Adventure Magazine Cover — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

War Wampum As he was finishing and before he could turn to go there came a swirl of commotion on his left, and glancing in that direction he beheld dignified warriors hastily crawling out of the way of Rickards, who was walk- ing with head thrown back and apparently not seeing those who were seated in his path. All eyes followed him as he approached and stood behind Pontiac and between Ninivois and Take. The two chiefs drew their blan- kets across their faces and turned away. Rickards moved around in front of Pon- tiac. The war-chief’s gaze did not waver as Rickards peered steadily at him. Slowly Rickards advanced a hand to Pontiac’s » girdle and drew forth the chief’s knife. Without moving a muscle Pontiac watched him raise the knife and examine the edge and then thrust it into his own belt. But Rickards was not done yet. Some sense of fairness, the instinct of the trader, next prompted him to produce his own knife and clumsily place it in the chief’s girdle. Pontiac’s deep chest thrilled with joy, and he swept his proud gaze over the staring spectators and silently invited them to bear witness that the child of the maniios had not come to disarm him, but to cement the pact of brotherhood by exchanging knives. Nor would any fail to read in the demented man’s action a symbolic meaning: Some of the manitos’ medicine must accom- pany the knife, and a new strength was added to the Three Fires. As Rickards spied his three friends and moved to join them Pontiac threw high both hands and loudly cried out: “Tt is good. He gives a medicine knife to the Three Fires.” With that he flung his blanket over his shoulders and hurried away. Ballou yanked on the cord and Meekly got on his feet. The Beaver led the way back to the fire. Rickards brought up the rear. As Ballou fastened the long cord to the tree Meekly lamented: ‘‘What made the fool do that? Pontiac now feels all puffed up with importance.”’ Before Ballou could express himself Rickards was treading on his heels and babbling: i “White face. Yaller half.” “Rickards, did you give the piece of bark to the white woman?”’ fiercely asked Ballou. Rickards drew the Indian knife from his belt and examined it with childish interest. Ballou repeated his question and Rickards 107 ‘drew the piece of bark from his shirt and dropped it on the ground and resumed his examination of the knife. Ballou dropped to the ground and stared down on his own message. He slowly turned the bark over and could scarcely restrain himself from shouting as he read: Help. I am grievously Afraid. I am in a Cabbin with Many guns. hite man comes in. He Seems sore Afflicted. The Indians do not Bother him. Get me out of here. I am Afraid, Nell Marks. “What is 1t?”’ whispered Meekly as he noted his friend’s strong emotion. ‘“‘Nell Marks. She’s a prisoner in the Wyandotte village. In a cabin ‘with many guns.’ ”’ She’s cooped up with the new muskets that go to Tamaque when the Rat gets her!” hissed Meekly. ‘Tell the Conestaga to follow Rickards and see what cabin he goes into.” Ballou explained the girl’s message and requested him to locate the cabin. The Beaver picked up his wooden mask and whispered to it. ‘The False-face tells me I shall find they cabin before the sun goes to sleep. The False-face says my white brother should paint himself again.”’ He handed over his paint-bag and a small trade-mirror. Ballou hung the mirror on a stake and, proceeded to paint his face and renew the knife on his chest. The hours passed slowly. None of the warriors intruded on the little group, but there was a certain something in the air that kept Ballou and Meekly strung up to a high pitch. “Something’s going to burst loose,” warned Meekly. ‘Know it just as well as I know it’s going to rain when my rheumatiz begins to kick up in my left leg. Ninivois and Take are with Pontiac now. Something is going to crack, and the Injuns know what it is and are waiting.” Ballou gave most of his attention to the forest line. It was from the forest that danger might come at any minute, he told himself, when the scouts returned and ex- ultingly proclaimed the trail they had picked up led to the spot where the white men and the Beaver first met Sleeping Wolf and his braves. There was ever the dread of Tamaque’s coming, but the Unalachtigo chief would come by water and could not burst upon them of a sudden. Tamaque COMICooo S (C@