Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1147 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 earth roll the cause of his | while with the other he gr - thundered the outlaw in a tone calculated to carry conviction; ‘‘ I’ve had enough ofit. You thwarted me in your cabin a few nights ago, and I shall not again. Understand that! some one divulged our plans to you last night, and— ‘‘- You’re mistaken, old man,” said Bearslayer fearlessly; ‘‘ the trouble is you fellows didn’t know our plans. If you’d sent a less suspicious lookin’ critter to camp with them mules than that sneakish Gosper you might have got the drop on all of us. But, if I ama boy, I can tell pretty well when I meet a villain just by. his actions. No, you needn’t lay your defeat to treachery ’mong your followers.’ ‘‘ Who killed Denver Pete in the coach after it left camp?” Kidd asked, ‘‘ and spirited them women off’ ‘*T do not know.” ‘You lie!” ‘“T would not tell you if I knew,” the lad de- clared, ‘Men, bring a rope!” commanded *‘ Cuba,” “and we'll see what we can do for the brat, if it’s nothing more than to make food for coyotes vf him. [Pm tired of this impertinence and bravado.” Newt Gosper hurried off to where the horses were hitched, and procured a lariat, eager to repay the young bear-killer for the blow he had given him the night before. yer was made to standup. A noose on one end of the rope was placed around his neck, and the other end thrown over the limb of a tree under which he stood, ‘‘ Now, young man,” said Captain Cuba, ** you can make up yan mind to tell what we desire to know, or take a last look at the morning sun and tke peaks of the Sierras. Understand, this is no farce, but a business proceeding.” As the outlaw spoke, Bearslayer fixed his eyes upon him with a look of defiance and scorn. The outlaws, six in all, now gathered around the boy, eager to see him hang or hear him speak, The party was in a deep, narrow ravine under a clump of pine trees. Above them the defile was choked up with a dense growth of under- brush and vines; below them the way was open to the main canyon, into which the defile de- bouched. ‘The steep hills that rose on either side were covered with bushes and stunted pines. The spot was a lonely, dismal one in which to die, for this Bearslayer had made up his mind to do, rather than concede one thing to the out- WS. At the time the rope was adjusted the youth’s hands aud feet were tied, but seeing this, Cuba ‘‘Untie his feet so that we can see him kick, and his hands, so that, at any time before he becomes unconscious and yet cannot speak, he can motion with his hands should he conclude to communicate with ux You understand that, do you, Bearslayer?’ ‘"T do, sir,” answered the defiant youth. The bonds were severed. ‘Do you still refuse to talk?” again asked Cuba Kidd. ‘*Think now of what you're do- ing.” ‘tT defy you!” was the boy’s reply. ** Pull him up easy, boys,” commanded the outlaw chief. Gosper and a companion began pulling down upon the rope, and Bearslayer’s toes were near- ly clear of the ground, when there was heard a zip” and a ‘‘thud,” and with a sharp cry of agony r let go the rope, and falling to the and floundered as if in mortal pain, clutching frantically at his face. | The feathered shaft of an arrow, that was buried deep in the right eye of the outlaw, told rony. : Cuba Kidd and his men guickly glanced in the direction whence they knew the weapon came, They saw a form on the hillside above them flitting among the bushes, ‘‘Run him down, men!” cried Cuba Kidd; ‘slay him, for he has wounded Goss to death!” wo of the men glided away a‘tcy tic un- known whose arrow had put a stop, fur {uo time pee v0 the execution of Bearslaycr. turned to the assistance of Gosper. He endeavored to draw the barbed weapon from the man’s eye, but so agonizing was the pain that the wretch went into convulsicns, and in half a minute was dead, All this time that Captain Cuba was busy elsewhere, one of the outlaws held on to the rope around Bearslayer’s neck with one hand, I a revolver. but for this latter fact the boy would have made a dash for liberty, but his custodian seem- ed to have read the thought in the youth’s mind Webfoot Mose, the Tramp-Detective. and watched him closely. But even while Cuba Kidd lingered over the form of the dying Gos- er, a noise in the bushes up the canyon caused arslayer’s guard to look around, and as he did so, he saw a huge grizzly emerge from the thick- et not over thirty feet from where they stood, stop and look at them in surprise. ‘A grizzly, by heavens!” burst from the fel- low’s lips, and, filled with that sudden fear which is inspired by the first sight of one of those fero- cious, shaggy monsters, and which leads to a panic, the man raised his revolver and fired at the animal. Bearslayer, who had, also, seen the bear, en- deavored to prevent the man firing for he knew too well the result of such an act; but his warn- ing came too late—the pistol cracked, the bullet struck the bear which uttered a fierce growl and gory bs upon them. ‘Run, for your lives!” yelled Captain Cuba with an oath, breaking for the nearest tree, ‘‘and may the devil take the infernal brute!” Bearslayer and his custodian dashed away side and side the latter holding on to the rope around the lad’s neck. These two the bear followed, and although they had several yards the start the beast gained rapidly upon them. Reaching a tree with low boughs the outlaw started up into its friendly hights with remark- able celerity, still endeavoring to hold on to the rope. But now was Bearslayer’s opportunity, and he had the presence of mind to improve it. As the outlaw sprung for the tree the youth deftly snatched the villain’s knife—a long-bladed hunting-knife—from its sheath at his hip, and with a single stroke severed the rope around his neck, then bounded on alone; and not alone, either, for the grizzly followed close at his heels. Bearslayer realized that his situation was as dangerous as that of his vaunted foes was ridic- ulous. He might have sprung into a tree and eluded the bear, but this would not have placed him out of reach of other dangers, for the out- laws from their perch in the pines might take it into their heads to pick him off with their re- volvers—useless weapons against the bear, But when out of reach of the outlaws the boy found himself out of the immediate vicinity of tree or bush, with the bear at his very heels. Less than half a minute was left him in which to act, and well did he improve this time. A deer path, that had been worn out a foot deep and nearly two wide by the action of the water, lay before him. Into this he flung himself face up- ward, the outlaw’s knife grasped in his hand. The grizzly rushing on madly could not check itself before reaching the ditch, and was carried by its momentum across the prostrate form of the boy. But it ed over him as it was com- ing to a stop, ae with the fe eae of light- ning Bearsiayer drove his knife upward into the animal's y to the guard and with a back- jae he ni ge of the blade laid the belly open half its length. With a howl that fairly shook the hills the great bear half-curled himself on the earth, and in his agony tore at his entrails that fell from the cavity of the body with his teeth and paws, Yells from the outlaws in the trees greeted the boy’s fearless and desperate act, and Cuba Kidd leaping to the ground began firing at the grizzly with his revolver. But the bear was not as near dead as he had supposed, and starting up, it dashed back toward the villain with more than half its entrails trailing out upon the ground, saat the outlaw scrambled back into the tree, while Bearslayer, springing to his feet, ran swiftly in the direction of the outlaws’ horses, Two shots were fired after him from the trees, but he soon had gained the cover of one of the horses, and was about to unfasten it with the intention of mounting and fleeing, when he es- pied hanging to another saddle his own trusty bear-rifle” and cartridge-belt, which the enemy had found on the coach, With this dis- covery, he quickly changed his mind, and se- curing the rifle and belt he turned his attention to the outlaws and the bear. The latter had laid down under the tree in which Cuba Kidd and one of his men had taken refuge and to all appearance was in the last throes of death. But its presence there was enough to hold the two outlaws at bay, but the third one, who was a few paces further down the canyon, was hastily descending from his roost, when the deadly rifle of the young hunter rung out and with a shriek the villain lost 25 hold on the tree and fell dead to the ound, | At the sound of the gun the bear never moved. It was dead. A grim smile of triumph now lit up the face of the young hunter, and, stepping out into ———— Oe er ll oO pat view of the other two outlaws, he raised is rifle, and in a clear, ringing voice shouted out: ‘‘Captain Cuba Kidd, it’s my turn now, and unless you surrender at once I'll drop you from that tree as though you were a panther!” CHAPTER X. WHAT WEBFOOT’S RECONNOISSANCE REVEALED. Eva SHANNON and Edith Baker were fairly ralyzed with terror at sight of the Indian that iad appeared before them, as silently as though he had dropped from the clouds. They started back, their faces blanched, and their white lips voiceless, The Indian showed by his actions that he him- self was surprised by the presence of the maidens, and after gazing at them for a few moments, to make sure they were not visions of loveliness, that would disappear at the utter- sir of a sound, he grunted out in good Eng- ish: ‘*Ush! white squaw.” The savage was a young man with a slender, supple form, and a movement like that of a panther. He was armed with a bow, which he carried in his hand, and a well-filled quiver that —e slung at his shoulder, In his girdle was a Q. To his ejaculation the girls made no she sf They were so frightened they could not speak. This the Indian saw, and laying down his bow, he held up his hands, palms outward, in token of friendship, saying: ‘‘“White squaws need no be afraid, Little- Fox no make war on squaws—he pale-face Se re scout. Let pale-face squaws speak.” He said this so plain, and in such apparent row f that the girls had a great burden lifted from their minds, and Eva then mustered cour- age to say: ‘‘Oh! we are so glad you are our friend!” The Indian lowered his hand, and his painted face relaxed into a natural expression. Stoop- ing, he picked up his bow, and advancing a step nearer the girls, asked: ‘* What white squaw do here?” ‘“We were left here by a friend,” replied Iva, ‘t Where come from?” ane Eva told him. The Indian glanced quickly around him and said: ‘‘There bad Ingins in hills—bad Utes—br.. pale-face, too—white squaw not safe there.” ‘‘We know it, Little-Fox,” the fair Eva 1zc- sponded; ‘‘our friend went to investigate a smoke he saw ’way over yonder. He will bo back soon and then we will move on in search of our friends. 1 wish you could tell us where to find them.” ‘* Don’t know,” the Indian answered with a shake of his head. Thus they conversed for several minutes when suddenly the Indian started, fixed his eyes on something on his right, and then exclaimed: ‘* Waugh! what that?” : apna in the direction indicated the maid- ens saw Webfoot Mose advancing toward them along the ledge, his hand upon his revolver, and his eyes upon the Washoe, ‘That is our friend,” said Eva, and despite the gravity of their situation the maidens could not repress a smile at the surprise and curiosity manifested by the red-skin’s question, ‘‘Ugh! he heap big bosom,” said the Indian, laying his hand upon his stomach. “Hullo, girls! who’s that you’ve captured?” was Webfoot’s first remark as he approached, ‘“‘His name is Little-Fox,” answered Eva; ‘he says he is a Washoe scout, and a friend o the pale-faces.” ‘‘ How?” exclaimed the red-skin, extending his hand in friendly salutation. ‘Well, tha you; how’s Little-Fox?”’ ro- sponded Webfoot advancing and grasping the Indian’s hand in a strong grip. “You heap big eat,” said_the Indian, scan- ning the corpulent figure of Mose from head to foot, as though he were an animal on exhibition. - The girls could scarcely conceal their mirth, while Webfoot, himself, was not a little amused at the red-skin’s curiosity. ‘Yes, red-skin, I used to have a good appe- tite,” Mose answered, ‘‘ but seems like an age since I’ve tasted food. I’m wasting away to a mere skeleton. But say, Little-'ox, what’s the news? Do you know there’s a whole nest of Ute Indians camped over yonder?” . ‘‘Yes—Ute dogs there,” replied the spvage pointing away across the valley, ‘‘ horse-tracks go that way,” and he.pointed in another direc- ee Little-Fox go see where go—who them are “= = s° » ~~? we “ . “Awe — « t, avs ~ '->* A « 4 (6. oS | Ss — > + +, . -COnrY