Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

The Meekness of Mug-Wa Snorting disbelief John Merne strode back to his canoe. The Dog-Ribs after a look at his face, stepped out of his way. Around the first bend of the river he drew a deep breath and grinned. ‘‘Phew!”’ he told himself, like one with the habit of solitude. ‘‘Didn’t I lay him out! Hated to talk to him like that. Mug-wa’s been a good feller. -—— shame, though, about them fox. For half a cent I’d high-jack this Sharpley duck an’ take ’em away from him. But it’s done now; no gettin’ away from that. -———,I thought Mug-wa had brains!”’ When he was past the first white water and over-falls, he broke into “A la Claire Fontaine,” and paddled swiftly down the river. Between verses he shook his head and ejaculated— ‘‘____. T thought he had brains!” THE next day at noon Sharpley paddling his canoe clumsily, landed at Merne’s one- building station. rd Besides outfit, he had one small pack which he carried with him, as if to keep it safe, when he came up toward Merne. His man- ner was exultant. ““Howd’ye” he began. Merne looked at him without answering. “Got any grub?” Sharpley demanded. “Ym out.” “T have,” Merne answered. “But I’m careful who I give it to.” Sharpley’s grin became ugly. “Meanin’ what?” “‘You’re poachin’ on my territory when you come up here tradin’ your gimcracks an’ rot-gut to t’ Injuns.” “T guess they’re anybody’s pluckin’, ain’t they? Youse don’t own ’em, do youse?”’ “No, but I got some right to t’ fur they caught last winter. got in your hand.” age youse do!’’ Sharpley snorted. “But I wouldn’t have t’ things I own that pack you | 107 now,’ Merne snapped. sey along.” Sharpley opened his lips for one foul word, addressed straight at Merne. The latter jumped in and caught him on the jaw. The pack went spinning as Sharpley reeled backward. Merne hit him again, flush on the chin; and Sharpley tumbled. With a hand twisted into his coat collar, Merne assisted him to the canoe. “See how quick you can get out of sight,”’ he said huskily, flinging the pack in after him. ‘An’ don’t come up this way ag’in You belong in an alley, not in a woods. That’s warnin’. Get!’ Sharpley went. He was barely out of sight when two Dog-Rib canoes and four of Mug-wa’s men came down the river. The oldest jumped out of his boat and stepped up to Merne. ‘““Mug-wa said we are to stay with you until you have no further need of us.” Merne nodded. ‘“‘Also, Mug-wa sends word of greeting and a message,” concluded the Indian, taking a small can from his shoulder- pack. ‘He said that yesterday the words of his white brother smote him like hail- stones so that he could not speak.” John Merne turned the can over, pried off the lid and looked inside, expecting to find a written message there, for the sub- chief read and wrote creditably. But the can was empty. Puzzled, Merne thrust “Suppose you mo- two fingers inside. Nothing but some black | stain. Mystified, he turned the can over again. There was some gilt charactery, by way of a label, on the outside. He read it. Re- read it with a gasp. EHLENBERGER & SCHNITTKIND .anufacturing Chemists ANILAC Natural Black Dye for Wool, Cloth, Hair, Furs,” etc., etc. DOOLK CO © rfl