Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1140 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

of persons, so he could only conjecture whether they were Indians or white men. Indeed he had no. great interest to know, for he could not imagine that he had any concern with them. Now, that ’ere is what I call odd,” sud- areits ay exclaimed Oregon Sol, when the eye had ape spent several minutes in scrutinizing the coun- ie try about them. | “What's that?” asked Nick Whiffles, turning + his head upon heaying the remark. oes “Why, look at that feller off yender,” he re- plied, pointing to a small stream less than a Ree Bcing torard th oi t indicated, Nick SR ey iow e point indica ick saw Sees: figure of a man standing on the bank of the , stréam. gazing toward them. His dress show- ed that he was of the same race as themselves, ty t he seemed to be entirely alone and without rse, dogjor even boat. ‘hand and leaning back against a tree, as - though h ined the two hunters were about _ to paint nis po it, and he was willing to stand there all day and bear their scrutiny. _ “Tt ain’t a Hudson Bay or Nor’wester,” re- marked Sol, when they had scrutinized him for _ g0me minutes. _ _The sight of a man of their own race in a soli- 1 like this was such an unusual occurrence _ that the trappers resolved on a closer acquain- tance. They were on the point of starting to- - ‘ward him, when Sol called the attention of his _ friend to the fact that the stranger had already - made a move in their direction. noe ee ~> * 7 F xno? | -. . tlt sant It was not until the stranger began moving _ toward them that they observed his immense _ gize. He was fully six and a half feet in hight, if not more, with his body filled out in propor- ___ The distance between the parties was so slight - that it took the men only a short time to pass it. +For most of the way he was invisible in the wood, but in a short he made his appear- ance at the bottom of the ridge and walked to- ecg eyes % **How do you do, Mr. Nicholas Whiffles?” he _ demanded, as he approached and extended his hand. ‘ I guess you don’t remember me.” “Can't say that I do,” replied ee wapher :. j i y into his face, as he reached Rte? toon, by gractous, you have; but 1 = | . oF us, you have; but _ don’t call to mind that I ever see’d it before.” F315 ‘ory p t ws ¢ ~ ¥ He xg sis ieee ‘ ot, WM <7e y The large, heavy-framed stranger enjoyed the a wonderment of the two hunters for a few min- and then **E was at Fort ‘Alfred last summer when you ‘cae Captain there and made the agreement with : report Re ree hors he thoeant . you | some where oug te ere was a chance of finding some extra bea- vers. I am Mr, Fitzsimmons, that was attached a te the brigade’in the character of a scientific - Re ere 66 i ? caer dogg are you doing here, then? _.. "There was something so ludicrous in the idea ef this large man, after announcing if asa _ seientific guide, adding, directly on the heels of it, that hee was lost, that both Nick and Sol in- oh in a hearty laugh, while he remained as s and solemn as if listening to his own discourse. ** Where is the brigade?” asked Nick. “Heaven only knows. Science has sent them -to the dogs, where I’m afraid I’m going too, science gets over the drunk it seems to be now. e man rattled on so incoherently about Ret a and the dangers that it had inflicted '_ pon him, that the trappers for a time were dispo to believe that he was some lunatic that had broken loose and had wandered off into et pe wt. vr eit “ ve ~~ is ee eu “: oy, se ate 3 this part of the world. -_ Mr. Fitzsimmons was an Englishman, who had _ beenin the employ of the Hudson Bay Company been in their office in London. The pic- ture— bust health and vigor, he suddenly _ formed the idea that his health was failing and os eel on a@ visit to the wilds of America for a fl of recruiting. ___He was a man of wealth and respectability and desirous that his position and ability should -. ~ be re he announced himself as ‘‘sur- the brigade,” and proceeded to enter his duties at once, an office as ‘‘surveyor of the brigade” had never been heard of before, and as he did ot interfere with «ne others in the c'scharge of heir duties, his conceit was not interfered with, and he was permitted to rave about science to as for a ost ge of years, most of the time having ro 7 ‘ te e held a rifle in one’ an , a a “5 > “cy 27, +— ta *% : 24 \ pal cals > ; Oregon Sol. | His principal business seemed to consist in | pleted, it was growing dark,‘and leaving Sol consulting a sma) pocket-compass, which he | and Fitzsimmons in charge of the — Nick brought with him fom England, and in making | Whiffles moyed off up-stream in quest of some- observations of the stars during the evening. | thing for supper. As Nick Whififles afterward learned, Fitzsim-; The stream was really nothing more thana mons started out with the brigade, and for sev- | brook, across which he could easily leap at any eral days they had no trouble with him, but at | place. The water was quite shallow and clear, the end of that time he insisted that some defer- | and there was no deubt that it was pientiiully ence should be paid to his scientific attain- | stocked with fish; but, in the dim-gathering ments. _ twilight, as he walked slowly along the bank, ‘I carried the compass with me,” said he, in | pesie into the water, he felt that uliar Sxpiainine the circumstance, ‘‘and I knew how | issatisfaction with each place at which he Maik to box it, and at night I could read the stars in | ed which will sometimes come over a person. the sky_and tell ’em just where they was, but + Just as he was about to cast the line, it struck that Captain Green is—” _ him that the very place for which he was search- ‘But you hain’t told us how you and the | ing was a little further on. brigade come to be apart,” put in Oregon Sol. this manner he advanced several hundred ‘* It was all their fault,” replied Fitzsimmons. | yards from camp, until, smiling at his own ‘“*T let them all have their way without trying | childishness, he paused where a projection of to interfere with them, till I observed how-com- | land produced an eddy in the stream, and where pletely they were violating the laws of science | he was certain of finding all the fish he could every day. One morning Captain Green re- | need. marked that he was anxious to reach a place ‘What do you say, Calamity?’ he said, ad- called Blackfoot Rock, which laid due north of | dresslng his dog, that had been walking con- us. bs ate hearing that, I took my compass and | tentedly behind him; ‘‘ shall we settle aot begin show work here? I guess.” him the way the needle pointed, and that instead of going north, as he hg ene he The trapper had furnished himself with al] in- | the bait he could need before starting, and it was gee eg almost exactly east. oxy ed the whole thing to him, and when I got | required but a moment for him to complete his preparations. through what do you suppose he did¢ He just It was a favorite custom with him, when fish- laughed, and said that com business was . played, ever since Chris. Columbus started for | ing at night, to kindle a fire upon the bank of the East Indies, and, by following the compass, | the stream. This was always sure to bring the fetched up against America, instead. I asked | fish around him, and he insisted that he always him if he wassure that Blackfoot Rock was | caught much larger ones than otherwise. exactly north, and he said there was no doubt In accordance with this custom which he had of it. Then I told him that I would go afoot, | followed so long. he proceeded to gather sticks and he would see how much sooner I would get and twigs, and in a short time had a big fire j ee Senet ea nEEnennm there than he. He replied that he would be very | burning close to the edge of the water and glad to yBake such an arrangement—and so throwing a light far up and down stream, started: | That'll fetch em,” he remarked, to his dog. ‘“* How long ago was that?” ‘*' We'll soon have a supper that ‘ll suit ** Nearly four days, and it seems to me that | hands,” itis about time I came across that Blackfoot | He was not mistaken. He had scarcely Rock, which I heard described very accurately, | thrown in his line, when it was seized by a and which I’m sure I would identify the minu large fish, which was promptly landed upon the I saw it. Do you know where it is?’ ground beside him. é same was re- “* Oh, yes; we’ve been there often.” peated again and again, and he had soon se- Ps owt much longer will I have to travel to | cured ‘aljl that the could possibly dispose it | of. “Wal,” replied Nick Whiffles, I think if you | This done he ceased fishing, and | picking up keep up a pretty good Fait, you might do it in | those that he had captured, proceeded to string three or four years. y say a man can git | them upon a branch for the purpose of carrying around the world in that time and come back _ them back to camp, when the dog Calamity to where he started from.” | showed by his actions that he desired to bear a ** But bye said you were on your way to Black- | hand in the business. foot Rock, didn’t you?” To Fro en lor ’ the trapper permitted him to ‘Pm on my way to meet Captain Green and | take the en the branch in his mouth. and his brigade,” replied Nick Whiffles; “ but I ex- | although the *weight was pected to do it at Fort Alfred. Howsumever, | galloped away as delighted as if he were ‘et if he’s started for the other place, that’s where | viding himself with the choicest dinner possible, I'm going.” after a prolonged fast. “Then Pil go with you, and let the compass Understanding as well as did his master what alone for the present.’ was required of him, he ~ straight to eg ‘We'll be glad to have you, of course,” re- | with his load, and was there before Nick I lied Nick, with his old ‘smile; ‘‘ provided you | the tittle fire which he had kindled. on’t undertake to play the guide for us. You- “No need to hurry,” he said, to himself, with ‘ll excoose us from trustin’ too much to a chap | a grin, as he stood examining his rifle by the thet is going .south-east all the time, and then firelight. “‘Tt’ll take a few minutes for ’em to swears it’s due north.” br’il them floppers, and by the time Oregon Sol The Englishman was too much chagrined at | has’em ready, I reckon he’ll find me a little the ludicrous mistake he had made torun any | closer norlam now. I don't think it would do risk of repeating it, and he replied that, in de- | to give that ere Fitzsimmons the start on either ference to the superior knowledge of Nick of us. I hauled in eight or ten pounds extra on Whiffles, he agreed not to raise his voice asin- account of the length of his stomach, Thé gle time in opposition to any plan or schemes of | Whiffles were always blessed with a purty ees is. And thus the two ‘* consolidated ” | appetite, but I don’t b’’eve that ’ere En . at once. _ man has had anything to eat for two or aa | weeks, and when that’s the case it’s pretty hard CHAPTER V. | to gauge a man’s fo tegeie hitter es ie Dawn | mehow or er, as Nick Whiffles stood | here dallying with his gun and loitering behind Now that the destination of Nick Whiffles | until his friend could make some progress in the and Oregon Sol had been changed from the fort | preparation of his supper, he was conscious of a to the station or rock, the distance was thereby | curious feeling that he had noticed several times so much lessened tlaat they calculated upon | before, but only upon rare occasions. reaching it by the succeeding evening, pro-; It was a gathering and increasing conviction vided that nothing unexpec intervened to that some one else was near him in prevent. | It was this same strange sensation that had After the two trappers had made a rather warned him of the approach of danger more careful survey of their surroundings, they con- | than once, and that caused him to suspect even cluded to camp where they were. at the base of , now that something unusual impended. « | the ridge. There was a stream of water near Looking up-stream, the surface of the water at hand, from which they were confident of en- gleamed’in the firelight, as it flowed by in ticing all the fish that was necessary for their mayer silence, while behind and across, the supper. _ darkness was dense and impenetrable. A low, ere was little danger to be apprehended | solemn murmur filled the air, as if it were the from the Indians, as the trappers were almost | sighing of the vast Solitude. too far north for that; but thefact that Captain Just above the. tree-tops, the faint re of Jack and another Modoc, at least, had gone | the moon could be seen in the clear sky, its light northward, was enough to prevent that feeling | so faint as to pages no Fea tos effect upon of absolute safety which otherwise would have | the river and forest. hiffles had trod characterized Oregon Sol and Nick Whiffles. the wilds often enongh to become inured to —_—_— } } ———E te heavy, the pup ?_— — en is solitude, . ‘ ~ * - ee = ey) [2 Aa ad ¥ \ be t . _——_— Oe Se ee eee > By the time the arrangements bad been com- such scenes, but there was something to-nigif mes ? ! : * : . | s Z - * eo .! - é ; 5 - ey ere ee bat _ ss @ is Je = 7 » f ‘ - . 5 re ie