Adventure Magazine Cover — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

OLN i” oh Oks Se re Se Et Fag ert, me Cal ad . Roe “s" —_ 124 rebut his arguments. Bet he doesn’t talk at all.” Orcutt was silent, wishing only that he had slain this vulgar idiot before starting for Tookabatcha. The day passed. Tecumseh sent a mes- senger at noon to say that he would make his talk early in the afternoon, but the afternoon waned. Later the messenger brought the tale that the sun was too far advanced in the heavens, and that the talk would have to wait for next day. The next day and the next passed in identical fashion. That night Forest, thoroughly disgusted, and feeling that some- how this play was all for the sake of hu- ~ miliating him, strode to Tecumseh’s wig- wam. Orcutt guessed the agent’s purpose too late. A cry of horror was checked on his lips. Writhing with an agony more real than the tearing burn of a barbed arrow, Orcutt watched, apparently unmoved, while the blundering Forest threw aside the leather flap and stared down at the assemblage of graven images within. “T came to—to find out when you were going to give us your talk!” blustered Forest. “I’m a busy man and Perhaps it was the utter silence of the braves. Perhaps the lurking devil of fa- naticism in Tecumseh’s eyes—calculating approval of this fool who played the red man’s game so well—cut through the agent’s dull sensibilities. At any rate his bluster oozed. He stared down a moment longer, and then swung on his heel. Orcutt met him ten yards from the wig- wam. “Make ready to pay, Benjamin Forest! he commanded tersely. ‘You have done that which can not be forgiven!” And the agent, impressed in spite of him- self, followed the direction of Orcutt’s curt nod. He saw William Weatherford, erect and scowling, standing in the midst of his coterie of Creek braves. “Get inside!’’ commanded Orcutt in a low tone, as the half-breed started forward. “Let me speak to him, for on our heads is the blood of thousands!” Stupidly Forest obeyed. Even his arro- gant self had begun to feel the atmosphere of horrified resentment. Samuel Orcutt advanced half way to meet the stern chief- tain of the Creeks. os | ae what my brother has to say,” 1? net a Ars re Pee ag BS a mains I ee a a ay Se aS a te ABest et eat ok aes ty Sa SEete- - See meer | gh. - as a itt Re etme SS ee _ of advice. Se ax aex oo . ee ane? = Adventure’ began Orcutt. ‘The sacred guest of honor has been insulted, and blood alone can pay the score. All white men are not wise, O Red Eagle, and this one is of the most foolish. Now he is learning wisdom, how- ever, and at your service blood shall be die to wipe out his insult. When say y ou 9? ’ Red Eagle was silent a full minute. He had not expected this, though some such demand had been in his mind. He was equal to the occasion, however. “At Tecumseh’s next coming to the fire, Sam Thlucco,” he answered at last, shaking his head. ‘The white man has done bad business this day.” And Orcutt, tema to the man he re- spected, turned back to the wigwam. To Forest’s almost frantic questioning he re- plied not a syllable. The prayer was in his heart, however, that the agent would prove | up a brave man in spite of his folly. An hour later Red Eagle returned—alone. “T know not what my brother plans,” he said gravely, “but I fear the trouble is upon us. For him—” and the half-breed mo- tioned contemptuously back toward the wigwam which held the agent—“TI care not, but my heart bleeds at the thought of Sam Thlucco’s scalp dangling from the belt of the Shawnee. Will my brother not leave now? A herd of ponies, which I well can spare, will assuage the anger of Tecumseh.” “T can not, though I thank you, Red Eagle!” responded Orcutt sadly. “My life is naught beside the damage which has been done. I shall stay for the reckoning.” Weatherford nodded. He had expected just this reply, but he had one more word Stepping near, he lowered his voice. : “Tecumseh will not lose,” he said. “If you see my hand close, thus—” he made a rapid motion with his fist—‘‘then drop to the ground. You have many friends among us i “T shall remember!” answered Orcutt, deeply moved by the half-breed’s sincerity. An hour later, after Orcutt. and the now pale and shaken Forest had taken their . places between the Creeks and Choctaws, the flap of the Shawnee wigwam was thrown to one side and out stepped Tecum- seh. He was painted now wholly in ver- milion, and bore in each hand a bundle of red-leaved twigs which Orcutt recognized with a sinking sensation to be sumac, the rile Gomichoo