Adventure Magazine Cover — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

ky fare othe 126 council. Orcutt fired carefully at the agent’s - Jeft breast. The two shots sounded in unison, Both men staggered, but Forest sagged to his knees. Suddenly, as his eyes rolled about the assemblage below, he pitched forward like a rag doll deprived of its support. Or- cutt stiffened, caught control of himself in spite of a shattered left shoulder, and retraced his steps to the center of the ring. “There is blood to wipe out unwitting insult!” he announced. ‘The great Tecum- seh can not say that white men do not pay their debts!”’ Then he talked, as rapidly and con- vincingly as he could, of the great benefits brought by white men to the country, of the undying friendship of red and white in the South, and of the year of prosperity which had passed. Some of the Choctaws seemed inclined to give him ear, but Orcutt saw the impatient head-shaking among the Creeks. Tecumseh, too, gave evidence of anger and impatience. He had not counted upon this. All the while Orcutt kept an eye upon Red Eagle for the expected sign. He was warming to his subject, when suddenly the sign came. Red Eagle closed his fist! Quick as thought Orcutt sprang forward, throwing himself toward the ground be- tween Pushmataha and Red Eagle. He caught the glint, out of the corner of his eye, of a shell tomahawk tumbling through the air. Quick as thought, he thrust up a hand and caught it. Then he leaped to his feet. Ten yards behind him, the firebrand Seeka- boo was poised forward, drawn from his balance by the throw. With a quick flirt of his arm Orcutt re- turned the missile. Its keen shell edge cleft Seekaboo’s forehead in the center. Without Adventure a sound the Shawnee dropped to the ground. From the Choctaws came a murmur of ap- probation. Orcutt was up again, before Tecumseh could speak. “The white men, too, have their rights!”’ he cried. “Who follows me from the fires?” It was a bold stroke, but Orcutt knew he had to act then or never. Without a back- ward glance he strode away, unmindful of the turmoil which arose. Fifty yards further on Pushmataha caught at his elbow. “You are a brave man!” gushed the fat old chief. “The Choctaws do not wish to war on the whites. See!’ He waved his arm at the half-reluctant red men who followed. Orcutt saw, how- ever, that no Creeks were with them. “The accursed Creeks cast their lot with the Shawnees,” went on Pushmataha, un- derstanding Orcutt’s glance. ‘The braves of General Pushmataha will make them hunt their holes!” And, though the old reprobate doubtless believed little of his boasting, time, and the concerted efforts of the whites proved his prophecy true. At the time, though, Samuel Orcutt wasted no thought upon the distant future. As soon as his shoulder wound was bound, he led the friendly red men up the trail toward Sinquefield. ‘There, a few hours later, the detachment united with a wagon- train of settlers in a spirited defense against the Creeks. Once, over his gun, Orcutt saw the calm, implacable face of Red Eagle, his former friend. Turning deliberately, he pumped a ball through the body of a brave who was sneaking for the shelter of a grove of scrub oak. When he looked again, Red Eagle had disappeared. COMMCE IOS (EO)