Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

~ aed RLESS * the inhuman chief of pouternay so I nosed about ter find whar he kim m, that’s how I got here; ‘sides, I hed a dream. about this place.” “Indeed !’? Redburn was puzzled how to act under the circumstances. Just then there came a piercinj, - geream from the direction of the cabin. What could it mean? Was Nix an enemy, and 1 was some one else of his gang attacking Anita? Certainly she was in trouble! CHAPTER V. SITTING BULL—THE FAIR CAPTIVE. FRANK wpe back aghast, as he saw e Sioux—the cruel, m- Bull; shrunk back, and laid “Ha!” he articulated, “is that you, chief? You, and at’such work as this?’ there was stern reproach in the youth’s tone, and certain it is that the Sioux warrior heard the words spoken. z My friend, Scarlet Boy, is keen with the tongue,” he said, frowning. ‘‘ Let him put shackles upon it, before it leaps over the bounds of reason.”’ “IT see no reason why I should not speak in behalf of yon suffering girl!’ retorted the youth, fearlessly ‘fon whom you have been inflicting one of the mos inhuman tortures Indian cunning could conceive. For shame, chief, that you should ever assent to such an act—lower yourself to the grade of a dog by FEA warrior, Sittin — his hand upon the butt of a revolver. such a dastard deed. For shame, I say!” Instantly the form of the t warriot straighten- ed a like an arrow, and painted hand flew to- ward the pistols in his belt. But the succeeding second he seemed to change his intention; his hand went out toward the youth in greeting: “The Scarlet Boy is right,’ he said, with as much venessas ared-skin can conceive. “ Sitting Bull ns to his words as he would to those of a brother. Scarlet Boy is no stranger in the land of the Sioux; he is the friend of the t chief and his warriors. Once when the storm-gods were at war over the pine forests and picture rocks of the Hills; when the Great Spirit was sending fiery messengers down in vivid streaks from the skies, the hief cast a thunderbolt in ew ulness at the feet of Sittin Bull. The shock of the hand of the Great Spirit di not escape me; for hours I lay like one slain in bat- tle. My warriors were in consternation; they ran - hither and thither in affright, calling on the Manitou to preserve their chief. You came, Scarlet Boy, in the midst of all the panic;—came, and though then but a strip you applied simple remedies that restored Sitting Bull to the arms of his warriors. * “From that hour Sitting Bull was your friend—is your friend, now, and will as long as the red-men ex Thank you, chief,” and Fearless Frank grasped $s you, chief;’’ and Fearless Fra the Indian’s hand and wrung it warmly. ‘‘I believe you mean all you say. But I am surprised to find ~— engaged at such work as this. I have been told hat Sitting Bull made war only on warriors—not on women.”’ An ugly frown darkened the savage’s face—a frown poe was depicted a number of slumbering pas- ons. “The pale-face girl is the last survivor of a train that the warriors of Sitting Bull attacked in Red Canyon. Sitting Bull lost many warriors; — pale squaw shot down full a half-score before she could be captured; she belongs to the warriors of Sitting ~~ not to the great chief himself.” “Yet you have the power to free her—to yield her up to me. Consider, chief; are you not enough my friend that you can afford to give me the pale-face girl? Surely, she has been tortured sufficiently to satisfy your braves’ thirst for vengeance,” Si Bull was silent. ‘* What will the Scarlet Boy do with the fair maid- © Gea artes lace of safety, chief, and f _ er toa oO ety, chief, and care for her until I can find her friends—probably she has friends in the East.”’ ‘Tt shall be as he says. - Sitting Bull will withdraw his braves, and Scarlet Boy can have the red-man’s_ ” hand-shake between the youth ar ‘atho Sioux chie a word from the latter to f" de painted warriors, and the next instant the « dade was cleared of the sav ‘ Fearless Frank then hastened to ar~ Sodtis ti sensible captive, and, with a coup’ “ g a of his knife, cut the bonds that held ' ae tha to stake. Gently he laid her on t* 0 tt ass, and rvure- ed about her half-nude for’ a he garmen "Sitting Bull’s warriors had torn off nd 800 bo dart this ont. ee eaten te te mee more clothed properly. 2 and this pror .“% to restore her to conscious- aor iaen sw fed to be no easy task, for she of face and figr 00% She was even more beautiful a first glance -e than one would have imagined at with pink-+" Ms a dleticate blonde complenion, . Angred e made a v y pic- pe le". face framed as it was in a wild aichpvated Sige oF anid vale from hboring spring toy cold water a ne Washed into her upturned face; a Sonaoned hafing of the pure white soft hands; then there was a con- vulsive twitching of the features, a low moan, and rhe sone © ed and darted a glance of affright into e face of the Scarlet : 7) 7? os Rose nob, mise and the youth ee aap is ng cruel captors have vamosed. Lucky I came alo just as I did, or it’s likely Sag Dats killed you.”’ “Oh! sir, how can I ever you for rescuing *A fast. Deadwood Dick. 5 me from those merciless fiends!” and the maiden ot Re a grateful glance. “They whipped me, € y **T know, lady—all bevanse you defended yourself in Red Canyon.” : r “I suppose so: but how did you find out so much, and, also, effec a Serer from the savages?” Fearless Frank - ed up against the tree which had been used as the torture-stake, and related what is alr known to the reader. When he ‘had finished, the rescued captive seized his ‘hand ‘between both her own, and thanked him warmly. ““Had itnot been for you, sir, no one but our God knows what would have been my fate, Oh! si Se ay I do, crags sey gy t you a thousan times, repay you for the t service you have 5 hye ee ; “No . y; not that I think of ‘at pres- ent. Was it not my duty, while I had t Sones to free you from the hands of those barbarians?, Cer- tainly it was, and I deserve nothanks, But me ‘what is your name, and were your friends all kille in the train from which you were taken?” “I had no friends, sir, save a lady whose acquaint- ance I made on the journey out.from Cheyenne. As to my name—you can call’ me Miss Terry.”’ s yey, He blank ag eno oer 1, es; with a gay laugh—‘ Mystery ou choose. My name is Alice Terry.” > ‘ . “Oh!” and the youth began to brighten. “ Miss Terry, to be sure; Mystery! ha! ha! good joke. I shall call. you the latter. Have you friends and rela- tives East?” “No. I came West to meet my father, who is somewhere in the Black Hills.” “* Do you know at what place?” “fT fe it will be a ha “I fear it wi a hard matter to find him, then. The Hills now have a floating population of about twenty-five thousand souls. Your father would be one to find out of that lot.” a faint smile a Mae 3 the girl's face. ‘‘I should ow amon y thousand, if necessary ;’’ she said, altho h Phare not seen him for years.” She failed mention how many, or what peculi- arities she would recognize him by. Was he blind, deaf or dumb? Fearless Frank glanced around him, and saw that a path ed and steep led up to the prairie above. *‘Come,” he said, offe his ~. i ‘eure oh “3 ¥ ring his arm, “‘ we will get up “Where to?” asked Miss Terry, rising with an ef- ot oo welts across her back were ewollen ana “Deadwood is my destination, I can deviate my course, however, if it will accommodate you.” Oh! no; you must not inconvenience yourself on 2 account. Lam of little or ne consequence, you ow. She leaned A typo and they ascended the beck Bg Pp nk’s horse was near by where th - let youth had taken sinh Sehoetiontorta Saale... Off to the north-west a cloud of dust rose heaven- htly conjectured that it hid from ward, and he view the chief tting Bull, and his warriors. on, *‘ Gene- His thoughts reverting to his ral” Nix, and the train of Charity. oe, he glanced Nix had toward where he had last n th nee ar’ Mabe in to be Seen, now. “Probabl oin e train, an - cored ba the statne. { was out of eye-shot behind “Were you lookiae for one?” Ali looking info her res sas Ome” Alin ack 7 ane with @ train when I first heard your ei th Beg ooys, and came to investigate, I Bue Pr ey have, one on without me.” j meme rey Aof them! Will we have to make the - You 1 che Hills alone?” Weta oF snless we should providentially fall in with a “aa. - 0@ overtaken by a stage.” eat Ao Seine ene, i Weaah dad ; —e sorrnen Fearless Frank, ; you can d 4aW conclusions from that.”’ Ags He went and caught the horse, arranged a blanket in the saddle so that she could ride side-fashion, and assisted her to mount. The sun was touching the lips of the horizon with & golden kiss: more time than Frank had supposed had elapsed since he left the train. Far off toward the east shadows were hugging closé behind the last lingering rays of sunlight; a couple of coyotes were sn into view a few rods away; birds were ng homeward; a ae fume-laden breeze swept down from the Black and fanned the pink cheeks of Alice Terry into a vivid glow, “We cannot go far,” said Frank, thoughtfully, ‘before darkness will overtake us, Perhaps we ae aged —— J vee Ren here, eet pe grass and water. e morning we wi e a fresh start.” ate plan was adopted; they camped in the break, or *‘ canal,”’ near where Alice had been tortured. Out of his saddle- Frank brought forth crack- ers, biscuit and dried venison; these, with clear sparkling water from the spring in the chaparral, made a meal good enough for anybody. ren Foe ee ee rm ery spread on the grass served as a pa lace for Alice; the st youth in scarlet lay wi fis head res ast the side of his horse. The least movemen him; he was keen of scent and quick to detect ag aR gene the horse. 3 e night Feroghan iis darleht onthe as early as four o’clock—when on plains— Fearless Frank was astir. He found the rivulet flowing from the spring to ai of the animal, he said, would arouse | no | metropolis—Deadwood, magic city of the abound with trout, and caught and dressed some for the morning meal. ioe Alice was awake by the time breakfast was. ‘ She bathed her face and hands in the stream, com ed her long auburn hair through en and look- ed sweeter than on the previous night—at least, so thought Fearless Frank. , ogi “The day promises to be, delightful, does it not?” she remarked, as she seated herseif to partake of the ‘Exactly. Autumn months are ever e able in the West.” ndoy _ The meal dispatched, no delay was made in leay- pp. bee place. .. #earless Frank strode along beside his horse and its fair rider, chatting pleasantly, and at the same time making a close observation of his surroun _He knew he was in parts frequented by both red and white a and it would do no harm to keep on one’s guard. a traveled all day and reached Sage creek at sunset, Here they remained over night, taking an ear start ¥ ~_—S ne , y That day they made progress, in consequence of Frank’s purchase of a horse at creek from some friendly Crow Indians, and darkness overtook them at the mouth of Red Canyon, where they went into camp. By steady pushing they reached Rapid creek the next night, for no halt was made at Custer City, and for the first time since leaving the ope ee camped with a miner’s family. As yet no ins or shanties had been erected here, canvas tents serving in the stead; to-day there are between fifty and a hundred wooden structures. Alice was charmed with the wild grandeur of the mountain scenery—with the countless acres of Dlos- soms and flowering shrubs—with the romantic and picturesque surroundings in general, and was very emphatic in her p One day of rest was taken at — Creek; then the twain pushed on, and when night again overtook them, they rode into the bustli Ese orth-w CHAPTER VI. _ ONLY A SNAKE—LOCATING A MINE. Harry Reppurn hurried off toward the cabin, which was some steps away. In Anita’s scream there were both terror and — Walsingham Nix, the hump-backed, bow-] explorer and prospecter hobbled after him, using” staff for support. He had heard the scream, but years’ rience among the “gals” taught him that a feminine shriek rarely, if ever, meant anything. Redburn arrived at the cabin ina few flying bounds, and leaped into the kitchen. There, crouched upon the floor in one corner, allin a little heap, pale, trembling and ed, was Anita, Before her, ae along over the sand-scrubbed floor, evidently disabled by a blow, was an enormous black-snake, It was creeping away instead of toward Anita, leaving a faint trail of crimson in its wake; yet the yo girl’s face was blanched with fear. “You screamed at that?’ demanded Redburn, pointing to the coiling serpent. “*Ugh! yes; it is horrible.” “But, it isharmless. See: some one has blow across the back, and it is disabled for , Anita looked up into his handsome face, wonder- ingly. sf guv et a rap across the spinal column, w’en I kim into the valley,” said General Nix, t his head in at the door, a ludicrous elongating his grisly features. *“* ‘Twar a-goin’ ter guv me a yard or so uv et’s tongue, more or less—consider’bly less of more than more of less—so I jest salivated it across ther back, kerwhack!” Anita screamed again as she saw the General, he was so rough and homely. “Who are you?” she managed to articulate as Redburn assisted her to rise from the floor. ‘“ What are you doing here, where you were not invited?” There was a d of haughtiness in her tone that Redburn did not m she possessed. The ‘‘General”’ rubbed the end of his nose, chuck- led audibly, then laughed, outright. “I opine this ar’a free country, ain’t it, marm, more or less? W’en a feller kerflummuxes rite down onter a payin’ streek I opine he’s goin’ ter roost thar till he gits reddy te vamoose, ain’t he?” “‘ But, sir, my brother was the first to discover this t and build us a home here, and he claims that belongs to him.” ‘“*He do? more or less—consider’bly less of more than more uv less, eh? Yas, I kno’ yer er— leastways hev seen him an’ heerd heeps about him. Letters uv his name spell Ned Harris, not?” “ Yes, air but how can you know him? Few do, ven it a Dead “Ne mind thet, my puss. Ole W ham Nix do kno’ a few things yet, ef he ar’ a hard old nut fer wich thar is not cra’kin’.” Anita looked at Redburn, pe pn + “* Brother woo be very if le were to re- man om and find here: would you ad- “T am of the opinion that he will have to vacate,” replied Harry, d . ‘ Nix cum-a-rouse!”’ the old P 5 arsine oi ht eart lookin’ kid, soraaeh al- *ye ar’ a , low me ber thet it would take a dozen, more or less—consider’bly less #¥ more than more 0" jess —ter put me out.”’ urn laughed heartily. The old fellow's brava- do amused him. Anita, however, was silent; she pus Ebooks —— —-—— - — co