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

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

Gentlemen of the North flames, but with the short stubble sprinkled with the new grass trying to gain the sun, and with the ground still wet, there was no danger. The smoke, the night and the shouting brought much confusion to the enemy. Away from it all we rode, the girl and the Pillager in advance, and I scamper- ing behind with my two barrels ready. Our escape must have been quickly dis- covered, as we had not traveled more than two miles before we heard shouting to-the north and abreast of us. We slowed our animals to a walk, our course tending a bit south of west and which, if persisted in, would bring us to the Cheyenne River. The Sioux knew we were somewhere south of them and were concentrating all their efforts in throwing a barrier across the plains to prevent our turning north towards the Pembina. I rode up beside the girl. She reached out, patted my arm and said— “T’ve made you a lot of bother.” “Life out here is made up of bothers. I’m glad to find one that’s worth while.” “Vou say it very nicely,” she approved. “‘But I won’t be a bother to any one again if I can get out of this. So long as I could manage without being helped it was my place to stay. Now that I find I have to shift my responsibilities I am anxious to go back east. I never had believed it, but I do now; a woman is sure to need help sometime. ”’ ‘She wouldn’t be a woman if she didn’t,” I declared. “Even men expect to help each other in this country.” “He doesn’t have to ask another to see to it he isn’t taken prisoner,” she gravely replied. “I had no right to ask you. An- _ Other example of dodging responsibilities.” “God forbid it should ever have to be!”’ “But you wouldn’t let them take me alive?” she fiercely demanded. “No man would,” I answered. Again she patted my arm and mur- mured— “Tf we had met back East we might have been such friends.” The wind whipped a strand of her hair across my face, and in that moment she was all feminine—dependent, and her pres- ence became a tonic. I was saved from replying to her last speech—a foolish speech, as there was nothing to prevent our being “such friends” out here—by a warning hiss from the Pillager. 99 He leaped to the ground and ordered us to do likewise. I helped the girl to dis- mount, and the chief caught her pony by the nose to keep him from giving an alarm, while I muzzled my own beast and waited. A thudding of hoofs, not more than four men, as the Pillager whispered, drew nearer. They were bearing directly down on us, and I was anxious to release my animal and make ready to fire. Flat Mouth warned: “Be still! See that the horse doesn’t call out. They can’t see us.” | I knew this must be true, as we could see nothing of them. On they came and raced by in front of us and very close— a suggestion of motion as if something had disturbed the darkness and left a swirl of darkness behind it. These were spies sent out to learn our true position. Above us on the right the enemy kept calling back and forth as they patrolled from east to west. Still on foot, we resumed our flight, the chief picking his course without any hesitation. I suggested the necessity of a turning movement before daylight, but he discouraged it, saying: “We must keep this way till light. Then we must hide. This is a big war-party. It will be ashamed to go back and face the women without scalps to pay for the braves we have killed. These are the Sioux of the plains, very cruel and fierce. Once they held the country along the lower Red River. They are always at war with the Chippewas.” : ‘For just where are we striking?” “The bend of the Cheyenne. It is very rough and heavily wooded along the river. The Sioux claim the country. We can hide there a few days and then go home.” From what he said I judged the distance to be covered was about forty miles. I know that we rode and walked all night long with the Sioux hovering to the north of us during much of the journey. When the east began lighting its fires, and we were permitted to see the plain around us, I was delighted by two discoveries; the plain was empty of Indians, and a short distance ahead a thick growth marked the course of the Cheyenne where it made its northern loop. The girl swayed in her saddle, and I rode closer to her. ‘“T was asleep,” she drowsily murmured, leaning against my arm, ‘Dreamed the GEomicbooks (E(0)