Adventure Magazine Cover — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

\ Pay Gravel But even more rapidly did the trickster’s fingers, concealed by the opened deck, con- vey to the danger point the card he desired to force upon the chief. Crazy Horse had no suspicion that his choice had been in- fluenced in any way by the white man, but when he observed he had drawn the three of hearts he was deeply irritated. He cast the card on the ground and eyed it malevo- lently. But Scissors was not done. He asked the chief to show the paper he was still holding in his left hand. Crazy Horse unwillingly smoothed out the paper and beheld, in a perpendicular line, three hearts. “‘Washte-helo!’’ he muttered, staring thoughtfully at the piece of paper. Thus far it was obvious that Two Knives Talking could bring to light anything Sorrel Horse sought to hide, and could even foretell—as evidenced by the paper—just what the medicine-man would attempt to conceal. Sorrel Horse felt his reputation slipping. He stared off at the Black Hills, conjuring help from Mato tipi, the Grizzly Bear Lodge, where Tunkan’s power dwelt. Dinsdale’s spirits mounted as he beheld his friend’s legerdemain surpassing that of the red conjurer; and despite his anxiety over their situation he could not refrain from speculating on his companion’s cun- ning. He did not believe that any one in Deadwood City suspected the picture- man’s adeptness. And he wondered in how many other ways would Scissors prove to be a surprize. Sorrel Horse now proceeded with his next trick. He drew a short knife and stabbed it into the ground several times to prove it was a genuine blade. Then throwing back his head and opening his mouth he began, apparently, forcing the knife down his throat. This in itself was sufficient to evoke a low chorus of applause, mixed with grunts of wonder. But the medicine-man had yet to appear at his magical best. Dropping on his side he groaned. He appeared to be _ very ill, and a thin voice that seemed to float in the air, begged for a lighted pipe. One was brought and placed beside him on the robe. He stuffed the bowl in his mouth and blew the smoke through the stem, then he inhaled it. As he kept this up for a dozen whiffs the perspiration stood out on his sharp features and his copper skin took on the color of ashes. Dinsdale be- lieved he was dying. Scissors smiled com- IOI | placently and watched closely. Suddenly -tossing the pipe aside and clutching a hand to his naked ribs he plucked forth the knife, and his physical appearance quickly became normal. 3 “W ashte-helol’’ exclaimed Crazy Horse. Inflating his chest Sorrel Horse haughtily asked— “What does the white medicine say to that?” “It says this,” answered Scissors, snatch- ing up the knife. A guard lunged forward to pluck it from his hand, and found it not. He grabbed the other hand and found it empty. Crazy Horse called out for the man to desist. Now undisturbed, Scissors made the knife appear and disappear with be- wildering rapidity. He seemed to pull it from his ear, his leg, and to spit it from his mouth. It vanished for the last time only to appear from over his right shoulder, whirl- ing rapidly and striking on its point in the wolf robe near the foot of Sorrel Horse. Before the medicine-man could essay more of his magic the white man held up a small square of paper in his left hand. Then he waved his scissors above his head, while the nimble fingers of the left hand folded the paper several times. Then ad- vancing the paper toward Crazy Horse he daintily snipped off a protruding corner. Opening the paper he revealed that the one movement of the blades had cut out a per- fect star of five points. Until the simple trick was explained it must remain a big mystery to the wondering spectators, and a mystery is always wakan, therefore a medicine. Especially did it appeal to Crazy Horse, inasmuch as the star reminded him of General Crook, or Three Stars. And how could one stroke of the two blades cut it out? His face was somber as he turned to Sorrel Horse and asked— “Ts there more medicine?” Sorrel Horse, now desperate in his desire to prove the superiority of his magic, re- plied: “Let Shunca-luta and the white man be tied fast and placed in a lodge together. We will see whose medicine comes first to take off the rawhide.” Those warriors who had come with Crazy Horse were elated over this proposed test. But Little Big Man and his braves were much concerned. They had said nothing to Crazy Horse or the medicine-man about Eomicbooks (E(9)