Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

86 dangerous if infection could be prevented. “Start up that fire under th’ kettle, Tommy, so’s I can have some b’iled water,” directed Joe. After the fire was well under way and steam began rising from the kettle Joe re- quested: “Go find some ’Rapaho women. ‘Tell ’em ‘bout this sick man. Have ’em send some one that can doctor him. We don’t want no mystery man, but a grass-root man. Some o’ th’ squaws can do it.” Glad to be doing something, Reason de- parted on his errand. By the time Joe had improvised a new bandage and had washed the wound with boiled water his friend re- turned with a wrinkled-face Indian woman riding behind him. She gave one glance at the sick man and then turned to the kettle. From a bag she produced some green leaves and a small package of roots. She called for another kettle, and while Joe was procuring one from the trader’s stock she made a poultice of the leaves and deftly ap- plied it to the wound. Pouring a small quantity of water into a second kettle, she set the roots to steeping, and then trans- ferred her attention to Laramie Pete, ex- amining his arm and satisfying herself that the splints were in the proper position. In Arapaho she murmured to the trader: “Poison runs in the white man’s flesh. He poisons himself with fear. Be still and sleep.” The trader ceased his moaning and re- plied: “My little daughter! I left her for the Arapahoes, her people, to watch over. They went to sleep and let her be stolen.” “She will be brought back unhurt,” was the guttural reply. “We have made medi- cine to bring her back. She has Arapaho blood in her heart. It is very little and weak, but it,is enough to answer our medi- cine. “Our medicine calls to her red blood. She will come. Be still. Sleep, that you may be strong to sing and dance when she comes back.” Leaving him, she tested the contents of the kettle, poured some of the brew into a tin dipper and forced Natchez to drink it almost scalding hot by the simple process of cradling his head in the hollow of her left arm and forcing his jaws apart with her right hand while Joe poured the decoction into his gaping mouth. MHalf-strangled by Adventure the brusk treatment, Natchez ceased his monotonous plaint. The squaw turned on the trappers and ‘harshly commanded— “Gol” “Reckon we might as well,” meekly agreed Joe. “Leave yer nag, Tommy, an’ take one o’ Laramie’s.”’ He set the example by shifting his sad- dle from Left Hand’s pony to one of the trader’s. In changing his saddle Reason paused long enough to produce his snakeskin and hold it in his hands. He was struggling against selfishness. Self-preservation urged him to carry his medicine with him; but the wounded man needed its aid. Finally he conquered self. With a lugubrious sigh he hung the skin over a wagon-wheel. His sacrifice was not to be, however, for the squaw snatched it from the wheel and threw it at him. “That settles their hash,’’ Reason bitterly lamented as he picked up his medicine. “She’s killed both o’ them. Ye can’t cuff a snakeskin round like that an’ not suffer for it.” ee) THEIR fresh mounts carried the ~~“ trappers to the town at a wild pace, and they did not halt until they reached Kitts’ shack. This was located in the dry bed of the creek. As the two dismounted they observed men leaving the settlement while others were coming in. There was much bawling back and forth of worthless information, of false clues and wild rumors. Old Missouri, still lacking orders to open his emplover’s bar, guarded the stock of whisky and sent all the thirsty down the line to where the dealer in Taos lightning was reaping a small fortune. Hardly had the trappers struck the ground before Kitts was inviting them: “Come in. I was about to start looking for you.” He was oiling a revolver. A rifle and bowie-knife on top of a saddle indicated that he was about to ride. Before they could explain the conditions they had found at the wagons he was rapidly saying: “We need system. Every one is running around like wild men. We must organize several parties and have each follow a defi- nite plan of search. “T want you fellers to head two parties. CORMICLOO© S , (C@