Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1152 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

mn eee end it was then that wild, delirious hope was leading him on. - That had passed, and dull despair had suc- Osage He was indifferent to what became of t have carried the burden of life for a long imo, until it has no more attractions for me, and Iimay as well lay it down in this solitude es among my kindred. On the broad earth thero is no one who cares for me.” This was a sad wail to utter, but Bandman felt it; as he resignedly folded his arms and re- mained quiescent in the power of his captors, The Indians seemed to have no appreciation of the sentimental, and they kept steadily on, with that deliberation of movement seen when oarsmen are conscious they have started upon 2 lone journey. Besides the mental depression, asort of physi- cal exhaustion succeeded the undue excitement under which the trapper had been laboring, and a sort of drowsy stupor came over him, and lulled by the soft, gliding motion of the boat, his head arrpped upon his breast and he sunk into a dreamless slumber. Several times he opened his eyes, but it was only to hear the regular sweep of the Indian pad- dles, and to sce the dusky figures of his captors very near him. Once he roused enough to rec- ognize the dark line of wood along shore, and to geo the full, round moon riding high in the sky, aud shedding her silvery radiance over the Then he sunk off into slumber again and did not rouse until it was broad daylight around ’ Scarcely any halt was made by the Blackfeet during the succeeding day, and Bandman, wrap in his own meditations, did not at- tempt to exchange a word with them, in the broken English which they occasionally used in speaking, ag though they were inviting him to 88 2 okganbman ot a mouthful of food was partaken by any member of the party during the entire day. When thirsty, the trapper dipped his hiand in the water beside the canoe, and scooped up smough t»> slake his thirst, Just at nightfall, the village was reached. The arrival of the prisoner caused very little ex- vitement. Several gathered around the white man, but no violence was offered him, and he was conducted to a lodge near the center of the town, into which he was ushered, and then left entirely alone, Naturally tho captive looked about at his sur- roundings, The mens was a powerfully con- structed one, quite , With a bundle of ropes in one end, and upon a sort of stump near the middie, burned a light of oil, rudely made but servizg to illuminate the interior quite well. Upon the same stand lay some cooked meat, and asort of gourd of water, Indeed, the ap- prerence of everything indicated that prepara- ion had been made for receiving the prisoner. The Phantom Princess had doubtless preceded the coming of the white man, by several ho or vad seen that things had been put in a shape or him. ‘Doubtless this den has been used for the samo purpose before,” concluded Hugh, as he gazed wonderingly about him; “‘here the pris- oners that she lured to their destruction are placed, and perhaps given a little time to pre- pare for death,” Irightful as was the situation of the trapper he did not need the sight of the food to remin him that he was half-famished. He attacked it with such vigor, that when he had finished, nothing but a few scraps of bones remained, — His hunger sated, something like a reaction came to dman, and a new desire for life came to him. Reclining upon the pile of buffalo- hides, he endeavored to think seriously of his situation. ‘He was so cramped from sitting in one position so long in the canoe, that hestretch- ed out flat upon his back and looked up to the rugged ceiling of poles and bark overhead. Hero I am,” he mused; ‘there can be no doubt that I am intended for death, and I see no earthly prospect of escape.” Then eraing: his head toward the opening through which he had entered, he added, in the game musing tone: ‘“*T am not bound, and it would be very easy for me to spring to my feet and dash out into the open air; but, of course, this lodge isunder the surveillance of more than one pair of eyes, and I could not get a dozen steps away withou being caught, and no doubt subjected te great Rolling his head back, he closed his eyes. ‘““It was her wish; she planned from the be- ‘ginning to draw me into this, and how well she * Ned Hazel, The Boy Trapper eee ee eee oe ee ee has succeeded.. Her manner assures me that che has done this thing more than once; how pany hapless beings have spent their last hours 1ere ‘*She must be insane, and must hold a power- ful inflmence over these Indians; that doubtless is the reason she is called a princess, and then her way of dressing in white and painting her canoe that color, and her extraordinary skill in handling the paddle, have given her the name of the Phantom Princess among the supersti- tious hunters and trappers of this region.’ Then he suddenly thought of the iy! oe of North-west trappers that had gone ahead of himn to this villace. What had become of them? Most likely, after finding that they had been outwitted, they had continued on down the river, knowing it was too late to return, and overtake the offending party that had discomfit- ed them, : Again his thoughts came back to her who was the cause of this calamity of his. “There is a method in insanity, and there must have been some powerful cause to turn her mind in this direction. She must have re- ceived some terrible wrong at the hands of her pecnle to cause her to turn with such implaca- le hatred upon them. **'Wko can she be?” “She would not give me her name. All I know is that she has a child with her, whom she claims as her daughter. Where, then, is the father of the girl? Can it be that Ais treatment of her was such as to change her feelings to- ward all her race, and to cause so niany inno- cent to suffer? “*So it seems to me,” he added, as he continu- ed the train of thought— ‘’Sh!” A slight rustling caused him to turn his head; the Phantom Princess was before him! CHAPTER XII, FACE TO FACE IN THE DEATH-LODGE. HuGs BanpMAN sprung to his feet, and con- fronted the woman who had entered the lod He was Bees and quivering like an n, while she stood as immobile as a statue of ice. He stared like a man who had lost his senses. His breath came through his closed teeth as though he were choking. He could only gasp, “‘ My heavens!” and than he sunk back senseless upon the skins behind him. The Phantom Princess still did not stir. She was dressed in the same white, ghostly robes, and her large dark eyes were fixed upon him, as ais they would pierce him through and through, In a few minutes his strong nature reasserted itself, and he roused up again. Rising to a sit- neg Myral Myral do I is i yra fe) ream, or t you indeed?” “ee : Then she spoke, in the low, terrible tones of intense passion; ‘Yes, it is I, Myra—she whom you once call- ed your wife. I am not , a8 you imagine. [saw you when you came with the party the other day; I knew you; I felt that my day of revenge had come; Providence had opened the way, and I knew that you would be thrown in- tomy power. I followed you; I drew you on— and you are here; and when you leave this place, you go to your death!” While she was speaking, she stood with hand uplifted, as though pronouncing judgment upon him. He could only reach his arms imploringly toward her, and moan his agony, which was too great for words. | Your perfidy toward me nas caused me to hate the face of all my race; and the hate of a dozen years is all centered apon YOU. It is I who brought you here—it is i who will delight in your suffering and death; tet that thought fill your ae moments upon earth. I now you -by | ; With the adr of an empress, she turned to walk out. She had reached the cntrance, when the ee pr gh his reoe a, Vi one moment!” os Weill? she said, pausing and half turning round, but making no motion to return, + Come back, I command you; you must listen to me. ‘ ‘“‘Tcan hear what you have to say without coming nearer you.” ‘““Tf you are in your right mind, tell me—tell me, I implore—w ay, you left me in London?’ “Tell you why I left you!” she repeated, her whole being consumed with scorn. ‘‘Why do ou ask such an idle question? Must I refer to the time when you won my heart—when I gave es my love, and when! stood beside you at he altar, secretly but lawfully married, as I | believed, in obedience to a request of yours: and | . 2 . - : eg. ‘ee 4 »! a ae. nhs ‘ — rr ont. hl tt ¥ t < . | "> > fe at ee t "Race oo - ee then, when I discovered, a week later, that you had deceived me—that I was not your wife—cam Ape wonder that I fled from you as from a pes- ilence?” “Was that why you left me?” ‘Was not that a thousand reasons? Disgrac- ed, dishonored, was I to remain in London, with no friend in the world? No; God restrained me from suicide, but I left the country forever: I came upon my uncle’s vessel to Fort Churchill; there I remained until my daughter was born, and then I fled into the forces 73 I found m way, after many weary days and nights of sui- fering, to these people. ey had pity upon me; they treated me kindly, and with them I have lived ever since, and with them I expect to die. I have befriended no white man—none ex- aoe Nick Whiffles, who is different from others of his race, and who was so kind to me that f can feel no hatred toward him. “But I am the enemy of all others, and to no one @m I such an enemy as to you. You are now in my power; you have tasted a woman's love, and now you shall taste of a “‘woman’s HATE!” Singularly enough, Hugh Bandman was now quite cool and self-possessed. It was an unnatu- ral calm, but it was a calm, nevertheless, ‘* Myra, before bidding each other farewell,” said he, as he leaned upon his elbow, “we may as well understand each other. I will answer any question you may propose, and will you do the same for me?” ‘* Let me hear them,” she replied, standing as motionless as before, but the picture of the in- tensest excitement. ‘By what means did you learn that you were not 4 wife?” ‘What matters it how I learned it, so that I did learn it?” ‘You have notanswered me. Wasit through Richard McCabe?’ “Tt was.” What proof did he give you?” “He brought mea note from the man wh¢é had acted the part of minister in marrying us. He repented the part he had played in your agent, and begged me to do what I sould not—forgive him,” pee ou did not see the man, Mr. Dumfries, him- ‘“‘ He had not the courage to show his face—so he sent the note; that told all—was not that en- ough?’ i Did it ever occur to you that you might have been deceived!—that Mr, Dumfries did not write or send you the note?” ‘T do not know what you mean,” ‘‘To be brief, then, Mr. John Dumfries was a regular] ordained Minister of the Church of England; you are my lawful wife, and he never sent you a note or a word to the eontrary.” ‘* But I have the note with me,” said she, turn- ing about, and walking toward ‘Let me see it,” said Bandman, with that same wonderful coolness of manner, as he reach- ed out his hand for it. She hesitated a moment, and then, walking a step or two nearer, flung it at him, as though se So not trust herself to approach any nigher. Were I ina civilized country, I would not trust you with it, but it can make no difference now, Hugh Bandman pices up the folded bit of paper and opened it. ~ It had been carefully pre- served, and he read it without difficulty. en he had finished be folded it up again and threw it toward her. ‘“ Just what I expected—that is the hand- writing of Richard McCabe, and he wrote it on P to destroy your happiness and mine.” ‘¢T will not believe it—it cannot be true!” was the impetuous exclamation of the Phantom Prin- cess, advancing still closer, ‘‘Somehow or other, I have alway: ancied that yeu and I would meet again in this life, and | have always gone prepared for it, as “you will shortly perceive. ten, then, Myra, to & few words of mine: “Richard McCabe wes an‘admirer and lover of yours before [saw you. He did all he could to win you, but failing, and copes A we you and I were plighted, he still sought to prevent our marriage. He. went to you with whisperings against me, but you scorned him; he came to me with insinuations against you, but I thrust him out of the house. = thougbt that that was the last of him, so far as concerned us, but it was not. A week after our marriage, I came home one eyening to find that you had fled. You had left no word of explanation behind you, so that I had not the slightest suspicion of ‘why or where you had gone. I could only be . = » i ra -" < Md . : £ a - >»? } * _ o* 7 — - * ) y ¥ OF : ICK Re a ea ‘ i boo We as A, 4 - nf “)* - « 4 « | Cc Le , ee «i >.< -_ be = sa dled * ae 4 | Pie