Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1122 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

et At > , | ; | - | | The Wild-Horse Hunters. (i eNO Tiger Tail-sfor it was he—enjoyed the sensa- tion he had produced. The vanity ot the vaga- bond Indian was tickled by the terror of his be- holders. Tennessee was deadly pale, and her cousin, strange to say, showed far the most courage. She had seen more Indians in Louisi- ana than her cousin in Tennessee, where they were almost extinct, “Don’t seem to be frightened,” she whisper- ed. ‘‘ He won’t dare touch us while the men are in full sight. I wil! speak to him.” She accordingly addressed. Tiger Tail in as firm a voice as she could command. “ Good-morning, chief,” she said. “ What will you havef We are always glad to see good Indians.” : Tiger Tail slowly and lingeringly withdrew his eves from the face of Tennessee, and looked at Louie. He waved his hand with.great dig- nity and answered, in broken English: Want whisky—ugh!” * «You can not have it,” answered the girl, de- cidedly. ‘‘ We have none, in the first place; and it is wicked to give it to Indians. It makes them mad.” Tiger Tail waved the pipe in his hand. “Want see white chief,” he said. ‘“‘ He give whisky. Tiger Tail great chief. Ugh!” “The white chief is yonder, by the river,” said Louie, quietly. ‘‘ He has many guns with him. He loves good Indians, but he kills the bad ones. He will not give you any whisky. Tiger Tail looked at her with a glance that sent the red blood flooding all over her face and neck, and made her tremble. Then he treated Tennie to a similar stare of unequivocal admiration and desire, till she low- ered her eyes in very shame, and whispered: “Touie! Louie! Let’s scream andrun! He frichtens me to death. Perhaps he wants to kill 1)? The chief heard the remark, and smiled reas- guringly, something/as a wolf might. Hand- gome as he was, and not much over twenty ears old, there was a hardened, leering, inso- nt expression in his face hard to exaggerate. ‘No kill pretty squaw,” he said. ‘‘ ‘Tiger Tail come on peace. See. Hab noknife. Only pipe. All right.” And. he lifted up his tiger-skin robe and dis- played the belt of his hunting-shirt, innocent of weapons to all appearance, and only containing a small pouch of tobacco, ornamented with S. “ Tiger Tail great chief,” he pursued, proudly. ‘Come see white chief, say welcome.” “Tm sure we're very much obliged to you, Mr. Tiger Tai,” said Tennie Magoffin, speaking for the first time, and trying in vain to hide the tremor of her voice. ‘* Won't you go down to the river, and see my father? He knows how to talk to gentlemen of your kind better than we do Tiger Tail gave another interesting leer at Ten- nie, and made a step nearer, immensely flattered ather evident terror. " Tiger Tail love talk pretty white squaw,” he said. ‘‘Hab many squaw home. None like white uaw,” ennessee trembled and faltered again. She longed ineffably for some one to come near her, but the men on the river-bank were too busy to notice anything, and she felt sick with fear un- der the Indian’s evil glance. Louie answered for her this time. - “ Among our people,” she said, bravely, “girls do not talk to strangers. If you want anything to eat, we will give it to you. If not, go down to the river-bank. The colonel will talk to you there.” “No want noting to eat,” said Tiger Tail, scornfully. ‘Got more then want toeat. Want gun, want powder, want blanket.” “Oh! Mr. Tiger Tail,” said Tennessee, desper- ately: ‘‘ they have ever so many gtns down at the river-bank there. Go down and ask them, ease. We haven't a single gun here, Indeed we haven't. Please, like a dear good Mr. Tiger Tail, do go down there. It’s ever so much*nicer than here.” Tiger Tail drew himself up with pride. ‘Me go when me choose,” he said. ‘* Me want wa, And he stalked past them into the camp, where the negro women and children scattered before him, and stood looking on in panic and silence. “Qh. Louie, what shall we do?” said Tennie, wringing her hands. “I daren't go for fear he steals something; and he may have a number of his comrades hidden in the wood, Louie. whose presence of mind never forsook her, called to a small negro boy who was stand- ing near, and tald him to run down to the river | chief arose, cloak a long lasso, which, as quick as a flash, he | bank and tell the colonel that an Indian was in the camp. Tiger Tail saw all, with his keen, roving eye, and the boy had not gone ten paces when the He suddenly pulled from under bis east after the boy, the noose jerking him over on his back in a twinkling. Then the chief shook his finger at the girls in | a manner full of menace. ‘‘No try dat again,” said Tiger Tail. know when me want to see white chief.” Tennessee turned paler than ever, and looked ready to faint. Louie, also, for the first time, began to be se- riously alarmed. The chief’s action looked as if he meant mis- chief, and what might have happened is uncer- ‘é Me tain, when the quick gallop of horses round the | edge of the motte announced that strangers were approaching. Tiger Tail’s demeanor altered in a moment. He jerked the frightened boy to his feet, and loosened the lasso with a laugh, saying: “Ho! ho! frighten pickaninny! No mean harm.” The next moment Wash Carrol and Thornley each mounted on a handsome mustang, an leading another, came galloping up to the spot, full speed. ‘‘T thunk so,” ejaculated the hunter, ooking at the Indian, with no favorable glance. “ thunk as how [ knowed that hoss 0’ yourn, that you left standin’ by the t’other side this hyar motte. What d’yer want hyar, say ?” Tiger Tail had assumed an expression of an gelic innocence. He exhibited his pipe. ‘‘Come smoke peace with white chief,” he said, gravely. “Then why don’t yer git down thar?’ asked Wash. ‘The kurnel ain’t /lyar—he’s thar. You hain’t no call ta stick your ugly muy in hyar, talkin’ to young ladies—you hain’t. You git! That’s what you do.” Tennessee, frightened to death as she had been, was still constrained to smile, as she viewed the change in Tiger Tail’s demeanor, The lately insolent look was gone, and the chief moved Off toward the river in a manner that strangely suggested slinking, holding his pipe before him, as a badge, to show his peaceful in- tention. As soon as he was gone, Tennie Magoftin burst out into a profusion of thanks to the old hunter, and the two mustangers dismounted from their beasts, CHAPTER XI. THE TWO COUSINS. “On, Mr. Carrol!” said imfmulsive Tennie; “how thankful I am that you came in time. Who knows what that wretch might have done before father could have got down to help us? Do you think he'll come again# His looks froze my very blood.” ‘Oh, no,” said Wash, stoutly. ‘* We'll take ear’ 0’ him now. Them Injuns isalways durned brave when there’s nout but winnunin critturs around. Yer veen how he wilted when we cum up. ‘Tar’ cur’ous to me why his band ain't round hyar. Ef they had ’a’ b’en, ye mout ’a’ had a wusser skeer. Thar goes the vannint now, a-talkin’to the kurnel. Wagh! how I do despise his hull tribe!” “Hadn't one of us better ride down there and warn the colone]) how to treat him?’ asked Ed Thornley, at this moment, “Ver right, Ed. ll go. Take keer o’ the young ladies while I’m gone,” said Wash, hur- riedly. ‘f’Twon’t do to rile him foo much.” And he threw the lariat of the beautiful “ buck-skin ” mare to Thornley, and galloped off down toward the river-side, where Tiger Tail was calinly approaching the colonel’s party, all of whom had stopped work, and were eying the Indian with considerable distrust. ‘Do vou think there’s any cdanyer, sir?” in- quired Tennie of Thornley, as soon as, Wash had gone. . ‘‘ Not at present, Miss Magoffin,” he answered, only too glad of the opportunity to talk to these charming girls, but whine it had been the dark one who had spoken. ‘While the'chief saw only you two ladies, whom he did not fear, I make no doubt he was insolent: but an Indian respects strength, and he would not dare to at- tack you openly, in broad daylight, while all your men are well armed.” Tennie heaved a sizh of relief. Thornley did not tell her what he apprehended—that Tiger Tail might return by night, and try to obtain that by surprise which he might fail in by force. He turned the conversation by ‘asking: ‘‘And how do you like Texas, Miss Magoffin?” | two days,’ | round to conceal an enemy. ? “Tf you had asked me an hour ago, I should have said splendid, sir; but since that horrid Indian came, the charm seems to have depart’ ed. How shall we ever be safe from him, Mr.—?” ‘Thornley,’ ward Thornley. ’ said our hero, bowing; “ Ed Oh, well, your father is now | building a block-house, and when that is finish ed, and provided with a good stockade, you need not fear all the Indians on the plains:” ~ ‘*But how long wil!l it be before that?’ asked Miss Dupre, speaking for the first time. “The block-house ought to be defensible in "said Thornley, glad to address the object of his wishes. ‘* Your father will prob- ably move camp there to-night. This ts no place for one. There is too much cover all Out yonder no one can get near without being seen. Still, I anti cipate no danger, for you seem to be strong handed,” Tennie Magoffin’s cheerful disposition made this sober conversation irksome to her. She chanced it by remarking: “Mr. Thornley, what lovely horsey you have there. So much prettier than those ug!y mules you had yesterday. That cream-colo: \d mare is a perfect beauty. I wonder if she wyuld let me pat her?” ‘* Not quite yet, Miss Magoffin,” said the mus- tanger, with a smile. “‘She was only tamed this morning, and needs a little more disciplines yet. But I am vlad you like her, for | believe my comrade intends her for you. The other is intended as a present for your cousin.”’ “And from whom, pray, Mr. Thornley?” de manded the girl, with a saucy twinkle of her | blue eves, which were quite sharp enough to see the eg of the case. Thofniey colored deeply. ‘From myself, if the young lady will accept it,” he muttered, a strange bashfulness oppress- ing his usually open face. ‘‘ We noticed that | you had no horses, and Wash and I thought that possibly you would not think it a liberty—to— offer you—won’t you take them?’ Tennie’s eyes spurkled with fun. A merry girl always enjoys the distress of a modest lover especially if he is some other girl’s lover, Louie Dupre raised her dark eyes to Thorniley’s simply and gravely. ‘“T thank you very much, Mr. Thornley,” she said, quietly. ‘It was very kind of yon te think of us, But 1 fear we shall be robbing you, to take such beautiful horses. They must bave cost considerable money, which you cannot af ford,” ‘“No, I assure you,” said Thornley, eagerly; ‘‘mustangs only fetch low prices now. Don't let that deter you. But they make beautifu) le dies’ horses. The spotted one will carry yo like a bird. Vl give ber one more lesson, au she will be ready for you to mount. “Thank you,” said Louie, simply, and there the matter ended, for, at that moment, Color.e] Magoflin was seen approaching, at the ead cf his party of laborers, and accompamed bv tie4r Tail. Wash Carroll rode alongside, and, when close by, dismounted and came up to Tennis Magoffin, with his best bow. “Miss Tennie,” said the old hunter, ‘“me and my kumrad, we kinder thunk as how you and yer cousin hyar would like a kupple o’ critters to ride. So we-jest larryetted them ar mus tangs for yer, an’ giv’ ’em a breakin’, so ’s mout hev "em ef yer wanted. That ar buch skin’s yourn, an’ Spotty b’longs to ._Miss—Miss— yer cousin, thar.” “My name is Louisiana Dupre,” said the young Creole, in her soft, somewhat melanm choly voice; ‘Sand | thank you very much, Mr. Carrol.” ‘Oh! that ain’t nothin’!” said Wash, indiffer- ently; ‘‘we’ll hev to give the critters another tamin’ afore thur fit fur a lady to ride.” Here Colonel Magoffin came up with Tiger Tail, and passed them on his way to the camp, The Indian looked hopeful, and expectant of something, with an expression of mild virtue on his face that would not have misbecome a her mit. Wash winked his eye comically, and puf © his tongue in his cheek, perfectly regardless of manners, as the chief passed. Tennie Magoffin smothered a laugh at the queer expression of his face, seamed as it was with the hideous scar Tiger Tail heard the suppressed giggle, and turned but a single glance on Tennie. It was swift and instantly withdrawn, but the girl’s ox turned white at the malevolence of the ook. Wash waited till he had gone on, when he ob- served: ‘* Sneakin’ cuss wanted whisky and powaer. Curnel told him he wanted all his powder far ’ ' ’ : | 7 “ - p. + . ’ ‘7 Zt ~ - comiebooks:-com Ah . ~ 7 i Ty — - . - - on - - —~ - ® : > eT Ae ate t