Adventure Magazine Cover — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

Driftwood Fire powder in his conversation water; but against his will he would not work. He was whipped across his bare back with thongs. For a week he went without food. For an- other week he was tied to a stump in the center of the ship. But he kept his word and did no work. His mind was as hard even as the mind of head-man Jodrell. “After we were many days on the water, the head-man’s arm grew tired of lashing man Stevenson and his tongue grew tired of calling him evil names and spitting upon him. The five and thirty men and the two smaller chiefs were at one mind with head- man Jodrell; they hated the one who would do no work. They thought man Stevenson was lazy. They did not understand why a man would not lend his hand to work when that was easier than receiving a lashing or going without food or being tied to a stump. They did not understand that his honor kept him from working. Not one of them spoke to him in kindness. He grew to hate them all. ‘‘In the middle of the Moon of the Leaf, four men and a smaller chief went in a little boat to the mouth of Kok-Kanayuk to shoot birds for food, while the ship stood out in deep water. In those days your peo- ple, chief,.and other tribes that came down to the coast were bitter against the white men, and slew such as fell into their hands.” “Because they robbed us in trade and profaned our women and gave drink to our young men,” the chief said coolly. “But since the ships that chase the whale no longer come into these coast waters we are at peace with white men and treat them kindly, as we have treated you, stranger.” “T gave no blame on either side,” I said hastily. “I but said the coast tribes were bitter against the ship men. When this smaller chief and his four men were hunting along the beach, a band of warriors hid in the boulders and mocked the cries of wild birds. The white men ran up close and the warriors tossed spears through them. We onthe ship were watching through a tube which makes things far off seem as near to hand. “Thus thirty men were left to do the work of five and thirty. Again the head-man’s anger flamed against man Stevenson. He was lashed with thong’s and bound day and night to the stump and kept without food til he could not stand. He would have died if some one had not brought him food 83 in the dark of night. But I did not know this until later. “The anger of head-man Jodrell grew hotter each day. All during the Moon of the Leaf we had chased the whales up and down the narrow waters from Kok-Kana- yuk to Kok-Ernivilik; but very few were the ones we caught. When the Moon of hardened Caribou Horns came, we had taken scarcely the price of the food we had eaten. It seemed as if a medicine was working against the ship. And the head- man vented his anger upon man Stevenson. “Many times in the night, when no one was around to see, I would talk with man Stevenson. At first I tried to sway him from his purpose not to work, but he would not listen to my words. Later, when he was lashed, I asked to do it myself in order that I might lighten e There was a flash of fire in the eyes of the chief. It was no such sign as my story should call for. Again I could not hoid myself. _ you, Jim Stevenson!” I broke off. “Can you sit there and listen to the account of your degradation without batting an eye? You can paint and feather yourself up and be chief of all the Hares that ever hopped, but I’d know you for all the twenty-four years since I laid the last lash on your welted back!” In the eyes across the fire there was mild bewilderment and reproach. Never a sign of understanding or of surprize. “Your words are strange,” the chief said slowly. ‘How can I understand the tale you are telling?”’ Whereat I called myself names for being twice fooled by tired nerves; got fresh hold of myself; and went on. “But even the head-man’s anger would have worn itself thin and man Stevenson would have been taken back to the white man’s city if Jodrell had not discovered who was bringing food to the whipped man at night. A smaller chief with the tongue of a raven first saw the girl. He told her father. Head-man Jodrell watched. He discovered that she loved the man who had stood out against the whole ship for his honor’s sake. He struck her—I saw him— when she said she would marry man Stev- enson if ever they reached the city again. He told her, with an oath and a loud laugh, that man Stevenson would never return alive. Co NOOK 1 @)