Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

THE SON OF THE RED GOD. the sky, the stars paled, and one by one winked out, the light grew stronger, and the forest woke. A pearly mist hung like a veil among the trees; above, in the branches, birds chirped faintly, first one, then another, and presently, as the light grew, one burst into song, to be followed by others and yet others, till the full chorus was ringing through the woods, and_ bird after bird, his song of greeting sung, at length went flashing and darting among the branches in search of insects. Small animals scampered about the for- est floor, their rustlings and squeakings sounding loud through the brush, overhead a squirrel chattered and scolded, and a great green snake, like that the Carver of Tusks had slain when he woke to find it coiled on his breast, slid past, the artist watching, making note of its sinuous, grace- ful body, and evil, triangular head, and thinking to himself that some day he would carve such a one, coiled about the haft of a war-ax. : And now the sun, rising higher, sent shafts of light streaming down through the mist, warming it, so that it began to tumble and roll in billows, rolling upward, and at last shredding thinly out, the gleaming, sparkling grass and the ghostly trees show- ing clearer and clearer, more and more dis- tant, till presently the mist had altogether disappeared and the clearing stood warm and bright under the full light of day. En-ro was beginning to be worried; it was strange that Nu-kzen should be gone so long, and the Carver of Tusks had about made up his mind to go in search of the little negro when that one came stepping into the clearing, a smile on his face and the carcass of a fawn balanced on his shoulders, his arms clasped about his legs. He marched across to where En-ro stood, dropped the fawn, and said, his smile grow- _ ing broader: ‘Great. news, Master! But eat first.” ‘Where were you?” asked En-ro, and Nu-kzen grinned from ear to ear as he re- plied: ‘““ Spying, Master. Spying on Meng.” En-ro leaned forward and gripped the other’s arm, thrusting his face close to Nu- kzen’s, 213 “And you learned—?” ‘““Much, Master!” And Mu-kzen, still grinning scratched his side with his long nails, repeating: “Much, Master. But eat; my news will keep, and a full stomach is good in the early morning.” And he fell to butchering the fawn, stripping the hide from the flesh with speed and skill, carving out a piece of the tender meat, and giving it to En-ro, then cutting a piece of meat for himself. The two squatted on their haunches and ate, tearing the still warm flesh with their strong teeth and wiping their hands from time to time on the grass. Various negroes drifted into the clearing and looked at the pair, each and every one bowing and saluting respectfully the white man and his companion (for, they honored Nu-kzen as the friend of one who could command the gods) then wandered out again about their own affairs. 7 By and by Nu-kzen rose and went to the carcass, stripped the meat from one of the marrow-bones, and, asking permission with a look, took En-ro’s ax and split the bone skillfully and neatly, offering it, laid open, to the Carver of Tusks, who took one part and motioned the negro to take the other, “Thanks, Master,” said Nu-kzen, and the two men scraped out and ate the sweet marrow, smacking their lips with pleasure. Their stomachs full, they gave their hands a finial cleansing, then stretched out on the grass, and En-ro said: ‘And now the news.” ‘During the night,” began Nu-kzen, while still you slept, one came by, treading softly. I watched, but could not see his face—for he kept to the shadows—till he trod on a stone or a root, which, turning beneath his foot, threw him heavily, so that he rolled into a patch.of moonlight. Swiiftly he caught himself and was back again in the dark, but I had seen—it was Ken-zan, who is oldest son’of the Bison’s fourth wife,.- and closest to Meng of all his children. He is a young warrior—it was but last summer that his ears were slit and his teeth chipped to points by the priest—and he greatly de- sires honor. By the law of our tribe, as perchance you know, he can buy no wife till he has done some great deed—” Gomicbook (C@