Adventure Magazine Cover — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

128 landed some distance below us. Durgin was eager to go and meet him, thinking he had failed to locate us. But I held him under the willows. After several minutes the Chickasaw slipped down the bank be- hind us as softly as a snake, squatted at the water’s edge and rested his powerful hands on the side of the canoe. ‘““You saw the Shawnee man die?” “We saw a brave Chickasaw kill the Shawnee man,” I replied. “We wasabrave man. But his medicine voice could not make him hear. The Chero- kees called the Shawnees wizards. They have traveled around so much their medi- cine must be tired, like an old man.” Having made a bid for our praise and having received it, he proffered us a small bag of parched. corn, which we gobbled hun- grily. Then he advised: ‘“‘Let both white men sleep. If the Shaw- nee men come near, the Night Walker will cry out. When it is dark the white men can follow the river-path.” ‘“‘Are many of them down this way?” I asked. “The dead man and the Panther man were the first. He was of the Bear Clan. The panther is quicker than the bear. Big Bear was a brave man.’ I had failed to recognize the Blinc as Big Bear. His false alarm had made it pos- sible for us to escape. I almost felt sorry he had to die. The Night Walker continued: ‘‘Many Shawnees are coming this way now. They found a trail above the village that ended in the air, like a bird hopping along the first snow, then taking to wing.’ And his small eyes twinkled as he found something humorous in the trick he had played on Blue Jacket’s village. “Sleep. The Night Walker will be near. If the white men are caught the Night Walker will not be caught with them. If he sees they must be caught he will be the first to point them out.” Durgin did not relish this speech, inter- preted by me, but I appreciated the good sense of ‘having the Chickasaw remain above all suspicion. I quieted the New Englander. The Night Walker hissed softly. Up-stream and on the opposite bank a Shawnee trailer was standing in full view. Durgin held his breath until purple of face. The Chickasaw simply explained: ‘“‘He follows the signs of Big Bear and the Panther man. He will find where they en- Adventure tered the water. He will think we crossed to this side.”’ ‘“‘He will find the body of Big Bear,” I warned him. “The body is covered. It is under the - bank above where we entered the water. There are no splashes of water on the rocks. Stay here. The Shawnee will find no path leading to this place.” I WATCHED the Indian as he scrutinized our side of the river. When he vanished into the green wall behind him I spoke to the Night Walker. Receiving no answer, I turned and found he had left us. “He was standing right back of me,” whispered Durgin. ‘But how’n Tophet could he drop out of sight like that and we not know it?” “He is of the Panther clan. He is as soft- footed as your Northern lynx. Go to sleep. I will stand guard for a while. Then I will sleep.” The New Englander at first would not heed my advice and insisted he could not close his eyes with an enemy so near. But after waiting for nearly half an hour he de- cided the Shawnee had passed on down the river or had turned back to the village. He gave me the bow-gun and a bolt and spread a blanket on the ground. Soon he was breathing heavily. But the Shawnee trailer had not left the neighborhood. Once more I beheld him. He had followed Big Bear’s and the Chicka- saw’s trail in gaining the edge of the bank. With barely a pause he slipped down to the water’s edge and studied the ground. The signs were plain where the Shawnee and the Chickasaw had entered the stream. In- stead of entering the water, however, he moved down-stream, searching the ground for more signs. I breathed in relief as he disappeared around a_ willow-covered bend. But the man was suspicious that all was not as it should be; for soon he returned, walking with his head thrust far forward. He came to a halt opposite our position. Now I expected him to make the crossing, and if he held a straight course he would be quite sure to stumble upon our hiding- place. I picked up the bow-gun, caught the cord on the little wheel and placed a bolt in the trough. But instead of crossing, the fellow did what the Night Walker had said COMIC oolks CO