Adventure Magazine Cover — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

156 left him. For life long enough to write upon the sand! Your name, Toyotama. And where to find you! He must have heard you, O more than blind—O desecrator of god and temple—”’ he waved the great curved blade which he had gone to his room for—‘‘I have it in my mind to end it here. But I have been advised differently. You are the eldest of the priests, and my years are few. In days, or months, you would have become abbot. As you have strived for. But now—” he paused and licked his lips, lowering the sword until the point was on the floor again—‘‘now, that is passed. Your life is wasted. The hopes of years is vanishing for you—it is gone.” His old voice rose and cracked— ‘““Go forth, and kennel with the swine!”’ The unearthly voice ceased. Toyotama felt panic creeping steadily up his legs, to loosen the joints of his knees. Yet for all his fear and surprize his brain worked rapidly. It told him, in a flash, that all of the priests were together with him, even if here he was singled out as ring- leader, and that they must stand by him. It told him that here and now his life was truly wasted, for the abbot would force him to leave the temple unfrocked—to be- come a mendicant, like the beggar who had squatted by the gate. Clark, backed by Kagamo, might even cage him in a jail. He thought no longer. Toyotama whirled a half turn, and faced the abbot, stepping on Clark’s up-turned, outstretched hand as he did so. Lifted the heavy food-stand a scant inch higher, and poised it. The abbot attempted to bring the sword to bear, regretting that even in the split- second of warning he had not brought the Adventure weapon to a position of defense. He had the blade barely in the air, a foot or so from the ground _ Toyotama’s muscles tensed, as the food- stand began to swing downward, to add strength to the blow. Once must do it; the priests stood bewitched, but they might not stand for more. Clark reached out the hand upon which Toyotama had stepped; it closed about the ankle of the priest. Held. Pulled and tore at it with furious, demoniac power. ‘Toyo- tama, engrossed and poised for the blow, lost balance, attempted wildly to keep his feet, fell forward, and found the up-turning blade of the abbot’s sword waiting for him. There was a second of gasping silence, and then the priests stampeded from the room. The abbot dropped the hilt of the sword, as if it were distasteful to him be- cause of its burden at the point, and, with no look at the fallen priest, shuffled to the white man’s side. ‘“{—will not write,” Clark whimpered brokenly. ti ‘You need not,” the abbot whispered to him and, with sudden energy, picked up the little missionary and carried him from the room. The sunlight in his eyes aroused Clark for an instant, as the abbot carried him across the courtyard and toward his own room in the temple. “T should have fought, I should have fought,’ the white man muttered between his scorched lips. The abbot laughed unsteadily. “You did. You did indeed,” he said, and, stumbling once or twice on the uneven flag- stones, carried his burden into the cool of the temple. ) STIMULATING EARLY FUR HUNTING by Leon Rowland WO hundred dollars a year salary, 6 with all expenses paid, were of- ze fered hunters to go to the head- st waters of the Missouri and the Rocky Mountains, in an advertisement ap- pearing January 15, 1823,in The Missouri Re- publican, a newspaper published in St. Louis. The advertisers, “Ashley and Henry” were, however, prepared to invest $20,000, for they asked for roo men to enter their service. Approximately that number were secured and started up the Missouri in boats on March tenth, to spend at least twelve months as fur seekers in a region of which the only civil government at that time was an “Indian Agent for the Upper Missouri,” appointed by the President of the United States. COmiclboook (©