Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

The Saveti ‘Cities of Cibola stop him, Andres laid the long barrel on the wall, took a rough sight above the group, to allow for the drop in trajec- tory and fired. + The heavy, reverberating roar filled all space and rolled back and forth in the narrow cafion in wave on wave of sound. One Indian dropped in his tracks. An- other limped painfully away, clutching himself wherever he could reach. The rest, with startled shouts of terror, scrambled down the hill again and sought cover up the cafion. “T could not help it! strategy but I could not help it. was that?” He gazed at his companions open- mouthed, for the walls of the cafion sud- denly reechoed a second time and shook and trembled again with a roar as of It was poor What musketry. “An echo——’ “An echo. The echo of my shot died away while the Indians were running. No ech—there goes another!” “That, sefiores—” Fray Marco sprang to his feet—‘is a shot from a Spanish caliver ” “Tt is—” quoth Andres, also springing up—‘“or all my _ soldiering goes for nought.”’ He fired the second pistol and fell to recharging both. A second and third shot down the cafion answered him. “Look, senor! run.” _ Xicotl, who had crept back into the open at the sound of the shot, pointed to the Indians, who, far up the cafion, were running for dear life up the ridge and through a gap at the entrance to the cafion. “Who can it be? What means it?” Mercedes laid a startled hand on the very dirty sleeve of Andres’ shirt. “I do not know for certain. It is very likely a party sent out. by the governor to seek for you. Yonder they come— beneath the oaks over there! See where _the red and yellow peloncillos flutter at their lance points. See the good horses coming on at a trot, Indian trailers ahead. What is the banner that the leader carries ?” He peered through the swaying tree- tops, See how the devils ae a a ie . a <= = S += am OR, Oe a a RE I he yee ne ee 105 “Silver fishes on a blue ground! Diaz! Diaz of the golden belt, as I live! Friends, they are our own people! It is Gorenatio’ s men?” IS welcoming shout set the echoes ringing and rolling along the slopes, and the startled Spaniards, reining in their horses among the rocks, were sud- denly aware of a very disheveled Andres standing in their midst, with his arm un- rebuked about Mercedes, while behind him Fray Marco rapidly told his beads till they clicked like knitting needles, and Xicotl, grinning, leaned on his macahuitl. Diaz ripped out a great oath when he saw who it was and flung himself from his horse. “My father always swore that he saw St. James, on his white horse at Tlaco- pan, fighting for us, but I doubted it. Now I know that the unbelievable is true. What is this miracle, Don Andres? How come you here? Where have you been? How comes the Sefiorita de Acasta with “Poco-d-poco” (Little by little), said Andres laughingly. “I will tell you all. Where is Don Francisco ?” “A day’s march behind. We are but a patrol sent out to scour the country. We were about to return to camp when we heard your shot. *I thought one of the other patrols had got into trouble with the Indians and so rode to the sound of your shot.. A horse there for he sevoriia—now back to camp. This will be rare news for Don Francisco.” A panting Indian runner, outstripping the tired horses, bore the news to camp ahead of them, so that Coronado, swear- ing strange oaths, met them at the out- posts and gave them such a welcome as touched Andres’ very heart. “Look you, Andres,” he said when he had turned his tent over to Mercedes, “T was wrong. I knew it, too, at the time. I should have sent a dozen men with you at least, but I was hurt and angry that you of all men should leave me for a lesser quest. Now I know that I was wrong. Drink, man!” He filled the wine-cup. “It is like to be the last Spanish wine that you will taste for many a day. I have no more. Do you' remember what Fray Marco said to me the night you left?” » Eomichboo € E oe eT wae Oe ee ae Ge pee a ee Oe eR Pee,” &