Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1154 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

ww ; ss 4 *- sd < ~——- ~“ to ae =| —_———)?> te See ' then when Hug Old Zip’s Cabin. 15 eo planking both above and below these supports which were so skillfully hid that their location could only be suspected from the outside, although Hugh Fullerton, and indeed all who had ever looked upon the cabin in the air, knew that, as a matter of course, some such a support as this must have been provided for it from the firsce. CHAPTER XI. CONCLUSION, “ Wan, I s*pose I may as well tell the whole thing,” said Old Zip. ‘‘This yer contrivance was put up over a dozen years ago, when such a thing as a white Man wasn’t seen in these parts, onless he came to huntandtrap. Me and Jake Belygrist used to trap through these parts, and one day, when we was on t’other side the ravine, we noticed the hole in the rocks, and as we could see daylight through it, we come over to look at it. “IT was about to clear out, when Jake, who was always a feller with strange idees, says, says he, ‘Zip, what a bully place this would be to put up a house.’ ‘Why so?’ sayst. ‘'Cause, don’t you my Says he. ‘that we could fasten it here, and the re skin ain’t born thit could ges at us, It would be one of the places whur we could both go to sleep at the same time without. dreamin’ of gittin’ our ha’r raised. We c n get the lumber at the saw-mill down onthe Mississippi whar them chaps are get- tin’ out tne timber fer a new town.’ ‘Thar wasn’t no use of talkin’ to Jake, when his mind was made up, so we saddled our animals, took our two pack-horses, and started for the saw-mill, over a hundred miles away. * Wal, sir. we had to make four journeys there, going the slowest kind of way, afore we got all we wanted down in the ravine thar’, but we got it at last. * That ’ar’ Jake was a little the smartest chap [ ever traveled with; it seemed to me that he could whittls anytbing out with his Jac!-knife, and when we stopp2d, he had just the right. number of planks we wanted. * Then he rode off to one of the forts and got the spikes and nails, and we went towork. Werun the two heavy beams out(and Jake had trimmed ’em off eae his batchet), and we fixed the endsin the rocks, “Arter that Jake got the framework up, and fixed up the cabin in just the style you see it now. Afore we got it done, howsumever, we made an agreement never to enter’ the cabin through the passage, onless we couldn’t possibly come the other ' way “* What was the reason for that curious agree- ment?’ inquired Hosmer. *On account of Injuns. We covered up the mouth of the passage, and then put sod over it, so that any one in passing b WOnIaR, E00 in danger of findins out the way of petting in. @ couldn't use the back way very often without leaving signs be- hind us, and that’s the reason we made the bar- gain.” * Tnat necessitated one of you rsmaining in the building all the time?” “No, it didn’t, for we used the entrance-way a good many times, during the first vear.”’ ‘* What became of your companion, as I do not re- member to have seen him?’ asked Fullerton. It was queer about Jake,”’ replied Zip in a chavged voice. “‘He fixed a lasso by w ich we eould draw ourselves up, andl know it saved his hair and mine more than once. We staid there all winter, and came back the next autumn, expecting to fiud it burned down with blazin*® arrers; but there it stood as natural as ever, and I went through the assace-way. leaving it to Jake to fix everything be- ind me, while I let the lassodown for bim, Wai, he came up laughing and singing, and was so near that I could Qav- reached him with my hand, when crack went a gun from the rocks up there, and poor Jake dropped down and never spoke a word, Didn t i fael vad and mad when [ see’d thac? j “Wal, I just soft in that cabin till night-time, keeping off the varmints that was trying to get his skulp. The first one I keeled over was the identical imp that had shof Jake. I had three mvre stretch -d out afore it got dark. “Ag goon as the light was gone, [slipped down for the poor fellow, and got there just as a big red-skin was creepiog up to him. Wal,we had it out wita our knives and when we got through I picked up Jake, and carried bim off a milein the woods. where I buried him out of the reach of _ wolves and red-skins. “'Thattere made me feel so bad that T didn’t go back ac'in till a year after, when I'll be shot if there diiln’t s'and the old cabin yet, bristling all over with arrers that hal been fired into it by the red-skins as Was trying to burn ht down, but couldn’t come it, Me and a lot of other fellers used it fur awhile, and h moved out here and put up his shanty, I fetehed Peggy from St. Louis; and there ain't no nesad of telling anything more.” ~ No} that explains everything,” said Hugh, “except the reason why you don’t stay here and stand the siege as you have done so often before,” **Wal, it ain’t canes. I've E08 any fear of “gn shanty: but ‘cause thar’s most too many of us ela anil thing comfortable. When Jake Belgrist put up the thing, he done it for me and him only, and countin’ noses, t find thar’s six of us, withont taking into account Persimmons here, who can eat as much ag all the rest together, and ain’t worth his ee weight in shoe-pegs; so ee see it won't be pleasant ct that Persimmons thar for all, ‘specially 2s I's is covered with fleas.” als "a . . . - ? - ~ TS 72 a) / * ee > : RBS, + epee ee me a, ei" 4, by ie ‘ arp Vo a) ee VF ates ‘ . i bin “u ia’ No pen could picture the contemptuous wrath of the subject of this insinuation; but he meérely lock- ed the “ words” his tongue could not speak. There was no excuse for remaining longer, and Old Zip led the way through the passage, as dark as it could be. All crept cautiously along in ro- cession after him, till suddenly a * streak of light entered the end toward which they were journey: ing, and Zip was seen peering carefully out of the passage way. « All's right!” he called out, as he suddenly emerged into the open air. “Now wait yer,” he said, to his companions, “till I go back and close up them boards, 80 if they git in they won't be apt to see how we got out, with- out considerable s’arching.”’ : v wait very long time on the outside, | ne party waited a very 5 ' volting excesses\and outrages upon the settlers, during which they heard Ol prying, as though he were toiling unusual work, What it was, no one could conjecture, and they wait.d with some impatience his reappeara.ce again, eWhen finally his grizzled head was thrust out of the opening, his face was seen to_ be covered with arspiration, as though his time had been spent in ie severest kind of labor. He made nv explanations, however, and none were asked of him. He replaced the flat stone that had just been re- moved, with great care, disguising its real office b covering it with the sod that had been somewhat displaced. verything being done, they turned their faces toward the cavern, where Helena was awaiting them, Old Zip, of course, taking the lead. It may be said that there was not a step of the in- tervening distance which, was taken incautiously, and no appeacance of impatience could hasten their guide, whose experience among the Indians he was striving to avoid bad taught him thata te Se giv- ing way to impatienee, if only fora moment, often destroyed the work of hours. The forenoon was well advanced when the cavern was reached, where Helena was found, eager and anxious, and where her reunion with her parents and lover were of the most happy character. Here Old Zip made known his intentions, which wers to pilot the party to Alden, there to re- main until the trouble with the Sioux should termi- nate. ‘*We won't start till dark,” said he, “‘ cause tne varmints are 2 ttin’ a little too thick. ‘While vou’re waitin’ yer. Til take Ned Hosmer and show him a beautiful sieht.” Fitzsimmons was glad to see the two depart, as it left him untrammeled to press bis suit with his cousin Helena, whose heart, he was sure, must begin to warm to him by this time. After leaving the cavern. Old Zip and Ned Hosmer Zip, pounding and tard at some made their way | stealthily toiled, until they reached a point quite dist ‘nt from the cabin, but which commanded a full view of it. Here they as carefully concealed themselves, the hunter saying as they did so: “T think there'll be some fun here, afore night comes,”’ ‘From what cause?”’ “The varmints are so mighty anxious to get into the cabin, that IL think they’ll do it.”’ ‘“*And what of that?’ ‘ ** Wait, and you'll see.” “T think some of them are already prospecting near it.”” Old Zip raised himself somewhat, so as to see more distinctly, and then obs rved, sure enough, that fully a dozen Sioux were assembled, ap- parently in consultation, beneath the cabin in the wir, ‘It will take considerable muscle to lasso the shanty, but. that’s what they’re going to try to do.” Kven while he spoke, the rope was seen to circle up in the air, omy only to fall to the ground again, without holding. “Is not the rope too short to hold?” asksd Ned, watching the proceedings with deep interest, “If they expect to fasten it to the roof, it is, but that ain’t thar plan,” : ba a is it!’ f ; ‘ “The way that rope goes, they’ve got a stone fastened to ve end, and ae me Se to throw it into the winder.” This manifestly was their plan, and it was the best under the cireumstances. _Aguin and again the rope was seen to go upward, like a great serpent striking at some elevated foe, only to fall back arain. his was continued several minutes, when, all at once, our hero called out: Look} look! it holds! they have succeeded,” You're right,” asserted the hunter, “and I'm glad of it. Now, look out for fun.” What the precise character of the fun was to be, it was difficu t to conjecture, but Old Zip announced its coming with such confidence that Ned Hosmer scarcely took his eves from the spot. Scarce a minute had elapsed, since the catching of the upper end of the rope, which left the lower end dangling some distance from the ground, when an Indian was sean to leap upward ati graso if. Up he went, with the agility of a monkey, and holding himself suspended by the window, kicked open the door that. had been left. unfastened purposely by Old Zip, upon his departure from the Then the savage leaped in, fastened the end of Laas Rs more securely, aud waited for his com- _ Up they came one after another, swarming into | | the cabin, until every member of the Sioux sparty had manage] to insinuate himself within. “That beats everything!” exclaimed Hosmer, whose interest in the performances of the Sioux in- creased from the first, : Yes,” replied Zip; “they’re piled in there “bout ' as thick as the shanty can stan.”’ ——--- ' to the ravine, along which they | ‘Hark! they are shouting within the cabin,” « Yes: they have managed to find room enough to get up a war-dance.” ‘ Merciful heavens! look!” As the exclamation escaped Ned Hosmer, the cabin in the air was seen to topple, and then fall crashing to the bottom of the ravine, the thunder- ous report coming to the ears of the spectators, simultaneous with the shrieks of the victims. it wasa fearful sight but the Sioux. by their re- merited their doom, This was what O)4 Zip had carefully arranged for on leaving the cabin with his friends, and about whose success he bad begun to entertain some doubt, until the whooping, dancing red-skins pre- cipitated their own doom. ‘*It is fearful,” exclaimed Ned Hosmer, shudder- ing at the sight, “Yes; I think them varmints, considered as var- mints, ain't of much account. Come, the circus is over, aud we may as well leave.” Repairing to the cavern, Ned Hosmer related what had occurred, and by the sight of which he was so shocked that he could scareely partake of a mouth- ful of the lunch that Peggy had prepared in their absence. . The party kept close within their retreat during the entire afternoon, the only one yenturing ont being Old Zip, who reported that there was a lv rge party of Souxin the neighborhood, many of whom were new-comers of the most ferocious character, Believihg that the whites had outwitted them, they had visited the house of Hugh Fullerton, and burned it to the ground, The was also im flames, and all the live stock, horses, cattle, pigs and fowls had been slaughtered, so that it could well be said of them tha # the Indians had thor- oughly ‘‘cleaned them out, tank God that ovr lives have been spared!” was the Christian-like exclamation of the father, as he pressed his wife and daughter to his heart, “TI am young and healthy, and can begin life over again,’’ Vitzsimmons was somewhat relieved to find the cows were out of the way, as his uncle could know nothin’ of his exploits in that line, provided Zip Smith did not * peach” on him, and the only hope he dared hold that he would not do so, was based en- tirely upon the forgetfulness of the hunter, When darkness had fairly settled over field and wood, the party of whites sileptly emerged from the cavern, under the leadership of Zip, the hunter. wio carefully avoided approaching the house or | highway, but made his way across flelds, and ——eEeEeEeEe———E—E——eE————EE——EE————————————————— a a through forests, advancing with such care and siealth that when they finally came upon the road, it was near midnight. They were several miles from Alden, and until safely there, they could not be considered as safe at all against the marauding Indians, who were scouring the country in every direction in quest of victims. Before daylight the village was reached, and then for the first time our friends felt safe. Here they found friends and shelter, and here they decided to remain till all danger should pass. Old aap wade his headquarters here, while he em~ ployed himself in errands of merey through the surrounding country, assisting the settlers to flee dak or tempest of death that was sweeping over 1@ land, As soon as Fitzsimmons could find means of leav- ing Alden, without danger. he did so, thoroughly’ disgusted with,Minnesota, and the unappreciative nature of its inhabitants, In ana wer,to tis direct proposal to Helena, and his repeated demands that she should “ weigh’ him against Ned Hosmer, she was compelled to say that she had done so, and fo7a it sike balancing thistledown against solid gold, . Then he left. Nei Hosmer remained a few weeks at the settle- ment, and when he departed for his home per- suaded Helena to accompany him, where, at last accounts. they were living as man and wife, as hap- pily as a couple of humming birds. Peace came to devastate! Minnesota after a while, and the Fullertons returned to their land, and be- gan their labors over, to find after a few years that their Jand had so appreciated in value that they were placed i: far more.comfortable circumstances: than they had ever dared to hope, Old Zip still maintains his nomadic life, making his home principally with Hugh Fullerton, who, with h'‘s wife, feels that they can never do too much to make the couple welcome and comfortable; for under heaven. they acknowledge that the lives of themselves, and of their darling child, are due to. Zip. The latter quite occasionally makes a trip down. to St. Paul, where he finds from Ned Hosmer and his wife a welcome no less sincere, and where he frequently spends days of happiness, in relating his memorable experiences during the Minnesota. massacre of 1861-62, . , P., THE END, : oe 4 3 4 - b : : : ‘> \ : - L_] he _« 4 oe : . tae - : iy = ; yt aT) - 4 : a ” é : Le a yn | eh * we ‘ \ 1 V 4 > ‘ . + lls X . 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