Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

86 the ground, groaning fearfully from the ef- fects of various medical preparations. A man, whose feathers showed that he had served as Jeader on three big paths against the Chippewas, seated himself on the ground and smashed a big clock to pieces that he might secure the works and string them around his neck. A man galloped up, holding a doll in one hand, a knife in the other, and yelled— “We have killed them all!’ Then he scalped the doll, wheeled and hastened back. Another rode up, his pony in a lather, and excitedly cried: “They say soldiers are coming from Ridgely! They say all will be killed in the tall grass by the river-crossing.”’ He, too, turned back so as not to miss the new massacre. Wapasha’s men became impatient at the delay and insisted on taking an active part in the killings. Murray’s captor jumped from the cart, declaring: “Let some other man watch this white man who wears the crow of Chetan Wakan Mani. Killing Ghost helped kill three men and two women in the Big Woods. Now his arm is rested. He goes back to feed his knife.”’ Wapasha knew he must lead his men if he would remain their chief. He also knew it would be very bad if Little Crow’s pro- tégé should come to harm in his village. The chief glanced over his warriors and selected one whose heart was not strong for bloodshed for the simple reason that he could look ahead and read the price that must be paid. To him he said: “Let Running Dog take the white man to our village. Chetan Wakan Mani will Running Dog was free to refuse or accept the suggestion. He cut Murray’s bonds and pulled him from the cart, and warned: “VYoucome. Youstay. Yourun. You killed.” Wapasha and his band swept on toward the agency and the ferry. Murray, limp- ing because of restricted circulation, re- marked— ‘“‘You’re leaving the cart.” Running Dog glanced at him shrewdly and remarked: “Bimeby white man come and look for hiscart. Nogood. Walk.” “Why did they do it?” groaned Murray. The Indian did not answer. Adventure They left the path to avoid the empty carts trying to force a passage between the loaded vehicles. Murray said— “You have not killed any one.” Running Dog’s little eyes glinted. “White man never forget. Sometime, bimeby, white man say: ‘“*Running Dog didn’t kill. Some men in our band say Running Dog —— fool to keep knife clean. Some —— fool live long time and see men killed by rope.’ ”’ Now that the first paralyzing shock was wearing off Murray began to think about individuals. : ‘Reynolds!’ he suddenly cried. ‘There is a man named Reynolds. There are wo- men at his house. Has anything happened to them?” Running Dog paid no attention to the query. Murray fiercely demanded— “You won’t tell a man who wears Little Crow’s medicine?”’ The Indian remained silent. After a few minutes a mounted Sioux with a horri- ble gash across his chest came up behind them, his sunken eyes staring ahead to find the village. Running Dog stepped out, caught the pony by the bit and put some swift questions. Aroused to life, the man faintly answered him, then rode on, reeling in the saddle. They were in sight of Wapasha’s village when Running Dog sullenly informed Murray: “The dying man told me there are white women at Reynolds’ place. They say the black man—Godfrey—and some of Little Crow’s warriors said they would go there before the white people could get away.” CHAPTER VII THE GROWING HORROR rT HERE was a general returning of war- riors and squaws to the villages in the late afternoon. Small bands of men scat- tered to burn isolated houses, but the greater part of the Sioux from all the Indian towns were content to call it a day’s work. The squaws brought in much plunder and filled Wacouta’s village with their dis- putes over a division of the spoils. Prison- ers, too, were brought in. Murray Fall was sorry to behold Shanty Mose walking be- hind a cart, his hands tied at his back anda noosed rope around his neck. 3 CoMmicboolk Wh) (© =