Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

The Road to El Dorado of the boulders, but Joe restrained him, ad- vising: “Wait! Their sand may dribble away afore they come ten rods. Time ’nough to shoot when we have to. We must git back to th’ hosses an’ find a place tomakea fightin.” They turned the corner of the mighty cor- ridor, now feeling their way.” Five hundred feet down the cation were their horses, con- ~ tentedly tearing the bark from sweet cotton- wood-trees, a fodder they preferred to the richest grass. Five hundred feet in the waning light; now night was come it seemed many times that distance. Moving slowly, they had passed a scant two hundred feet when several lights danced around the bend. Reason threw up his rifle and fired. The torches were speedily ex- tinguished. Only the rush of the river dis- turbed the cafion. The shot had evened up the question of speed; rather, it had given the whites the advantage. ‘They could press forward with all possible haste while their pursuers must move cautiously or run the risk of walking into an ambush. And yet the absence of the torches worked a psychological advantage to the red men. So long as the white men could see the lights they could determine the position of the foremost red scouts. Now the Utes might be anywhere, within a rod, within knife- reach. The trappers’ nerves were iron, yet the uncertainty of their situation wore on them. Their bold spirits demanded action. Joe growled that he felt like a boy hiding in a dark place and hoping he would be found. Softly gathering a handful of smooth stones, he whispered to Reason: “T’ll try to start a little landslide ’cross th’ river. Yer shot told ’em white men was in th’ cafion. If they bite at my bait it’ll give us a chance to make th’ hosses an’ find a good fightin’-spot.” Stepping clear of his companion, he swung his long arm and hurled a stone through the blackness against the opposite wall, following it rapidly with others. No one could have heard the missile register, so sonorous was the river’s voice; but by the time the trap- per’s hands were empty the sound of gravel and small stones dislodging large rocks con- quered the tumult of the waters. As the dé- bris got well under way it sent boulders fly- ing ahead, and the cafion vibrated under the tremendous din. 73 The dislodged mass came to rest. The river renewed its savage song. An Indian shrilly warned that the enemy were trying to scale the opposite slope. Bows were bent and a volley of arrows whistled across the stream. Some of the Utes called for lights that they might cross the foaming current by leaping from boulder to boulder. California Joe halted and threw more stones, but no avalanche rewarded this last effort. A light sprang up and advanced to. the river. As its bearer swung it above his head and forced it into full flame and began yell- ing for the others to follow, the trappers ac- cepted him as the war-chief of the band, for he wore a shirt lavishly decorated with scalps. As he leaped from. the bank to a boulder the sight of Reason’s rifle halted be- tween his shoulders. ‘The torch died in the river; the brave’s limp form fell across the rock. At least some of the Indians did not at first seem to understand what had hap- pened; for voices cried for the man to get up. Others yelled for another torch. Others nearer the trappers were too busy seeking cover for the first few moments. When they had attended to their own im- mediate protection they began yelling that white men were shooting the torch-bearers. Before this warning could be relayed up the line a Ute lighted a torch. California Joe dropped him before he could advance a step. : oa INSTANTLY the Utes ceased er (as their cries. The trappers gave ground rapidly, taking desperate chances | in a last effort to reach their horses, Once Reason warned— ‘“They’re comin’! Yet nothing happened, and the two came to their horses. They found the intelligent animals using their hoofs to hold a branch from which they gnawed the bark, just as a dog uses his paw in holding down a bone. The trappers had placed another bend between them and the enemy, but knowl- edge of the fact did not remove their uneasi- ness. It was easy to imagine the Utes about to crawl around the curve and spring upon them. ‘“‘Can’t see my own nose,” murmured Joe. “Tl lead th’ nags while ye scout ahead an’. find a good fightin’-place.” COmmicloool< (C@