Adventure Magazine Cover — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

114 “We must go back to the lower villages to- night. When your brother comes send a man to us so we may come to him.” He urged that we remain with the Minnetarees indefinitely, but I explained we had certain trade preparations to make, and he finally agreed to inform us when the chief arrived. Utterly disgusted with the villages, determined to get away where I[ could feel clean once more, and sensing that it must be hell for Miss Dearness, I made up my mind on the spot to make a break north from the Mandan village early the next morning. Fear of the Sioux would keep the village Indians from pursuing us, while the presence of the Cheyennes on the Knife, anxious to make peace, would tend to make both Sioux and Assiniboins chary about remaining in that neighbor- hood. The Mandans, while peacefully disposed and much less arrogant than the Minne- tarees, were known as dogged fighters. Allied with the Cheyennes, they could carry a good fight to the Sioux, and the latter knew it. By striking directly north and traveling much by night I believed we could make the big loop of the Mouse. After following the Mouse a short distance we would be within the sphere of influence of the N. W. Company, represented by Fort Assiniboin, and our dangers from hostile red men would be over. Nor did I expect any difficulty in leaving the Mandan village. We had come and gone as we pleased, our story was believed, and we had visited the Minnetaree village to consult with Le Borgne’s brother. Leaving Choke-cherry — Cherry-on-a- Bush was his full name, I believe—we re- turned to the hut and found Miss Dearness seated on a robe before the empty firehole and looking very sad. I briefly explained my purpose, and it was worth great risks to behold the wonderful lighting up of the blue eyes as she turned them on me. “It will succeed!” she cried in English. “Tt must! Oh, you’ve removed a big load from my heart. To be out in the open—to breathe clean air again—anything but this!”’ ‘You’ve seen so much of Indian life in traveling with your father that you must be prepared to withstand what would shock an inexperienced white woman,” I re- marked. “True,”” she murmured. “I can force Adventure myself to indifference to much that’s re- pulsive—a make-believe indifference, any- way. I’ve said the Indians talked of Le Borgne on the Assiniboin. I’ve also heard the H. B. men describe him in talking with my father. He likes to meet white men. He treats them better than his warriors do. He’s shrewd enough to know he must have arms, and he can get them only through the white traders. From the Indian stand- point he is a very great man. Yes, he’s that even by our standards. He controls these villages absolutely, and you know how dearly an Indian prizes his personal liberty. Le Borgne overrides many hard-and-fast rules of ordinary Indian usage. What he wants he takes.” Her face went red as she finished; then the color receded, leaving her cheeks a ghastly white, and her hand fumbled at something inside her leather coat, probably her knife. “You understand him as well as the Pillager does,” I gravely commented. ‘Per- haps it’s best you should.” “The truth is always best,” she simply replied. ‘“The fact is there. It would be foolish to hide from it as a calf hides his head in the grass to escape a hunter.”’ Flat Mouth, who had listened and picked up a word here and there, now broke in: ‘When I was here last, Le Borgne would go into a hut and take a warrior’s wife away from him. The warrior never made any fight. Le Borgne is a great chief.” His lack of finesse in making the brutal speech would have angered me more if I did not believe the girl knew all that he knew. She glanced with a curious little smile and quietly said— “Well, he will never take me.”’ ‘What nonsense! Of course not!” I cried hotly. ‘To hear us one would think this raw savage was all powerful. Then again, let’s give him credit for having some sense. He wants traders to come here so he can stand off the Sioux. Is he fool enough to spoil all the chances for saving his people from the Sioux by turning every trader against him? Of course not. Miss Dearness, you haven’t any cause to worry.” She reached out and patted my hand and murmured— “Comforter!” Then she reminded—“Yet there is some danger, so great that you plan to return to the Mouse without an escort.’ She had me. In all honesty I insisted GCOMICbOOKS.co =)