Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1152 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

tt ee +E ‘ee ? : ee Se SF Cire = r = = Tt. *. and +2. ¥y ° iw ~ Frere a (he bed i wats ew - ts + - F* . Py ——s s — ie oo 2 ma < - - - 7 : * Py 4 “ + iy Poe Se Pua he — = oe Fal . . rae ¢ oo ~~) Pah, ae. “hee ‘ | the form of -_— - é. y ¥ ~ her ; ee ae ee er oo t'xe lonely trapper, # he thourhtfully plied his pecdlo. “*Can it bo that Mackintosh suspects? To—impoestble |” Ize wes pale and his ips compressed, as though acitated by some mst ey ee now and then he gave utterance to his troublous thoughts. “Tt may be—the date—thero aro several thines—but no, such a thing was never heard of in the wildest romance—but I shall never ro- turn from this expedition until I kave learned—” * Fist! what was that?’ Itis heart gavo a great bound, and he held the dle iS Svigeesr 3 in his hand and scarcely th W hilo he Icaned forward, he saw in the dis- tance, gliding closo to shore, what had met his vision twice before. It was tho Phantom Prin- cess in her white canmoc! The boat was so white that at first glimpse it peomed like some strange bird hunting its way back again to its home, deep in the primeval wilderness; but as he looked, he could disoern the Princess herse¥ seated in it. Her daughter, dressed in her gaudily colored was reclining in the bow, but she was so concealed by the imtervening figure of her mother that the ae saw nothing of her. “Tt is sho—it is she!” muttered Bandman, *fand she must seo me, I will follow her.” Lie paddled more vigorously, in the hope that she would permit him to aepavess or overtake her; but he was not long in learning that it was her wish that their relative distance should be maintained for the present at least; so he ceased his efforts and followed her more leisurely. } Before he was aware, night was upon him, and he discovered that he was following her by moonlight—a bright, clear moonlight, that serv- ed almost as well as the day, inasmuch as she avoided the shadow of the shore, and kept as néar the middle of the stream as possible, , Bandman scarcely removed his eyes from her; his great fear was that she might take it into ead to whisk as suddenly out of sight as she did when pursued by the trappers. . He found that, with the coming of night, she rmitted him to approach consklerably closer her canoe. Indeed, scarcely more than a hundred yards separated them, and had she chose, they could have easily conversed in an oO y tone, Bandman made several attempts to lessen the , but he saw that it rested entirely with sa and she governed her progress entirely by A couple of hours passed thus—although the trapper was not conscious of the lapse of time —when he became aware that the Phantom Princess was epaing. Singing, it is true, in a low, faint voice—but in tones of irrepressible sweetness. She was uttering no words, but rather hum- some plaintive air, that came to the ears like the sad, touching strains of the wind-harp. The trapper ceased rowing and bent his head to listen. It came to his ears, like the tones that visit us in our dreams of the angels, and, as he sat motionless, he felt then more than ever before, that there must be something supernatu- ral about this wonderful being whom ko was following with such resolution, He looked up to sec if she was still paddling away from h No; she too was resting on her oars, and both were floating with the cur- rent. Hoe was drifting away more in a dream than in his waking senses, The voice never rose above that faint, tremu- lous, touchingly sweet toue, that seemed to penetrate his very being. Hark! Why does he gasp and start? Surely he has heard that strain before! Yes; long years ago it had melted his heart with tondornuss, aud now it fairly drove him wild. “T will overtaks you! I can stand this no lonzer!” , And seizing his oar, ho rows with a furious energy such as he has never known before, _And is there no hand raised to stay him? Ah! no, and he is surely rush upon his doom, lalled thither by the song of the siren? CHAPTER X. DOOMED. Tr was like the fabled siren of old. Hugh Bandman scemed Bierey werless to resist the impulse to approach that wonderful person- ate known as the Phantom Princess, he voioe, naturally of the tenderest sweet- sagt Ser every accessory to make it impressive in highest degree. The silent river, with its somber woods on every hand, the silvery wisontetit. and the mystery which superstition had thrown about her; ali these, added to the - es 4 “eee” Se 3 | yee ee - ; - , <<>> . ae « : ‘ : ow. ~—, oma _ ' ele a” ms oF ‘. +S * . ve ° “ joey — —— rad _ a d in tie SS ei a ~ ~~ a « . ms be aul a ea i i ae > oa 1 ae . ' ¢ ro ee. og: = €) Se ee — * . =-h+ * —- iarly nervous condition of the Barre, ded to highten what at any time would have produced a powerful effect. Bandman, as I said, plicd his paddle as he had never plied it before. It was with the foeling that he would overtake and look more clearly upon her face, even if it cost him his life. le saw, too, alter going a short distance in this furious manner, that he was reaily gaining upon the Princess—very slowly, it is true, but unmistakably nevertheless, She, too, was using her oar with extraordinary power, and ths two boats shot forward with surprising velocity. The canoes were as near the center of the stream asmicht be, end cach was heading down the river. Despite the extraordinary efforts of the fugitive, the voice seemed to float over tie water with undiminished sweetness. All at once it changed—changed so sudden! and so radically as to be startling. The sad, plaintive character was lost, and it took an ex- ultant, joyous strain, as if the singer was tri- umphant over some trouble that) had long dis- tressed her. Different as it was in every respect, exccpt in the wonderful swectnees of its tones, it had, if possible, a far more powerful attraction to the maddened pursuer. Had she really desired him to overtake her, she could scarcaly have taken a surer means of doing it; for the distance now secant diminished until less than fifty yards separated them, and every thing indicated a speedy termination of the race. At this juncture an alarming phase of the contest manifested itself. Had a person stood upon shore, and watched the two boats, he would have discovered a third, some distance in the rear of the second, This was much larger than either, and in it were seated five Blackfoot warriors of the fiercest and most treacherous character. The trapper saw them not, and if he had, he scarcely would have heeded thom; but they were drawing near him, with the switt, stealthy, and sure approach of the panther upon its sleep- ing victim. as the Princess gecreiins weary ? - Fe ia stroke wac .osing its re os city, and her pursuer was gaining at a faster rane thar before. Bandman even oo to slacken his own speed, so as not to overtake her too rapidly. Sure now of coming up with the mysterious woman, a strange oe serh took possession of the trapper. Sy oh ets of danger and severe mental suffering, given him a stoicism and mastery over his emotions such as a Black foot himself might have coveted, but he was now swayed by feeling such as ke had not known for a long, long time, “Strange! strange! cari it be?’ he kept mut- tering, leaning forward, and straining his vision to get a nearer view of the femalc. © had discovered some time Lefore that there was a second figures in the boat, bus he paid no heed to that. His whole attention and mind were centered upon her—her—the Phantom Princess, | Stroke by stroke he advanced, until scarcely a score of tect separated the two boats. Then he trapper paused rowing, in doubt what was best for him to do, She had ceased sinving and paddling, and sat motionless in her boat, quietiy contemplating him, witha turned head and motionless arms. At the same time that Bandman stopped his efforts, the Indians, a hundred yards in fie rear, did the same, and began stealing nearer and nearer, resembling stiil more the insidious up- age of the panther to its unconscious vic- m. Bandman was sitting motionless, scares knowing what to do, and yet gradually drawing nearer, when the Phantom Princess spoke, — By Eee you pursued me?’ ‘fo find out who you are,” was the instant response of the trapper, who appeared to rouse from his spell by the voice of the charmer. ‘* Have you ever heard of me before?” **T have heard you called Phantom Princess. Do you live among the Indians?’ “I saw you and your friends at our village the other day, when you came after furs,” “Were you there?’ continued Hugh, earnest- ness making his questions more pointed than otherwise they would,have been. “T sat in my lodge, with my daughter, and we watched you until you went away.” ‘S Why did you not lot us see you?” ‘* We are seen—or 1 am only seen—at night, by your people.” ¢ . That is a strange fancy—may I ask why it is?’ | * You will learn before you rete-ws™ Beadle’s. HalfDime. Library. — a ge ti i ta a I CI et i tl LLL CL tt Lt CC AL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LO LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL GE ALLL LLL LL A LL LL LLL LLL LLL LE LL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL . & There was a significance in these words which Hugh Bandman would have noticed at ony oo ee. time; but, half wild with all sorts of conflicting thoagbts, he was in doubt at times whether he was acting in a dream or a saree f Scareely without knowing it himself, Ban(‘- man was so toying with his paddle that he was drifting closer and closer to the white can. Close as he already was, he was unable to gain any thing like a fair view of her face and fea- tures, as she held them shaded in such a way that it was impossible. There was a wild, maddening, distracting sus- picion still controlling and urging the trapper onward, More than once the deciding question was upon bis tongue, but he forced it back, “You a a long ways from your home,” said e. “T have been many miles further,” she an- swered, ‘‘and Lave never yet lost my way.” “You are not a Blackfoot; you have once lived somewhere else among civilized people, How long have you been with the Indians?’ This question was unanswered. For some reason or other, the Princess declined to say any thing atall. Her silence first reminded the trapper that he was asking some questions with- out any authority, and with Little regard to propriety. ‘‘Still, in a certain sense, he was desperate, and he continued: ; ‘* May I ask your name?” S$ You mentioned it yourself a few minutes ‘The Phantom Princess is a title—not a name.” _ “Tt is the only one by — T am known ey the white people and my adopted kx; ‘‘Have you your daughter with you?’ “T have—her name is Miona,” . “A beautiful Indian name—are zon now re turning to your home in the village?” 46 ts am.” “May I go with you?” 3 Von snust go!” éé Wha ») At that instant Hugh Bandman heard the splash of a paddle, and in alarm turned his head—but it was too late. The five Indiaus were upon him, all armed tothe teeth, and peaey to riddle him at the first show oi resis- nce, He saw this and quickly submitted to the in- evitable; but he turned toward her with the — question: ‘“ Did you do this?” ‘‘ Yes,” was the reply of the Phaniom Prin- cess, as she cehgnt up her paddle and cashed away almost with the speed of aswaliow. And then her Jaughter, rippling, joyous. and musical as ever, Came back to him across the water. ‘Poor thing, she is crazy!” muttered Band- man, as he gaved after the swift-vanishing ca- noe; ‘and [ have been the foo’ ts follow her in a wild, unreasonable belief tha; sh. was another person,” CHAPTER Sri, IN THE TR4Y. Wren Hugh Barncman heard the avorws) of the Phantorn Princess, he ha not the least await of her insanity, and at the same time he :1it s cisgust at the part he hei played ina fu:co which now bid fair to beco.ne a tragedy. ‘Why had not Mack ard I brains enonsh to ~ take 2 cominon-sense view of the matter!” he asked himself, ‘‘and why was I such a céncum- mate fool as to imagine such a thing pusitie, that they two could be ore?’ But, his situation was so scrious as to Gemnyd his attention and thoughts. He saw hi.w ile cunning ferrale had lured him on to hig cwn ('e- struction, and then exulting at her worl, nad hied away, leaving him with his captcrs. His first supposition was thet they wow’? put him to death Instantly, and lis feeling cr roc n- tai depression was such that he cared very -iit.e what they did with him; but a few riinvctes seemed te show him that their intention vas tu take him to the village with them. ‘Their first proceeding, after meking eure of his capture, was to deprive him cf his wey ozs, after which, two of the Indians, peddle in hand, ped into his canoe, and one took his seu ia front and the other in thg bow, so thet, placed between these two savage warriors, with the other three following close in their wake, it would have taken a man with supertuman power to make himself free from them. But there was no dangercf Hugh Bandman making any such attempt. There was a m¢- ment, when live was never so precious to him— 200 comic ~ 1 bs ¥ *. * abt t we v . i * - . “% - gr a 1. ‘ : A x P co he ‘ ~~ ““ 7 + ‘ a © ee e . Vs S _ s > ‘ a. f ‘ ‘ § 7 " te 4 . 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