Adventure Magazine Cover, October 10, 1921 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

The Doom Trail stands, with all it contains. Tell him that he is to give up to us the maiden he calls his daughter, whom you desire to wed. Tell him that he is to send forth the prisoners he has taken. Tell him that he is to render up all the arms he has in his possession. ‘“‘And then he and those of the Keepers of the Trail who are left to him shall march out, and the People of the Long House will escort them to Jagara, where they shall be handed over to Joncaire to dispose of as pleases Onontio and the French. “Na hol” I said good-by to them, and tramped back across the clearing to the stockade above which waved a white napkin fastened to a ramrod. Murray awaited me just within the gate. The Keepers, in their fan- tastic feather headdresses, crouched on the firing-platform and peered down at us fear-_ | fully. Splotches of blood in the dirty snow showed where several of them had been killed by the plunging fire of the Iroquois from the trees which rimmed the clear- ing. Murray heard my report in silence, and cast his eye over the surrounding scene be- fore replying. “Tt shall be done,” he said at last. ‘‘Was ever a man so sorely tried by fate? Zooks, twill cost me a pretty penny and no slight effort to recoup my fortunes.” I regarded him with amazement. “To you think to be tolerated hereabouts in the future?” I asked. ‘“‘Hereabouts? It may be so; it may not be,” he answered musingly. ‘But my star is no ordinary star, Master Ormerod. And despite my demerits, which seem to have impressed you unduly, if you will allow me to say so I am not entirely without certain capacities which are valuable in adversity.” ‘‘The devil looks out for his own!”’ I ejacu- lated rudely. ‘“‘Needs must, if the devil drives,” he countered. “Ah, well, we are simply headed toward another fruitless bicker. You are strangely burdened by that animus which the clergy dub conscience. Your judgment is‘biased.”’ ‘(Where you are concerned.” “T fear so,” he deplored. “Let us set a term to this debate. Does our treaty go into effect at once?” Wag 2) “So be it. I will give orders to have your friends conducted here.”’ 9 129 THE battered remnants of our war-party appeared with Ta-wan- ii ne-ars walking in the lead, his face once more a study in impassive rigor. ‘‘Murray says we are free, brother,” he said, stepping to my side. “It is true.” The sadness shone momentarily in his eyes. “IT have had a bad dream, brother,” he went on. | “°Twas no dream,” I cried. “Do not doubt your sorrow, Ta-wan-ne-ars. It was fe “It was a dream,” he answered steadily. ‘My Lost Soul is redeemed by Ha-wen-ne- yu and is gone on before me for a visit to — Ata-ent-sic. But ina little time, when Iam rested, I shall go after her and fetch her back to dwell happily with me in my lodge.” ‘But how can you, a mortal, journey into the hereafter?” I protested. “Did I not tell you an old tale of my peo- ple of a warrior who ventured to the Land of Lost Souls? O my brother, the Great Spirit is generous. He recognizes courage and true love. If I am daring of everything, surely he will stand my aid and help me into Ata- ent-sic’s country.” “Tt can not be!”’ “How shall we know it can not be until we have tried? Ta-wan-ne-ars will try.” I could say no more. Such simple faith was unanswerable. And as I watched him, quietly directing the piling of the weapons of the Keepers and the unbarring of the gate in the stockade, I wondered how much of it was the unconscious working on a sensitive mind of the very Christianity he had rejected. Marjory’s voice recalled me to the present. “Master Murray tells me he hath sur-— rendered,” she said. I turned eagerly to find her at my side. My hands leaped out for hers, and she yielded them without hesitation, "her brave eyes beaming love and comradeship un- ashamed. “Ves, we are free, Marjory. come with me——” She caught my meaning, and made to pull away from me. “But we will have had no wooing,” she exclaimed, half between laughter and tears. “Sure, sir, you will not be expecting a maid to yield without suit?” I would not let her go. Will you DOOLK C@