Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

28 “The bear is killing us!’ To be followed in English by: “Keep back, Tom! I’m all right!’ ‘‘Americanos diablosl’” shrieked Garcia, cringing in his tent while his Kiowa spouse made for the scene of chaos with a knife in each hand. A new and puzzling note was now added— a woful howling on the eastern edge of the village, a lugubrious chanting which Reason recognized as a Kiowa death-song. Joe’s cry for succor had been a subterfuge to satisfy Sitting Bear his prisoners were simply victims of the night’s alarms. But this new arrival, who came from the East, who started a death-song after attracting general attention by his screeching, forced the situation on to a fresh climax. Reason believed that his fate was so delicately balanced that the next fifteen seconds would either send him riding to his death as he sought his friend, or see him and his friend racing against death toward the mountains. He tightened rein and was about to ride into the village, taking Joe’s horse with him for the owner to mount, when a familiar voice murmured: “Walk yer hoss easy. Atween th’ new Injun howlin’ an’ their thinkin’ we’re under th’ tent bein’ chawed by th’ b’ar we won’t be missed for a few minutes.” “Wait!” mumbled Reason. The noise behind them ceased. Dull glows marked the fresh fires being started by the women. The newcomer had de- livered his message to Sitting Bear, for now the strident voice of the chief passionately rang out: ‘‘Many Lances has been killed by white soldiers. They hid his body in the old fort of sods. They were afraid to have the Kiowas know it. The scalps of the two white traders shall be the first of many to please the ghost of Many Lances. Dig them out from the tent!” “So they blame it on to th’ soldiers,” said Joe as they increased their pace. “Killed by Pawnee. Soldiers hid th’ body in Soddy: (soldiers’. nickname for the abandoned Fort Atkinson). Fool trick to hide th’ body.” . “Of all th’ talkative cusses! Why didn’t ye tell that afore? Now if yer snake is any good he’d better begin to operate.” “Good ’nough to fetch ye back with yer ha’r on. Git yer pipe?” “T’m here; what d’ye ‘low? Ana baked Adventure ant’lope head. On way to git th’ pipe I remembered seein’ a squaw put th’ head ‘mong th’ hot rocks o’ th’ fire. So I stopped an’ got it. ‘“‘Reckon it was th’ smell o’ that that stirred Bill up. Derned if I didn’t forgit all ’bout him! Walked right by him an’ was bendin’ over to enter th’ tent when—sufferin’ beav- ers! I reckon Bill evened up all th’ wrongs ever put upon him. ‘He fetched me a slam that sent me ‘cross th’ tent. I climbed to my feet an’ got my pipe jest as Bill busted loose an’ dropped in to have his visit out. We dodged round th’ center pole an’ I opine he must ’a’ hit it. Down come th’ whole business. “T cut a hole an’ got clear. Bill was still under th’ hides, woofin’. Sittin’ Bear yells out an’ ye heard me answer. Started to find ye whistle an’ plumped into a buck comin’ out ’nother tent. I growled at him an’ he give ground like a drunken trapper’ll throw away money. -“’Th’ squaws begin freshenin’ up th’ fires. All th’ time Bill was swearin’ in a dozen different b’ar languages. Then comes th’ man from th’ Eas 3 “Hark!” A prolonged howl, reminiscent of a dog’s mournful salute to the full moon, cut the thick air like a knife, followed by a succes- sion of staccato notes. “Tellin? Many Lances’ ghost they’ll soon send us to keep him company,” whispered the trapper. ‘‘Move soft.” . “Hark!” ‘ This time it was the yell of discovery, the infuriated voice of the pack when it finds that its prey has stolen away. The ruined tent had been removed, and the trappers’ escape was revealed. The chorus of howls swept toward the pony herd. “My medicine told me to take them ponies,’ grumbled Reason. THROUGH the night and early morning’ hours they had followed the river road, and now, with the sun trying to burn a hole through the fog, they knew they had covered some fifteen miles and should be at the mouth of the Apishpa. Reason was the first to make out an oblong and two rounded hills. These shapes were barely discernible through the mist. Beyond these flowed the Apishpa, entering from the south. CORNICLOOOKS (C@