Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

16 evidence of the trapper’s eyes by his very deliberation. There was none around the circle who would not have wagered his last pony that the cards were thrown in order, the spade first, then the middle and top cards. With a slight smile Joe picked up the last card down. It was a diamond. Now the Indians jeered the trapper for being a fool, and many fingers were pointed at the first card down. “Your grass medicine looks mighty small,’”’ laughed Oakes. “TI told you there wasn’t room for the two of us in this camp.” ‘An’ I said there wasn’t room for two of us in th’ mountains or on th’ plains,” calmly reminded Joe. “Shoot ’em ag’in. I begin to git th’ hang of it. Ye don’t throw ’em down as I ‘lowed ye did. Ye fool me a purpose.” “You blockhead! You talk as crazy as that Indian of mine acts. Once more just to show the chief you’re second fiddle.” “Wait a minute!’’ requested the trapper. “Ye palmed th’ king t’other times. That’s why it wa’n’t no use for me to choose. Ye’ve palmed it on th’ chief all along, or he’d pick it sometimes, jest by accident.” And he plucked the three cards from the gambler’s hand and glanced them over. Handing them back, he warned: ' “T)on’t smooch th’ king an’ ring in an- other in its place. Now, let ’em flicker.” Oakes threw them very close together this time, the motion of his hand masking their fall somewhat. California Joe turned to Sitting Bear and ‘said: “My medicine can work through the great chief. Sitting Bear shall pick out the black man as my medicine directs. “My medicine asks Sitting Bear to catch this bit of grass and throw it toward the sun. Good! My medicine tells me to take this card toward the cold north and put it to one side. Now let the chief rest the tip of a finger on each of the other two cards. Good! My medicine says so.” Sitting Bear lightly rested his finger-tips on the two remaining cards and stared at the trapper. Oakes’ face was murderous, and only the fact the chief was participating in the contest restrained him from _blood- stained violence. In a loud voice the trap- per announced— “Uncover a card by lifting a hand, Set- angya!”’ Up came a hand, then darted back and Adventure exposed the card. It was the king of spades. “5 you!” gritted Oakes while the spec- tators were exclaiming in huge delight and attributing much of the success of the feat to the chief’s own medicine. ‘‘You marked that card with your thumbnail. Oh, I saw it at once. But I couldn’t say anything without teaching the Indians to do the same. You made sure he was right-handed and would lift his right hand by tossing that grass for him to catch.” “Ye can read a trail a bit after all,” chuckled Joe. ‘Course, ye couldn’t ford to teach ’em how to mark cards. For then they’d see ye had palmed th’ bottom card. I had ye both ways.” They were interrupted by Sitting Bear’s forcing his way between them and haught- ily announcing: “Hits the Sky says his medicine helped me find the black man. Itisalie! The Kiowa medicine did it. My medicine swells and grows inside of me.” He paused and thumped his chest. “T will pick out the black man without any help of the white medicine. I have said it—Setangya, who carries the medicine ar- row of the paitsenko!”’ Oakes grinned evilly at the trapper and murmured: ‘“‘Here’s where your medicine takes a slump. I’m going to let him pick it.” The trapper hooked his thumbs in his belt, his right hand resting on his revolver, and murmured, ‘Jest as sure as he picks it I’m going’ to throw a hunk o’ lead through yer heart, ye murderer. Palm that keerd or take th’ trail to th’ Many Wig- wams!” 3 Blue eyes blazed into black, the cunning hands fluttering the cards in a miracle of de- ceit. Suddenly the right hand was motion- less for a moment; then the cards fell slowly. Sitting Bear exclaimed in great content and picked up a card and without looking at it held it above his head and revolved so that his men might behold the triumph of his medicine, California Joe waited without shifting his gaze from the gambler’s set face, the fingers of his right hand closing around the butt of the Colt. The lack of acclaim prompted the chief to glance at his choice. It was a diamond. But only when the card fell within the trapper’s line of vision did his fingers relax their grip. “Fooled him, didn’t ye?”’ he remarked. Gomichbooks (C@