Adventure Magazine Cover — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

g = ~ Dick as his way through the underbrush and along a secret trail leading from the road. This trail finally led him to the oe of the bluff overlook- _ ing the road. From there he saw two masked men, whom he judged to be bandits, meet unexpectedly at a turning of the road, fire pointblank at each other and then ride off. Still continuing the secret trail, Uncle Dick fin- ally came to a spot overlooking a narrow, rocky canon. Peering over the edge, he saw a score of men sprawled around a rude shack. From the door of the shack a girl appeared but was immediately ordered; to go back inside. The girl Uncle Dick recognized as Mary June. Realizing that all of the troops in the vicinity were busy with threatened Indian uprisings, Uncle ° CHAPTER VI \ SATANTA PLAYS THE BUGLE HE last of the Arapaho scouts to return reported that up to sun- down the outlaws had shown no disposition to shift their camp. Waiting until night had inked out the hol- lows between the foothills, Yellow Bear took ten warriors and departed to assault the back door of the cafion. As this detach- ment had the greatest distance to travel it was left for the chief to give the signal of attack—two rifle shots fired in quick suc- cession. Uncle Dick, guided by the young brave who had declared he knew a way of descending the precipitous Cliff, set forth to gain the top of the wall. Satanta and the rest of the Arapahoes rode for the mouth of the ravine, traveling leisurely, as their part of the program was considered to be the easiest of initiating. A ride of two miles, with the Indian lead- ing the way, brought Uncle Dick to the foot of the towering rocks. The guide was called Crooked Arm. As he was perfect in figure, however, Uncle Dick knew this must be a dream-name—one he had chosen on reach- ing young manhood and in some way a symbol of his personal tutelary, revealed to him while in a trance. “You are sure you can follow the secret path in this darkness?” anxiously asked Uncle Dick as they began the ascent. “T know the way. I will get me a new name—a war-name tonight,” fiercely as- sured Crooked Arm. ‘‘When I went into the mountains with my bow and arrows to get my name I passed through this cafion and found the way up over the top. It is easier to go down than up, as, at the bot- tom, to the height of ten men, it is very Dick resolved to enlist the help of the friendly Ara- | pahoes. At their camp he received a rather cold welcome and finally discovered that Satanta, the Kiowa chief, was in consultation with Yellow Bear, leader of the Arapahoes. ‘The Kiowa resented Uncle Dick’s intrusion but dared not say anything. By skilful diplomacy “Cut-Hand,” as the Indians called Uncle Dick, finally succeeded in gaining the promise of immediate aid from both Yellow Bear and Satanta, the latter promising to go to Colonel Leavenworth atfer the girl had been rescued &nd there to arrange a peace treaty. It was decided that the party should attack the rendezvous of Gentleman Ralph and his followers that night. smooth and steep and one must use a rope.” Hoping the young brave’s ability would square up with his confidence, Uncle Dick kept at the Indian’s heels, going almost en- tirely by the sense of touch and often glad of a helping hand. When they finally gained the crest of the rock, the mountaineer threw himself on his face to regain his breath, keenly conscious of his lost youth. His companion, seem- ingly unaffected by the stiff climb, stole to the edge of the wall and crouched low that he might not be discerned against the estarlit skyline. His low exclamation of joy infused new life into Uncle Dick’s limbs. Crawling forward the mountaineer was delighted to find his gaze resting on a blazing camp-fire almost beneath him. As he looked he caught glimpses of black figures passing back and forth through the zone of light. He knew the opaque patch near the wall was the shack. ‘Do we go down here?” he asked of Crooked Arm. The Indian removed a heavy coil of rawhide from round his waist and crept along the wall a hundred feet. His sibilant signal brought Uncle Dick to his side. Taking the mountaineer’s hand, he placed it on a small mound of rocks and proudly informed: » “T put these here when I came up the path that time I went to find my name. I came up without the help of any cord, but the rawhide will help us over the place at the bottom. We must use the rawhide if we bring the medicine-woman up. Does Cut-Hand wait, or will he go down now?” “Ts there a place before we reach bottom where we can stop and wait for Yellow Bear’s signal?” “A little standing-place where I shall begin to use the rawhide.”