Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1155 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

“hore” ey W “She. stands before you,” said the chief, *‘ but she would rather stay wit the red-men than go back to the pale-faces.”’ The youth glanced at the young princess and saw that she was not %n Indian. His heart gave a joy- ous bound, “ec asked. **Many years,”’ she replied. . ‘<Do you remember what your name is?” “Oh, yes, sir! It was Gertie—Gertie Gray.” ‘**And would you rather stay with these red- maNe you been a captive long, little princess?’’ he skins?”’ ‘Not if I could go to my papa, or poor mamma,” “You can. Your father awaits you not far 7 away. 7 dis, then I want to goto him! Poor papa, I al- most forget how he looks.”” _ “Then you shall go to him, little princess.” The brow of the chief clouded, and there was a convulsive twitching of the facial muscles, and a heaving of the chest, that told of terrible emotions of vengeance and fear that were struggling within hi m. “IT know, chief,’ continued Harry, “it is a great damper on one’s pride and manhood to be caught in such a fix as this. I got into your lodge—walked right through your village wrapped in that blanket which I took from one of your guards last ni ht when I took his scalp. But I have come for all the captives in your town, and unless Il get them you'll have to die.”’ ‘‘Wave only that many captives,’’ said the chief, molding up three fingers. “Ts that so, princess?”’ 7 “Phere are ony two captives besides myself,”’ the maiden answered, “Then I want them,” said Hawkeye Harry. “ Black Buffalo will go bring. them, then,” said the chief, in a tone which our hero did not mistake. ‘*No, you must not leave this lodge. You might bring a pack of your warriors instead of the prison- ers. No, no, chief, you can’t catch me that way. Send this princess, and let her bring the captives here. She can tell the warriors that you sent for them, When they are here, then I will remove this revolver from its present dangerous paaga ow The face of the chief grew pe er, and Harry knew at once that he was meditating over some design to thwart his intentions, Turning to the princess, he said: Aig 9 **Go, pale-rose, and bring the captives here, Let their hands be bound at their backs. ‘Tell the war- riors that I sent you, and for none of them to come until I bid them.’ * That'll do, chief,” said the daring youn ranger, although he fathomed the meaning of the last three words. — With face radiant with joy, the little princess turned, and glided from the lodge. In less than five minutes she returned, followed by Richard Parker and Nora Gardette. The latter was pale and sad, but when her eyes fell upon Bary a ery of joy burst from her lips and a light of love eeened’ in her eyes. The captives’ hands were bound, but, by direction of Harry, they were untied by the princess. “* What is to become of us, anyhow, cousin Nora?”’ ked Dick Parker. ae Seb at liberty,’ said Hawkeye Harry. * Youn man, take that rifle, tomahawk and lance that stan behind the chief, and then, with the princess and Nora, cross the stream to the prairie on the foot-log that spans it just south of this lodge. Go, and be uick.” ‘ Grasping the weapons, Dick hale ‘of followed by the two maidens, left the lodge d proceeded toward the stream where it was spanned by an up- oted tree. er this juncture, a savage yell was heard along the line of wigwams. The warriors had been watch; ing the chief's lodge, their suspicions or curiosit being aroused by the princess leading the two cap- tives to the lodge. And *when they saw Parker and the maidens, free and unguarded, moving toward the stream, something of the real truth of affairs flashed upon their minds, and seizing their weapons, they started, with a yell, toward the lodge. Hawkeye Harry was startled by the yell, and the hellish gleam that was flashed from the eyes of the SeeTine young pale-face has now got himself jinto a trap,’ the chief said, with a fiendish smile, tine youth backed from the lodge; then, turning, the three captives. oewith @ aahod t sounded unearthly, Black Buffalo shot from his lodge and called to war- riors. four whites hurried across the creek on the eee by command of Hawkeye Harry, threw themselves upon the» ground in the prairie grass. avares swarmed to the’ creek, and some of Shane hacen upon the log to cross. But, at this juncture, fully three-score of forms arose from the frags on the opposite side of the stream, and poured a withering fire upon the savages. In dismay they recoiled, leaving a score of dead behind, Then arose the war-ery of the Fox warriors under ‘Réd Wing, mingled with the triumphant shouts of the dragoons. ; fl ond range of the enemy’s rifles fine Sat Be Felon: Owing to the precipitous tof the bank poe which they stood, our friends 08. h ais not pursue the and his three captive friends now BA core be orks the rear, where a little group of | ms were shang , holding.a. number of ere Old tic, Calvin Gardette and — he eS ~~ — a SS ee —— ’ H awkeye. Harry. Nora was clasped to herfather’s heart, and both wept tears of Joy. And Gertie Gray, the Indian princess, knew her father, Willis Gray, alias Old tic, after many years of sorrow and x ala and their meeting was an affecting one: Then, from Gertie's lips, hé listened to a long story of wrong and sorrow, in which Henri Roche was the chief actor. It is unnecessary for us to repeat her story, for it roved a confirmation of the same story which ‘tlouded Heart told the old trapper, the night he came to the Cone. After the first excitement of the meeting of fathers and daughters was over, Willis Gray, as we will henceforth know Old Optic, took Clouded Heart aside, and said to him: ** Clouded inert “ban have told me the truth, _My darling wife, who lieved had deserted me for the love of another, was true to me/ Gertie confirms your story! Cecil, my wife, was decoyed from home —captured and carried away into captivity by Henri che, for revenge. She was. kept a slave for several ears, and finaliy made her escape, but where she is Gertie does not know; and, Clouded Heart, I shall never rest day or night until she is found. For the information you gave me that has led to the rescue of Gertie, I than heart, and am sorry that you di child.” “I did find her, though, Willis Gray,” replied the masked stranger. Pt exclaimed Willis Gray, ** you found your c Ae ’ “Yes: Gertie Gray is my child |” ** Oh ! then you are Cecil, my wronged wife!” cried Gray, starting toward Clouded Heart. The mask was thrown aside, and once again, after long years of heart-suffering, Willis Gray looked upon the face of Cecil Gray, his wife} > ou with all my not find your CHAPTER XVII, CONCLUSION, Two days following the events just recorded, a casual observer might have seen .a number of buz- zards hovering over the forest, not far from the val- ley in which was the encampment of Red Wing. The filthy birds showed great anxiety in their move- ments, for now they settled down, Hiro, as though ready to attack their UA then they would start up again with affright, and poise themselves high above the tree-tops upon airy wing, and with naked coral necks outstretched, watch below. But what wore they watching? Was it wounded deer or wolf? No, it wasa party of men. But wy should the birds be watching them? Did their instinct tell them of the tragic scene that was about to be enacted there within the silent wood—a scene that would re- sult in a banquet to them? | Let us see, The party stood in a little opening, and in a circle pout five other men who were bound hand and oot. The prisoners—for such the bound men were— were Henri Roche and four of hismen, Their cap- tors were the dragoons, Hawkeye Harry, Richard Parker, and others, And the scene that was now about to be enacted was the execution of the robbers, A. rope was around each one’s neck, which told the manner by which they were to meet their end, When Roche saw that the hand of hen ag had him within its iron grasp, from which there Was no es- cape, his courage gave way, and in hopes of mercy, he divulged many dark secrets, He confessed his crimes in the separation of Willis Gray and his wife, the abduction of Nora Gardette, and that he was Rat Rougle, the robber chief. His object in abducting Nora was to exact a poingely ransom for her restoration to her father, whom he knew to be a wealthy man. But all his schemes of wickedness had failed, and he met his just reward, along with his associates, there in the forest. The execution is over. Henri Roche is uo more. The party moves on, and those foul birds overhead settle down without fear, But. they start up again, and soar away with apparent disappointment, They found no quarry in the woods, for the bodies of the dead had been interred by their executioners. Ubon the banks of the Boyer River, where Henri Roche had buried his chest, the dragoons ‘went into camp on their return from the Sioux town. Here they concluded to remain a couple of days to rest their overworked animals before continuing their re- turn to the fort. | Those two days were eventful ones in the lives of Hawkeye Harry anti Nora Gardette. They walked along by the river, and talked of the hour so near at hand when they must part. They recounted their rg ae beer oe ke ets their first meeting in é motte on the e, an em n- gers that followed their reg bo train the aetise camp, At last they spoke of the future, Thisled to the subject nearest each one's heart—love, With eaving breast and tremulous lips, Hawkeye Harry breathed forth the love that had aw , And was his love reciprocated? How could it have he ‘ t led to | th ranger had ey retu camp, the young imprinted the first seal of love upon Nora's lips. | now were Richard Parker's hopes of the } v5 7 - ‘ ec A te | SSeS eee eee als or future? .We answer: they were centered upon Gertie Gray. | In the meantime, Willis and Cecil Gray had wan- dered forth into the woods, to over by-gone days, and recount their trials and troubles: It wags on the evening of their second day’s sojourn by the Boyer, and they were some distance from the cam when Gray came to a sudden halt, as he caught sight of a thin column of blue smoke rising above the tree-tops a short distance before him. ‘** What is it, Willis?’ asked his wife. “Smoke. There must be a camp-fire out there, aud it may be that of an enemy.” ‘No, it is not,” replied his wife, with a smile. “You know, Willis, I told you I lived with brother Tom, after my escape from the Indians. I first met. him in the woods near here. He wag an object of despair, like myself. His family had all been mur- dered in the Spirit Lake massacre, and he was hunt- ing the foe to wreak vengeance upon them, His home now is in a cavern under the ground, from. whence that smoke is rising yonder, have lived with him there just six months, It was he who first. discovered that Old Otic was Willis Gray. But come, and I will show you the cave,”’ She led the way down to the edge of a little creek, and then, pointing to the opposite side, said: : *'The cavern is directly under that bank, and ex- tends out under the bed of the stream, That large basswood tree standing over yonder is hollow, with an opening far up among the branches: The hollow of the tree is open to the ground, and so connected with the cavern. as to serve in an excellent manner asa chimney, It has puzzled a great many who saw the smoke, but could not tell from whence it came, and Hawkeye Harry is one of them.” ; ‘Yes; I remember now; he tok! me something of it{a few evenings ago,” said Gray; *‘ but, where ig the entrance to the cavern?”’ “There are two entrances. One is concealed by a large flat stone overgrown with moss. The other, nol the one brother and I mostly used, is under the bed of this creek |" ‘What! you are jesting, Cecil?” said Willis Gray. “Tam not, Willis. Brother found that the cavern extended under the creek, and to make our situa- tion doubly secure, he made an opening up through the center of the stream, which at that time was perfectly dry, He then fixed a frame with a kind of.a trap-door over the opening, so that the water could pass over it, as it was on a level with the bed of the stream. When the door was down, and water in the creek, it washed sand and gravel over ‘the trap, thus concealing its presence from view, and filling the crevices around the frame, so that no water could find its way through into the cavern, When we wished to go out we_pushed the trap upward, thereby turning the watér from about the opening, and enabling us to make an exit, though we were always compelled to wrap a blanket or'buffalo-skin around us to escape a thorough wet- ting, as much water found its way into the caverg when the door was up; the water, howéver, did not render the cave’ disagreeable, for it found its way out immediately, through a narrow passage opening into the creek at the foot of yon rapids, My object, Willis, in staying in the place was to be near you, and search for our child, whom I Jost track of after leaving the tribe, and of whom I never heard -until the day I worked the secret from Henri Roche, by pretending I was dying,” and Cecil Gra laughed. 9 the remembrance of that meeting with the out- aw, At this juncture a low exclamation burst from Gray’s lips, as he fixed his eyes upon the hed of the creek before him. He saw something thrust upward in the water, re- vealing @ emall cavity through which « dark, hairy form suddenly appeared, * Tis brother!” cried Cecil. “ Tom}! Tom!” The form leaped from the opening, threw aside its hairy robe, and the next instant Willis Gray grasped eal brother-in-law, a tall, sad-looking man, y the hand, When Cecil and her husband returned to camp on the Boyer, her brother went with theme with the de- termination of leaving the country forever, Hawkeye Harry now received an explanation of the mystery of the smoke ascending from the bass- wood tree, and the hairy form he saw rise from the bed of the creek and slay the Indian, and ‘Tom was indeed the ‘‘ Unknown,"" The young ranger was not a little surprised when he learn Ma that the oc- cnpants of the cave knew of presence by the creek that night. But with this mystery we are done. The party resumed their journey to the fort, and peached the point in due season and iu safety, And now came the “tug of war'’—<ke parting of friends and lovers. But, with the renewal of nledget and love vows, in tears and entreaties, the separa- tion took place, ; Calvin Gardette and his daughter, Willis and Cecil Gray and their daughter, all parted for the Hast, as also did Richard Parker. © | Hawkeye aor remained at the fort, but it was only for a short time. A year later found in one of .the 1 Eastern schools, and still a few years later he went to the home of Nora Gardette, and claimed a fulfillment of their vows made years one upon the banks of Boyer river, . With a youne wife Harry Houston went West, where he laid the foundation of wealth, | gate im y life, and the best of all, a Joyous and | 3 chard Parker married Gertie , and theire as bri bine Ri wasra life t and full of suns as the life of Gertie's pares had been dark and clouded, ) ita. 4 \ie te \ THE END, t aig “ ove) “ > - ry ‘? 7