Adventure Magazine Cover — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

Pards “agency for the vitiation of the first gift. While they were busy with this rite in the medicine-lodge the Rabbit hastened to join the prisoners. Goss finished his game, and as he shuffled the cards he glanced up and remarked: “Didn’t stay long. Find your pipe?” Euclid shook his head.’ The gambler be- gan a new game. The Rabbit halted be- hind him and stood with head tilted as if fearing to hear a menacing outburst. After a minute or two of tense waiting he relaxed and remarked— “I believe everything is all right.” For the gambler’s benefit he explained: “T’ve talked them out of thinking any white man caused Little Tree’s death. And they have agreed to take two horses in place of the ponies. If nothing else bad hap- pens 3 He never completed the sentence. A wild outcry from the camp brought Goss to his feet, part of the cards in his hands, the rest spread out on the ground. “Now what has happened?” he began, stuffing the cards in his pocket and jerking his left shoulder and arm to loosen the hidden gun in the armpit holster. The Rabbit drew a. deep breath and warned— “Something very bad has happened.” “The cards haven’t run good at all. Haven’t got it once,” moodily remarked Goss as he stooped and picked up the cards on the ground. Euclid was worried but insisted: “They’re always howling about some- thing. Just some of their heathenish ways. We folks from the East have read so much about the taciturnity of the red man that we expect their villages to be like ceme- teries. I’ve learned there isn’t any place noisier than an Indian village. When the women and children are present it must be as noisy as a fourth of July.” wi7 | HIS words dwindled into silence fe" as, with a still more ferocious clamor, the Utes came swarming ? from the lodges, leaping high and brandishing weapons. Racing desperately to keep in the lead was Lomsom. With a final burst of speed he came up to the hunter and prisoners and hoarsely cried: “Good ——! What have you fools done?”’ Goss stared in bewilderment. The Rabbit said: 9 er Nes om rE ‘wale hy Be es 8 See < : - - ah ey he Se. >» a ae” YT ate FL “a - ee as Fae af eet PE te TR gt Te ey te seat en Nee ow 129 “They are very hard to keep alive.” And there was dismay in his dark face. “Any other pipe but the medicine pipe!” “But how can they tell? No one saw us,” cried Euclid. The Rabbit frowned for silence for now the Utes were close at hand and Red Crow was holding up the long-stemmed pipe, his savage face reflecting fear as well as rage as he shouted something. Lomsom in an unsteady voice imter- preted — “He asks which of you smoked the medi- “Neither of us,” answered Euclid, his round face and round blue eyes expressing astonishment. “No good to tell him that,” muttered Lomsom. ‘‘There’s some trade tobacco im it and the bowl is still warm. And there’s the smell of tobacco in the lodge. One of you has cooked his own goose.” cine-pipe.”’ Euclid’s innocent face became sickly white, but he promptly said: “T smoked it. Indian busted my pipe. Wantedasmoke. Thought it was all right.” Lomsom darted a glance at the scowling Utes. None had understood the low- spoken confession. The renegade firmly be- lieved Euclid possessed knowledge of miner- als that would permit him to find fortunes where the ordinary placer miner could not make bacon and beans. In his journeyings through the mountains, the White Chief had examined many bars and gulches and believed he knew of several that were bo- nanza rich. He needed the wisdom of Eu- clid in order to accumulate riches. He would need, he believed, much gold before venturing on a far flight. California Gulch had panned out very rich, but he knew that of all the thousands who had entered and frightened the game from the thickets of aspens, there were only a few who had-made a strike. Now he, Lomsom, Mormon apostate and slayer of a sleeping wagon train man, was confident he could gather millions in gold if he could keep the eccentric Euclid as advisor. He turned to Red Crow and rapidly announced; “The young white man brought in with the medicine-ponies smoked the médicine- pipe.” None of the prisoners. knew he had sen- tenced Ellis to a horrible death. The Rab- bit did not enlighten them. Stepping in front of Ellis he warned— Eomicboo (@) <S.cO