Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1158 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

~ A , 7 oe aay’ a" _ 7 + & HM .. > ee Jan as arom . “ - aa % i . — - . Ao eee S .— a i ~~ = hw e.° ? . - hr ‘ ~*~) " 4 , for his guilty Eagle, wou Blackfoot of the Fla ‘he thas seen » will be slain and their scalps will . Spotted Elk. ~ and proud of limb; | ne ; from the nest ho was hurled to the earth; 10 — —— —_ We will leave Wright to enjoy the solitude of the cave, to watch eagerly from the mouth the surface of the moonlit river and the dense for- est that shaded the opposite bank for evidence of the savage foe, and follow the footsteps of the giant trapper as he went on his dangerous ex- Spt ees the object of which was to rescue the apless Courtney from the power of the Black- feet, The trapper proceeded cautiously up the water-course, after leaving the cave, keeping as he went within the shadow of the rocks that overhung the turbulent stream. He proceeded for half a milé or so in the river-bed, then, se- locting a favorable spot for his purpose, where tae rocks opened and a ravine. appeared, he left the water and piunged through the ravine into ‘the forest, “These rocks don’t show footprints, thank goodness!” muttered Sol, as he looked back or. ee ae wee ee Beadle’s Half-Di m9 . ee —_—- --w “It is true,” the young Indian answered, slowly, ‘‘the eagle is ncw a mud-turtle; the Great Spirit has willed it; but, when he dies he will sing the death-song of the Blackfeet.” ‘* Would not the mud-tartle like to be an ea- gle again?’ questioned. the old chief. ‘Wah! Itisim ible!” answered the Spot- ted Elk, slowly and sadly. “The Gray Eagie’s brother died last night,” said the White Woif. ‘‘He has no’kindred in the tribe of th®. Blackfeet; if the White Wolf brings the Spotted Elk into the council-lodge of the Blackfeet as his son, what chief will dare to lift up his vcice against the chief of his tribe?’ ‘And will the White Wolf do this?’ asked the Spccked Elk, eagerly. ‘'TLe mud-turtle shall become an eagle on one condition,” ‘’ Weill?’ asked the “The White Wolf. oung chief. has said that the white the border of the woods to the rocky pathway | «nief, Longlegs, shall not die; it is bad: the over which he had come. bcaver-catcher hunts in the valley of the Flat- ** Now fur the Injun village,” he cried to hitn- { head, the land of the Blackfeet; he kills the self, as he plunged within the thicket. “I d«- clare to goodness, ef I can’t do any thing e'se, | Vl git into the corral an’ set all the hosses leose; the beasts will raise a precious row gaHopin’ over the village. I’ve got to cit even with these ‘ere Blackfeet upon that air peltry business, dod- rot their copper-colored skins, toe eternal hea- then. After an hour’s tramp, So! slackened his pace and began to proceed moro cautiously. His judgment had told him that he was drawing near the village. Cautiously he proceeded. Presently he heard the barking of a dog—a sure sign that the indian encampment was near at han The brave man proveeded with increased cau- tion. A few steps more and the trapper found himself on the cdge of the timber. Before him was alittle open plain, washed on one side by the Fiathead river, while the dense woods sur- rounded it on the other three In the plain the moon’s bright rays shone down upon the rude encampment. The trap- per, from his ambush in the bushes ati the edge cs oe timber, gazed upon the village of White olf, _ “Now, how in thunder shall I diskiver in which air wigwam the young feller is shut up?” said Sol, as his eyes rested upon the Indian We will leave tho trapper in his ambush and as penetrate to the interior of the the center of the settlement stood the “co -lodge,” where the chief's met for deli- beration. Near the council-lodge was a wig- ‘wam, a little larger than the rest that com- the encampment; this was she wigwam << the chief of the tribe—the lodge of the te olf. | In the lodge of the chief stood two warriors. The lodge being dimly lighted by a little wick In - burning in a vessel of grease, we can see the forms and faces of the two Ind One of the chiefs was the White Wolf, ‘+e other was the. Indian who had shared tho fortunes of the Giant fis: 9 Sole who was called, in derision, by the settlers of Fort Benton, Mudhole, but who was— as our roaders have doubtless guessed—in real- ity, Spotted Elk, the outcast Blackfoot brave, the only son of the White Wolf, and who, but passion for the squaw of the Gray one aay have been the chief of the athead valley. ~ cursed white-skins are in the Flathead valley,’ said Mudhole, or, as we shall hereafter _ tall him, Spotted Elk. — Sesh f- Ae pepowie’ the White Wolf, “‘the chief hem. The young white brave is now @ prisoner in the wigwam of the Blackfoot. en the sun comes, the rest of the white chiefs dry in the wigwams of the braves of the Blackfeet.” But, the White Wolf gave his word that the white trapper, Longlegs, should not die,” said tho-Spotted Elk. ‘The White Wolf’s tongue is straight, not eres: ho speaks truth!” replied the chief, “Then Longlegs shall not die?’ questioned the Evidently he wish- _ proudly. The chief did not answer. ed to evade the question, for, after a fow mo- -anenits’ silence, he spoke; There was once a young eagle; he . was strong e sought the nest of. the the became a mud-turtie, and crawled in wo Sie Pha ak SWE Wolf re- f 8 a © ° « = - be = a , ' : or hy. <# ae ; “ . vt t “ Ce - - . - | ~ of aay al , " ‘ me : - . ~-i - - a4 : P Mo * { » = ‘ . “ . — - - ‘ * , o of fae ° = — ne r _— has . - ; > ane a ‘ =—é¢ — o *2 Ty ~ ey ea - <a on pe ee =” > 4 é ~ 2 4 Sa See 4 ; > 7 ey Sor - owe ~~ - - . ae. . he = is = bi o oda beaver and the muskrat; the animals that swim in the I'ilathead river belong to the Blackfeet; the white trapper must die.” ‘The White Wolf would have his piedge re- turned?’ asked the Spotted Elk, ‘* Yes; then he will take the Spotted Elk b the hand; he will conduct him to the council- lodge of the Blackfeet; he will say to the chiefs | and warriors of the Blackfoot nation, ‘this is | my son, the future eagle of his tribe,’ and what “> > ~ we ‘e Be aay gic warrior will dare say ‘nay ’?” For a moment there was silence in the little lodge. The Spotted Elk was deep in thought. If he returned the pledgeof the old chief he would sacrifice the life of the white trapper— the man who had protected him when he was an outcast and a wanderer, but it would restore bim to his old position among the warriors of the Blackfeet. The temptation was too great; he could not resist it. To regain his former sta- tion he would have given his life; besides, the thought flashed rapidly through his brain, the old trapper was not captured yet; the chances were that he would manage to elude the search of the Blackfect and escape them. The Indian knew full well the craft and cunning of the Giant Trapper; he felt assured he would aepape the Indians; therefore, even if he retained the romise of the White Wolf, it might not aid the rapper; if could only aid him in case he fell in- to the hands of the Blackfeet, and that they would capture him was doubtful, At last the Spotted Elk spoke. : ‘* Good! the Ba ge Elk returns the promise of the White Wolf; the white trapper saall die by the hands of the Blackfoot warriors.” ‘*The mud-turtle shall become an eagle again,” returned the old chief, ‘‘The warriors of the Blackfeet are now in council; the White Wolf so present his son to them and they shall honor Then, with a stately step, the White Wolf con- ducted the outcast warrior to the council-lodge of the Blackfeet. — All the chief warriors of the Blackfoot tribe, then in the village—as, at the time we write, the majority of the braves were away on the annual hunting-expedition southward—were as- sembled in the council-lodge, waiting the coming of their chief. 7 The ‘White Wolf entered the council-lodge; -behind him came the Spotted Elk; the assem- bled warriors, despite the usual stolid expres- sion that they assume in the council-lodge, Jook- ed upon the face of the young brave—who for three years had been an outcast and a wanderer from the tribe of his fathers—with astonish- ment, The old chief paused in the center of the council-lodge; each eye was bent upon him; each ear listened attentively for his words. ‘Warriors of the Blackfeet,” began the old chief, looking around with a majestic glance, “the White Wokt is a great chief; he does not fear the bear when he comes from the big mountains; his arm is strong and his heart large; he is the chief of the Blackfeet that live in the valley of the Flathead. Once he had a son; the big clouds sometimes cover the moon; when the clouds eo the moon shines again; so the clouds covered theson of the White Wolf; but now the clouds are gen». The Spotted Elk is as cunning as the beaver; he has led the white pag fe Longlegs, and his braves into the valley of the Flathead; their scalps will hang in the lodge of a Blackfoot. Will my brothers say that the clouds are gone forever, and smoke the pipe of peace with the Spotted Elk” : or cil-lode of the Blackfeet, As the White Wolf be? said, oU the bivdred of the warrior killed c wa, «0 : . & ox BENE Se y , 3° —* chee cax »- - mt he ™, 7 Fi * es aen ~ Library. a moment there was. silence in the coun- |. | ered by the Spotted Elk were dead; there was no one to revive the charge against the young braye; and in the savage assembly, as in the courts of justice of the civilized white man, wealth and igh connections sometimes have great weight, or a few moments the dead silence continued within the council-lodge. Then an old chief arose; he was one of the oldest and bravest warriors in the tribe—a man of very great in- fluence; on his words hung the doom of tho | Spotted Elk. oes ‘The words of the Whité Wolf have fallen upon the ears of the Blackfeet braves like the spring rain upon the ground: they have sunk in eep,” hegan the old chief. ‘‘ Why should the red warriors remember what is bad, and forget what is good?” ) A hum of assent from the cirele of braves an- nounced their concurrence in the words of the old Indian; evidently the verdict of the council would be favorable to the Elk, . “The Spotted Elk is a big warrior; he is worthy to be the chief of the Blackfeet; let my brothers forget the past and think only of the future. The long-legged trapper, the beaver- catcher, is again in the Flathead valley; his scalp must bang in the lodges of the Blackfeet. Let my brothers smoke the pipe of peace and then hunt the white-skins to their death.” A grunt of approbation greeted the old war- rior as he sat down. And so the Spotted Elk, with the blood of the Gray Eagle upon his hands, was received back again into his tribe; the outcast was a wanderer no longer. : The council ended; the warriors filed out of the council-lodge, and, led by the White Wolf and the Spotted klk, took the war-trail against the whites, The warriors gucer like so many specters in the aay Sey through the Indian village, down the slope that led to the river, and crossing it, peampaeted in the dense thicket on the opposite ank, Before crossing the river, the White Wolf called the Young Bear to him, and, much to that warrior’s disgust, for he longed to join the war- party, he gave him directions to remain at the village and watch the prisoner, Courtney. The word of the chief was law; and, though the young chief in his heart might grumble at the office to which he had keen assigned, yet, out- wardly, Indian-like, he manifested no pointment. The Young Bear beheld the warriors de and then took up his station in front. of the lodge in which was confined the hapless Court- ney, Pad) fi When the Blackfoot braves arrived on the op posite bank of the river, the White Wolf divided the party into three detachments. One he took command of himself; the second he gave to the charge of the Spotted Elk; the third to the com- mand of the old Indian who had made the,speech in the council-lodge, and who was called Tall Thunder: — 5 To both the chiefs the White Wolf. gave full instructions. The Blackfoot chief ex that the whites might have left the campi und they had selected; he had divided warriors into three detachments that they might more easily discover the trail of the whites or tke Indian scout that he had left to track the whites. Little did the Blackfoot chieftain guess that the stout warrior that he had left in the a | was now cold in death—that the keen steel the white trapper, the ‘‘ beaver-catcher,” as the Blackfeet called him, had drank the life-blood of the Tall Bull, ; a CHAPTER VIII. OUT OF THE INDIAN VILLAGE, _ Oncr again Courtney held in his arms the soft and yielding form of the fair young Indian irl; but, how different now was his situation m that in which he had been placed when — they had first met at Fort Benton! Thenhe _ was free, able to defy the malice of any foe; now he was a prisoner in the hands of the Blackfeet—the fierce savages of the North-west —his li*e scarcely worth an hour’s purchase. But, his helpless situation, the knowe ge: that death might come at any moment from the ruthless hands of the savages, were all forgotten in the one sweet moment when he, fer ond time, held the White Bird in his and esec- a | . = #¢ - - * “toe her form quiver beneath his passionate em- _ = | ** You are in danger!” murmured the girl. Then over his mind came the th it of what, indeed, was his positi : soner, ie