Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1152 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

-Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. iF he felt under a sort of 9 end lie turned the head of his horse, Shagbark, toward the south, and, accompanied by his sa- vacious dog, Calamity, made the best possible tinte for Elk river again, The particular ‘‘ diffikilty” to which he re- ferred was this: His cabin was about twenty miles away from where we now find him, and there he had a young protege of his—a bright- eyed boy known as Ned Hazel, a sort of waif of the woods, that had come into his hands, in a singular manner, a number of years before, when he was little more than a mere child. He had been left at the “ Commge: with the under- standing that his adopted “ father” was not ex- pected to return under three weeks, aud now he was back again at the end of that number of days. He was anxious to take the little fellow on this short excursion, and had a at his house in the hope of finding him, but he was off on a hunt of his own, and Nick, not daring to wait, had hurried off for Elk river, where we now find him. ‘But where was the brigade?* Above him or below him? That was the question for him to decide, and having no data by which to make his calculation, he set it down as a ‘‘ condemned diffikilty.” | He had sent Calamity a half-mile up the river to watch and to report to him the first appear- ance of the brigade, while he enjoyed the un- comfortable sensation of knowing that, as likely as not, the party for whom he was waitin might be drawing further away from him eac moment. “There’s a company of them Nor’-westers somewhere in this neighborhood, and if they happen to run ag’in’ the brigade, there’ll be the tion to accept, condemnedest diffikilty ever heard tellon. Hel- |. lo! what’s up, Shagbark?’ | His horse had suddenly ceased esting, and raising his head, with the grass unc ewed in his mouth, gave a whinny, clearly indicat- ing that some one or something was approach- ‘ What is it?” asked Nick, instantly becoming all vigilance himself. The horse held his head motionless for a mo- ment, and then resumed his cropping the grass as unconsciously as before. Nick es smiled. “That means it’s Calamity coming. You critters understand each other about as well as I understand you both.” The words were yet in his mouth, when the huge dog that had been the companion of Whif- fles in so many exciting inc‘dents of his life burst through the undergrowth and signified his gayi by whining, wagging, and licking the dof his master. The latter patted his head with no less delight. ‘‘ What is it, Calamity, for I know by your ways that there’s something coming down the river? Is it the brigade or some other sort of animile?”’ How, or by what means, Nick got at the meaning of the dog, it would be impossible for us, an: outsider,” to say, but it required only a few moments for him to learn that it was not be brigade, but a single canoe descending the ver. “That much being sartin,” said Nick, “ the diffikilty is as to who handles the dle; like enough some murderous Blackfoot; but,” he added, with some hesitation, as he narrowly scrutinized the actions of his dog, ‘‘ the animile don’t act in that way. He seems to have a bet- ter opinion of the chap than me.” As it was impossible to gather the full mean- ing of Calamity, Nick could only cast his eye up aa river, and wait for the mystery to solve it- self, ) He was not left long in waiting. Around the curve in the river, just above him, a small canee suddenly shot to view, in which was seated a small boy, as a hunter, and using the jong ashen paddle with no slight skill. e eyes of Nick iffies sparkled as he re- the lad, and he rose and waved his d as a signal. ‘‘ Bless the soul of little Ned; his own father couldn’t love him any more than I do.” The water splashed and flashed in the sun- light, as the lad sent his little boat skimming over the surface of the water. A few moments only were needed for the prow of the canoe to strike the gravel at the feet of the hunter, who advanced to the water’s edge to greet his and tell me whether © brigade?” » . CHAPTER II. THE HUDSON BAY MEN. AN observer would not have failed to be struck with the contrast of appearance between Nick Whiffles and the boy with whom he was conversing. The hunter was bronzed, scarred and tough- ened by the torrid heat of summer and the Arc- tic coldness of the tempésts that during the win- ter months sweep over the plains and mountains of the North-west. His face was shaggy with its untrimmed grizzled beard, and his hair, that escaped from beneath his coon-skin cap, was sil- vered by the same hand that spares none of us. There was immense strength in those long, mus- cular limbs, and although Nick generally moved with a slow, shuffling gait, he was capable of astonishing quickness and celerity of movement when necessary. Ned Hazel, as he was called, was about fifteen years of age, rather slight for that number of years, with eyes as bright, and cheeks as deli- cately ruddy, as if he had been born and reared in the palace of some noble in sunny France. His movements were all grace, and under- neath the delicacy of feature and color was the grand basis of rugged health that had already triumphed over obstacles under which many a man would have succumbed, -There was no doubting that the deep affection of Nick Whif- fles was fully reciprocated by Ned, whose lus- trous eyes glowed with a bright light when he looked the grizzled old hunter in the face. The boy began frolicking with the dog, while Nick turned his eyes up-stream, with an anxious expression of countenance that showed that his mental ‘“ diffikilty ” was far from pene purely pnegerary Suddenly he turned to Ned, ‘Were you looking for me, lad?’ ‘‘ That was what brought me here.” ** And what reason had you to think me here, when you see’d me start for Fort Wilbur?” " price Nick,” ae Ned, pausing in his gambols with Calamity, ‘“‘ you hadn’t been gone a half-day when I happened to think it was just the time last year when you went down the river with the brigade, and 1 knew you ex- pected to do the same this spring; so I was sure poe had forgot it. But you was so far away hat there was no use in my trying to overtake you, and I mone perhaps ha wouid think of it and come back yourself. Sure enough, when ITcame back, I found signs in the cabin that told me you had been there. I understood what it meant, so I made for the river, and jumping in- to the canoe, here [ am—” SH only knowed— Hark!” suddenly ex- claimed Whiffles, his face lighting up, while he assumed an attitude of attention, “Did you hear nothing then, yonker?” ‘Yes; it is the brigade,” replied Ned, also in- tently listening. ‘‘ Yes; it’s the brigade,” he quickly added; ‘‘ just hear them!” Through the quiet air, mellowed and softened by the intervening distance, came the sound of male voices singing in time with the regular sweep of their paddies. There was a profundity. of tone, and an impressive melody in the blena- ing of the score and more of voices that struck the ears of both Nick and the boy. ‘*T’ve heard that same thing many a time be- fore,” muttered the hunter, more to himself than to his companion, “and it allers makes me feel dll-overish. Three years ago, when I was on the Saskatchewan, I was asleep one night, in my canoe, when I awoke and heard the brigade about a mile up the river, where they were en- camped, sing. I listened awhile till they started off on the identical hymn that I used to hear sung when I was aboy. Wal, fore I knowed it, the tears were running down my cheeks, and I was in the little village church at home, with my old gray-haired mother and father, the choir singing that same hymn. “ Wal, wal, what’s the use?” He drew his hand across his eyes, as though some mist obscured his vision, and, with a great sigh, turned his. back upon the past and looked up the river—into the future. Two large boats, or canoes, a moment later, glided to view, the melody swelling out with a full volume, as it was free from all intervening obstruction, and floated over the smooth face of the river. Each canoe was conan of holding twenty- five or thirty men, but at present there were lit- tle over twenty in the entire . They were furs and peltries, and took with them a working crew and nv more. A few moments after they appeared, Nick Whiffles ste to the edge of the stream and moti } his hand for them to approach. He was recognized at once, and canoes instantly headed toward shore. The inmates showed no inténtien of landing, but the foremost rounded to for him and Ned to step aboard. ‘‘We yield you the place of honor,” said @ round-faced, Scotch-looking Fe aise whom Dick recognized as William Mackintosh, a lead- ing man in the employ of the Hudson Bay Com- pany. “There is room for your boy and your dog. I don’t suppose you want to take your horse along?’ “No: I will leave Shagbark here.” ‘‘Suppose he wanders away?” ‘‘ Te knows better than to go very far; and he and Calamity understand each other so well that they’re sure to find each other out. Come, dog, in with you, and lad, do you foller.” Calamity sprung lightly into the front of the canoe, while the boy leaped, as rays as a fawn, after him. Then the old hunter followed, with more deliberation and dignity. As he glanced over the crews, he identified quite a number, and nodded good-naturedly to them, But no other salutation passed between them, they attending strictly to business, leaving their director, Mr. kintosh, to play the part of host. The latter chatted pleasantly with Nick, but all the time he nervously scanned the lad, who sat playing with the dog, and occasionally glanc- ing at the shore as they glided by. ‘Nick,” said Mr. Mackintosh, after a while, “JT had heard that you had a boy, but I never saw him before. He doesn’t resemble you a bit.” ‘‘ And why should he?” ‘‘T believe you can always detect a likeness between father and son, and I’ve been studying for the last ten minutes to see where it is be- tween you and him, but it isn’t there at all.” ‘“‘T never was married, and consequently I never had a son. He is no more a relation of mine than you are.” ‘* Ah! who is he?” ** Ned Hazel.” ‘‘T know, but where did’ he come from, and how is it that he is in this part of the world?’ Nick seemed on the point of replying to this question in full, when he suddenly checked him- se “Tf it’s all the same to you, Mr. Mackintosh, we won’t talk about that thing. You under- stand?” The Scotchman did understand, and showed his good breeding by skillfully turning the con- versation upon business matters, ‘* We shan’t make the Indian village to-night, I’m afraid, Nick?’ The hunter turned his head, and scrutinized the shore, a moment, so as to make sure of his location before answering. ‘‘No; but there is going to be a full moon, and ou can goa good distance; you orter try and it it near daylight.” ‘‘Can we do it by rowing an hour or two this evening?” ‘* Yes; powerful easy.” ‘‘Then it shall be done; we can make a good dozen miles before night,” * ‘Yes; as we’ve got the current with us.” ‘You haven’t seen any of the Nor’-westers, have you?” ** Not lately; but there’s a party of ’em some- ~wwhar in the country. I’ve run ag’in’ signs of ‘em, and then I’ve heard of ’em through some of the red-skins.” ‘*T hope they won’t get down to the Black- foot village ahead of us, for we count on mak-~ ing a good haul there.” ‘*] don’t think there’s any likelihood of that but some of them chaps ar’ as cunnin’ as foxes.” ‘*T hope, too, that our party will not encoun~- ter. them.” As Mackintosh added these words, it waa with a seriousness which showed that he was earnest in the wish which he had expressed. CHAPTER ITI. THE PHANTOM PRINCESS, Just as the shades of night hogan settling over Elk river and the adjoining wilderness, the brigade (as it was improperly termed) turned the heads of their canoes toward shore, and landed at a point where there was a sort of natural clearing in front of a dense wood. Here the fine discipline of the party was made manifest. A certain nuniber at once busied themselves in gathering wood for fuel, others brought forth the provisions, which they always carried with them, while every one seemed to have some particular duty to perf and to understand what it was without any di on from the leader of the party. The Hudson Bay Company, although tradixig. ite agents, with friendly Indians, sti’ cor oe -books.c “- e) hase "7 Wee # ay + rh P ‘4 ,& ' - - | wt 4d . 4 Py fh % - 7% t , e mM etch ibis We ~~ e- = ° an ~~» w ee *