Beadle's Boy's Library of Sport, Story, and Adventure, No. 37 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

- 12 — — — Fa things, and jot them down there; if I never do get back the book will be of no use to me.” The girl gave acry of delight as she received the present. The next moment she was gone. ‘*She has sartinly sheered off very sudden- ike,” remarked Knuckle, * but I reckon we’ll see ber again before long.” The party soon after quitted the hollow, and sought that part of the coast where they had left their whale-boat, now intending to convey themselves by water to the place where they ‘had formerly kept the craft, near the base of the Lookout Rock. But they found the boat gone! ‘““Them Skeemos must have taken it with ’em,” said Knuckle. ~*~ “Nao,” said Yonkitt. ‘‘See! Injun take!” As he spoke, he pointed to several bone beads, such as the Dog ribs wear for ornament, lying on the snow-covered beach, close to where the boat had been hidden. * Ay, tbat proves it,” said Knuckle. ‘‘ We will have to foot it to the Lookout Rock. I’m ‘sorry we've lost our boat, lads, as we might ‘possibly have made use of it if cornered.” They moved off in the direction of the elevation, Yonkitt going ahead as a sort of scout, and keeping a sharp lookout for Indians, The party finally reached their cave in safety. Some canned meat and sea-biscuits there made them a frugal meal. They found everything as they had left it, neither the Esquimaux nor Indians having discovered this retreat. Knuckle carefully examined the only gun he bad, and was glad to perceive that if was in good condition. Then the party went outside, and screened carefully by a projecting rock, took a survey . both of the country and of the sea, Upon the latter there was now plenty of ice. Knuckle swept the tops of the drifting bergs with a keen gaz, but he saw no sign of a i! il. On land, however, something to attract atten- tion was visible, for many dark forms were a in the distance, approaching the eleva- on. “Injuns!” said the old sailor. be Skeemos—eh, Yonkitt?” ** No; him [njuns sure,” was the answer. The forms drew every moment nearer. All at once, however, they disappeared among a _ group of rocks about a mile off. The party watched in vain for their reappear- ance. - “ They come no further,” said Nye, much re- eved. ** Me t’ink Injun been see us when we climb- ing up dis rock—see us go up here,” observed Yonkitt. ‘‘Dey know we are here.” The short day of a few hours finally passed. The night was dark—the moon was covered with clouds. After supper the party found that their Pere was reduced to one day’s sup- ly. The weather was very cold. The water n’a little bay near the base of the hight, was n over. “Turn in, youngsters, and git some sleep,” said Knuckle to the boys. ‘ Yonkitt and I will ah the first watch.” e lads were glad to comply. Rolled in skins, they endeavored to keep warm, and soon fell into a a slumber. “Hark!” adjured Knuckle, an hour later; “*it seems to me I heard a slight cracklin’ of the snow beneath us.” ““Me go and see what it is,” and Yonkitt ee ae descended the hight. The moon still being hidden by elouds, the night was very ydark, and Knuckle, peering after him, soon lost ight of his form. he old tar waited ape Gently for the Es- quimaux’s return. But the minutes went by and still Yonkitt did not come back. Knuckle began to feel uneasy. Taking his loaded gun, he cautiously commenced to descend the hight. had reached a platform of rock about twen- ty feet below the cave, when he stumbled over something. Looking down, he dimly descried a human form lying stretched out with upturned face. ‘The moon threw light enough upon the form to enable him to distinguish Yonkitt! The young uimaux sailor-mate was dead. arrow which had passed through his left eye into his brain, was still sticking there! As the old tar looked about him, he was startled to see a fierce Dog-rib lying upon his breast across arock a few feet above him, be- - tween him and the cave! The Indian had fitted an arrow to his bow and was about to draw the string which would **They cannot speed the deadly shaft upon its way. The arrow came whizzing upon its course, but Knuckle had seen it in time to stoop, and the missile passing over his head went rattling and scraping down the snow covered rocks. In an instant, up rose the old tar, but ere he could raise his gun, the indian, with a bound, dashed down upon him, aiming a long spear; but, alert and active as the savage himself, the old seaman struck the spear a savage blow with “ ‘ee that sent it spinning past him harm- essly. Then the savage clutched him; there was a brief struggle, and the two rolled, or rather, slid, together to the base of the slippery eleva- tion. The fourth mate had contrived to retain his gun. He and the Indian sprung up simulta- neously, the savage seizing the weapon near the stock, and endeavoring to wrench it from the old sailor’s grasp. Thus struggling, slipping along the hard snow, the two reached the verge of the frozen water of the bay. Suddenly releasing his bold on the weapon, the tough old tar tripped the Indian, when down went the savage, falling backward, head- long, through a hole in the ice, close to the slippery bank, the gun flying from his hands as he went. Knuckle hastily picked up the piece, then he looked down from the bank, to behold a horrid spectacle, This was presented by the Dog-rib, who, there under the ice, brightly lighted by the moon, was making frantic efforts to save himself. For some minutes he kept leaping up in the water, under the frozen surface, throwing out bis arms with the palms of his hands turned up- ward, and his hideously paint-streaked face magnified to twice its natural size, pressed against the inner side of the ice! Gradually his movements became feeble, and soon, like some strange monster of the deep, he slowly sunk out of sight. CHAPTER XII. AN ATTACK AND A DARING VENTURE. KNUCKLE looked carefully around him. He doubted not that other savages were near; that the one whom he had encountered was merely a scout whom they had sent forward. In fact, as he looked, he beheld numerous dark forms ad- vancing. Chin had not yet seen him, but it was prob- able they would as soon as he mounted toward the cave, As he sprung toward the base of the eleva- tion, he was glad to see the moon again vailed by clouds. He ascended the hight, and, reaching the cave, found the boys still fast asleep. At first he hesitated as to whether he should wake them, but, finally, bearing the stealthy sound of reo ee pa footsteps on the snow, he aroused both lads, and described to them what had happened. ‘*The infarnal ‘ Ribs’ are coming,” he added. ** Rach of you take a lance, and, if you have to throw ’em, mind you hold on tight to the warp; don’t let it leave your hands, for, the Lord knows, we are short enough of weapons!” Bebind a breastwork of rocks, which they had erected near the entrance of the cave, and which commanded the only path which their enemies could ascend, the three placed them- selves. They watched a long time before they saw any one coming. All at once indistinct forms were seen, creep- ing ney) in single file, up the narrow a Knuckle waited until the foremost one was actually within a few feet of the breastwork ere he fired. The sharp report of the piece was followed by an unearthly yell, as the savage, springing up, fell back upon the one behind im, The next moment the boys, hurling their lances, sent another of their foes sprawling upon the snow. ** Ay, ay, there’s two gone to etarnity!’’ cried Knuckle. Nye and Hasler } oa back their weapons by the warps attached to them, while the old sailor proceeded to reload his gun. Several sav hurled their spears, but the stone breastwork prevented their enemies from being harmed by them. , _By the time the fourth mate had reloaded his iece, not one of the Indians was to be seen. hey had retreated, dra ging with them the bodies of the two who ba n killed. ‘** Hooray!” shouted Hasley; ‘‘we have won an easy victory.” Old Tar Knuckle and His Boy Chums. : ——— — oe ; =! / ‘*Don’t crow before the pot b’iles,” said Knuckle; ‘* we haven’t seen the last of them Ribs yet!” Keeping a vigilant lookout, the three re- mained at their post, but hours passed, and still there wus no sign of the Indians. A deep silence, broken only by the voices of the trio, reigned about the elevation. Knuckle ascended the rock behind the cave and looked about him. It was still dark, but he could have seen the outlines of forms had there been any in the range of his vision. All that night the three remained watching at their post. At dawn they could see nothing of the In- dians. The body of Yonkitt was gone. The savages had probably dragged it off to mutilate it, according to their custom, The party made a light breakfast, for one can of preserved meat and a dozen sea-biscuits were all the provision they had left. They ascended the rock, upon which they now planted their flag-staff by fastening it in a crevice, with the flag attached to it, at half- mast, as a signal of distress. As yet there was no sign of a sail. Nothing was to be discovered seaward except masses and floes of drifting ice. ‘Tbe Lord haye marcy on us!” said Knuckle. ‘* We are sartinly in a bad fix.” Two days passed, during which the three kept a vigilant watch. But they saw neither. their enemies nor any sign of a sail. A few hours before this they had eaten their last biscuit but one! They had not a morsel of food of any kind left. ‘*We can hunt for game,” remarked Nye. ‘‘In my opinion, the Indians have gone off.” ‘“Not a bit of it, lad,” said Knuckle. ‘‘ De- pend upon it, the rascals are lurkin’ somewhere, not far off.” As the old tar spoke, a small seal was ob- served near the base of the hight, The three eyed it wistfully, for, in their pres- ent ome, A condition, they were not so scru- pulous as formerly in the choice of food. ‘* We must have that fellow,” said Hasler. Knuckle scratched his head. ** One of us is enough to run the risk of going for it. You stay here, lads, and I'll go.” But before he had concluded, Hasler, lance in hand, was part way down the elevation. Knuckle, his loaded gun in bis hand, got upon a rocky platform, whence he could observe the movements of the youth and cover with his piece any enemy who should appear. Reaching the base of the hight, Hasler, his sane? uplifted, moved cautiously toward the seal. When within darting distance, he hurled his lance, which passed through the body of the animal, The latter, struggling a few moments, ex- pone Just es Hasler was about to withdraw is lance, the whizzing of half a dozen arrows was heard, and, from bebind a rock, not fifty verte off, came as many savages, whooping and yelling! One of the arrows passed through the young sailor’s jacket—another just srazed his leg, a third pierced the fur cap he wore. The base of the hight was about ten yards from his present position. “Lively, lad, for the Lord’s sake!” shouted Knuckle. Securing his lance, Tom started on the run, As he gained the base of the hight one of the savages in pursuit, aimed another arrow with such unerring precision that it seemed as if it must pass through the body of the youth. But, just then, there was a flash and a report, and the savage dropped dead, the half dis- charged arrow whizzing up into the air as he fell, pierced to the heart by a bullet from Knuckle’s gun. ** Now, lad!” shouted the old tar, as he rapid- ly reloaded, Hasler panting, ran up the hight. Nye and the old tar watched him anxiously. In a few minutes the fugitive would reach some project- ing fragments of rock, which would serve to screen his person. As if aware of this, his pursuers discharged another flight of arrows, and Tom was seen to drop upon one knee. ; ‘“God help him! the lad is hit!” shouted rag : a ut Hasler rose, and ran on at a limpi it with an arrow sticking in bis thigh. or Be Yelling like fiends, the savages came on. es nuckle’s gun roared—this time without effect. + EOomichooo (E(o) cS