Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1154 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

———— — But before he could finish the semtence, Zip vas Devond sight and amd +itzsim- mons turned back, feeling that that game was blocked. To add to his soorm when he looked at the couple, he saw them sitting close together bill- ing and cooing totally unmindful of his pre- ge and apparently as happy as happy could Percy was on his dignity now, and, folding his arms, he strode back and forth with a lofty jook, as if he would shame the young man into rushing after the hunter, and throwing himself headlong into the thickest of the fight. “T didn’t think anybody could have the cheek to act that way,” he sideways, ‘ unless was the man; I have done things that were about as thin as that. But then I had wit oxaen to put them in the best light sible, whilé he just owned up equare that he was a coward—” At this juncture Fitzsimmons heard some- thing that sounded like a kiss, and he paused abruptiy and glanced savagely at them. ‘‘ | should think that they would have more sense of propriety than that,” he added, as he resumed his w ‘put there are folks in this world who den’t know what’s what.” And nursing his wrath he strode back and forth indignant at himself, because he could not avoid making himself utterly miserable, by sur- ‘veying the happy couple. Finally he managed to give himself a grain of comfort. ‘*T am sure that when, to-morrow, Helena has had time to consider the character of this young man, and to compare countenance him again, CHAPTER IX. ‘‘“EEEP AWAY FROM THE CABIN!” A STRANGE presentiment of danger came over Old Zip Smith as he left his friends, and de- ascended the ravine, which he had traversed so often on his way to the cabin in the air, ‘It’s blamed queer,” he muttered as he ad- vanced with all caution and circumspection, ‘“but thar seems to be something about these yer Sioux that Idon’t understand. I’ve trapped among the Blackfeet of Oregon, and the buffers among the Comanches of the Llano Eetacado, until I thought I got the hang of their devilinents, and so I did. ‘‘But,” he added, as if arguing the matter with a visible opponent, ‘‘these yer Sioux seem ~to have a little different style from both. It ain't clear to me why they didn’t tomahawk young Persimmons when they got him, and then they used ’Lena as respectful like as though she was the medicine woman of thar tribe. The way they’ve sarved other settlers and women roundthe country, proves that the Comanches and Apaches can't beat em in pure cussedness. I know they take prisoners sometimes, but they ain’t apt to treat ’em so well as they did these. ‘‘ Then they hain’t hurt his house, so far as I ean see; while they’re burning every other in the neighborhood, It can’t be thut they think anything of Hugh, ’cause he’s never had any- thing much to do with them. The last Sioux he spoke to was last week only, when he smashed one’s nose till it looked like a split tomat’, all ‘cause he said something not very nice to ’Lena. ‘And if be had saved twenty Indians from all-pox, measles, whooping-cough and starva- on, them same twenty would the first to turn right square around and cut his throat; that’s the style of the noble red-man. 2 “The consequence of all this to my mind, continued Zip, Spor? poo a train of argument and conclusion, as though he were an advocate at the bar, ‘‘is that some of these Sioux—not all of them—are playing some trick upon us. When them varmints went to peppering my old hat they acted natural, just genuine red-s : bu then they left very suddent, and where were they when Ned and me went down the rope? It would be tedious to the reader to follow the hunter through all his ratiocinations by which at length, he came to the conclusion that the Sioux were endeavoring to draw them i bush, b care eee cion, and mak- aathpen ea Rod that they withdrawn alto- ert was more than natural that they should do this very thing, seeing that the cabin in the air was impregnable; but there were y ther phases of this business—not n to be méetsionel here—which wore an inexplicable look to the dunter, old and experienced as he However, he conv uded to leave their develop- ture. the mers i can make sartin that thar’s a chance to Fun the gal up tho cabin, p’raps Persimmons : peng scowling at them | the two, she will never\ ” E ' ' | Old Zip’s Cabin. —_-——_-- -—_ -—_ Pll do it—but if any thing looks anecy ike, too, Pli keep out of this ravine, if we’ve zot to run the way of all the way to Saint raul to get out the varmints.” . The reader will understand that although Zip’s present home was not to be equaled by any Similar contrivance in the world, yet the man- ner of reaching and leaving it, was perilous in the extreme, as a man going up Laat oe pie the rope was the best target that a lurking foe could wish. Indeed, Peggy Smith had seen three men, at different times, picked off in this manner—and once her own husband was wounded by an In- dian, of whose presence on a distant rock he was well aware, and who, did not believe, could »0ssibly reach him whilé so faraway. Perha it was a chance shot, but such as it was, the hunter came desperately near losing his life. This couple, who were devotedly attached to each other, and who always lived in the t- est harmony, arranged a series of signals be- tween each other, by which it was almost im- possible for danger to exist undiscovered, The elevated position of the cabin gave its oc- cupant an extended view, while whoever was wishing to ascend the rope, first made a careful reconnoissance of the rocks upon the opposite side of the ravine, How, then, the reader will naturally ask, when both Zip and Peggy took up their abode in some other places, as they occasionally did, was it that they managed to leave the cabin at the same time, and when once away, how did the first person manage to get up again, with | the rope coiled up on the windlass, nigh a hun- dred feet beyond their reach? This was a question that many a person had asked, and yet had never recoived a satisfactory answer to. As the hunter and wife had been together in St. Paul and in Alden, and even had spent more than one night at the house of Hugh Fullerton, there can be no question that there existed a way of performing what seemed an almost impossible feat. Hugh himself, unable to get satisfaction from Zip, had watched nearly a whole day in the hope of discovering the mysterious means by which he eee the chasm that to all others e. seemed im ] But visitor he nor anyone besides the conple themselves had learned the secret, and upon the whole, we think we will not tell it just yet romising the reader that it shall be explain in full to them before the last page is reached. We have said that Old Zip had arranged a system of signals with his wife, by which they could understand each other perfectly well, whether it was night or nay And now, as he advanced stealthily along the ravine, his glance was constantly. thrown up- ward, on the look-out for some token from his better half. His trained eye was enabled to locate his “ nest,” without difficulty, although the position of the moon was such that it was thrown entire- in shadow. But advancing nearer and nearer, he was soon enabled to discern its outlines. Gers was of the same uniform Cer re ing no sign or a ‘ance of any living per- son bein within the cai. “But Peggy is thar,” was the conviction of the hunter, and a conviction indeed that could not be shaken, She had extinguished the lights in the struc- ture after the departure of her friends, perniape for the sake of greater safety—so that the dark- uess and stillness neither meant danger nor safety. 4ip crept forward, like a panther stealing up- on his prey, not once looking up the rocks, but watching every side for his foes, whose presence he had good reason to fear. When he was almost directly beneath the cabin, he paused, and feeling around for a small stone, threw it iato the air, with such accuracy, that it struck the planking of the building with a dull thud, distinctly heard by himself, ‘That'll feteh her,” he concluded, stepping back in the shadow of the rocks, and watchi iB the building alone, {‘I never yet had to knoc at the door twice for the old woman.” Nor did he have todo so in the present in- stance. Scarce a minute elapsed after the strik- . ye, when the glimmer of a light was seen wi the cabin iu the air—and his eye upon the nearest window, Zip goune A was enabled to discern the point of life its made by the candle, through the thin covering that protected the window. ‘Now, she is going to speak,” concluded the pen, Mp be watched the point with admiring Remaining stationary 2 moment, it moved cs ee ee 13 ——— a ee around in a circle three times, ..er caused *or an instant. ard turned backwar. with “raciselv the same imovlon, except chat it Wu. oc. uisc2. “That means keep away froma the cabin,” muttered the hunter; ‘‘they’ve got to be purty sharp to shut up Pegyy’s eye.” If there could have been any doubt in the mind of Old Zip it was removed during the next five minutes. Standing stillin the shadow of the rocks, he heard the report of a rifle from the top of the other side of the ravine, and at the same instant the jingle of glass, and the extinguishment of the light in the cabin, told very distinctly at what yp Howe weapon had been aimed, ‘*'That’s a piece of tomfoolery,” was the com- ment of old Zip, ‘‘ fur all that varmint has done has been to break a ene of glass and to sm P ’s candle. If he had kept still, and staid out 0 sight, he might have got acrack at bigger gaine. Such was the case beyond question, and the shot proved teat the Sioux were in waiting and were, holding the cabin in surveillance, Having received such indubitable proof of tha presence of the savages whom they were seeking to avoid, Old Zip saw that he had nothing to do except to return and rejoin his friends, with the assurance that the time had not yet come for them to make the entrance to their “ nest” of safety. | His return through the ravine was character- ized by almost as much care and stealth as his entrance; for should the hiding-place of his friends be discovered, they could annihilate them as well there as close in the vicinity of the cabin in the air. He found matters about as he had left them. Ned Hosmer and Helena sat’ by themselves, so engaged and interested in each other, that they scarcely noticed him when he came among them; while ‘‘ Persimmons” was still pacing back and forth, with arms folded, like some legislator absorbed in affairs of state. © quickly explained the situation and added; ‘*T don’t s’pose thar’s very much danger iy staying here till rang Fae but it looks to me ay though we shan’t be able to craw! into that cabir. fur two or three oe % ** It will hardly do to remain here,” said Hos mer; “‘it seems to be a goon enough place a‘ night, but won’t we be liable to diseovery during the daytime, so close to the ravine, with the In. dians constantly passing back and forth and hovering near us?” ‘*You’re right, Ned,” replied the hunter, * Tm going to make another reconnoissance in several hours, as I’ve a kind of belief that that ‘ere rifle bullet was intended asa parting shot by the red-skin.”’ ‘* You must be very careful that your recon- noissance is a thorough one,” said Ned, ‘‘for you can understand our situation.” ‘‘ Never fear for me,” was the answer. ‘‘TPve been in this business too long to pass for ‘ Per. simmons ’,” ‘*In case it is i Ng for us to enter the cabin to-night,” said Hosmer, ‘do you pro for us to remain here, until such a time as it shal} be safe?” ‘‘No: if we’re outside at daylight, we’ve got to make a change of base, and we ain’t fur from the cavern.” ‘‘ Ah! if that’s the case, I don’t see why we ne not go there at once. You know you took me through it last summer, and I consid- ered it as safe as that eagle’s nest of yours.” ‘But it ain’t, though, and you're likely at any time to get cotched there. If such a thing as a thousand Indians should come crawling in there, you couldn’t ray 8 ‘em out, while ter, thousand couldn’t phase the cgbin. Do you see the difference, Ned?” “T won't dispute it with you,” he replied, with a aug, : ’ As Old Zip did not propose to move away for an hour or two, and as all were pretty they took seats upon the ground, in the dee of shadow, where they could converse in t. Their conversation is hardly worth the re cord, and it had continued but a few minutes when a new idea seemed to strike the hunter. - “ We orter have a sentinel here to keep watch, while the rest of us take a little rest.” “JT am of that opinion,” instantly replies Hosmer, and so make yourselves comfortable, e I~ abruptly, as he felt the foot of Zip He paused press agaiust his. ‘* As you staid back yar, when I needed yer, I don’t feel very much like trusting you P ls my man, so you set still, be acts guard, I'm ready to change places with him.” | | ~ oo sf