Adventure Magazine Cover — page 133: what you’re looking at

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

[ oe: ty % Pards — among the black houses of the Darkening Land ahead of me.” This was spoken in English. Ellis, sick at heart, had nothing to say. Goss stoutly insisted : “Not by a sight until we’ve had a play for our money. I won’t chase a pair of deuces into the grave, but [ll try a bluff. He has that stone god in his pocket and they don’t know it’s missing. It’s valu- able to them?” “The Navahos had it from Old Mexico and they prospered until they lost it. The Apaches got it and they won many fights and stole many horses and women. Then the Uncompahgre Utes got it, and they have held these mountains against all the Plains Indians,” replied the Rabbit. It was evident his white education had not in the least weakened his belief in the efficacy of the small, squat idol. — “Glad to hear it,” said Goss. “Looks like we had something to swap if we can cold-deck them. Go ahead, Rabbit, and give usa talk. You keep your arms folded, Pilgrim.” “My father and grandfather were sha- mans when my people lived east of the Mississippi,” muttered the Rabbit. “TI will use our medicine, white man; but it may not work against a red medicine to help a white man. Hayil Yu!f—tisten.” He lifted his head and in a loud sing-song called on the elemental gods of his people” He invoked the aid of Uktena, the great horned serpent, of the terrapin, the hawk and the dog. The power of his gods having no relation to the size of their earthly re- flections he appealed’ to the spider as ear- nestly as he did to Unelanuhi—the sun. He called on the moon. As his red religion was zootheistic, the greater number of gods summoned to give aid were animals. He omitted fish and in- sect gods as being subordinate, and the situation was too desperate to depend on aught but the mightiest agencies. Nor did he appeal to the stone god, although it was a major spirit among the few inanimates. He could not trust this deity inasmuch as it was invoked only for finding what was lost. Not only would it smack of sacrilege to petition a god bound to be in sympathy with the medicine represented by the stone idol, but there was the danger of it function- ing to discover the lost medicine even though he did not call on it to help. <A EE ae ee Ce EE At ES eS oN ete SON ig eS ee ee ee RO ee, See ae ee ee eee ne TN ee Oe ben re ee , ; Fl Be inn, Caner ree rep at Boe a 3 — a] WLS ¥ . Fc = « = ys “ : al : . . . > J ‘ ; ; 131 AT LAST he had finished, and his face was wet with sweat as x he ceased staring at the heav- =e ens. ‘The Utes, motionless, had watched him with great respect. Surely one who was sold to Death, to be delivered on day named, would be mightily protected until the fatal hour overtook him. To cut him off before his time would be to meddle with a terrible medicine and invite a terrible punishment. Ells stood with arms folded, his eyes staring at the Cherokee like one under a spell. Goss told the hunter: “That’s a strong talk. It ought to fetch the dust to our side of the table. He no longer has the little doll. You get their eyes off me and I'll hide it. After it’s hid- den you can offer to trade. The Pilgrim’s life for a return of the thing.” | “YT can keep them from him till night,” said the Rabbit. “When you nod your head I will know it is put away in a dark place. Do not tell me where.” The Rabbit and Ellis walked back to the Utes and the former announced to Red Crow: “This is no place for a medicine-talk. I have much to tell you. We will go to the medicine-lodge. The white man shall go with us.” Goss was strolling aimlessly toward a clump of timber. No one gave any heed to him. Red Crow did not approve of the hunter’s suggestion. The medicine-lodge had been desecrated enough. He insisted: “We will go under the trees and talk. Bring the white man there.” He led the way to a pine grove where his followers quickly formed a circle. Goss stood on the outside of the circle and on catching the hunter’s eye, removed his hat and nodded slightly. Then he sat down on the ground beside Lomsom. The latter bitterly complained— “Why’n —— the young fools have to touch that pipe?” “My friend did not touch it,” corrected the gambler. “It was your man.” “T’other feller can’t prove that,” said Lomson. “T don’t think he’ll try.” Lomsom was puzzled and suspiciously asked— “What game be you up to, Nate GossP” “Tt’s a good game, and —— help you if you try to foul my hand,” warned the gambler. Gomicbooks.com