Adventure Magazine Cover — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

tare | we ss 4 : Mia} é oe % oh ve 98 is still strong. It grows weary of working on children. Send in Shunca-luta with his medicine. Then we shall see.” Just outside the entrance a deep voice boomed: “‘The white man’s medicine is very strong. But the medicine of Shunca-luta will eat it up. Two Knives Talking once ran away from the Ogalala. Now Shunca-luta’s medicine brings him back. This time, they say, he will not leave until he goes away to be a ghost.” Little Big Man’s eyes glittered at this threat. Scissors called back: “Shunca-luta is very wakan, but Taku W akan has not whispered in his ear. Why does he stay outside the lodge? The white man will not hurt him.” Sorrel Horse at once appeared in the entrance. Like the famous Sitting Bull, who is said to have foretold the Custer massacre, he wore a bunch of shed buffalo hair fastened to the side of his raven locks. This hair was wakan and was painted red and recalled the times when the buffalo filled the plains. It was also a symbol of the coming of the White Buffalo Maiden. His medicine-pouch was formed from badger paws and had bears’ claws as pendants; for it was from the bear that he had learned how to treat adults while the badger told him through the medium of dreams how to cure children. He also carried the bent stick of one who has dreamed of a wolf. But it was his renown as a magician, and not his success as a healer, that elevated him high among the wakan witshasha, and high above the grass-root medicine-men, Scissors invited— “sit down and let our medicines talk it over.’ ~~ oe audience. But Sorrel Horse did not intend to waste any dramatic effects before so small an Outside the stage was set for convincing Crazy Horse that even High Wolf, the Cheyenne, was far below Shunca- luta in matters of magic. Ignoring the white man he said to Little Big Man— “Bring the prisoners out in the sunlight. That man’s medicine does not like the sun- light. It works best under the moon.” The prisoners were at once led forth, and seated before the medicine-pole. Dinsdale was glad to observe that- the strangled puppy had been removed. Rawhide was looped around their waists and tied to the Adventure pole, but their hands were not secured. In a half circle before them sat forty warriors. Scissors glanced anxiously about for Crazy Horse, but the chief was not present. Sorrel Horse, sensing he was the principal figure i in the scene until Crazy Horse should put in an appearance, carefully spread a wolf-skin and after seating himself cross- legged before it made much of peering into amirror. He took pains to turn the mirror so the curious warriors could observe the new moon and sun painted in white on its face. His vanity was highly pleased as he noted how intently the spectators followed every move he made. Little Big Man stared triumphantly at the prisoners and nodded to their guards. The signal had been prearranged as the guards promptly searched Dinsdale and took nearly four thousand dollars from his pockets. backs. The time was gone when the Indian was ignorant of money values, and while they still called money “‘white metal” they knew a piece of paper money was often worth several silver dollars. Beady eyes glittered as the bills and a bag of dust were placed on a blanket before Little Big Man. From Scissors only a small amount of money was taken; and Little Big Man tickled the fancy of his followers by ironically advis- 1n — “Two Knives Talking should make a feast for the white man’s metal god.” When the pad of paper and small scissors were held up Little Big Man hesitated, then shook his head. Paper and scissors were very much wakan and he did not care to assume charge of them. The tinkling of a bell now stirred the spectators to sharp attention and heads were turned as their mighty chief stepped Ket Pe +25 = Fae - a" = - The money was mostly in green- from a lodge back of the half circle. Crazy © Horse at that time did not look over thirty years of age, and stood a few inches under six feet. He carried himself with great dignity and the stern expression of his bold features was accented by a scar. His peo- ple knew him to be as generous as he was courageous, and his practise of never re- taining any property for himself, aside from his arms and war-ponies, was bound to ex- tend his popularity among all the hostiles and their allies. If Sitting Bull by his medicine foretold the destruction of Custer’s men, then it was Crazy Horse who assumed victory at the (G (EC) JOOKS (EO) mn