Adventure Magazine Cover — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

The Doom Trail and for a moment I thought there was a trace of something more. ‘““Ga-ha-no!” pleaded Ta-wan-ne-ars. But she regained the mastery of herself, and a mocking smile was his answer. ‘They are no-ordinary captives who will consecrate our feast,’? she continued her recitative. ‘For one is a chief of the Iroquois and a warrior whose valor will resist the torment with pride. And the other is a white chief whose tender flesh will yield great delight and whose screams will give pleasure in our ears. ‘Great is the triumph of thé French chief de Veulle who is himself of our order. Great is the triumph of the brave Keepers who aided him. Great will be the future tri- umphs which So-a-ka-ga-gwa will give us in return for these sacrifices. “O my people, this is the Night of Prepa- ration. When An-da-ka-ga-gwa,(a) the hus- band of So-a-ka-ga- ewa, retires to rest to mourn his dead wife and make ready for the new one he will take tomorrow, you must retire to your lodges, and put out your fires, and let down your hair. ‘For in the night the spirits of Ha-nis-ka- o-no-geh(b) will come to hold communion with their servants, the False Faces, and they will be hungry for your souls. ‘And this is my warning to you, O my people. Heed the warning of the Ga-go-sa Ho-nun-as-tase-ta. “And on the next night we will celebrate the Moon Feast, and I will dance for you the Moon Dance, and you shall dance the Torture Dance. And we will tear the hearts out of our enemies’ breasts and grow strong from their sufferings.” She tossed her arms above her head, and the ring of False Faces burst into their high- pitched, nasal chant, and resumed the hesi- tant dancing step, their horrible masks wobbling from side to side, their painted bodies, naked save for the breech- coed posturing in rhythm. Their Mistress summoned the squat Cahnuaga chief, who seemed to be especially charged with our safe-Keéping. “You will unbind the captives from the stakes and,place them in the Council- House,” she said coldly. ‘If they are left out in the night, my brothers and sisters, the aids of Ha-ne-go-ate-geh will devour (a) The Sun—‘‘the Light of the Day.”’ (6) Hell—'‘the Dwelling-Place of Evil.” Pe} 113 them. Feed them well, so that they will be strong to resist their torment, and tie them securely, and place a guard of crafty war- riors over them. If they escape, you shall be the sacrifice at the Moon Feast.” The chief groveled before her. “The commands of the Ga-go-sa Ho-nun- as-tase-ta shall be obeyed,” he promised. ‘And I pray you will hold off the Spirits of Evil tonight, for sometimes they have been overbold and have snatched our people from their lodges.” “You are safe this time if you heed my words,” she answered, “for you have se- cured a sacrifice which will be very pleasing to So-a-ka-ga-gwa and her friends.’’(c) Then she came up quite close to us. She looked at me with frank curiosity, and particularly at my hair, which was brown. But most of her attention was bestowed upon ‘Ta-wan-ne-ars. ‘So you remember me?” she said in a hard voice and speaking in the Seneca dialect. , “IT remember you, Ga-ha-no,” he. an- swered. “But I see you do not remember me,”’ “Oh, well enough,” she returned. am no longer an ordinary woman. Mistress of the False Faces ‘And of a French snake,’ he added bitterly. Her eyes flashed. “T am not a squaw, which is what I should have been had you and my stupid father had your way with me!” Ta-wan-ne-ars shook his head sadly. ‘““Ta-wan-ne-ars has only one regret that he is to die,” he said. ‘“That is because he can not live to find your lost soul and return it to you.” “My lost soul?” she repeated. Vea?’ She laughed harshly. “Ta-wan-ne-ars is a child,’ she said. “His heart is turned to water. He talks of things which are not. My soul is here.” She tapped her left breast. “Tt does not matter, however, for the Ga-go-sa Ho-nun-as-tase-ta does not need a soul as other mortals do.” She turned on her heel abruptly, and fol- lowed the priests into the long bark house from which they had emerged. ») “But I (c) For this and other conversations am indebted to Ta wan-ne-ars, who translated them for me afterward. H.O, g COMMICLOOOKS Lam the © (ee)