Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

124 ‘The poor lass!”’ she cried softly. ‘The poor, brave lass!’’ CHAPTER XXVIII THE MIGHT OF THE LONG HOUSE ie silence of consternation gripped the hordes of the Keepers of the Trail. The sea of painted, scowling faces exhibited one frozen expression of awe at the sud- denness of the tragedy. Only Murray gave no indication of feeling as he knelt by de Veulle’s side. 3s “Where is Black Robe?” I whispered to Marjory, shivering on my shoulder. “He went away last night. There was a call from Ga-o-no-geh, a village down the Trail. I think he was tricked.” “Would he——’” . Murray stood up, wiping a spot of blood off one of his hands with a laced handker- chief. “He is gone,” he remarked impartially. ‘Twas no more than to be expected. A man can not mix' politics with women— especially uncivilized women.”’ ‘Give a look to the Indian girl,” I urged. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say it was not worth while; but Marjory stooped over Ga-ha-no, composed the disordered black tresses and closed the wildly staring eyes. ‘“°Tis useless, Harry,” she said. “She is dead.” ‘‘Ga-ha-no—is—dead!”’ repeated Ta-wan- ne-ars blankly. His heaving muscles relaxed, and he hung limp in his bonds against the stake. “At the least, the woman gave you an avenue of escape from an intricate prob- lem,’”’ commented Murray. ‘You do not seem glad, my dear.”’ “T am not glad,” retorted Marjory scorn- fully. ‘And I am right content that you should be unable to understand why I will be mourning for her.”’ ‘Ah, well, we have never understood each other, have we?” rejoined Murray, taking snuff absent-mindedly. “Come, we will give orders for the removal of the un- fortunate pair, and ” The horror dawned once more in Mar- jory’s face. ‘“‘And what?” she gasped. “Vou forget, Marjory, that my savage henchmen have work to do,” he answered Adventure nonchalantly. “I take it for granted that you do not wish to remain and view their labors?” “‘You—you would——” Emotion choked her; but she fought for her self-control. “You would leave these—these men— Master Ormetod—to—to——” ‘“‘And why not?” he replied. ‘They are enemies. As I have had occasion to tell him ere this, Master Ormerod has sought to contrive my ruin. Why should I spare him?” ‘You know not the meaning of humanity, then?” she cried, anger striving with ter- ror for control of her voice. ‘Tis a word which has divers meanings,” he said. ‘But I am a reasonable man. I am always willing to discuss terms.”’ “And what might you mean by terms?” I demanded, taking a hand in the conver- sation. He deliberated as unconcernedly as if we sat on opposite sides of a table in London, entirely ignoring the huddled corpses at his feet, the line of bodies stiffening in the bitter cold against the stakes and’ the attendant cordon of Indians whose faces studied his as their fingers itched to resume the torture. ‘“‘An undertaking to abandon this wholly barren persecution of my enterprises,” he decided. “I should require the signature of Governor Burnet to the document.” ‘And my companions here?” I asked curiously. “You forget that even my powers are necessarily limited,” he said. “I could not possibly snatch from my people’s ven- geance Iroquois warriors taken red-handed in an attempt to massacre them.” I laughed. “You do not yet know me, Murray.” “Possibly you are subject to education,” he retorted, buttoning up his greatcoat. ‘Come, Marjory.” She drew away from him. “T choose to remain,” she said coldly. “T choose that you shall not.” He waved his hand in an unmistakable signal of release to the watchful False Faces and their followers. A yell of satis- faction swelled from their hungry throats, and they dashed forward. Indeed, so vio- lent was their reaction from the restraint just imposed upon them that in the first mad rush a number of the younger men were carried beyond control of the evil priests comicoooks C@