Adventure Magazine Cover — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

The Long Knives Durgin nodded and stretched out his hand. The Snake gave him the dart; the New Englander, with a swift movement of his strong arm and wrist, sent it on a long, graceful flight toward the river. When near the river it responded to a current of air and in a wide curve turned as if coming back to the village. The Snake might comprehend how it was propelled toward the river, but why it should curve around and start to come back was beyond him. ‘“‘The white man has a strong medicine!” he exclaimed. The dart lost its momentum and in a long incline glided to the ground. “The medicine grows weak,” yelped a warrior. I interpreted this to Durgin, and he laughed silently. Then he replied: “It rests when I tell it to. It goes where I tell it to.” The Snake held out a war-arrow and com- manded— “Make this go.” My fear was great. Did Durgin boast he could shoot the war-arrow if so inclined, the death of Ogden would instantly be fast- ened upon him. I caught his eye, frowned and shook my head. Durgin took the arrow and examined it critically, then handed it back and through me replied: ‘“‘This is a red arrer. I can’t make it go. My medicine is for the arrers I make with my own hands.” ‘“‘Let him see how far he can shoot it with a bow,” suggested Big Bear. Again I explained. Durgin raised his empty hands and shook his head. ‘“‘Let one of the little bovs shoot it,” he said. “He can shoot it farther than I can. I never shot an arrer in my life. My medi- cine can not help me do that.”’ James Girty pressed forward and eagerly offered— ‘Spotted Snake, I will buy this man.”’ ‘The Snake will not trade him,”’ was the cold reply. “Let the trader take the old man who hides his head all day.” And he stepped to the door and sternly commanded Old Podge to come out. “T will not trade for the old man,” said James. As he spoke Old Podge emerged from the cabin and jerked his head to one side to avoid the sullen scrutiny of James. Simon > gave a cry of delight and yelled: 119 “Look, Jim! By ! If it ain’t that old Chambers’ Mill rat we knew when we was boys! Why, Jim, it’s Podge! The old hound that booted us round when we was younkers! My medicine’s got to working at last! To think we couldn’t place him till just now!”’ James Girty leaned forward and stared incredulously. He read fear in Podge’s old face. He recognized him as had his brother. He began chuckling; then he laughed up- roariously and evilly. When he could speak he told the Snake: “T will trade for him. I will give twenty shoots of powder for him.”’ ‘“‘The powder, a knife, an ax, a new gun,” bargained the Snake. ‘“‘Powder, knife, ax, but no gun. He is. old. He can do no work. He will live a - very short time.” As he said the last he grinned sardoni- cally. Old Podge straightened up and stared evenly at the renegade. “Seems my old hide is worth more’n yours is,’ he sneered. ‘‘Down in the set- tlements yours wouldn’t be worth nothing cept to spread out as a warning to other scallywags.”’ Girty glided toward him, but the Snake dropped a hand to the ax in his girdle and called out: “Let the trader wait till he has bought the man. Then the Snake and his friends will bring mats and sit down and watch how one white man uses another.” “‘The trade is made. I have bought him,” passionately replied James. ‘The price is in my store on the Point.”’ ‘“‘Then let the trader keep his hands from his belt until he has taken the man away from this cabin and out of this village. It is bad medicine to shed blood here in Blue Jacket’s village. The Snake will send this man to the Point, and the canoe will bring back the powder, the knife and the ax.” With glittering eyes the savages were watching the outcome of the scene. It promised blood, and that was the drama they loved. As Spotted Snake was finish- ing his talk more savages came up, and I recognized them to be Delawares. My heart began sinking to a new low level. It did seem as if everything was happening all at once. One of the newcomers had a streak of white hair that threaded his black scalp- lock from scalp to tip. There was no cCOmiclboolks CO