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Show IP when placing rocks in the trees. sors read the tumult in the mans mind and whispered encouragement to Dinsdale. Little Big Man gave an order and both men were released and conducted outside the lodge and tied to the medicine pole, from which hung the strangled puppy. A warrior was told to sit behind them to watch their hands. The warrior obeyed, but did not fancy the task, for it was like spying on some agency controlled by Tunkan. To Dinsdale Scissors said : Theyre badly worried. Every hour were kept alive improves our chances. Little Big Man wont dare hurt us until he hears from Crazy Horse. Already he has sent a messenger to Slim butte to fill in the details of the an odd duel SYNOPSIS. iner of 1816. In the late sum Peter Dinsdale, on his war to the Black hills to s, Join the throng of makes the acquaintance of the keeper of a Deadwood gambling house. San Juan Joe. who is retheir turning to Deadwood. On Dinsway through Red canyon dale and Joe meet a young woman running from a party of Indians. Dinsdale takes her on his horse and the two men ride through her pursuers, killing 'several. The girl is Dottle Carl, Near and she has no relatives. Deadwood they overtake a proshalls as old pector whom Joe At Deadwood Iron Pyrites. City San Juan Joe, popular in the enthusian community, is given astic welcome, which is extended to Dinsdale. Joe takes Dinsdale and Dottle to the house of a of the town, woman Kitty the Schemer, Joes mistress, where the gambler had intended Dinsdale reto install Dottie. fuses to allow it, taking Dottie to a house where she will be safeguarded. Dinsdale saves an individual, apparently half-wittknown as Scissors, from mistreatment at the hands of a "bad Bandy Allen, who vows man, vengeance on Dinsdale. Scissors' nickname is derived from his ability to cut, with paper and likenesses scissors, remarkable of persons, or anything that strikes his fancy. Dinsdale takes to him. Iron Pyrites arrives in town. At a midnight meeting of plans are made to rob one of the treasure-coache- s. Dinsdale acquires a reputation as a reckless spender and an expert gunman. San Juan Joe, believr, ing Dinsdale to be a warns him of the coming of "Jim Omaha, Union Pacific detective, and advises him to take a prospecting trip with Pyrites. Dinsdale appears reluctant Dinsdale kills Allen. He then takes to the hills with Pyrites. While. prospecting, Dinsdale blunders onto a large log cabin. In a cellar Dinsdale finds the proceeds of robberies. A man enters the cabin. Dinsdale knocks him senseless. He makes his way back to Pyrites. The two make their way to Rapid City. In a gambling place a stranger, with a bandaged head, tells Dinsdale his name is Easy. Telling Pyrites he believes Easy is the man he slugged in the cabin, Dinsdale sets out with Scissors for Dead-wooThey are ambushed by a band of Ogalala, among whom Scissors had once been a captive. Scissors claims friendship with great Indian Crazy Horse, The Indians, impressed, chief. take them to their village. During Scissors' previous captivity Sorrel Horse had looked on him A test as a rival medicine-maof the superiority of the white and red mens "medicine is gold-seeker- road-agen- mirror-messag- e. The warrior behind him reached a hand forward and roughly clapped It over his mouth. Scissors left hand shot to the front and caught the offending palm and at the same time his right hand darted up under the armpit and, pulling and pushing, he sent the guard rolling headlong. The camp was in an uproar in an Instant, the warriors scrambling for their weapons. Scissors sternly called out: The Ognlala are very foolish. My medicine will, grow very angry. Some of you will go to Mato Tipi tonight as ghosts. What do you mean by treating the friends of your war chief in this way? Are we Crows or Poncas? Little Big Man chewed his lips nnd puzzled over the situation. To leave the prisoners hands free was to confess failure. To tie them up was useless. His quandary was interrupted by the rapid drumming of flying hoofs. A pony raced In among the lodges and a rider threw himself to the ground. With a gleam of hope lighting his sullen eyes, Little Big Man called on the man to speak. Tashunca-uitc- o and Shunca-luta- , his medicine man, even now are ridannounced the ing to this camp, man. They were on the way here with a dozen warriors when Little Big Mans first messenger met them and told them about the white men. They will be here very soon. It Is good! cried Little Big Man in great relief. Whats he saying? muttered Dins' . dale. Crazy Horse and his medicine man, Sorrel Horse, will arrive In a minute or so. I am very wakan, but only Taku Wakan can straighten this mess out. If only Crazy Horse was coming it would be better. Sorrel Horse is jealous of all medicine men. Hell work to have us skinned alive. But a man aint done for so long as he can hope. ts train-robbe- d. n. CHAPTER VIII Continued. 9 To be free of Little Big Mans clumsy cords Is easy for the medicine of Two Knives Talking," gravely asWill he find the road sured Scissors. to Slim butte open? And he brought his hands before him to show they were free. With a yelp Little Big Man turned and called loudly. Warriors came on the run. Two Knives Talking has untied the rawhide, grunted the leader. Two warriors advanced to Scissors and pawed about behind him, but could find no vestige of the thongs. Two Knives Talkings medicine ate them up, explained Scissors. Are the Ogalala afraid I will fly up among the thunder birds, that they must tie nie? The leader snapped out an order and fresh thongs were brought and Scissors tied up for the second time. What the devil did you do with the cords? whispered Dinsdale from the corner of his mouth. In your side pocket, yawned Scissors. Little Big Man harshly demanded: Why do white men ride out to Mato Tipi and place rocks in trees? Because we are turning red, was the prompt reply. Where is Wlchakpa-yaman- l (General Crook) now? When I am treated as a brother my medicine will tell you, coldly replied Scissors. They say you will talk with a very fast tongue when you feel the skinning knives, threatened Little Big Man. Scissors smiled tolerantly and said: Crazy Horse will soon set his friend free to walk where he will. Two Knives Talking has a weak medicine. It freed him once; now it is very tired, jeered Little Big Man. My young men may not wait for you to see Tashunca-uitco- . say They they want white skin for medicine shirts. They say they are sharpening their knives. "Little Big Man talks like a singing to the moon, sneered Scissors. A very wakan man never Sho-sho- sleeps. And to nl the consternation of the spectators he again brought Tiis hands before him. Men rushed upon him but the cords had vanished. Little Big Man glared murderously, then grew uneasy. A doubt was sprouting in his mind. Mato Tipi was sacred ground, and those who prayed to Tunkan through 'rocks and stones must be very careful not to give offense. The Prisoners were white, "yet they had been captured, taken by surprise, By HUGH PENDEXTER Copyright by The Scis- CHAPTER .IX The Duel of the Medicines Although Crazy Horse and Sorrel Horse rode into Little Big Mans camp shortly before midnight the prisoners saw nothing of either. Before the great leader of the hostiles arrived the white men were conducted back to the lodge and the flap tightly closed. A small fire was lighted inside and by its light three warriors stood on guard to prevent any attempt at escape. Dinsdale was asleep when the war chief and his escort of a dozen men made the camp and was aroused by the commotion. On opening his eyes he beheld the three silent figures of the guards, their eyes reflecting the light from the heap of coals. Scissors was awaae, and whispered: "If I can have a talk with Crazy Horse I think we would be all right will for a while. But that Shunca-lut- a try to keep between us. He ranks high as a mystery man and is a fair magician and ventriloquist. He claims to get his help from Taskusknnskan, their moving god, who lives In the four winds and is never seen, but is represented by Tunkan, who in turn is prayed to through rocks and stones. Queer mess. Reckon a white man can never get it all straightened out. I made a picture of Sorrel Horse when I was prisoner that other time, and It scared him. Hes bound to work, against us. But Im wakan. Wish Crazy Horse would come in to look us over. Scissors would have felt more at ease had he known that the chiefs first desire, was to have the prisoners brought before him. Sorrel Horse, however, requested time for consulting his medicine, and reported back to the chief that It would be better to wait until the sun rode the sky. Although considerably disturbed that the chief should Ignore him' Scissors dissimulated and Dinsdale fell asleep and did not awaken until morning. With the sunrise came another kettle of meat. Scissors pronounced it to be mule deer and Dinsdale ate heartily. After they had eaten, Little Big Man visited them, aDd he could not conScissors ceal his secret exultation. pretended not to see him, and after waiting several minutes the Indian said : has come Two Now Shunca-lut- a Knives Talking has lost both his medicine and tongue. They say the white man was tied up all night and could not get free. Scissors, who had finished his bowl of meat and had his hands free, picked up some thongs his guards had left on the ground and rolled them into a small ball and held them in one palm. Then his fingers closed over them, contracting as if squeezing them Into a very small compass, then flew open and the ball had vanished. Little Big Man scowled malevolently. Scissors said: Two Knives Talking finds his medicine is still strong. It grows weary of working on children. Send in Shunca-lut- a with his medicine. Then we shall see. Just outside the entrance a deep voice boomed : The white mans medicine is very strong. But the medicine of Shunca-lut- a will eat It up. Two Knives Talking once ran away from the Ogalala. Now Shunca-luta- s medicine brings him back. This time, they say, he will not leave until he goes away to be a ghost." Little Big Mans eyes glittered at this threat. Scissors called back: "Shunca-lut- a is very wakan, but Taku Wakan has not whispered in his ear. Why does he stay outside the lodge? The white man will not hurt him." Sorrel Horse at once appeared In the entrance. Like the famous Sitting Bull, who Is said to have foretold the Custer massacre, he wore a bunch of shed buffalo hair fastened to the side of his raven locks. This hair was wakan and was painted red and recalled the times when the buffalo filled the plains. It was also a symbol of the coming of the White Buffalo Maiden. His medicine pouch was formed from badger paws and had bears claws, as pendants; for it was from the bear that he had learned how to treat adults, while the badger told him through the medium of dreams how to cure children. He also carried the bent stick of one who has dreamed of a wolf. But It was his renown as a magician, and not his success as a healer, that elevated him high among the wakan witshaslia, and high above the grass-roo- t medicine men. Scissors Invited: Sit down and let our medicines talk It over. But Sorrel Horse did not Intend to waste any dramatic effects before an audience. Outside the stags was set for convincing Crazy Horse that even High Wolf, the Cheyenne, was far below Shunca-lut- a in matters of magic. Ignoring the white man he said to Little Big Man. Bring the prisoners out in the sunlight That mans medicine does not like the sunlight. It works best under the moon. The prisoners were at once led forth and seated before the medic'ne pole. Dinsdale was glad to observe that the strangled puppy had been removed. Rawhide was looped around their waists, and tied to the pole, but their hands were not secured. In a before them sat forty warScissors glanced anxiously riors. about for Crazy Horse, but the chief was not present. Sorrel Horse, sensing he was the principal figure in the scene until Crazy Horse should put in an appear-ance- , carefully spread a wolf skin and after seating himself crosslegged before it made much of peering into a mirror. He took pains to turn the mirror so the curious warriors could observe the new moon and sun painted in white on its face. His vanity was highly pleased as he noted how intently the spectators followed every move he made. Little Big Man stared triumphantly at the prisoners and nodded to their guards. The signal had been prearranged, as the guards promptly searched Dinsdale and took nearly four thousand dollars from his pockets. The money was mostly In greenbacks. The time was gone when the Indian was ignorant of money values, and while they still called money white metal, they knew a piece of paper money was often worth several silver dollars. Beady eyes glittered as the bills and a bag of dust were placed on a blanket before Little Big Man. From Scissors only a small amount of money was taken ; and Little Big Man tickled the fancy of his followers by ironically advising: Two Knives Talking should make a feast for the white mans metal god. When the pad of paper and small scissors were held up Little Big Man hesitated, then shook his head. Paper and scissors were very much wakan and he did not care to assume charge of them. The tinkling of a bell now stirred the spectators to sharp attention and heads were turned as their mighty chief stepped from a lodge back of the Crazy Horse at that time did not look over thirty years of age, and stood a few inches under six feet. He carried himself with great dignity and the stern expression of his bold features was accented by a scar. His people knew him to be as generous as he was courageous, and his practice of never retaining any property for himself, aside from his arms and war ponies, was bound to extend his popularity among all the hostiles and their allies. If Sitting Bull by his medicine foretold the destruction of Custers men, half-circ- Bobbn-MerrU- l ; Co. then it was Crazy norse who assumed victory at the outset, when on encountering Renos men he saved his fol lowers from a disastrous panic by braining a soldier with a stone war club and leading a counter charge. And wlmt must place him high in the estimation of all fighting men was his insistence that no warrior should pass him when he gave the order to attack. He was a great general; Intensely lojal to his people and their cause, a patriot who had no use for wealth. And Taku Wakan could ask no more of any of his dusky children. As he walked around the end of the circle to take a position beside Little Big Man he was wearing his feather bonnet and other warpath regalia. In one hand he carried a Winchester rifle and in the other a twelve-foo- t coup wand of willow. The wand was decorated with symbolic feathers, bits of fur, and the tinkling bell. He dropped on a robe beside Little Big Man and placed his rifle across his lap and rested the end of his coup wand on the ground, and stared stolidly at Scissors. Ills gaze quickened as It shifted to the pile of greenbacks and dust in front of Little Big Man. The treasure meant nothing to him except as it represented so many magazine guns and fixed ammunition. The white mnn with the talking knives will tell why he came to the Teton country," he abruptly com- manded. Scissors needed no interpreter, and began to explain why he and his friend had gone to Mato Tipi to make stone offerings to Tunkan so the god would send forth his flying rocks to learn where was to be found. And while we were asking this of Tash-unca-uit- Tunkan our prayer was answered," Scissors continued. He who lives on l e. o d. le half-circl- As he spoke sors. "And Im wakan. he began shooting the cards back and Horse stared at the ground and forth until they seemed to fly from twirled a revolver by the trigger guard. hand to hand of their own volition, None ventured to break the silence, and finished by opening them In a big fun. With a flourish he shoved them and at last he said: They say the white man Is a friend toward Crazy Horse and requested him to draw one. The chief scowled and of High Wolf. He was welcome In his lodge in seemed disinclined to participate in But the warriors Montana one winter ago. He hunted the demonstration. with some of the young Cheyenne were like children In their eagerness men. to behold the completion of the mysCrazy Horse fixed his gaze on Dins- tery, and he darted his fingers toward dale, but understanding nothing of the an end of the fan. But even more rapidly did the trickTeton dialect the prisoners face betrayed nothing. It was useless to ques- sters fingers, concealed by the opened tion him, as Scissors would answer for deck, convey to the danger point the him. The chief seemed to lose all in- card he desired to force upon the terest In the alleged friend of High chief. Crazy Horse had no suspicion Wolf nnd abruptly asked: that his choice had been Influenced In any way by the white mnn, but "Where Is Frank? when he observed he had drawn the Frank Gruard? asked Scissors. The chief nodded. Gruard, a native three of hearts he was deeply irritatof the Sandwich islands, had been cap- ed. lie cast the card on the ground tured by Crazy Horses men while and eyed It malevolently. But Scisserving as mailcarrier In Montana. Be- sors was not done. ,IIe asked the chief cause of his dark complexion he was to show the paper he was still holdbelieved to be an Indian who had been ing in his left hand. Crazy llorse untaken prisoner by the whites while willingly smoothed out the paper and very young. He had lived with the beheld, In a perpendicular line, three . Indians for several years and was hearts. I "Washte-helhe muttered, staring thought highly of by both Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Scissors truthfully thoughtfully at the piece of paper. answered that Gruard was serving as Thus far it was obvious that Two guide and scout for General Crook's Knives Talking could bring to light forces. anything Sorrel Horse sought to hide, Instead of showing any resentment and could even foretell as evidenced by the pnper just wlmt the medicine Crazy Horse said: He was a good man. I would like mnn would attempt to conceal. Sorrel to see him and call him Kola again. Horse felt his reputation slipping. lie Shunca-lut- a hns Ills mystery glass nnd stared off at the Black hills, conjuring is seated by his wolf robe. What does help from Mato Tipi, the Grizzly Bear Ills medicine tell him? lodge, where Tunknns power dwelt. Sorrel Horse, who had been chaDinsdales spirits mounted as he begrined at the lack of respectful atten- held his friends legerdemain surpasstion, became busy immediately. He ing that of the red conjurer; and opened a roll of red cotton cloth nnd despite his anxiety over their situafrom a wad of eagle down gently tion he could not refrain from specupicked up a small round stone and lating on his companions cunning. He whispered to it and then held It to did not believe that any one in Dead-woo- d his ear for nearly a minute. CareCity suspected the picture-man'- s fully replacing the sacred stone on adeptness. And he wondered in how the eagle down he boasted: many other ways would Scissors prove Shunca-luta- s medicine Is very to be a surprise. Sorrel Horse now proceeded with strong. It has teeth like the gray wolf. It will bite the medicine of Two Knives his next trick. He drew a short knife and stabbed it into the ground several Talking into many pieces. With the aborigines love for the times to prove it was a genuine blade. dramatic the spectators leaned for- Then throwing back his head and openward, the copper faces revealing their ing his mouth he began, apparently, rapt attention. No duel could com- forcing the knife down his throat. This In Itself was sufficient to evoke pare with a duel between rival medicines. Crazy Horse, too, was intensea low chorus of applause, mixed with was at grunts of wonder. But the mediciue ly interested, and Shunca-lut- a his best when demonstrating his wiz- man hnd yet to appear at his magical ardry before an appreciative audience. best. Dropping on his side he groaned. After glancing haughtily about he He appeared to be very ill, nnd a thin closed his eyes for a moment as If voice thut seemed to float in the air, summoning spirit strength, then swift- begged for a lighted pipe. ly extended a hand high above his One was brought and placed beside head and plucked a deck of playing him on the robe. He stuffed the bowl cards from the air. A sibilant hiss of In his mouth and blew the smoke approval rewarded his sleight-of-hanthrough the stem, then he Inhaled IV Holding the cards face down for a As he kept this up for a dozen whiffs moment he carelessly threw them on the perspiration stood out on his sharp the ground within reach of Scissors. features and his copper skin took on Then, apparently without looking at the color of ashes. Dinsdale believed the white man, requested: he was dying. Scissors smiled comLet Two Knives Talking pick out placently nnd watched closely. Sudone if his medicine Is not asleep. denly tossing the pipe aside and clutchScissors selected a card and almost ing a hand to his naked ribs he plucked brought the forth the knife, and his physical apImmediately Shunca-lut- a tips of his index fingers and his thumbs pearance quickly became normal. "Washte-hel- o exclaimed together to form the shape of a diaCrazy Horse. mond and announced : Squaw. Inflating his chest Sorrel Horse Scissors held up the card so all might see it was the queen of dia- haughtily asked: What does the white medicine say monds. Several other cards were read In a like manner. Then the to that? It says this, answered Scissors, medicine man scooped them up and A guard made a motion of tossing them Into snatching up the knife. the air, and they were gone and his lunged forward to pluck It from his band and found it empty. Crazy Horse hand was empty. For an Indian hes clever with called out for the man to desist. Now cards, Scissors said In English for undisturbed Scissors made the knife appear and disappear with bewilderDinsdales benefit During the second his gaze was off ing rapidity. He seemed to pull it the medicine man the cards dropped from bis ear, his leg, and to spit it before him as if falling from the sky from his mouth. It vanished for the last time only to appear from over A murmur of approval warned Scishis right shoulder, whirling rapidly and on be he He his sors must mettle. tore a sheet of paper from his p'ad nnd striking on its point in the wolf robe did something to it with his scissors. near the foot of Sorrel Horse. Before the medicine man could esFolding the paper he requested Crazy Horse to hold it In his left hand. The say more of his magic the white man chief hesitated for a moment, then held up a small square of paper In his accepted the paper and clinched it left hand. Then he waved his scissors fintightly to make sure It did not van- above his head, while the nimble ish. Scissors then proceeded to pick gers of the left hand folded the paper up the cards and to shuffle them with several times. Then advancing the paa dexterity that would have won the per toward Crazy Horse he daintily hearty admiration of San Juan Joe or snipped off a protruding corner. Opening the paper he revealed that the French Curly. Next he extended his two hands, the one movement of the bladps cut out deck In his left palm, and asked the a perfect star of five points. Until medicine man to look at the top card, the simple trick was explained it must to announce it and then cut the deck, remain a big mystery to the wonderand a mystery is always placing the cut in the right paltn and ing spectators, therefore a medicine. wakan, the remainder of the with it burying Especially did it appeal to Crazy Sorrel Horse unwillingly compack. inasmuch as the star reminded Horse, him common sense his plied, warning him of General Crook, or Three Stars. on his rival would not embark anyAnd bow could one stroke of the two thing that was destined to be a fail- blades cut it out? His face was somure. He held up the three of hearts and buried it in Scissors right palm ber as he turned to Sorrel Horse and asked : with a shallow cut. "Is there more medicine? Even as his hand was completing the Sorrel Horse, now desperate in his him turn to asked the cut Scissors up desire to prove the superiority of his top card. It was the three of hearts. Sorrel Horse was sullen of face and magic, replied: Shunca-lut- a "Let and the white man endeavored to balk the white mans be tied fast and placed in a lodge toskill by cutting the deck to the left We will see whose medicine hand before Scissors could speak. gether. comes first to take off the rawhide." Then with a grin of triumph he turned up the top card only to grunt in disgust on beholding again the card he Whats your guess as to the had tried to bury. outcome of this strange duel? If Dont ever ask me to play poker, Scissors wins, what then7" muttered Dinsdale. They never saw any one reverse the cut with one hand mumbled Scis- - j (TO BE CONTINUED.) him as a liar, for they knew the man Crazy Horse had referred to. Crazy And While We Were Asking This of Tunkan Our Prayer Was Answered," Scissors Continued. Mato Tipi at times sent Little Big Man and his braves to lead us to Tashunea-uitcI and it Is well. brought this white mnn with me, as Ills life was not safe among white men. He was caught while trying to take a load of ammunition to the Cheyennes He escaped from the soldiers and fled He with me to find the Ogalala. brought some of the white mans money with him as a present to Tashunco, a-uitco. Tashunca-uitc- o needs no presents of money from the white men, harsh- informed Crazy Horse. What he needs he takes. And he shook his coup wand till the little bell tinkled madly. Loud grunts of approval met his declaration. Loud were raised cries of washte-hel- o when he pointed to the greenbacks and directed: Give it to the men who have lost horses and lodges.r If there was one disgruntled warrior it was Little Big Man. Sticking up from between his crossed legs were the butts of Dinsdales guns. Crazy Horse, who ever had a great love for excellent firearms and who packed three Winchester rifles with him and one or more hand guns, touched the big revolvers and said, I will take only these. Little Big Man passed them over and for several minutes the war chief examined them knowingly and his features grew animated as he realized their excellence. Suddenly he ceased his Inspection and asked of Scissors: This is the white man who was caught by soldiers while bringing ammunition to the young braves at Spotted Tail agency? His expression was almost genial as he put the query, but Scissors shook his head and repeated: My white brother was carrying ammunition to the Cheyennes on the Rosely 1 bud. A scowl of disappointment darkened the chiefs visage. Had Scissors replied in the affirmative several men from the agency were ready to brand 1 |