Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

Q2 stuffed crowskin. Either respect for the crowskin or the squaws’ fear that they would lose their share of the dress goods permitted Murray to complete his errand uninterrupted. On returning to the house he met several small groups of Indians, who eyed him sullenly but did not offer to harm him. Entering the house, he told Mrs. De Camp: “Only green corn. Another time I'll try for some meat.” “This is enough,”’ she assured him. “Call your friend and have him take some up to the girls.” Murray climbed the ladder and softly spoke Mose’s name. ‘The trap door was opened, and Elizabeth Potter told him: “He’s gone. Slipped through the little window and dropped to the ground. I fear he has been killed. I heard a choking sound. We tried to keep him here.” Greatly alarmed, Murray descended, in- tending to go outside and investigate. Before he could open the door a shrill cry outside halted him. Mrs. De Camp whis- red— “They’ve found something.” “Tt’s my friend, Shanty Mose,” groaned Murray. “Tt can’t be—” she began. ‘‘He’s gone. Dropped from the window. Elizabeth Potter heard him trying to out.”’ “But the Indians are angry about some- thing,”’ she persisted. Other cries now sounded at the end of the house. She raised a finger for silence. What was first a cry of discovery was now increased to a savage chorus of howls. “Know nothing about your friend’s going away,” she cautioned. ‘You have just re- turned with the corn.” A strong voice at the door quieted much of the shouting. Then the door opened and Little Crow entered. Warriors filled the ‘doorway behind him, and several of his friends advanced across the _ threshold. The chief was wearing new thigh leggings, nearly white in color and heavily fringed. One half his face was painted in stripes. The other half was covered with little cir- cles which interlinked and formed a chain pattern. Ignoring the woman, he stared intently at Murray and in English demanded— “Did the young man kill a Dakota man Adventure while wearing the crow of Chetan Wakan Mani?” “T have killed no Dakota man,” replied Murray, his heart pounding violently. “They say you are strong in the hands. They say you made the black man drop his knife. They say you can squeeze the life from a man’s throat,” said the chief. “T have not placed my hand on a Dakota man. I stopped the black man from kill- ing the white women. It was the crow medicine that made my hands strong.” A voice from outside cried: “The wearer of the crow carried a kettle of corn to this house from the squaws’ cook- ing fire. He could not kill a Dakota with his bare hands without spilling some of the corn.” This was spoken in the Indian tongue. Another man called out: “Running Dog saw the white man walk- ing with the kettle. Hedid not stop. Run- ning Dog saw him go into the house.” Murray did not know he had been fully exonerated until Mrs. De Camp nodded re- assuringly and Little Crow asked: “Where is the other white man? The man with hair on his face?” This was spoken in English; and, mindful of the woman’s warning, Murray replied: ‘“‘He’s in the loft. Ill call him.” Wherewith he placed a foot on the lower rung and called out: “Ho, Shanty Mose! Come down here.” For a few moments there was no reply; then the Potter girl raised the trap door a bit and whispered down to Murray— “Shall I say he has gone?” If Mose had killed an Indian in escaping from the house it was well that he should secure a lead before being pursued. Mur- ray was hesitating, trying to evolve some plan which would conceal his friend’s flight for a few minutes more, when Little Crow became suspicious, glided to the ladder and quickly mounted until his head was through the opening. He glared about the loft for a few seconds, then descended. -“The white man is not there,” he told Murray. ‘“The young man knew he had gone. Medicine grows weak when working for a man with a crooked tongue.” Turning to the waiting group in and be- yond the doorway, he commanded: ‘Let men whose eyes are not spoiled by | whisky look around the village and out- side on the road to New Ulm. Let others Comiclboolkks.conn