Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

‘ 46 —with his empty revolver. But the silence continued uninterrupted; the shadows merged to dusk; twilight deepened to dark- ness. The Apaches had stolen away, and Uncle Billy Rhodes crept forth from the willows to catch up his horse and ride with his broken arm to Tucson, where he told the story. Now there is no doubt as to what would have happened to Uncle Billy had he been gullible enough to believe that statement of the Apaches as to his personal safety in case of surrender. As a matter of cold fact neither Indian nor white man had any par- ticular reason to look for favor or expect the truth from his enemy during this long struggle. Just to get an idea of the relentlessness of their warfare it is worth while noting this incident in passing—one of those incidents which were never reported to Washington for the simple reason that Washington could never understand them. ie A BAND of renegade Apaches had left the reservation to go a-plunder- ing down in Mexico. A certain troop offcavalry was riding after them with the usual instructions from Washington to bring them back without bloodshed. The captain of the troop was a seasoned Indian-fighter, and he managed to keep the fugitives moving so fast that they got next to nothing to eat. When you are traveling without rations along the ridges during an Arizona Summer and there is no time to stop for hunting, no time to bake mescal roots; when you need every pony for riding and you have eaten the last lean dog; then bellies draw in and the ribs begin to stand out. There were a bunch of squaws and chil- . dren in the Apache outfit, and by the time the chase had been going on for two weeks or so with back-trackings, twistings and turnings and every march a forced one; why then the pace of the fugitives began to slacken. And the troopers overtook them one fine day right out in the open where there was no opportunity for stand or ambush. According to his instructions from the men who ran our Indian affairs in Washing- ton, the captain of the troopers must bring these renegades back unharmed or face the necessity of making a great many explana- tions. So he drew up his men in formation Adventure and rede forward to parley with the half- starved savages. He rode right up to them, and their chief came forth to have a talk with him. This captain was a fine figure of a man, and those who watched him say that he made a noble picture on his big troop-horsé before the frowzy band whose gaunt mem- bers squatted in the bear-grass, their beady eyes glinting on him under their dirty tur- bans. And he was a good, persuasive talker. He promised them safe conduct to the reservation and assured them that their truancy would be overlooked, were they to come back now. He went on to tell of the rations which would be issued to them. He dwelt on that; he mentioned the leanness of their bodies and described at length the stores of food that were waiting for them in the reservation warehouse. And the words of the captain were begin- ning to have aneffect. There was a stirring among the warriors and a muttering; men glanced at their squaws and the squaws looked at their children. The captain went on as if unconscious that his eloquence was bearing fruit. All the time as he spoke a girl just grown to womanhood kept edging toward him. In the days when food was plenty she must have owned a savage sort of beauty; but her limbs were lank now and her cheeks were wasted. Her eyes were overlarge from fasting as they hung on the face of the big captain. So she stood at last in the very forefront of her people, quite. unconscious that other eyes were watching her. And behind her her people stirred more and more un- easily; they were very hungry. Under the hot, clear sky the troopers sat in their saddles, silent, waiting. The lieu- tenant who had been left in charge watched the little drama. He saw how the mo- ment of the crisis was approaching; how just one little movement in the right direc- tion, one word perhaps, would turn the issue. He saw the half-starved girl leaning forward, her lips parted as she listened to the big captain. He saw an old squaw, wrinkled and toothless, venom in her eyes, “erouching beside the hungered girl. Suddenly the girl took an eager step forward. As if it were a signal a full half of the band started in the same direction. And just then, with the turning of the COmicloo CN Vp) CO