Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

| The Road to El Dorado Indian who sent the shaft, the white-hair being his fingers and arms. Look at the Indian now! He has for- gotten everything but his magic with the stick. Pahco, gia, pao, 1aki—five notches! Now a swish of the knife and the stick has lost its teeth and he must begin all over again. The Great Spirit had put Hits the Sky and white-hair out of his thoughts. Very good; the Kiowas would have no further business with the matter. If the Indian shot at the white man it was the will of the Great Spirit. If the white man, acting for the Indian, tried to kill the trapper, it was well and good. California Joe tugged at his beard and smiled grimly. Rage at the attempt on his life had blinded him for a moment. Now his vision was clear: Oakes had been directed to dispose of the white man or else take his place as victim. The homi- cide had been carefully staged, Sitting Bear and his followers waiting behind the tents for their cue to rush to the scene and behold the trapper dead and then stand as witnesses to the innocence of the Kiowas in the killing. “An’ me tryin’ to argufy with th’ skunks!”’ the trapper told himself in great disgust. ‘Next time he’ll use a bullet an’ swear his Injun friend spit it out of his mouth. I jest got to wipe that cuss out or become a cold corpse. An’ if I wipe him out then they’ll do th’ same to me an’ swear-Oakes killed me afore he died. “But if Oakes was to git clear an’ run for it— Garcia says he wants to. Offered him some gold to git ponies for him. Reckon it’ S high time for Garcia to hide th’ ponies.” His meditations were interrupted by Sitting Bear’s ironical reminder: “You white men should remember you are brothers. How can you ask the red man to take you as brothers when you fight among yourselves? Let there be no killing among you. Remember we are all children of the Great Spirit.” Walking Wolf turned aside to conceal a. smile. Oakes leered at the trapper and informed him: “Tf you try any funny work on me the chief will skin you alive. If you’re tempted to shoot me be sure and save a bullet for yourself.” “An’ if ye kill me, as the B’ar has told 2. ye to do, don’t think for a second ye'll git free. Th’ chief will turn ye over to th’ whites as a murderer, an’ be rid o’ both of us.”’ “He won’t dare harm me. He’s afraid of my medicine.” “He won’t hurt yer Injun friend,: but he’ll have that white ha’r of yers flapping from th’ point of his lance, or he’ll turn ye over to be shot at Bent’s new post.” The gambler weighed these words thought- fully, and finally said: “I’m inclined to believe you’re right. Our quarrel can wait. certain: I must either kill you or quit this _ hole.” “T’m hankerin’ to stay a while. Got a friend comin’. I’ll tell Garcia to hide them ponies ye was after.” Oakes’ eyes sparkled. “Get him to do that and the rest will be easy. They let me and the Indian go to the river alone. They think he is renewing his medicine. They’re not afraid of our Yet one thing’s » jumping the village so long as we’re afoot. - “Tell the Mexican to hide the ponies two miles up-stream and I’ll do the rest. Better act mad and quit me now. They’re trying to get what we're saying.” Joe at once became very angry and cursed the gambler roundly, then turned away and went in search of the Mexican. He found Garcia huddled behind a tent, smok- ing tobacco rolled in a cornhusk, and to him related the incident of the arrow. “Ah, that white-hair! He has the heart of the devil. Did I not say he was the devil? He will be killing me next,” groaned Garcia. “He will leave the camp if yeu will hide two ponies two miles up the river. Get about it at once. The Kiowas smell blood an’ they’ll have a killing mighty soon if they have to do it themselves.”’ “T go to find my missing pony, sefor,”’ announced the Mexican, rising and making for the herd. The trapper entered the village and ob- served that the Indians were still greuped before Oakes’ tent. From the back of the crowd he satisfied himself that neither Sitting Bear nor Walking Wolf was present. Then the boy who had shot at the shield boastfully informed him: “Setangya and old Walking Wolf go tc try the white man’s medicine. Walking Wolf has made a feast to his hair and says 7 GO NOO|KS ANUC (C@