Adventure Magazine Cover — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

94 muck. As he straightened I saw his arm twitch and a red blotch appear on the biceps. Leaping to one side, he fitted the arrow to his bow, gave a keen, sweeping glance overhead and discharged the arrow. - Almost with the twang of the bow there came the shrill death-cry from the sentinel and I saw a dark body bump down along the trunk of an oak and lodge against one of its branches. Gliding back to me, the Pillager an- nounced: “Sometime I will climb up and get his hair. The arrow in the mud showed that it came from overhead and not frem the bank.” With this explanation he registered the kill with his terrible war-cry. We hastened back through the grove, the Pillager swinging to the north to recon- noiter, while I made direct for Miss Dear- ness. She had heard the two cries, one of death and one of victory, and stood facing the river, her hands twisted together, her face white and drawn. On beholding me she hastily turned toward the plain and her hands fell listlessly to her side. The column of smoke had replied to the message from the south and was now dying out. She informed that while I had been gone the Indians had used their robes to confine the smoke and then released it in puffs. Had the Pillager witnessed it he could have read the code. However it was not difficult to guess the message; it told those in the south to hasten if they would be in at a triple kill. Until now I had had no chance to ex- change more than a few words with Miss Dearness. She gestured for me to sit beside her on the robes, and [ took the oppor- tunity to say: “You should have started back East the ‘minute you heard your father was dead.” “T told him I would stay till some one came to take his place.” “But it’s no place for a white woman,” I protested. “It’s bad enough for a man to be cast away among these savages.” She smiled faintly and reminded— “The only danger I’ve faced—until to- day—was from a~white man, Black Chabot.” “T wish the Robe had hit him with his arrows.” “T told the Robe to be very careful and: not hit him, the drunken beast!” Adventure “Tf we could only get word to my Chip- pewas,”’ I sighed. “Tt would do no good so long as I am with you,” she discouraged. Then with a grim little laugh: ‘I’m bad luck. If you were alone they would come; but not while I’m with you. They believe I stole the voice from the Qu’ Appelle or that my medicine wasn’t strong enough to keep it. If I hadn’t sent the voice back they would dare anything to help me.” ‘“‘Then the Crees and Assiniboins?” ‘“‘They’ve heard the Chippewas tell that my medicine is weak. Now they believe I would have kept the Voice if I could. They feel no gratitude. It would be as dangerous fer me to meet Cree or Assiniboin away from the post as it has been to meet the Sioux.” ‘“‘Nonsense!”’ I scoffed. ‘“They’re afraid of you, even if they don’t like your medi- cine.”’ “They hate me and they don’t fear me. When I went on the river alone at night and sang to forget my loneliness I little knew what I was stirring up. I went to get away from the drinking and fighting. I sang, as I was always singing back in the Fast.’ ‘But the Assiniboins would listen to me,” I proudly insisted. “Mr. Franklin, you don’t know them. You’ve met those that come to your post. Their territory extends far to the west. They’re a mighty people. You’ve met men from one band only. Meet them away from your fort and your rum and you will find they’re very much savages.”’ A HORSEMAN suddenly darted ZS toward us, his bow drawn, seeking to learn if we were keeping watch. I covered his bobbing figure as best I could and held my fire until he should come with- in decent range. Just as I began to hope, he pulled his pony about and scuttled back to his mates. “Who are your? Where were you born?” T asked, lowering my gun. “English—England,”’ she murmured, her gaze wandering far beyond the wild horizon. “And I’m an American. Flat Mouth thinks your hair is medicine.” With a little frown she gathered up the disheveled mass and, before my eyes, per- formed the miracle of restoring her hair Gomichbooks co