Beadle's Half Dime Library — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

Yellowstone Jack. 13 come the mother of great and wise chiefs. Nee- paughwheese is—”’ “A coyote that is very brave when he sees noth- | ing but a rabbit, but who runs to his‘hole, trembling whit fear when the shadow of a brave crosses his trail,’ added a clear, distinct voice, contemptuously. Night-walker turned abru his scarre' convulsed them. The angry exclamation that trem- bled upon his lips was changed to one of surprise as he recognized the bold intruder who had so auda- ciously concluded the speech he began. : ‘Pethonistal).. he uttered, flashing forth his hatchet, “Save me, Hagle—save me from that fearful man!” gasped Ada, her new-born courage deserting her as he recognized the Indian chief. “Squaw have Hagle’s pledge—he save her,’ was the quiet reply. “She is my captive—what right have you to come between us!’ haughtily demanded Neepaughwheese, “She was mine first—you stole her away from where 1 placed her while I helped fight the pale- faces, My right is better than yours,” coolly re- plied Pethonista. “The Hagle is only a crow, and talks words that have no sense in them, Let him fly away to his own nest, or the Night-walker—"’ and the scarred chief shook his tomabawk significantly. : ‘A squaw uses her tongue,” retorted Pethonista, drawing his knife and flinging it at Ada’s feet. * Now, is Night-walker afraid to meet a chief?” The giant chief sprung forward, and aimed a deadly blow at the Hagle’s head. The stroke was adroitly parried, swiftly returned, and then the rival hacks stood foot to foot plying their weapons with marvelous skill and celerity. Sparks fell upon every side in showers, the clash of steel rung out loudly. It was a duel to the death, dimly lighted by the ved glare of the tiny fire. And Ada, crouching close against the rock wall, breathlessly watched the issue that was to decide her fate. The stage was small for such a struggle, scarce ten feet in breadth, nearly square. Upon three sides a perpendicular face of rock, upon the other — nothing save empty space, until, near one hundred yards below, the j ed bowlders that strewed the canon bed would welcome to certain death the one who should be forced or hurled over the escarpment, Suddenly Ada gave a cry of pain, and sunk down, artially stunned. The hatchets had met with such orce that the Hagle’s weapon was torn from his inst the maiden’s head, grasp and hurled foreibly Before Night-walker could fairly realize his ad- vantaze, Pethonista closed with him, forcing him heavily against the wall. The shock caused Nee- ughwheese to dro a oe eee striving to ah the sinewy hands away from his throat, a fear- ful abruggls for the mastery ensued. Though taller and heavier, Night-walker was neither so supple nor active as his antagonist, and the trial was more even than one at first glance would have believed. First one and then the other was forced back a pace, their Imbs locked together, every muscle strained to its utmost tension. They fell heavily to the rock, tearing, biting, snarling e maddened beasts, rst one on top, then the other, tal ae over the heap of glowing embers, scarce heeding the scorching pain, and then, still locked in tight em- brace, they staggered to their feet, only to fall again, with crushing force. : The embers were scattered in every direction. Ada could just distinguish a writhing mass. She could not tell which was which, though she saw one form half-arise and with a killing exertion of strength hurl the other away into the darkness. A brief space—and then came a dull ‘Aud from the canon below. And then the victor staggered to his feet, with a faint, breathless gah of victory. - A cry of terror and despair broke from the maid- en’s lips. She fancied she recognized the scarred chief’s voice. Those few moments were full of bitter anguish for her, She could hear the heavy, labored breathing of the victor, and expected with each instaut to feel his brutal grasp upon her person. But, instead, there came the words: “No need be skeer any mo’. dead—Eagle keep his pledge. Squaw plenty safe now,”’ The maiden’s brain whirled, and she bowed for- ward with a lowsigh. Her strength, both of mind and body, had been sorely tasked during the past fif- teen hours. She had undergone enough to prostrate a strong man. There was a gradually widening gray light in the east, when she returned to consciousness. At first she could not realize what had occurred, but then, as Pethonista, bleeding from half a score wounds, rose before her, a glad cry broke from her lips. ia Ba at save me—you will restore me to my en “Yeh—what pea say, he do. Frien’s live ysit, dough had big fight. Wight like debble—you' frien’s nepee iy Blackfeet,” and the chief’s brow darkened. ith difficulty Ada suppressed a cry of joy, but arising, though weak and stiff, she begged Ha; le to lose no time in gaining the train, = . Pethonista led the way along a narrow, winding ledge that finally carried them to easier traveling. Then the chief briefly told her how he managed to follow Neepaughwheese through the night in time to rescue her. The trail was a long and rough one, and twice the fugitives were forced to hide in order to escape being seen by some of the scattered Blackfeet and once to make a wide detow that consume fully anhour. From a high peak, ag he neared the ass, Pethonista could see that it was guarded by In- and after a little reflection he told Ada that Night-walker he | | preferable to longer separation from her Bey features | rendered still more hideous by the scowl of rage that | they must give up all hope of reaching her friends that day, or else take the perilous trail that wound along the right wall of the canon; that upon which they stood when Maynard was shot. Ada besought him to take this trail—an aaa was ends, And thus they Sag along the narrow ledge, Along the face of the canon, at that dizzy hight, each footstep was one of peril, where one false step would doom the one taking it to a horrible death up- on the rocks below. Then the ledge widened. They proceeded more rapidly, Pethonista suddenly gr age back, A shrill yell burst from his lips. He flung aloft his arms and then disappeared over the escarpment, A sullen thud. Ada sunk fainting to the ground, a rifle-crack ring- ing in her ears, CHAPTER XY, CAMPBELL COUNTS A COUP. YELLOWSTONE JACK and his comrades closely fol- lowed the young avenger’s advice, and when the war- ery of their dreaded enemy was recognized, so ably seconded, the savages broke and fled in hot haste. The trappers an phen ae were warmly greeted by the survivors of the fight. On counting heads, it was found that four emi- grants had been killed, nine more wounded, ene mor- tally. This heavy loss, together with the unknown fate of Maynard and the two women, cast a gloom over all. ; During the night there had been a consultation be- tween John Warren, Campbell and the trappers. It decided yas eg for the day. If possible, they were to leave the train and search for the missing ones, though there would be considerable ee of being icked off by some of the scattered Blackfeet. The lackfeet would never rest until they had avenged the death of their brethren, Though not stron enough to venture another attack, they would hare around the trail until they could be reinforced. Be- yond a doubt, some of their best runners were on the way. for assistance. ‘““Whar’s Hoosier?” suddenly asked Brindle Joe, as the party was about to start, ‘He ain’t hyar!’” ““Treckon he’s all right,”’ quietly replied Yellow- stone Jack. ‘‘Mebbe he’s gone on ahead to see ef thar’s any snags in the way.” It was in the gray of dawn. The pie thought it best to leave the corral undiscovered, if Nags and so set out early, at first gliding directly away from the point were the trail had been lost'on the preceding day. A few hundred yards would carry them to the Daisiceit ground, where they would have good cover to aid them in passing whatever spies the enemy might have upon the look-out. As oth Campbell and Yellowstone were well ac- ye with the ground, little time was lost, every ep leading in the right direction. Yet the sun was two hours as before they reached the mouth of the Wolf Pass, having done a great deal of cautious skulking in order to escape being seen by the In- dians whom they discovered stationed at different points. “Tam puzzled,” frankly admitted Campbell, after a, considerable time spent in trying to recover the lost trail. ‘TI can’t see into it. ere can they have gone? I left them here, alive and well, with the worst of thestorm over. It’s strange—very strange!” “Strange things is mighty apt to happen in these parts, stranger,” bea observed ellowstone. ‘T’ve see'd stranger things ‘tthin the week. An’ that makes me think—yes, hyar tis, Mebbe you kin tell me what them crooked scratches mean,’ and the scout produced the bit of white buck-skin that had been wrapped around the arrow sent over his head by the strange maiden of the valley. “Tt's writing!” exclaimed John Warren, talcing the skin. ‘‘Whatdoesit mean? It says: “*Your Lives arein danger. The Blackfeet have found Mord tralL To-night bs a attack you. Your only fe) P¥ in instant flight. Irom one who wishes you well.’’ “Kin a sperrit write?” abruptly demanded Jack. ““That’s a question you can answer as well asl, But why do you ask?” demanded Warren, curiously. “Nothin’—never mind. The gals fust, I reckon. I move we take a look down the kenyon.’ Warren turned pale as death, for he could not help but read the omer 2 thought. Indeed, ft was pos- sible that the lost ones had been swept from the rock by the fearful tempest. And there seemed no other solution to the mystery. Had they left the spot by any other way, surely the keen-eyed scouts would have detected some signs of a trail. And there were none to be found. “Look yender!’' muttered Brindle Joe, after they had traversed something over a mile. ‘‘See that varmint, by the scrambly pine on the rock. I kin drap *im from hyar,” and he handled his rifle eager- ly. “Don’t be a fool, Joe; we don't want the hull kit on our backs, when we get in the kenyon. Mustn’t burn powder ef it kin be helped—mind that.” “Yellowstone is right, 6 are not our own mas- ters now, until this matter is fairly settled. After that there will be time enough for paying off old scores. I think we can ee to pass by without being discovered; if not, then leave him to me,’ said Campbell. In single file the quartette glided along, taking advantage of every rock and bush to screen them- selves from the roving gaze of the savage perched upon the point of rocks. This maneuvering con- sumed time, but it was finally successful, and then, when the look-out was safely passed, our friends in- creased their pace, and soon reached a point where they could descend into the canon. At some distant age, this canon had evidently been the channel of some powerful stream. The sides of rock were worn and eaten curiously, and some of the larger bowlders that thickly strewed the bed were worn smooth and round. Others had more re- cently fallen from the hights above, and were still rough and jagged. There was a thin deposit of sand and earth along the bed, and this had, in places om growth to shrubs, vines and even goodly-sized Tees, “We could play hide-an’-hunt-us hyar wi’ the hull Blackfoot tribe fer a month o’ Sundays!” observed Brindle Joe, curiously noting some of the coverts, ‘“*Ontel they’d roast us out, you mean. This stuff *d burn like greasewood, in a fa'r breeze.” ‘A low exclamation from Campbell, who was a few yards in advance, interrupted the trapper. He was bending over a blood-stained rock that had barely dried. “Sign—and it came from up there,’’ he slowly said, ———— upward, where the bent and broken branches of the tree lent emphasis to his words. ‘*Cain't be; thar’s no gittin’ ithin half a mile o’ the edge up thar,” positively returned Jack. ‘““Yes there is; I know a trail that would lead one right above us, though ’twould require strong nerves and a steady hand. And some one has tried it, af you see.” “Must ‘a’ bin the devil, then, fer no human critter could fall down frum thar an' live a'ter. Yit hyar’s a trail, one a blind man could foller,”’ retorted Brindle Joe, pointing to a few drops of blood that his keen eye had discovered, leading away from the spot, Campbell and Yellowstone eagerly bent over the trail, and Warren waited for their verdict with beat- ing heart. Yet it did not seem possible that his lost ones could have reached this spot. ‘We'll see where it leads, anyway. Brindle Joe, will you trail, or shall 1?” uttered Campbell. “You lead; we'll kiver you. Thar may be var- mints at t’other eend o’ this, Old man, you kinder keep ahind, so’snotto spilethe trail, Now, stranger, spread y’urself,”’ But Campbell found little difficulty in folowing the trail, The blood-drops were never more than a yard apart, sometimes even closer, and a far less experi- enced eye than his would have sufficed for the task. ‘“‘ Bleeds like a stuck pig!’? muttered Brindle Joe. ‘*Must be a healthy critter, to walk so fur an’ so stiddy, a’ter a tum’le like that,” added Yellowstone. The trail led on for over half a mile, then seemed to end all at once, The blood-drops were no longer to be seen, until Yellowstone pointed to aplace where the wall slanted abruptly down to the canon bed. His keen eye had detected a tiny blotch of blood. ‘*He’s in them pa reckon,’ muttered Jack. His voice was ag y drowned by a half-stifled shriek, coming from the point toward which their faces were turned. Then the words: “ Mercy—would you murder me 2?” “Tt’s Maynard’s voice—I know it!” eried Warren, leaping ue ihe rude al ee tearing aside the vine- wreathed bushes, revealing a dark cavity. “A’ter "im; he'll git into a, pizen scrape, the old fool!” gritted Jack, as he sprung forward. A a tis eae lay before them. The weird wo- man clutching a knife, bending over the feebly strug- ging emigrant. She had heard the cry of John arren, and turned her head in surprise, The emigrant sprung forward and wrested the weapon from her hand, hurling her with violence against the rocks. She dropped in a heap, senseless. Thank God! I owe you my life!” faintly uttered Maynard. ‘“My child—Minnie—where is she?” cried the al- most-distracted father, staring wildly around, as though hoping to discover his lost ones hidden within the cave. ‘*God knows!” brokenly replied the young man. “They were with me when I was shot—then I fell down from the ledge we were upon. <A strange man — me, and brought me here. Then she came, an eh | “Whar ishe? Mebbe he kin tell us somethin’,” eet Yellowstone Jack, as Warren sunk to the oor, At this moment a rifle-shot sounded from without, mingled with a shrill yell of mortal agony; and a moment later there came a dull, heavy, sickening thud upon the rocky bed of the canon. “Come out here, you fellows—I’ve made a coup ee found a prize!” cried Campbell’s voice, exul antly. As the trio emerged, they saw him bending overa horribly crushed and meee ae corpse, coolly tearing off the feathered scalp-lock, : “A chief—see!” and he held up the ge 2 trophy, while a fiendish expression distorted his pale features. ‘A chief of the Blackfeet; and he was in nice business, too! You see the ledge above—it’s where the blue line of rock ends. He was upon that, with—now, old. man, don’t go into a fit—she’s all right, though she did fall back out of sight—I said he was with a woman—a white woman, Youw’re right, old man—twas one of those we were looking for. The blacked-haired one,”’ A groan of agony burst from Warren's lips; but then he quickly brightened up. Though Campbell had seen only one, it was possible that Minnie was also there. At least Ada would be apt to know where she was to be found. “ Quick—we must rescue her—oh, hasten!”’ ‘““Kasy, old man—thar’s the young feller an’ the—” _ ‘Thar goes the witch!’ yelled Brindle Joe, point- ing along the canon bed. ‘ How'd she slip past us?” ‘You fellers kin see to the gal—I'm goin’ to ketch that witch,” gritted Yellowstone. ‘ Thar’s Chavez to pay for yit!” e darted away, closely followed by Brindle Joe. MIIELOOKS Cc CO) co