Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 13 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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Aa $$ $$ ssed his mind, with something terrible to come. What it was, of course he could not tell. He tried to shake off the spell, but in vain—it grew upon him, At length he arose to his feet, and drawing his blanket around him, walked out toward the river. He wanted to be moving—doing something that would drive that fearful fantasy from his mind. On the bank of the river, under some drooping foliage, he stopped, The moonlit stream lay gleam- ing before him like a bed of molten silver, while along either shore hung a black, somber fringe of shadows. A ee te | cricket was by, and a bull-frog cro stream. From a breast-pocket Captain Rossgrove drew a small picture-frame, or case, which he opened and held whect the moonbeams would show him the fair face set therein—the face of his young wife, Camilla. ‘False, false!’’ he mused; “God in heaven forbid! Camilla, my darling wife, I know it is a falsehood, and why should I let the letter trouble me? .One would think I suspected you, my angel Camilla, But never! Oh,if I could only look upon your living face this moment! Perhaps, if so, I would see those dark- brown eyes closed in slumber—dreaming—dreaming of—of your own John Rossgrove, while smiles play about those fair, sweet lips, which, perchance, may iping in an old log, hard ed on the margin of the whisper my name. But ah! these are pleasant, but hopeless thoughts. Hundreds of miles separate us to-night, Camilla, and may for many more, but then—”’ He did not conclude the sentence, for, just then, the silence that fell around him seemed to paralyze both body and mind. The cricket in the log and the frog on the m n of the river became hushed as if by magic. A silence reigned so intense that it seemed as though the spot had never been called from chaos; but this silence was broken. A faint sound rushed suddenly athwart the nizht. It was the dip of oars. A boat was descending the river. It would pass before the captain. He bends his head and listens. The low murmur of voices comes to his ears, mingled with the plash, plash of oars. He can hear the waves chafing the shore. He can see them circling outward in advance of the descending boat, and at length he sees the craft glide within the par- tially-obscured range of vision. It is a long bateau, and contains several men. ve drew nearer the edge of the water—still keeping within the dense shadows—that he might be enabled to see who the voyagers were. The boat comes on, its sharp prow cleaving the sil- vey, waters, é can count six men in the craft. gaged at as many pair of oars, while the sixth one sup —— burden on his arms and breast. As the boat comes still nearer, the Be recog- nizes the man with the burden. It is Ralph Raft, the leading citizen of the Dispute, but Rossgrove lit- tle dreams that he is Reckless Ralph, the notorious outlaw chief. Something drew the captain's attention to the bur- den Raft held in his arms. He saw it was a human form—the form of a woman. He could see her head resting on his wee Gem her white, white face, upon which the moonbeams fell, was upturned to his dark, bearded vn a “Ah,” thought grove, “she is his wife or sweetheart. How fondly she gazes be es his face, and how tenderly he supports her! is heaven to ‘them now.” A strange ny ae the captain's eyes u woman’s face. é boat draws nearer, It en a He starts and Lplmohes at a gine groan escapes ps—a groan seems iy come from a Kee | heart. But the sound is drowned in the plash. of oars, and the long bateau “glides on, Tnen he staggers, and falls heavily to the earth. He had recognized the face of that woman pillow- ed on the outlaw’s breast, It was the face of own wife—his own Camilla Rossgrove/! CHAPTER IV. A GIANT’S HAND, Tue shock that Captain Rossgrove had received well-nigh drove him mad, Staggering to his feet, he gazed like one bewilder- up and down the river. But nowhere was the bateau with his young wife to be seen. What he had seen, however, was sufficient evidence of the truthfulness of the note given him by the mute: Camilla was false! “False! false!’’ he almost shrieked, in agony of heart. ‘Oh, impossible! There must be some fear- ful mystery, or wrong, about Camilla’s ap ce here in the arms of that man. Imust solve the whole thing before I leave this country, for I can not believe she isfalse. In company with my friends, I could easily ove e the bateau and release her. But this will not do. shé is guilty—unfaithful, I will find it out without her knowledge of my_pur- poses. No, no; I will wait and work secretly. I will say nothing of what I have seen to a living soul, but will try, by some pretext or other, to hold my friends ow, beyond a doubt, the Five are en- n the oppo- for sup- in the country until cause of Camilla’s ieee here in this wild Jand.”’ He became silent and thoughtful. Now and then a deep sigh esca he decided to follow on down the river, in ho of gaining some clew to the mystery rouding his young wife's conduc He turned and moved rapidly down the stream, keeping within the dense shadows of the shore, Far ahead he could see the bright glimmer of the water ho see the object of pursuit, Sul he followed on, see the o ° ; e aware of hie vain efforts, A little moonlit Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. glade suddenly appeared before him. On its mar- gin he came to a sudden halt, just within the border of some dense shrubbery. He had caught sight of a man standing on the opposite side of the opening, his head bent in the attitude of intense listening, A single glance told Rossgrove that he was an Indian warrior; and he at once realized a sense of danger when he saw that the savage was in war-paint. All the Indians he had seen heretofore had been habited in toggery that betokened friendship. This sudden change was evidence of hostilities, and the captain felt satisfied that himself and companions were the objects of their vengeance, which had probably been engendered by the death of M. Jules Devreaux in their camp, and by their intrusion upon the Black Hawk Purchase. The captain’s first thought was of returning to camp and warning his friends; but before he had turned his eyes from the glade, his attention was ar- rested by seeing a white man enter the glade and move toward the savage. From the movements of each, it was quite evident they were there to meet by appointment. Rossgrove bent his head and listened. He heard the conspirators enter into a conversation, but he was too far away to catch the drift of their confer- ence. They talked on several minutes, the gestures of the white man indicating great excitement; then the Indian turned and glided away into the woods. The white man still remained in the glade, and from the attitude which he assumed, it was evident he intended to await the Indian’s return. Rossgrove Sept ie eyes upon the man, and scarce- ly ten ninutes elapsed when he suddenly saw him stagger to one side, as if under a violent blow, and then as a low wail rung tremulously out on the still summer air, he sunk to the earth, where he lay bonus the ground with his arms in apparent death- roes The captain was startled by this sudden and tragi- cal scene. His mind reverted to the silent and oh terious death of M. Jules Devreaurx, and he felt satis- fied the silent slayer, Scarlet Death, had dealt this second blow. But the apparent agony of the pros- trate man caused every noble and Christian impulse of Rossgrove’s heart to supersede all fears of person- al danger; ne ess of the consequences, he lunged from the thicket into the moonlit glade, and hast approached the fallen man. The struggling of the latter had ceased ere the ca tain gain is side, But upon his temple the death- mark of Scarlet Death was plainly le! He was not dead, and Ro ve at once resolved to tender him all the assistance in his power. He bent over the man and spoke to him. There was no response. The next instant, however, there was a sudden “whirr in the air behind the captain; then he felt something encircle his form and pinion his arms at his side. He was then jerked violently to the earth, Then he felt himself erpepec along the ground into the shadows of the thicket. When permitted to stop, he heard the soft tramp of feet around him, Hesaw the dusky outlines of human forms above him. He was a prisoner—insnared in the coils of a lasso! But he could not tell whether he was in the power of Indians or robbers of his own color. But whichever it was, one of them proceeded to bind his hands. This accomplished, a heavy, musty blanket was thrown over his head and shoulders and confined with a thong; then a ff voice—the voice oe an pen speaking bad English—bade him rise to s feet, as useless, the captain com- ne resistance w plied with the order, then with the lasso which still encircled his form, he was conducted away through the forest.. The soft echoes of many moc- casined feet gave him an adequate idea of the num- ber of ‘his captors, For a long time—for what seemed weary hours to the Pardine ther traveled on through the dark, tan- gled unde and intricate mazes of iy igs wood, until they finally came to a temporary halt. The captain was securely bound to a tree, yet it was some time before the blanket was removed from his head. When it was, however, the broad, vivid lare of a light almost blinded him, but as his eyes came somewhat accustomed to the dazzling glow, a wonderful spectacle was presented to his view. The glow of a dozen camp-fires lit up the little oblong e in which they were halted, and the light ected by the green f on every side, gave the place a wild, weird appearance—the ap- nce of the interior of some old, deserted hall of vygone ages. Here and there a tall, slender cotton- Woon goo out wes 4 in the a ape aw i Sop ae ea @ gray pillar as support the purple dome of darned above, while all around the oliage of the towering trees, rendered a mystical white in the glare of the light, ap like a tall, massive wall of d and fluted rock. And to and fro across this great mysterious hall stalked Titan figures robed in blankets wrought in SbOnP Than howe aud grea hattioatee wane abou r s, and great battle-axes n their hands, Rossarove knew these forms were those of Indians—all of whom wore the ensign of oy with the exception of the guard that stood at s side. : As the moments wore away, other chiefs came from the woods and joined those in that grim old forest hall. Something of an unusual c er seemed to be drawing the red-men there, but what it was ve could not form the faintest con- ception by their movements and talk, but judging by their’ malignant scowls that at times were be- steer apee him, he had reason to believe he was the object of their convening there, And if so, his fate would soon be decided. ° At length an aged chief, to whom all the others — ee | the glade with the bearing of a king. Dismounting, | | | the han t chief gave the reins of his animal into the of his attendant; then turning, strode with a slow, stately step to one of the camp-fires, where he at once seated himself upon the ground. There was nothing of that evil in the face of this chief that was so plainly vortrayed in the dusky sensual faces of his comrades. On the contrary, it wore a mild, intellectual expression, seldom seen in the Indian's countenance; although something of serious papor’ seemed to be weighing on his mind until the effects were traceable in his dark eyes and wrinkled brow, is man was the celebrated Black Hawk, the friend of the white man. He had met his subordi- nates there to hold council over the violation of his treaty with the Great Father at Washington, by the little d of claim-locaters. The council was at once opened by Black Hawk, who exerted all his eloquence against that of his chiefs, who favored an appeal to the war-path to enforce their rights to the rve, and who were in favor of hanging the claim-locaters’ scalps at their irdles as a warning to all other white trespassers, e old chief was obstinate in his desire for peace, but how far his wishes were observed will be seen in the hostile demonstrations of his rebellious war- chiefs, as our story progresses. Rossgrove could not understand a word that was said by the councilors. He saw, however, that the attention of the chiefs was diverted from himself, and so he began speculating on his chances of es- cape. Hesoon discovered, however, that no effort of his own could undo his bonds. Even if he did ac- complish his own release, the guard at his side stood read to strike him down. This rd was a fierce-looking fellow, and stood with his eyes fixed upon the captive as though the were riveted there, but at length the voice of Blac Hawk was heard gathering strength as he addressed his war-chiefs in all the eloquence of which he was master, and this drew the attention of the guard toward the circle of councilors, He stood, his whole on seeming absorbed by the eloquence of the chief, Even the captain could not help gazing in admira- tion on the stately form of thes cer, for, althou his words to him were meaningless, his very attitude and gestures were eloquence itself. e thus engaged, something brushed the cap- tain’s cheek and a shadow fell across his vision. Something came between his eyes and the head of the savage guard. | He started when he saw a huge hand and great, hairy, muscular arm appear from the opposite side of the great oak to which he was bound. The mem- bers seemed of such wonderful size that he believed they were the hand and arm of some unnatural monster. The great bony fingers were open and were moving slowly toward the Indian’s neck, as if to grasp t; then a quick movement and—the giant’s » ee are fastened upon the savage’s throat. e red-man gasps for breath and struggles for liberty. He can notcry out, and the voice of the chief drowns what slight noise he makes. Still the captain can see no form to which that hand and arm belong; and now he shrinks away with horror, for he sees the eyeballs of the vo start from their sockets and the tongue protrude from the open jaws as the great, bony fingers of the unknown aasaper close en his throat in that CHAPTER V. OLD HURRICANE. — Ir was a moment of extreme anxiety, uncertaint and horror to Sapeat Rossgrove. The silence wit which the huge hand had throttled the savage, and the mighty power with which it was possessed, seemed miraculous, He knew not but that the sec- ond hand of this monster was being reserved for his own throat. But in this his fears were soon set at rest, when the colossal form of a man made its ap- pearance from the opposite side of the tree. A single glance told the captain he was a friend, though a stranger. He was a man not over three and thirty years of age, and stan nearly seven feet in his moccasins. He was in a neat-fit- ting suit of buck-skin, made as if to display the wonderful development of the wearer's form. His shoulders were broad and massive as those of an ox, and hisfbreast deep and swelling. arms were long, muscular and , and his hands large brown and hardened to knots of steel. A large an well-shaped _ head, ae a preponderance of both the animality and intellectual, was set upon a stout, swelling neck, and from beneath the wolf- ekin cap that surmounted it, a wreath of dark-brown hair hung down his back. His face was a little an and covered with a beard that hung to his breast. His nose was of the Roman type, which was evidence of itself of the fearless, daring and unconquerable spirit of the man. Withal, he was a noble specimen of manhood, a perfect knight of the fores man to be ad as well as feared. Nor was he a character of the author's imagination. He was a true, living hero of the woods, whose name is familiar to many yet liv- ‘s he appeared before the captain, the fingers of - his right hand fastened upon s throat, he reached forward with the left, in which he held a knife, and severed the captain’s thongs. Then he sheathed the knife, and with both hands he lifted the savage aloft as though he had been a child, and hurled him to the earth with a force that would have crushed the life from a common being, “ Now, 8 , said the giant, turning to Ross- grove, “let us count tracks lightnin’ for safer seemed to pay homage, rode from the forest into quarters. Gomicbooks 4 t + ‘-