Frank Reade Library No. 12: Frank Reade and His Steam Man of the Plains — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM MAN OF THE PLAINS. p | could see an indistinct mass him, lying before occupying the space that should have been taken | co a thin air. ot Cake Ro canphe cis of muaticonered ta manner, he ca sight of what appeared to be two points of flame. = ae points of fame were on the top of the ct mass. Oharley regarded them eartestly. ye Medan and flashed like. brilliant stars, and Chariey muttered : “That must be some animal.” All doubt was driven from his mind by the growl which came in a low rumble to his ears. ** A bear!” muttered Charley, and ha only a pistol he turned tail and walked back to Didn't I hear a growl?” asked the latter. ** Yes,” said Charley, and then told all that he seen. ay chasm?” said Dash. ** And looks like it might be kinder choked up somethin’?” “Yes.” “ Then I know where we are,” sald Dash , un- his rifle. ‘It’s the place where I leaped my poor hoses across to-day, and them’s the bod- | >ru les of the buffiers what's layin’ there. Of course that’s a big bear feeding on the bodies.” ** What’ll you do?” asked pel fy I ) “Leave you to hold the hoss w forrard and plum him between the eyes,” said Hallett, with the instinct of a genuine hunter. ‘Heistoo cussid d rous to live, and he might follow on our track if I didn’t settle him.” es Go ahead,” said Charley. “But how’ll you eee?’’ ** Aim at his sparklin’ peepers.” * And if you only wound ” “* Then there'll be the devil to pay.” “‘Then you can depend on me to help you out of the scrape,” said the boy. ** How?” mh ls istol.” © beld up the w Hallett laughed. — e ee popgun?” 66 es.”” “Why,” said Dash, “the bar himself would langh at yer.” on’t understand the true properties of the article,” said Chariey. ‘It’s just as dead! as your riile, carries a bullet nearly as large, ap $s made for shooting at night.” ** What in thunder do you mean?” “Never mind now,” said Charley. ‘You try your best, and if you miss him the bear is mine! Wondering much at Charley’s mysterious talk, the hunter crept away from him, holding his loaded rifie in his hands. of the chasm he As he approached the pensets for he had caught of the monster’s ing orbe. He carefully drew back the hammer. The bear growled. Hallett sank on one knee, thus bringing his eyes nearly on a level with those of his enemy, d affo him a chance for a surer shot. The bear moved as though aware that he was ‘Hallett waited patiently. The os Le i growl ae awsy _— t, thus preven e hunter from eyes. But he acon stood still : ing This was his chance, and Dash drew his gun to his shoulder. His eyes pmncet rapidly over the sights, and he lanked fairly between the glowing of the He pulled the trigger. The s t forth a frightfully spiteful note e sen a 8 note, and almost immediately after the Toand came & deop and ferocious grow] of rage and pain. He had only wounded the monster, and the bear made for him with long, bounding leaps. It didn’t take Dash ett an hour to get away from the edge of the chasm. ‘‘ He’s after me!” he yelled to Charley, as the piled huge monstor came prancing r him across the high heap of dead buffaloes. ‘Give him a dose |” harley released the horse, and the stallion im- mediately scampered away. Charley drew the night pistol from his belt as Dash reach him. It was too dark to see the bear, but they could hear him, and that was all that Charley needed. He raised the revolver, and pointed the muzzle towered ip ee C) e trigger. Thera came an ordinary report, and from the ecm of the revolver leaped forth a brilliant ball ef fire. ie flaming sphere rushed swiftly through the It spread a bright blue giare far around its urse Chariey still held the pistol extended in hand, his finger still resting against the trigger. The bright blue dart careened above the awful chasm. The bear—a gaunt, hideous monster—could now be plainly seen. The pistol was lowered a little, the boy's filash- ing eyes ran over the sights, and his steady fore- r again pressed the steel keynote of death. there came the report, but this time a bullet must have sped from the mouth of the weapon, for the bear, by the expiring light of the fiery ball, could be seen to totter and fall. But he was not dead, only wounded worse than bba and consequently more full of spite than ore. He was on his feet again, as they c.-ald tell by the sound. ‘Gin it to him younker,” said the much- pleased Hallett. ‘Fire away |” Charley obeyed. Another ball of flame issued from the new idea, and while it lit up the scene the boy fired again and sent another bullet into the y of the te. Tho monster still advanced upon them. There is no animal, the legendary nine-lived cat always excepted, so hard to kill as the Amer- ican bear. It will stand forty bullets in ita body, and still make a desperate and yr ge until the heart or b is pierced, and then battle ends. As the monster rushed over the heap of dead buffaloes toward the two hunters, those latter detected a suspicious sound out. It was the steady pit-pat of horses’ feet, nota great number, but certainly many, and th ought for a moment that the herd of wil horses had turned back. But they were quickly undeceived. A loud yell rang out with chilling distinctness. ** Indians !” cried Dash. ** And they’ve discovered us!” cried Charley. “Yer night pistol done that,” said Ballett. ** Here they come like the devil, and here comes the bear too.” A very nice visitation truly. The Indians pouring down upon them from one side, and a furious bear from the cther; a chasm yawning across their path, and dark night surrounding them. A light fiared up in the afr and the glare of a dozen torches lit up the gioom of the sur- roundings. >| The Indians, torches in hand, spurred down to- retreated ward the whites, and the bear from the blinding glare, hastily scrambling across the closed-up chasm and disappearing on the other side. Dash Hallett his rifle. Charley Gorne fingered his Mines ™ ut the old hunter knew that there was no present way out of the scree “It’s no use, younker,” he said, allowing his rifle to falltotheground. ‘‘ We can't wallop ’em and we can't run away from ‘em, 80 they must have their own way.” ‘‘ I'd rather fight,” said Charley, but with a cau- tious idea he thrust the night pistol into his boot, ened hope that he might be ableto make use 0 The Indians surrounded them, and their fam oo lit up their severe faces with terrible ef- ** You prisoner,” said the leader, jumping down from his horse and placing his hands on Hallett’s mt de bout righ a Dak ‘I e’pose yer about t,” said Dash. He was one of those cool fullowa who take everything easy, for he huld thet he wasn’t going to die until his time came, and then there woul be no help for him. So he delivered himself with the resignation of a brave mun to his foes. Together with Charley he was bound to one of the spare horses with which the Osages were sup- Then the leader remounted his horse and the ed away in the darkness, for tho torches were extinguished. The pursuers were directly in the center of the party of reds, so there was but very little change of their escaping from thoir vigilant cap- rs. On—on, mile after mile they dashed, their fleet prairie horses keeping up along and steady gal- a with the endurance exhibited only by the ld steeds of the plains. In the course of time the Indian village was reached, the approach of the party being heralded by the yelling yes in the style which has al- ready been described. The entire population, the lovely little widow | wrists Shoffusguy and her newly-made husband in- cluded, turned out to greet the victorious inoum- ipg men. When George Augustus Fitsnoodle beheld his friendand guide he rushed forward to greet him ; but his lovely spouse took him by the ear an made him stand aside. ‘You here?” cried Dash. “H’I h’am!” emphatically replied the newly- fledged bridegroom. ‘‘H’I h’am ‘ere, h’and bh seoms h’I h'am to stay ‘ere for some time. H’in fact, h’I ‘ave married this lovely piece h’of black walout; ‘er name b’is Bhoffusguy, b’and h’I ‘ave been forced to build a fire for er h'already. H’I can’t say h’I h’am h’extremely delighted with the oys h’of wedded bliss; but h’it was cremation ‘or connubial bliss, h’and, bh’in the h’extremity, I choeo the bliss.” In spite of his captivity, Charley Gorse was so much tickled, that he roared outright, and a comi- cal smile flashed over Hallett’s weather-beaten as he listened to the Cockney’s discourse, “The mare’s the best hoes in your ranche, old boy, is she?” ** You've ‘it h’it,” said George A The Indians had taken the prisoners from the. horse, and in a sitting posture on the ground. Several orders were issued and young men hure ried about. In less than ten minutes a huge blazing fire had beon kindled in front of the principal wigwam. The chiefs and braves then eq down ina large cirole around this roaring and blazing although the heatand summer's nir-ht warm rendered their seats very uncomfortavio. “ wnat are they up ng , Paya ‘a big 3 “‘T guess they’re go. ve a w-wow over us,” said Daste » ‘To decide our fate?” “ Exactly.” ** What do you suppose it'll be?” ** Burnin’ at the stake,” replied the indifferent Hallett, “with p'raps a bit o’ gauntlet runnin’ thrown in just to vary the monotony of the darned “That's pleasant,” said Charley. “Very,” said Hallett. ‘It wouldn’t be anything if a chap could only get used to it, but the douce of it is that just as a fellow begins to be familiar with it—he dies.” Oharley Gorse could not but look with the deep- est admiration upon this man, who could laugh and crack his eccentric jokes while his worst one- mies were deciding his fate. ey was brave, recklessly ao, but ho could not look death in the face and laugh at the grim monster. A solemn hush fell upon the assembly as tha high and mighty Motzer-Ponum, the grand chief- n of the tribe, arose with his light blanket around him, puffed a few mouthfuls of smoke from a calumet he held in his hand, and then, after blowing tho smoke to the four points of the com pass, handed it to the chieftain next in runk, This was the council Pipe. It went around the circle in very solemn atyle, and then tae mighty Motzer-Ponum aroue to ade onvnile ho war speaking Charley heard Dash e ho was 8 r) Hallett mutter: - ‘* That settles it.” “Can you understand him?” asked the boy. ** Perfectly.” ‘‘And what does ho say?” ‘Oh, he knows I popped over some of his meg to-day, and he recommends burnin’ me at sunset to-morrer.”’ ** And me?” ‘‘They’ll burn you at the same time.” “Ie they meen mie they will,” muttered the boy, and made up his mind to bear any pain and face any perfil that would aid him in making his escape, pn after, the council broke up, and one of the chiefs, in broken English, informed them of their fate, and then the prisorers wore separated, Hallett being much foured, was securely bound and placed in the counoil-housoe, where he was guar ed by two braves, one outside and one within. Charley being a boy, thoy did not look upon him as very dangerous, and one of the chivfs was assigned as his keaper. He took the boy by the arm, and led him off to his wigwam. He bound Charley’s hands behind his back, and threw him on the floor, and then placed himsolf upon a pile of dry akins, and was soon snoring, Charley tu at his bonds. They wero made of buffalo hide, and were securely tied. His efforts to frec himself would have beer ‘na vain had it not been forthe fact that a big wooden » filled with water, stood near at hand, and nto this water Chariey managed to submerge hie Every little while he would tug at them, bet GOMILGIOO S (SO)