Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado 9 long hair with vermilion. One of them, an old man, had his hair wrapped in skins, and the size of the rolls indicated its ab- normal length. Garcia whispered it was Walking Wolf and that his hair was his medicine. For several minutes the six men remained silent. Outside the old woman sang the story of the green scalps, breaking off to denounce those who ventured too close. The young men and boys continued tor- menting the bear. In the tent beyond the white-haired man was building up a game of solitaire. Sitting Bear at last gave an order and the pipe was brought. The old man who wor- shiped his hair smoked first, sending a puff toward the sun, then passing the pipe to Sitting Bear. The chief did _like- wise. The other two saluted the sky and earth and four wind quarters. The Mexican, greatly agitated, drove his elbow into the trapper’s side repeatedly. “Let my ribs alone. growled the trapper. The Mexican took the pipe and. before smoking chanted softly, as if making a new medicine; and his words were: “Two smoked only to the sun, their big god. They makeaspellto hurt you. The old man is a sorcerer.” I ain’t blind,” CHAPTER II RIVAL MEDICINES 71TH the smoking out of the way, Sit- ting Bear was impatient to learn where the trapper’s goods were, offering to send his young men to bring them to the village. California’ Joe explained how his partner had gone to Bent’s new post down the river to procure a new supply. He was careful to dwell on the likelihood of his part- ners coming on ahead of the goods. Sitting Bear was disappointed and eyed the trapper evilly. Then he asked about the gold discovery in Colorado, of which he had heard through the Arapahoes. Joe pre- tended ignorance, saying he was a trader and did not care to dig the ground like a squaw to get gold. The chief ahruptly began complaining that the Great Chief in Washington had given hair-metal (presents) to the Co- manches, Arapahoes and Cheyennes and that the Kiowas had received nothing. Joe spoke of the new blankets worn by his people. The Bear promptly replied these were obtained in trade with Mexico. The trapper next inquired about the white scalps outside, and was told these were taken from bad JTehkanekos, who had attacked a Kiowa village. Then with a fine show of anger he loudly warned that there would be much trouble for the whites unless blue blankets were given to each member of the tribe, red ones for the chiefs, and plenty of calico for the women. Realizing that this was a play to frighten him and that four pairs of eyes were watch- ing for a sign of weakness, the trapper care- lessly retorted that the Great Chief gave gifts to his friends, but never gave because he was threatened; that he had plenty of powder and balls for those who harmed his children. Sitting Bear at once changed his de- meanor and reiterated that the scalps on the pole belonged to the Tehanekos. Like nearly all the plains tribes in the central and southern districts the Kiowas assumed that the Texans were a separate race of white men from the hairy-mouths, or Americans. As an example of the Kiowas’ love for the Americans the chief referred to the white card-player. As to presents from the Great Chief, that was already arranged, or would be as soon as one of the tribe’s leading men, Many Lances, had talked with the Indian agent at Bent’s post. The village was waiting for Many Lances’ return before going to hunt buffalo and combining with other vil- lages in a war of extermination on the Pawnees. The Kiowas were weary of war. _ They wished to walk in the white man’s road and eat beef instead of buffalo. They would even stop their raids into Mexico if the ~ Great Chief insisted upon it. If the Great Chief would be kind and very generous to his red children all would be perfect har- mony before the grass was up in the next Leaf Moon and before the breasts of eagles began to turn white and panther-whelps were born. While waiting for the Great Chief’s pres- ents, the trader’s gifts would be very accept- able. Dohasan had been angry with the trader, but his heart would be warm and tender when he came back and found he’ had misjudged his white friend and when Comicoooks (C@