to continue in flight. ‘‘He knows he and one white man whipped the dogs of Utes in the big cafion. knows he and this one white man here can whip them again. Ride home if you dare and have your squaws call you women. ‘Ho! Where are the scalps you prom- ised your women? ‘They say there was a war-dance before you left your village, and that your women told you to bring them back scalps. They say your chief told his men to remember they were Arapaho war- riors; to remember they were of the Jn- unaina. Shall they now say you came crawling home with the Utes at your heels to take your women and children? ‘Bah! The spirit of the spring is sick of such men. Old Wankanaga will look down on this day and say— “Let them breed no more such men among the Cloud-People. “The little white girl with her few drops of Arapaho blood is a better Arapaho than men who run when no enemy is in sight.” This passionate harangue lifted Left He. Hand out of his fright and left him ina rage. ' “They havemany men. We will turn and fight them when we get beyond these woeds.”’ Running to his horse, California Joe jumped into the saddle, and, waving his hat, challenged: “‘Who is afraid of the Utes? Let him ride home and hide behind the women until an ax is stuck in his head and his women arestaken to the Valley of Salt to live with men. Let him who will sing his war-song and drive the Ute dogs back follow me. Here are two white rifles that will make them run.” Then to the bewildered Rogers: “T know where the girl is. Follow me. We must get her clear before the Utes come along.” spring, well knowing that his ap- * peal to Left Hand could gain noth- ing in strength through repetition. Left Hand glared after the white men for two COMMICLOOOkKS * HE STARTED toward the sacred | (C@