Adventure Magazine Cover — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

120 closer and placed it on mine and whis- pered— “Tt all comes back—my fear.” “Don’t you worry a bit,” I soothed. “We'll get out of here flying inside of twelve hours.”’ In my heart, however, a deadly chill was growing. It was now dusk, and, after leaving our ponies at the corral, I escorted Miss Dear- ness to the hut and lighted some bark in the fire-hole to drive away the gloom. Then I told her that we had better remain where we were until morning as the ride down the river would be dangerous. Sur- rounding the village were innumerable pits, eight feet or more deep, which the women filled with corn and beans each Fall. These were all open, and to get clear of the place at night was to risk a broken leg or neck. “But we must get away tonight,” she fiercely insisted. ‘‘Any danger but this.” She waved her hand to encompass the whole village. ‘You heard what he said about my medicine spoiling the treaty. I care nothing for that, but there is another danger. Oh, Mr. Franklin, you’ve been very good and patient with me—but get me out of here tonight!” “Very well, we'll go tonight, but we can’t return to the Mandans. We must risk crossing the Missouri at the mouth of the Knife and striking northeast. until tomorrow and started from the Mandans we might find a band of Chey- ennes waiting to act as escort. The chief told the Pillager he would see us to the Mouse.” “T’d rather start from here tonight and travel alone than wait any longer,” she said. ‘Perhaps Flat Mouth could swing to one side and pick up the Cheyennes. If not, then a ride for it, and a clean, quick death at the worst.”’ “There must be no talk of death,” I re- buked. “We'll go and get through. I was only thinking of the difficulties in getting the horses across the Missouri, but with a bull-boat we ought to be able to tow them over, one at a time. Rest easy while I go and find the Pillager and arrange for him to get the horses from the corral.”’ I had passed through the door, closed it, and had heard the heavy bar drop across it, when a terrific screech rang out a few huts away and in the direction of the river. The cry was caught up and repeated. I If we waited - Adventure stood undecided, my thumb resting on the | hammer of my gun. The door opened back ‘of me and she was beside me, a hand resting on my shoulder, her head tilted as she sought to read my face in the darkness. The village was now in an uproar. “The Cheyennes must be attacking in™ force,” I muttered. ‘“Tt’s something very serious,” she whis- pered. ‘Do you think you can manage to get the horses up here?” “Stay inside! Let no one in,” I said, stepping out and blundering between the huts, where the path in places was only a foot in width. 1) I PASSED between two huts and oe bumped into an Indian. His hands struck my chest to push me aside. Then the Pillager’s voice was whispering— “So it is you. I knew the cloth.” “What is the trouble? You’ve been running?” The last deduction was not because his breathing was beyond normal, but because in clutching his wrists I felt his pulse racing. “The Assiniboin spies will not go back to tell what they saw here,” he hissed in my ear. ‘Good God! I muttered. ‘Killed both. I promised the Cheyenne chief their scalps if he would give us war- rlors to go with us to the Mouse. I told you he would make a good trade.”’ “But they'll be after you!” I softly cried. “‘Choke-cherry thinks the crept in and did it.” “Tt won’t do for you to be seen. It might make them suspicious. Don’t tell the white woman. Stand in front of the hut. I will bring up the horses. We must cross the Missouri at the mouth of the Knife and ride for it.” “The Cheyennes will be waiting near the Mandan village,” he protested. ‘‘And it’s impossible to go down the river. We would lose too much time. If the Minnetarees chase us they will take that direction.”’ “Ho! | Eshkebugecoshe, Chief of the Pillager Chippewas, needs no help in saving You’ve killed them?” Cheyennes the white woman except the white woman’s medicine.” He thumped his breast and might have (EA MICEl eKoxe) “S (E(@) mn