Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

The Seven Cities of Cibola “T will go, sevior, but not for the ranch nor for the cattle. I go because I have found a man.” ae, : “Come, then.” ; In a moment he had laid aside his steel front and back pieces as being too hot and heavy for the trip that he must take. He took a long bow from one of the Spanish footmen, and quiver of arrows with a flint and steel with tinder, as well as two water-bags which he filled and laid across the saddle of his horse. “Give me dried meat and -corn-meal now, as much as two men can carry.” They too were fastened to the saddle and he turned to Fray Marco. “Are you ready, friend ?” “Yes, I am ready.” He turned to Coronado, who stood watching them, his eyes dark with wrath. “We go, seior, and I tell thee this: In the dark hours that will come_to thee as they come to every man born of woman, remember that God will demand. from you the blood of this girl, and it may be ours too! God will exact a price of you! Wrong was never done yet in this world but the doer paid.” “Do you threaten me?’ Coronado _ stepped forward angrily. “No, I prophesy. Come, Don Andres.” They moved off up the trail, stopping at the still smoldering fires, and Coro- nado saw Xicotl bend over the long grass. Then he pointed to a narrow notch in the far ridge that topped the valley, and the three strode off with the pack-horse and were lost to view in the gathering dusk. Vv HE effect of peyotl dies slowly. Like opium taken in large doses, its most noticeable physical reaction is one of intense debility. -Heightened nerve tension is followed by an equally strong revulsion, for the pendulum swings as far one way as it did the other. Mercedes knew nothing of what had happened to her that night. Three hours had-vanished absolutely from her mem- ory, and all was as a hideous dream while it was being enacted. Later she remembered nothing of it. Her first knowledge came after the effect of the the ridge of her tent. 77 drug had worn off, when she found her- self, sick, her head ringing as from a terrific blow, lying’ close under a small, tent-shaped roof that smelled most abominably like fresh, damp wool. The smell was mingled with the smell of. acrid wood smoke and primitive cook- ing. Low-voiced chatter came to her and once her ears, sharpened in their activities, caught the testive tramping of a tethered horse. “What in the world has happened? Where am [?” She strove to rise and bumped her head against the light pole that formed Astonished, crawled out into the coolness of the early dawn and stood gazing about her, utterly she — unable to comprehend what had taken - place. Four Indians.sat huddled about a small fire that smoked and stunk in the dim starlight of the false dawn. To her left she saw the shadowy figure of a horse tied to a mesquite bush, though she did not know the tree by that name. A. guttural exclamation from one of the Indians who saw her brought the others to their feet, and they crowded about her with smiles and gestures that _ assured her, even in her terror, that no harm was intended. “Who are you?” she demanded shrilly. “Who are you and how did I come here ?” The men looked at one another in silence and made no attempt to answer her. Clearly they did not understand Spanish. The girl, with the instinctive, authoritative air of a superior. race, drew herself up, pointing with a seornful finger to one man who stood out before the rest. Her gesture was in itself a question. He replied gutturally— “Modoc.” Then with a gleam of intelligence he added— “Xoton.”’ “Ah! Xoton.” The house boy had been a particular favorite of hers. and touched the hilt of the Spanish knife that hung in the man’s belt and then pointed to her own breast. The man shook his head violently and indicated that no harm would come to her. The girl’s brain was in a whirl as she looked about the camp, now becoming Gomichbooks She leaned forward © (FE) im