Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1167 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

/ ~% ‘ x 5" 7 ‘— 5 J Ihe ee io. i Zo an’ see if the old feller has anything to Sa gearcht No! —-- - + et ee ee — — ee - as | Asshe left the witch’s side, the figure at the tee rose and caught her on an arm hastily flung out, and Pelosee found herself almost hurled to the ground, ith a cry of rage the scarlet captor regained her feet, and bounded forward azain: but tho rson who held Little Arrow so securely, pushed 1er back once more, ; The giantess had found her match strength. ' Three times the maddened Indian threw her- ‘self upon her savage-like antagonist, for the pur- pose of os i tig og but by a dextrous movement on his part, her knife was knocked from her grasp and sent spinning into the depths of the lake. At last the unknown assumed the offensive, nud thrust Pelosee to the water’s edge. She saw him then, an athletic young Indian, and his eyes seemed to emit sparks of fire. _ Strength was his passion. He forced her feet into the water, and then flung her over the boat headlong into the lake! Having performed this feat, he turned to Lit- tle Arrow with a laugh of victory, and the two darted into the forest. After a moment’s sabmersion Pelosee came to the surface and seized the canoe by the aidof which she speedily regained the shore. But her foe and the late captive were gone. The only thing that greeted her was a knife that lay on the ground. She picked it up and springing to a tree buried it deep in the resinous wood. ‘* The white girl shall not be Pelosee’s sister,” she said, madly. ‘“‘ The five hunters and the lit- tle Mountain Cas shall not find her. Pelosee will trail her and her red brave, and thus she will drive the knife to their hearts!” She tried to pull the blade from the tree, but the wood held it fast. In her anger she snapped it and flung the han- dle into the water. : ‘“*Tt is well!” she cried. ‘‘ When the knife is in her heart Pelosee will break it!’ That night, upon the shore of the mountain- locked lake, another obstacle—the revenge of a baffled woman—was flung upon the trail of Piney Paul, the young hermit, - CHAPTER XI, A FRIEND IN NEED, Tax shooting of the Red Loon, so unexpected and mysterious, threw consternation into the ranks of Cecil Crane’s p , aS we have seen. The dropping of Red le from the pines and his rapid flight into the forest still further startled them, and they did not recover until the young In had disappeared. At the i of the little lake, with his feath- ered scalp-lock touching the water, lay the prostrated red-man. The wild rolling of his eyes told his companions that life still remained and now and then a convulsive movement bathed one red arm in the lake. ** Whar did it come from?” cried Tarsus Night- well, the first to break the silence. ‘Thar was no flash that anybody saw, and the voice seemed to come down from the trees somewhar.” _ “The slayer has fled,” said Cecil Crane. “Did you not see him fly into the forest?” ‘* That war not the killer!” retorted the giant. ‘* Cecil Crane, the imp what fell from the pines and then darted inter the woods war an Injun. I see’d enough of him to know, an’ he never shot them words at you—never!” oat Crane gave the speaker a frightened “Tt war the same voice what struck you so forcibly on Deer Island!” continued Nightwell. “Was that an Injun? Go an’ look at Red Loon, ee | eon } Crane moved toward the stricken chief, who recognized him as he knelt at his side. “Does Red’ Loon know who shot him?” the white man asked. © The Indian ground his teeth. “Tt wasn’t Ocotoc!” he said, between his ‘Tt was the Mountain Cat who is on the white man’strail.” —_. : tphar! didn’t I tell so?” cried Nightwell, who had caught Red Loon’s words. “It war the boy—the Tojuns call him the Mountain Cat, I ” Cecil Crane looked up nonplused. ‘Mountain Cat, or not, 1 am not afraid of him,” he said. “You'd better be, ’m_ thinkin’,” was the re- nse. sai And why? Did I come to this accursed re- gion to be beaten back without the object of my Tarsus Nightwell, you do not _————_—— ~~ + ee | and pushed him helplessly back. Hidden Lodge. The na ee ee eee - ee ee ee know me. , Where is the slayer? I wish he were | his infernal trailing. The race between us for here now.’ The last sentence, spoken with the defiance of a desperate man, was echoing over the sleeping water, when several pine cones dropped at the fect of the speaker, and the next moment a figure with human outlines fell from the tree. ‘*T am here, Cecil Crane!” cried the new- mathe eetawnte awd Walenta atawta,] Fram ~ aoe wwe the apparition, leaving their master to confront ib alone. ‘‘We were destined to meet in these fastnesses, and by the holy stars! we might as well meet here!” Unable to speak, Cecil Crane gazed at the boyish figure that stood before him with the moonlight full upon the piney plume and close- fitting fringed garb of buck-skin. es : Tam here! What have you got tc say about l : Then the man found his tongue. “I want you to quit following me with your accursed threatenings!” he cried, his evil eyes flashing atthe boy, who was none other than Piney Paul, ‘“ Threatenings?” was the echo, and the boy’s glance went to the Mohican lying motionless and death-like now at the water. “Is that the result of threats?” he cried, t-iumphantly. ‘* Does that dead red-skin say that 1 do not mean what [have said? Didn’t you hear your doom on the island, Cecil Crane? Witches and snakes! You will soon be convinced that I do not lie.” The girl-hunter did not reply until his glance had sought his companions, whose figures were not to be seen. Was he alone with the trailer—the person who thirsted for his blood because he sought the hid- den lodge? ‘* We are not alone,” said Piney Paul, inter- preting his rapid glance. ‘‘ Your followers are not far prey Say on, Cecil Crane. I am here to listen and to tell you something.” ‘I don’t know you,” the man said. ‘I have not much to say. I want no dealings with you. Keep away from me—that is all I ask.” ‘‘ All?” and the boy smiled. “Iam sure you are very liberal! Starsand garters! [am much obliged to you. I will obey when I deem obedi- ence the te 92 thing to do. You don’t know me? Well, lam not surprised that you have forgotten me, as we never met but once, and then the encounter was not a pleasant one for me. I know your mission to these solitudes as well as you know it yourself. You shall fail!” ‘Curse you!” cried Cecil Crane, striding for- ward; but arifle was suddenly lifted. before him. ‘We'll end the matter here—yes, here! where your cowardly bullet killed my red friend.’ But the maddened man was siiddenly halted by the muzzle of the rifle which was trust into his face. ‘Stand! or by the bring stars Pll let the moonlight through you! No trifling here. I didn’t come for that.” “Nor I; so we agree on that score. Who are you, anyhow?” ‘One who will not let you find the lost lodge,” was the reply. Cecil Crane drew back. There seemed pe paeey in the determined voice and visage before } Piney Paul stood before him with no thought of retreat, | All at once there was a sound that startled the antagonists on the shore of thelake. It was the twang of a bow-string, and it came from the forest into which Cecil Crane’s companions had retreated. Fast upon it came a loud. cry from Piney Paul, and dropping the rifle he slagyored back with a barbed and feathered shaft sticking through his arm! — Cecil Crane sprung upon him with an excla- mation of tigerish rage and triumph, and before the boy could draw the knife hidden beneath his buck-skin jacket, he held him by the throat ‘When you follow me again it will no in the flesh!” the man hissed. re I care ph iy ao who you are now; no one will seek to know when {am through with you. Here ho is my good fellows ene arrow went clear through his arm. pee omuis try to wing the eagle, or to kill ken to the three fig- the shaft from the wood, Pe Nokomis, the Upas, held a bow in his red hands, and his eyes rested upon Piney Paul with much malignance. ‘*No you don’t, Tarsus!” said Cecil Crane, pushing the giant’s hand from his arm. ‘‘ The captive is mine, and I’m going to put an end to His last words were s ion. which had follow a4 4 | the hidden lodge ends here, so far as he is con- cerned! Tie him there, Simon. No! take the. rope away, I will attend to him without having him bound.” When Cecil Crane released his grasp, the youth would have fallen exhausted to the ground; but the hand was transferred to his arm and he was firmly held. He suddenly jerked Piney Paul upright, and flung him against a pine, holding him the while. Then he caught the shaft, which had passed en- tirely through the arm, and gave it a hard wrench. But the arrow, ins of coming out, | snapped with a click, and left the barb in the boy’s flesh! pain at this exhibition of brutality. Piney Paul’s eyes A eae may at. his tormentor; but his lips, white and clenched did not essay a word, , ‘* Hyd him a moment, Nokomis!” said the vil- lain, suddenly, as he turned upon the Indian, and thrust the boy toward him, | e next moment Piney Paul was in the hands of his red betrayer. | ‘Now we'll finish the work!” said Cecil Crane as he picked up the boy’s rifle. ‘‘ We'll get rid of one imp who might do usan amount of injury. Hold him out, now, Nokomis. I won’t touch you. One blow will finish the wild-cat.” The spectators saw the rifle lifted above Cecil Crane’s head, as he ef cai forward, his eyes glaring at the mountain boy. ** What ar’ ye goin’ to do?” cried Simon Old- oot. . Ye ar’n’t goin’ to hit ’im with the gun, ar’ yet ** Just exactly what I’m go) to do!” was the reply. ‘‘ Stand back or there’ll be brains and. blood on your clothes!” The giants looked at each other, and then lanced at the executioner. There was no mercy n his eyes. They shot murder from their depths. Piney Paul looked at the uplifted rifle without amove. Then he glanced at Nokomis and saw a strange light flash in his eyes. ‘* The wolves!” he said to the Upas. ‘ Has Nokomis forgotten?” These words, though heard by Cecil Crane, were not understood. ' thought, Nokomis, with the suddenness o. jerked the boy from beneath the uplifted weap- his own scarlet body beneath it. There was no cry of on, and thrus The boy belongs to Nokomis! | His arrow is in his arm!” ; , sm Crane uttered an oath and dropped the rifle. | ‘Yours by the law of the woods, I suppose; but will not Nokomis sell the boy?” ; Nokomis did not reply. “If he is yours, you will sell!” continued Crane. ‘‘ Come, we will play fair. Perhaps he is yours. It is your arrow in arm; that we alladmit. He is against me; he is a snake in my path, but see! he would not spare Red Loon Nokomis’s brother. Does he not avenge the blood of Red Loon?” “No!” was the reply. ‘Red Loon was a Mohican, and his ple fought the Upas till they all fell but Nokomis. Why should he strike the Mountain Cat for his shot? Some day Red Loon and Nokomis would have fought.” il Crane looked baffled “WwW ee hat are you going todo . released Piney Paul, who stepped from his side. ‘‘ Go!” was the whispered command from the anda pe ‘Nokomis has not forgotten the | WOlLVes, eo The boy shot the Upas a look full of gratitude, and then glanced at the whites. 3 ‘Do von set him free?’ roared Cecil Crane, ‘Dog of an Indian! I will not submit. By the stars of heaven! I, atleast, will assert my right to oe the person who seeks my life. Stand aside’ Piney Paul, enticipating this outburst of wrath, did not fly. He saw the Upas paul himself firmly between him and Cecil Crane, and held his breath. The girl-hunter darted at him, but he was suddenly caught by the red athlete and iifted bodily from the ground. The next instant the white man was flung into the lake! Exclamations of rage broke from tne throats of the giants. : ‘‘ That’s* too much!” cried Tarsus Nightwell. ‘‘ Simon, the Injun’s too forward in the matter. Give him the upper hand, an’ away we go!” | The speaker sprung forward; but Nokomis, stirring not, met him calm] | ‘Without Nokomis, the never leave this country,” he said. ‘“ Would Has the Indian no hate? ‘You Indians are all alike I guess,” he | bdo with the little The reply did not come in words, Nokomis big white men will ; ' — fe +a 4 a wet Ast ‘ AS A? ad's A te ‘AI