Adventure Magazine Cover, February 3, 1921 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

30 doggedly persisted and would not give up even after the trappers had swung into the Fort Laramie trail in a line due east from Pike’s Peak. This was.the Arapaho country, and north was the range of the oe ‘Not like Injuns to stick so long,” marked Reason. California Joe agreed, saying: “Ve talk a lot o’ foolishness, but once in a while ye spit out cold facts. Must have a strong medicine to keep ’em goin’ like this. Our nags won’t last th’ day out ‘less they can rest.” They were crossing a low sand-hill close to the Fontaine Qui Bouille Creek, later called Boiling Spring River. The horses came to a halt, their heads hanging low. Joe dismounted and permitted his animal to crop the scanty grass. Reason stood up in his saddle for a moment and stuck up two fingers. In half a minute he stuck up three fingers, then three more, leaving only two of the pursuers to be accounted for. “Eight of ’em. Then two’s gone by th’ board,’ Joe complacently remarked. With a low cry of amazement Reason held up four fingers. “Two caught up!” he cried. “Tf two could catch up then all of ’em could,” growled Joe,, climbing into his saddle. “But where do they come from? How th’ can they do it? For two days ’n’ a half ten Injuns been trailin’ us. No more to be seen any time. Now all of a sudden ye tell me there’s twelve of ’em. Can’t be. Must be ’Rapahoes;.an’ if they’re after us I reckon th’ game’s ’bout up. Lemme have a peek:” eyes. The two dots became two horsemen. Behind them at some distance and strung out at irregular inter- vals were ten horsemen. “Caught up nothin’! First two is bein’ chased! Only ten on our track, an’ none o’ them is ’Rapahoes! Those two come down from -th’ mountains an’ cut across our trail an’ th’ Injuns took after ’em. Why didn’t th’ fools stick to th’ mountains?” The trapper studied the terrain ahead, then measured the sun, and added: “They ’low to overhaul us before dark or bust hoss-flesh. Might as well wait for them other two to come up an’ help us make a fight for it.” HE STOOD erect and shaded his . Adventure “Haul” loudly approved Reason, point- ing to a hillock close to the stream and urg- ing his tired horse forward. Joe paused to wave encouragement to the two fugitives and then followed his partner. His last glance at the two men racing for their lives assured him that their animals were fresh and in much better con- dition than were those of the Kiowas. Doubtless they had been camping in the hills and had struck into the trail just in time to blunder across the path of the Kiowas, and soon found themselves cut off from retreating back to cover. The trappers reached the hillock which, found, bordered on the stream, assuring them water, while coarse grass along the trail afforded grazing for their horses. “We can be as happy here as grizzly b’ars eatin’ manzanita berries,” optimisti- cally declared Joe. The Kiowas, believing that their original prey was planning to break across the stream and take refuge in the maze of foot- hills, plied their quirts and forced their wearied ponies to greater efforts. Masking their heads with clumps of grass, the trap- pers lay on the crest of the hill and watched the race now spinning nearer. As they looked one of the men in the lead turned and fired, the thin report inciting the pur- suers to greater endeavor. “Shot a pistol!’ disgustedly exclaimed Reason. ‘“’Bout as much use as a Mexi- can sycamore!” “Ain't got rifles. Why, say, y, one of them chaps is a Injun. Wal, if that don’t beat ol’ cats! It’s th’ Pit River Injun, Tommy, an’ Old Oakes, th’ chap I promised to wipe out, an’ who kindly promised to wipe me out.” “What they snoopin’ along our trail for?’ querulously demanded Reason. “Ye say that Injun is a medicine man?” And he glanced uneasily down the hill to the snakeskin draped over his saddle. ‘‘He’s foolish in th’ head. Clipped by a bullet when Old Oakes an’ his gang killed th’ poor devil’s fambly for a few ounces 0’ dust. ITIl drop a hunk o’ lead front o’ Tommy, their ponies as a hint for ’em to hunt cover. ° somewhere else.” “How can ye settle yer trouble with that white-haired cuss if ye let them Kiowas wipe him out? Both of ye have white skins. Th’ Injun ain’t done ye no harm, has he?” GOmichbooks (C@