Yellowstone Jack: Trappers of the Enchanted Ground — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

Warren seemed in doubt what to do. The words of the stranger, added to the -_ scout’s attempt upon his life, had made some impression upon his mind, yet the guide had played his part so well 28 to gain the good opinion of nearly all the emigrants. It did not seem possible that he could be such a double-distilled traitor to the men whose bread he ate. “Who was ’t hit me?” growled Camp, elaring around upon the little party, an evil light in his bloodshot eyes. “You needn’t lock no furder’n me,” promptly replied Yellowstone. jest as | would ary other snake as I see’d crawlin’ up ahind a man to strike ‘Im unbeknown, like. Ef a feller wants to be so pizen mean, he ain’t wuth bein’ treated like a human critter.” ‘ Better pray ’at the fancy don’t cost ye too dear, young feller,” grinned Chris Camp, with a sickly smile. I don’t cen’ally fergit a blow very soon. Mebbe i'm slower ’n some, but I al’ays pays my debts—I do so /” ‘“T Jent ye the lick out o’ pure love, old _pizenness. I’d do a heap for ye, I’ve taken sech a fancy fer yer imnercent- lookin’ mug; I hev so. But yit Im ’commodatin’ tofri’nds. ’F you think you owe mo anythin’, now’s yur chaince to settie. Rifle, pops, or butcher ; a-critter- back or afoot, white man’s style or Injun fashion, jest say the word, and Yellow- stone Jack’ll do the best he knows to make it interestin’ fer ye.” “Not now; I said I kin wait. You look ike youwasa man. I'd like to do ye as nigh justice as 1 kin., Wouldn't sult ye by fightin’ ye at hafe-cock, so to speak, You lent me a mule-kick, My head's dizzy, my han’ tremb’les, an’ [ don’t recken [ could fetch out your hull style as ’d wish. Onless you're pressin’, we’ll wait a bit; say ontel mornin’,” drawled Chris Camp. 3 “Right you air! One thing fust, I fergot you’d promeesed old Gopher— Groundhog—whatever’s the varmint’s name, to spile these fellers’ powder,” laughed the trapper. ‘““ Some folks ’d say a man was a durned fool to go an’ drive the nails mm his own. coffin, but you don’t pear to think so, Yellowstone Jack,’ and the guide smiled pgain, a peculiar, sickly smile that boded danger. “Come,” impatiently interrupted Wauren, “ you can fettle this quarrel “ Thit ye, YELLOWSTONE JACK. pine eee a some other time,or now, if you wish, but we can’t stop to see it. If there is any truth in what that man said, © ve have no time to lose here. He said you men would know the way to this up 01 pass. Isthere any nearer way than by : going along this pass, then v E ot - - “ Not fer hosses, tho way, ef so be you'll wait long enough fer us to plant poor Heely Hank hyar, whar the reds won’t stum’le over his topknot.” — ‘Make haste, then. I'll ride on to — the train and see if they have got back, If they have, I’ send word to you where the canyon divides.” AE il Warren rode rapidly away, and the emigrants busied themselves im looking” after their dead and wounded. Three had been killed—making four with Gila — Hank, the Trapper. They were all single men, since Minnie and Ada were the only women accompanying the train, — and so it was deemed best to bury them where they had fallen, rather than to — carry them tothe waggons. = = ‘“ Tt’s rqugh lines on us, boys,” said Yellowstone Jack, sadly, as they com- © posed the limbs of the dead trapper in a deep cleft in the rocks. “Two boys rubbed out in one day; hufe of our | purty in a week.. ’Pears like this was ~ goin’ to be a costly trip fer us,” nr ‘ Hank went under like a true moun tain man, jest as he wished fer this many — a year. He made his coup fust. I don't © reckon the varmints ‘ll hey much to brag ~ on, when all’s counted. But thar was_ Chavez | A , « 1 . { a t Fr. - a he didn’t die right. I’m dub’ous » os sperrit ’ll ha’nt us,” muttered Brindle ‘ Not ef J kin helpit. To-morrer Ill take the trail. V'll try that witch, spook, — whatever the critter is, an’ see ef I can’t — rest pore Mexy. Ef Ikin borrer a silver dollar, to run up, I'll be all right,” saic Yellowstone, thoughtfully. Pa Ae. “ Goin’ to jine in wi’ these follers? Ef what that feller, the Blood-Drinker, said is true, I reckon thar’s goin’ to be the — tallest kind o’ fun round hyar ’fore long.” $A cea “Ef they needs it, Hoosier, mebbe we'll lend ’em a hand; but not pe their durned corral. .1 fights free, £ does,” BA, |, (| “ Whar’s that pizen snake; the critter you hit, Jack,” demanded Brindle Joe. “T don’t see him-—” ae) EGOomic oofe)