Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 13 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 pling folds from a tall pole around which the singers stood, And this was the maidens’ surprise—made by their own hands of the silks brought by Hurricane from the robbers’ treasure cave. The sight of the dear old flag was magical, It stirred within the breasts of the little band that en- thusiasm and patriotic devotion which a nation’s banner is wont to stir in loyal hearts. “Well done, Dora and Dolly! You have performed a noble part; you have infused new life into the lit- tle band of heroes, and nerved them for the ordeal so soon to come, The last words had scarcely died upon the singers’ lips wher there arose a sound— ‘As if all the fiends from heaven that fell Had pealed the bannee-cry of hell.”’ It was the horrifying yell of the Indians and out- laws that had burst from the shadows along the base of the bluffs, and now came pouring in a living stream across the plain. “Rouse, ye Romans!” cried Old Hurricane; “‘the demons are upon us!”’ “To arms, boys!” shouted Rossgrove, “and fight like men for your lives!”’ “ Ay, ay, captain!” added the old hunter; “‘and by the gods of Olympus, yonder flag must not be dis- graced, nor those whose fairy hands made it!— whoop! whoop! hurrah, ye screechin’ fiends, come on—right into the jaws of death, and—” The rest of the defiant words were lost in the thunderous crash of firearms that now rent the morning air in wild, startling echoes! CHAPTER XIV. A STIRRING TIME, Foutty a hundred Indians and robbers, led by the mg deige Reckless Rob, had assaulted the little fort of the claim-stakers, and their great superiority of numbers was expected to insure an easy victory; so with yell and seream they came charging pell-mell across the plain. But a deadly fire was poured into their ranks from the loops of the little fort, causing them to recoil fora moment in consternation. The defiant, triumphant shout which went up from the lips of the assaulted garrison angered the robbers, and they rallied and again pressed upon the fort, only to recoil before another withering volley of the claim- stakers’ rifles, ? “ffo! ho! ho!” roared Old Hurricane; “seat, thar, you howlin’ varlets, fur ye can’t come it while the flag of the free floats over Fort Detiance. Whoop, hur-rah!’? “Tf we can hold out as successful till daylight,” said Rossgrove, “we will have no trouble in keeping them off.” ‘True, John,” replied Hurricane; ‘but look a- here: what do you think’s the reason Wild Dick didn’t give the agreed-on signal?”’ ‘Circumstances over which I had no control,” said.a voice behind them, and turning, they stood face to face with Wild Dick. “By cracky!” exclaimed Hurricane; ‘where'd you come from, man?”’ ** And who iet you into the fort?” asked Rossgrove. **T waded this creek to the walls o’ the fort, then I * dived under the wall and come up on the inside: and you'll have to look sharp or the red-skins will avail themselves o’ the same means to git inside o’ your caboose.” ‘That’s all very true, Dick,’ said Rossgrove, **and we will not forget to keep a watch out for such dan- ger hereafter—ah! here they come again! To your posts, boys, to your posts!” The enemy had formed under the shadows of the bluffs, and having scattered out over the nner came charging down upon the little fortification Ail. a deadly. fire met them, but with less effect than usual, for they were so scattered that they did not feel the shock so severely, and the left wing of the foe coming on, succeeded in getting under the outer walls of the fort. Great danger now threatened the besieged, for should the enemy force a breach in the wall, they could easily, with their odds, carry all before them. A triumphant yell went up from the savages’ lips when they had gained this position of ‘advantage, for they knew the claim-stakers could not, without gana themselves, depress the muzzles of their sufficiently to bring them in range. A lull in the battle now ensued. Old Hurricane took advantage of it to open a conversation with the foe on the outside. “Hullo, red-skins, out thar,’’ he called; “ what’s the prospect fur scalps?” **Good!"* was the laconic reply of a savage. Old Hurricane was somewhat nonplused by the reply, my determined to show a bold front, he re- sponded: ‘*Wal, thar’s some fine ‘uns in here, red-skins, but you'll have to fight for ‘em.”’ **Can do that,” replied the savage mouthpiece. At this juncture a movement was heard without, and our friends soon discovered the foe were én- deavoring to scale the wall, This, however, they (the foe) found would be more difficult than they had anticipated, for the walls were higherthan they ap- peared from a distance. . The claim-stakers had expected such an emergen- cy, and were prepared to meet it. They had laid in a supply of exae stones, and they at once began dropping these over the parapet on the heads of the foe, causing quite a commotion among them. In fact, this movement hastened affairs oe the en- emy, who at once began a determined effort to scale the wall. One savage or robber, as the case vy be, would hoist a comrade on his shoulder, and by Oe eee eee. oe Se ane Beadle’s Fialf-Dime Library. this means the latter was enabled to reach the top | of the parapet, only to be beaten back by the claim- stakers. A few gerne the interior of the fort, but were instautly shot down and hurled over among their friends, who finally gave up their attempts, | and beat a retreat for safer quarters. Daylight at last dawned, and from the distant | bluffs the defeated robbers and red-skins saw the flag of the claim-stakers floating proudly and grace- fully in the morning air, and the triumphant de- fenders moving to and fro within the walls of their | fortifications. Wild Dick remained with his friends until after daylight, and when on the eve of taking his depar- ture, Captain Rossgrove plucked him aside, and | said: “Dick, I have a little favor to ask of you.”’ ‘* Name it, captain, name it.” Rosszrove drew -from his pocket a picture, and handing it to Dick, said: “Take a good look at that, and when you return from the Dispute, tell me whether you have seen a woman there, either a captive or free, that looks like that picture,” “Tl doit, Cap, with all my heart,” said Dick, *‘ but I sw’ar that’s an orful purty face in this picter. Is she any relation to you, Cap?” “No difference, Dick, no difference now. I will tell you all about it when you report to me your discovery.” ‘* All hunky, Cap,’’ responded Dick. At this juncture the latter’s brother, Witless Seth, made his appearance, and with his fingers begana conversation. For several minutes they conversed in their silent language, the violent gesticulations of the mute betraying great emotion, At length Wild Dick took his departure for Spain on his mission in behalf of Captain Rossgrove. The day wore slowly away. The defeat of the foe did not give the claim-stakers entire ease of mind, for they knew they would resort to some new de- monstration to dislodge them. Not a sign of the enemy was seen during the day, but toward even- ing a sound like the ring of an ax came from over among the wooded hills, “Some one’s choppin’ over thar, captain,” said Old Hurricane, with an ominous shake of the head. ‘*The cunnin’ varlets have somethin’ new in their heads; what it can can be,I can't say. If it war safe to do so, Td make a little scout thereaways, but no doubt a hundred pair of eyes are watchin’ out “Tf such is the case, there can’t possibly be very many savages there.”’ “No, but they’re waitin’ fur another logful to come,» That's only my ‘pinion, John, fur it’s an ole trick of the red-skins, that maskin’ thar heads in hol- ler logs and their bodies under the water. I’ve see’d it afore, John.”’ “Well, I shall hasten to call the attention of the boys to the fact, and have them prepared for the worst.”’ ‘*Do so, John, and I'll look to other things.”’ The two separated, Hurricane went to the west side of the fort where the creek entered the inclos- ure. To his surprise, he found Witless Seth there, busily engaged in filling up the channel wiih large stones that had been gathered into the fort for other purposes. His proceedings met the approval of the | old hunter, who at once lent his assistance to the | that no work; and they soon had the channel blocked so further enirances could be made from this point. When this was accomplished, the old hunter went back and found Rossgrove and his men drawn up in line, ready to receive the cunning foe. “Tl tell you, John,” said the Lorderman, address- ing Rossgrove in a whisper; “if thar’s any Ingins in | that log, they’re waitin’ for friends to jine ‘em. But | they'll not do it ina holler log, fur the mute and me blockaded the channel. So we've got the gentry in And now fur |some fun, boys, and perchance a leeile fightin’ throwed in. I’m goin’ to flip one eend of that log out- | en the water, and see what’s under it. fur just sich an emergency as me. But I’m afeard | they're fixin’ up somethin’ to give us trouble to- night. But let °em come; if they want fire and brim- stun, let °em come!”’ Night again enfolded the land. The sky was clear, and although the moon was not up, thestarlight ren- dered objects quite distinct. Old Hurricane, under cover of the darkness, made a reconnoissance along the extremities of the plain. He found a number of Indians and robbers camped to the south of the fort, and from their presence there, and the activity that prevailed among them, it was quite evident that they intended another at- tack on Fort Defiance. Returning to the fort, the scout reported his dis- coveries, and suggested every measure of defense practicable, Inasmuch as they expected an early attack, the claim-stakers did not retire, but patroled the fort, rifles in hand. Noisy Nat and Ethan Hamilton were posted as sentinels, although all were on the watch. Even Witless Seth, the mute, seemed to have had his fears aroused by something more than usual, and at any time he could be seen flitting hither and thither through the fort like a shadow. Suddenly, with his face betraying the wildest fear and excitement, he rushed up to where Captain Ross- grove and Old Hurricane stood conversing, and be- gan gesticulating in a quick, violent manner, The old hunter and his companion failing to compre- hend his wants, made a movement signifying their readiness to follow him. The mute hastily led the way across the inclosure, and on the edge of the little stream that found its way directly through the fort, he stopped. Then, with a quick movement of the hand, he pointed down at the water. Bending their gaze in the direction thus indicated, they were not a little su wood log lying upon the surface of the stream. It had been recently placed there—since dark, in fact, and judging from its exterior appearance it was hol- low. How it had come there was a bape mystery to the captain. He knew it could not have under the lower edge of the fort, for had there even been space enough between the lower log and the water’s surface, there was not sufficient current to carry the log there. Seeing Old Hurricane betrayed some silent emo- tions at sight of the mysterious log, he—the cantain —was on the eve of speaking to him, when the hunt- oy turned, and drawing him aside, said, in a low ne: * John, thar’s mischief brewin’.” ‘**Why do you think so?” asked the captain. “That log in the channel yonder has pease forced under the lower side of the fort by some human agency. It never drifted in here. You remember we heard _a choppin’ goin’ on over ‘mong the bluffs to-day? Now, that log, and the Lord only knows how many more, is what they war cuttin’. You see, John, that log is holler as a shell, and I opine thar’s holes cut 0 nder side of the log, and if so, my ha’r on't, t a Ingin’s head in every hole.”’ “What! In@ians in that log?” “Thar heads are, while their bodies are under the log in the water.”’ rifted | / ; You fellers all be reddy to spot your man, in case my suspicions are correct,” As he concluded, the old hunter turned and ad- vanced to the edge of the creek. Then, stooping over, he caught hold of one end of the mysterious log and raised it quickly from the water. Simultane- ous with this act, a dozen rifles were raised to as many shoulders, “A water-haul, by the gods of Olympus!” burst in tones of apparent disappointment from the hunt- er’s lips, as he dropped the log back in the water. Not the sign of a savage was seen, although there were a number of large holes freshly cut on the un- der side of the log. “IT can’t see into it, John,’ the hunter said, not a little perplexed; ‘“‘that log never came here of its own accord, never. Thar’s not current enuff to float it. It’s true, the water from the bluffs to the river is deep enuff to float an ark, but then if the current had earried it down, it would have lodged against the fort on the outside. It'd never had the power to _ dive under the wall of the fort like somethin’ pos- sessed of reason. No siree, boys, some human azen- cy has put that log inside of this inclosure. It may have been some trick jist to test our vigilance, for the cunnin’ devils are as tiicky as Satan hisself.”’ “They may have entered the fort by means of the log, as you suspected at first, and have crept out and concealed themselves among the shadows within the fort,”’ said Rossgrove, “Hardly possible, cap, yet it might not be amiss with the caution of a borderman to s’arch the prem- ises. “Then, boys,” said Rossgrove to his friends “search every nook and shadow for concealed foes.” The men turned away and beganthesearch. Hur- ricane and Rossgrove still maintained their position by the creek, conversing in a subdued tone. At length a deep silence was imposed npon them by a sound like that which would be produced by a person drumming on a log with his fingers. It seemed to issue from the water at one end of the strange log. It lasted for only a moment, then there was an inter- val of silence, immediately succeeded by the same sound, which seemed to pass quickly from one end of the log to the other, then cease again, *IT sw arto gracious, John!” exclaimed Old Hurri- cane, “that noise is in that infernallog. It must be haunted, John, for didn’t L lift one eend clear outen the water’? And didn’t I see the holes on the under side whar Ingin heads had ort to have been? Didn’t I see all this, John, plain as I see you?” ‘Perhaps, Hurricane,” said Ressgrove, “the mo- ment you took hold of the leg, the cunning knaves divined your intention, or overheard our conversa- tion, and drawing their heads from those holes, dove under the water, where they remained until you rprised to see a long bass- | : f dropped the log back. You know they say an Indian can live quite a while under water, and it was scarcely half a minute from the time you lifted the log from the water till you dropped it again, just as it was, and during the noise consequent upon the fal] of the log, the. savages may have resumed their cunning covert,’ ‘My God, John! Why, in Heaven's name, didn’t you speak your mind afore this’ It's onpossible for on mind to conceive every thing, and your views of this is—”’ He did not finish the sentence, There was a shrpa rapupon the mysterious log, succeeded by a flutter- ng in the water under it. A dozen heads, followed by naked, bronzed shoulders and nude forms, appear- * ed above the grassy borders of the channel, with a scream that thrilled in startling eehoes upon the air; a dozen powerful savages leaped from the creck and sprune, with the fury of demons, toward our friends, And foremost among them was that implacable enemy and rival of Old Hurricane, the giant warvior, Big-Foot/ CHAPTER XV. “CHEEK BY JOWL.”’ | As the savages arose from the creek, their yells warned the claim-stakers of thetr peril, and, although taken by surprise, their actions of defense were made as promptly as though they had been expecting this very movement of the foe. Almost instantly a dozen GOMte cS OOO) nm