Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1158 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

74" @ 7 ~_ i -e ee ae ae — “Ugh! Longlegs is watching us,” he cried, ix the Blackfoot language, addressing his com- panion. “The white dog other, ‘Yes, perhaps; if he follows us he will dis- cover our prise the w ‘“* Let us go back and stay in the town till night; then we can steal away without notice,” said the smaller of the two. “Phe Red Hand speaks with a straight tongue; itis good. Tie chiefs of the Blackfeet knows us!” returned the wil) wait for their chief till the ground is dark,” . ‘** White Bird,” he con- | squaw, “keep your | blanket about your face; let not the white chiefs , replied the elder chief, tinued, addressing the see the faco of the Flower of the Blackfeet.” So, with slow sa, the indians bent their way azain to the village. ‘* They are returning,” cried Courtney. ‘Jes’ so!” said Sol. “‘Tll keep my eyes peel- ed, you bet; but, we want some crackers and fixings fur our journey; we'll see these critters ag’in afore we reach the Great Caron on the Flathead, or I’m a sucker.” So the trio moved off toward the trading-store again. Courtney, however, had determined to seo the face of the squaw if possible. glimpse he had caught of her bright, shy black eves had thrilled him to the soul. Youth is im- pulsive. Already he was half in love with the oung squaw, whose eyes alone he had seen, ut who was—he was convinced—both young and beautiful. So, when his ecompanicns en- is eyes upon the Indians, | The two braves and the squaw came slowly along, as if unconscious that their movements were watched, but they knew it full well, for the keen eyes of the elder chief had detected the form of the young man standing in the door- way, an‘! his glances toward them. The Indians went down the street till they came to where a little clamp of trees cast a shadow upon the n the shade of these trees they sat uud, y wh apparently unconscivus of al that was | goin on around them. ‘*Pd give a few dollars to see that girl’s face and have a few words with ber, Indian though she is,” said Courtney to himself, as he looked long and wistfully at the coarse rei pvlanket re coucealed the form and face of the Indian Courtney's attention was diverted from the Blackfeet by a drunken yell coming from one of | the numerous drinking shops up the street, by the river-bank. Tue first yell was followed b a second, and then half a dozen fellows, evi- dently flushed with Lquor, came from one of the saloons and reeled down the street toward the Indians, There were six or seven in the party—routh customers they were, too; river- men, gamblers, and one or two mountain men, ‘$f hope the drunken brutes won't trouble the girl,” eal Courtney to himself, as he beheld the crowd advancing; but, as he expected, the mo- ment one of the drunken fellows bebeld the group under the trees, he called the attontion of is companions to the Inaians, **Hfere’s some cussed red-skins, an’ a squaw too!” shoute 1 the foremost one of the gang, heading directly for the trees. Courtney, too, advanced toward the group. He loosened his revolver in its sheath, determined to use it on the drunken gang, if ne airteragh A “Say, old gal!” shouted the leader of the rough fellows, as he got near the Indians, ‘* take our kiver off and Jet us see your pretty red ce, can’t you?’ All of the Indians rose to their feet; tho hands of the chieis soucht the handles of their nin beneath their hlankets; a fight was at (Reader, this is the way one-half of our In- The I dian comes into our peacefully and well-be- and outraged by some drunken ruffians, and, in return, he carries fire dian wars begin. frontier scttlemen haved: he is abusec and steel along the Whole line of the border.) “Tear the blanket off, Dick, if she won’t show her face,” shouted another of the gang. ‘J will, you bet!” replied the ringleader of as Dick; \dvanecd with outstretched hand _ to- ward the Indian girl; but, with a motion quick the elder Indian stepped before the the party, who had been addres: and he as though nda yped uaw with a long, glittering knife in his hand. e rou aspect: the red chief, - ‘White man drink heap home; no touch Indian!” tone. rty, and defeat our plans to sur- | hites % The | red the store, he remained outside and kept | h bully recoiled before the determined fire-water. Go said the chief, in a at this unexpected check to their amusement, Sol Ginger. i | the rage of the crowd knew no bounds. Knives | and pistols were instantly drawn, and flourished | furiously by the rough fellows. **Cut his heart out, Dick!” ‘‘ Shoot the blasted Injuns!” ‘‘ Kill ’em!” were the cries that came trom the crowd as they brandished their weapons, With a large portion of the | | frontier settlers, the Indian is regarded as an ' object to be put out of the way as soon as possi- ble. But, as the hostile, drunken crowd swayed toward the red-skins, Courtney, with revolver | in hand, cocked and leveled at them, stcp).ed to the side of the Indians, and again checked | the advance. ** What the blazes do you want?” growled the bully, Dick, anxiously seeking to get outside of | the line of the six-shooter, yet not wishing abso- | | lutely to retyeat, | Allow me to ask you the same question: ‘what the blazes do y uw want’? replied Court- ney, with a calm, quiet voice, carefully turning _ the revoiver in the direction of the rough lef nearest to him by Dick’s retreat. That worthy | no sooner had perceived the muzzle of the revol- | vor turned in his direction, and taken a single glance into the shining tube, than he instantly | executed a retrograde movement, which brought | him up in a safe position in the rear of all the rest of the party. ‘* We want to cut the heart out of this cursed Injen!” howled the fellow left nearest to Court- | ney by the retreat of Dick and the second rough, | Oh, you do, do you?” asked Courtney, in a | pleasant, quiet way, leveling the revolyer full at | his head. “Yes, we—” and here the speaker caught | sight of the six-shooter, capped and leveled full |athis head. This sight caused him to pause in | his speech; a glance around at his comrades dis- closed the astounding fact that they were gradu- ally retreating beyond the range of the weapon, ,and that he was left confronting the deadly _ tubes alone, No man rushes heedlessly upon | death, unless he is a madman; so, after another | glance at his companions, the last ruffian com- -mmenced backing toward them. ‘* Til see you ag’.n!”? muttered the rough,.re- | treating a little faster. ‘* All right; come and see me often,” respond- ed Courtney, bending down his h a little to | one side, as if drawjng a “‘ bead ” on the retreat- | ing man, who, perceiving the movement, incon- tinently turned bis back, and his retreat quick- ened into a run, until he had joined his com- _panions. The drunken fellows shook their fists ercely for a minute or so at Courtney, and | then plunged into the saloon from’ whence ther | > oa Thus ono cool, determined man, aided by a | per’s shanty, und the shades of night were be- six-shooter, put to flight half a dozen fellows, several of whom were armed fully as well as himself. Courtney turned to the Indians. ‘White chief heap brave! heart big! Injun | think much, speak little. When time comes | Injun pay white chief, perhaps; no tell now,” said the tall chief, bending 4, ik glance upon the young man. ‘‘My red brother is welcome,” said Courtney, speaking in the Indian fashion. ** Young chief go with Longlegs, ch?” question- ed the savage. Courtney wondered at the question, but he | answered it. | ** Yes; Sol, the big trapper, you mean?” | “Ugh! Longlegs big chief! No flgkt much; ‘run heap! Injun no catch Longlegs; he scalp | Leaver, heap.” It was very evident to Courtney that the chief was well acquainted with the trapper, “Ugh! Crow!” said the young chief, pointing | down the street vo an Indian riding along on a pony. Both the chiefs turned their backs upon Courtney and the squaw to gaze at the strange | Indian. Courtney cared little for the Crow | brave, and eagerly embraced the opportunity to | steal a glance at the Iidian girl. She pereeived | the motion, and, with a quick glance toward the | chiefs to note if they were watching, unfoided | the Llanket and disclosed to the admiring eyes of Courtney the prettiest face he thought he had ever looked a po The features of (ne Indian girl were regular, and really very beautiful. A | Tong, straight nose, eyes of lustrous black, of | liquid fire and of melting tende: ness; full, pout- | ing lips, red as the caynation fiwer, sweet in | their dewv fullness; a little chin, exquisitely | formed, and a throat perfect as sculptor ever carved from silent marble, The clear skin, too, | through which the rosy blood was blushing, was of a brunette tinge, not the red hue of the In- | dian, but as if the torrid summer sun had kiss- ed. the dainty cheek with a lover’s passionate | the blanket over her face, and Courtney | wams?” asked Courtney. *Courtney.” For a moment Courtney gece upon the beau. tiful girl before him; and then, as if fearful of being surprised by the chiefs, she again scended from heaven to earth. The chiefs having watched the Crow dismount, and enter one of the trading-stores, turned again to the young man. ‘““When do my brothers go to their .wig- “When the coyote howls and the spirit lights come,” replied the chief, pointing to the sky. ity the ‘spirit lights,” Courtney guessed that the Indian meant the stars, ‘“ Will not my brother come to my wigwam and eat?” ‘‘Injun not hungry; bumby come, perhaps,” replied the chief, seating himse!f upon _ the ground, The squaw end the young Indian fol Seeing that there was but little chance of agail bcholding the girl’s face, Courtney slowly walk CHAPTER IV. IN THE NIGHT. along, his thoughts were of this beautiful youn savage, the strange-hued daughter of the rede Own. : ‘Shall I ever see her again?’ cried the young assured him that he would. ‘‘ By Jove!” he cried, to use our frontier ex- worth.” At the trading-store Courtney found Old Sol urchases, and the trio turned their steps toward iis shanty. with a wise shake of the head. ‘Then you think that they had some other for powder and lead?” asked Wright. “Wal, yes, | do think so; it tain’t often that the red skunks want to sce ef thar were any train a-goin’ to start across the mountains, an’ ef thar “But they have a squaw with them,” said Courtney. path. I kinder guess the’r on a sort of smell- ua-out expedition, jist to see what they can dis- lowed his example. ed toward the trading-store. As the young adventurer walked slowly skins, whose check was nearly as white as his man to himself. Someinstinct within his pression, “‘ she’s taken me for. all that I’m and Wright. ‘Lhe trapper had completed his ‘“That air Injun business gits me,” said Sol, object in coming than to exchange their skins the Blackfeet trouble us muchinhyer. P’r’a were a chance for plunder,” ‘** Yes, that shows that they ain’t on the war- Sy this time the three had reached the trap- ginning to gather over the prairic. ‘*See here,” said Sol, suddenly, as they enter. ed the shanty, ‘1 ain’t hearn your names yit, an’ as we're goin’ to be chums fur a few weeks, it don’t sound right fur to be callin’ you mis- ters. ‘“My name is Roderick Wright,” said the elder, “‘and this gentleman’s name ‘s Harry ** Jes’ so!” replied Sol, “My handle in - curse you know:’ Solomon Ginger, cailed fur short Old Sol, an’ by the red heathens Longlegs, ’cos I kin outrun any two-legged critter that ever sot foot ou the top of the airth in this ’ere re- on.’ ‘* Not a bad gift for a man like you,” remark~ . ed Wright. ‘*Not much, you bet!” replied the trapper; ‘but now, gents, hyer’s some blankets, an’ hyer’s the good old solid airth, an’ as we’ve got to make tracks at daybreak, we mought as well take a cat-nap as not. I’ jist go down an’ bring up the bosses, an’ hitch ’em with my two beasts outside in the little corral at the back of the shanty. They’ll be safe thar from either Injun or white,” ihe trapper Ceparted after the korses, an€é Wright and Courtney seated themselves upot the boxes to await his return. In a short time the Giant Trapner returned with the two horses they had purchased at th trading-store. These he put in the littie yart attached to the back of the shanty, wb re two more ponies were aready tethered—one a little mud-colored animal, of the kind commonly call- ed ‘‘claybank.” This the trapper pointed to on as being the ‘‘ cutest, smartest little animal that ever walked over the top of tha airth.” The other was a rough, sha that looked as if he were thoroughly ashamed o himseif, ’ ‘**That’s Mudchole’s animile,” said Sol. “ He's a regular Indian hoss, out an’ out, an’ I blieve be | a red-skin a durned sight better mer be does a white; but as fur that air leetle cuss of with omicbooks*com