Adventure Magazine Cover — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

96 : man’s beer bottles! Another influence of the white man was to be observed in a group of monte players, only their cards were made of pony skin. “They’ve quit the ne ways and haven’t learned the new,” “They cling to their arrows and have learned beer from the whites. Nothing remains the same except Wakantanka.”’ And he softly chanted in English the Sunrise Song, as sung during the sun dance: ‘Here I am, behold me; I am the sun, behold me.” Little Big Man strolled to the opening of the lodge. He was smoking a beautiful pipe of red sandstone. The bowl was inlaid with silver and the long reed stem was ar- tistically decorated with feathers and quills. He offered the pipe to the sky and earth and to the cardinal points, but spoke no word to the prisoners. After waiting for a minute Scissors asked—“When can Two Knives Talking see his friend Crazy Horse?” Little Big Man smiled cynically and re- plied— “Tf Two Knives Talking is wakan enough he can untie himself. and go to see his friend.” “To be free of Little Big Man’s clumsy cords is easy for the medicine of Two Knives Talking,” gravely assured Scissors. “Will he find the road to Slim Butte open?” And he brought his hands before him to show they were free. With a yelp Little Big Man turned and called loudly. Warriors came on the run. “Two Knives Talking has untied the rawhide,” grunted the leader. Two warriors advanced to Scissors and pawed about behind him, but could find no vestige of the thongs. ‘Two Knives Talking’s medicine ate them up,” explained Scissors. “Are the Ogalala afraid I will fly up among the thunder-birds that they must tie me?” 3 The leader snapped out an order and fresh thongs were brought and Scissors tied up for the second time. “What the did you do with the cords?”’ whispered Dinsdale from the cor- ner of his mouth. “In your side pocket,’ yawned Scissors. Little Big Man harshly demanded— “Why do white men ride out to Mato tipi and place rocks in trees?” \ soliloquized Scissors. Adventure “Because we are turning red,” was the prompt reply. “Where is Wichakpa-yamani Crook) now?” “When I am treated as a_ brother my medicine will tell you,” coldly replied Scissors. “They say you will talk with a very fast tongue when you feel the skinning-knives,”’ threatened Little Big Man. Scissors smiled tolerantly and said— “Crazy Horse will soon set his friend free to walk where he will.”’ “Two Knives Talking has a weak medi- cine. It freed him once; now it is very tired,” jeered Little Big Man. “My young men may not wait for you to see Tashunca- uitco, They say they want white skin for medicine shirts. They say they are sharp- ening their knives.”’ “Little Big Man talks like a “Shoshoni singing to the moon,’ sneered Scissors. “A very wakan man never sleeps.” And to the consternation of the specta- tors he again brought his hands before him. Men rushed upon him, but the cords had vanished. Little Big Man glared murder- ously, then grew uneasy. A doubt was sprouting in his mind. Mato tipi was sacred ground, and those who prayed to Tunkan through rocks and stones must be very care- ful not to give offense. The prisoners were white, yet they had been captured, taken by surprize, when placing rocks in the trees. Scissors read the tumult in the man’s mind and whispered encouragement to Dinsdale. Little Big Man gave an order and both men were released and conducted outside the lodge and tied to the medicine-pole, from which hung the strangled puppy. A warrior was told to sit behind them to watch their hands. The warrior obeyed but did not fancy the task, for it was like spying on some agency controlled by Tunkan. To Dinsdale Scissors said: “They’re badly worried. Every hour we're kept alive improves our chances. Little Big Man won’t dare hurt us until he hears from Crazy Horse. Already he has sent a messenger to Slim Butte to fill in the details of the mirror-message.”’ The warrior behind him reached a hand forward and roughly clapped it over his mouth. Scissors’ left hand shot to the front and caught the offending palm and at the same time his right hand darted up under the armpit and, pulling and pushing, (General COMICLOOOKS (E@)