Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 13 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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——— eee. 8 Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. to the teeth. They were there Meee the return of the spy, who at once imparted to Reckless Ralph the information that the claim-stakers were encamped on the Des Moines river, at the mouth of Chequest e This, however, was not exactly the case. The claim-stakers had been encamped there the night be- fore, and to make the outlaws believe that it re- ecntly been deserted, the spy stirred up the old camp- fire and heaped an arm-load of fuel upon it. Then e returned to Spain; not, however, before he had seen his friends and apprised them of what was going on. Feeling certain of the destruction of the claim-lo- caters, kless Ralph and a score of his men set out for the mouth of Chequest creek. By midnight they were all back at Spain, in the gourt-room, holding what might be termed an indig- pation meeting. The Dumb Spy in his room heard all, and knew at once the cause of their wrath. They had found the camp of the trespassers deserted. They knew the spy had not been mistaken, for the remains of their camp-fire were still smoldering there. All this he learned from their remarks. The band was finally dismissed to meet at dark the next night. Reckless Ralph, Lieutenant Thoms, and another called Doctor Grimm, however, remain- ed in the room for further diseussion of the escape of the claim-locaters. “Tl tell Gy hace R said the doctor, after the men had all left, “ them claim-stakers are causin’ us some trouble, and before we git rid of ‘hem, we've got to git rid of somethin’ else, 'm' thinkin’. ; “You're too deep for me, doctor,”’ said Reckless Ralph. yall, to come right to the point, there’s a traitor in our midst, else them claim-stakers would never have got wind of our movements this second time. Now fo you see what I’m drivin’ at?” * Perhaps Witless Seth is going back on us?’’ said Thoms. “No, never,” replied Reckless Ralph, ‘Seth is too faithful to his master to be led away. You can- notturn a dog against his master; besides, Seth is not possessed of the right kind of courage to be a traitor; and then he’s wanting in intellect to carry out any such points, even were he so ; and bei dumb, e cannot communicate with other e. “i hat’s my opinion, Judge,” replied Grimm; “if thar is a traitor—and 1 know ‘most there is—it’s one of the Moles.” The Moles were a class of the outlaws who were considered, by their friends, without principle; and who would as soon steal from a confederate as any other person. In fact, they had to be watched by the res table (?) class of robbers, who, at the game time, could do nothing to offend them, through a fear of their turning *‘ State’s evidence ’ upon them. “Yes, it must be one of the Moles,’’ said Thoms, in reply to Grimm; “ but, then, how are we go to find out which one itis? If we should hint such a thing azainst any one of them, and he should hear it, wiiy, he’d blow our profession to the first ‘ pirate- hunter’ that came this way.” : ** Well, we must find out whether there is a traitor | in our midst,” said the outlaw chief. “Yes, but how, in Heaven’s name, will you do Y ‘- Lay our plans where no prying ears can hear ‘* But where, this side of the middle of the Atlantic ocean, will that place ber” ‘* Leave it to me; be ready to go from hence in ten minutes. We three can hit upon some plan for fu- ture action, and keep it from the men until the mo- ment comes when they’ll be needed,”’ ‘“Well, I'd like to know what the man means,” said Thoms, “Summon Witless Seth here, and you will soon It is useless to say Wild Dick heard all this, and was at quite a less to know what the outlaw had in view. tn a few minu however, he was in the presence of the three confederates. “Seth,”’ said the robber captain, with his fingers, “vo at once and bring the large canoe lying at the head of Beaver Lake around to the beach eae Talbott’s cabin. I want you to Posh rimm, dle of the lake.”’ Thoms and myself to the The whole matter at once became clear to the mind of Wild Dick, and as he proceeded toward the iat he could scarcely restrain his emotions, en- endered by the joke he was perpetrating upon em, ) ‘*Yes—te-he! he!’’ he snickered to himself, “‘ the propose to hold.a council in the middle of the lake, a hundred rods from land, where no ears but their ove will hear, I sup ebay kongit their God’ll ear em. Of course they'll take their faithful oe the dumb fool, Witless Seth, along to man the : Hecan't hear what they say—oh, no; of course he can 't-—te-he! he!" He had no trouble in fin the boat. It was a legge made of skins stretched over a ramework of wood. It was mostly upon the beach, and as he stoo to the effort of launchin it, the spirit of mischief seemed to have whis some in his ear, and he at once resolved to have some fun with the outlaws at the risk of his own life. taking out his knife, he cut around hole in the bottom of the canoe. near its center. Then into this he drove a plug of rags which could be removed at will by a slight pressure of the foot. The craft was now launched, and taking his seat therein, he took up the paddle and put the boat in motion. He soon came to the designated spot. Reckless Ralph, the prow of the canoe was turned toward the center of the lake. Being a skillful hand with the paddle, the Dumb Spy sent the boat skimming over the waters of the lake, at the same time keeping the plug in the bot- tom of the craft concealed with his foot. When the desired point was at last reached, the canoe was brought to a stand, and the outlaws en- tered into the work before them with a spirit of pleasure. : There, under the clear, starry ye with the tran- quil moonlit waters beneath them, th the glories of nature around them—amid scenes that should have inspired their hearts with a love of God, and the glories of his work—there they laid deep and dam- nable plots for the massacre of, not only the claim- stakers, but the old Indian chief, Black-Hawk. Then with the double assurance that their plans were un- known to all but themselves, Reckless Ralph passed his bottle, and ordered the boat headed for the vil- e. he Dumb Spy at once complied with the order, 'and they were soon moving homeward. Raft’s tongue, beginning to play loosely from its frequent lubrications with bad liquor, now rattled Way in- cessantly in heaping anathemas upon the claim- stakers’ heads. ‘*Easy, captain, easy; don’t go off on a tangent, nor get too hot with passion, or we'll have to give ou a bath in the e,”’ said Dr. Grimm, with a h. y guess you all need it,’’ mused Wild Dick and with his foot he pressed the plug from the hole in the bottom of the canoe, unobserved. The pressure of the canoe on the water caused a — jet to boil up into the craft, and ere the out- i were scarcely aware of it, the concern was half “Fire and furies!’’ yelled the robber-chief, “‘ the boat’s sprung a leak—the bottom’s out—she’s filling —out, boys, and swim for your lives!” Out sprung the robber in the lake, followed by his confederates, Grimm and Thoms, and the next in- stant they were strugg with the waves. “The mute! the mute!’ shouted Thoms, “ he'll drown.”’ ** Curse the mute!”’ ttered the heartless Grimm. Dick, however, was on Bae well. Remaining in the sinking canoe, he se e plug as soon as the last robber was overboard, and sto the leak. Then, with the paddle, he an ng the water out, and ere this was accomplished to suit himself, being unusually particular about this time, the out- laws were some distance away swimming for dear e. Reckless Ralph and Thoms made their way safely to the shore, but Grimm was never heard of again, until a month later, a pack of vultures hovering in the air, drew the attention of the robbers to the south side of the lake, where they found his body washed ashore. CHAPTER IX. TWO ANGELS, Ir will be remembered that Noisy Nat and three of the claim-stakers were sent to bring up the train belonging to the party, and that they were expected to return on the day ollowing their departure, The time allotted for the party’s return went by, but they did not come. Two be passed without their appearance, and now misgivings of a serious nature began to rise. D the two days of waiting the claim-stakers had lain inactive for want of necessary tools to begin their fort. Besides, their whereabouts had become known to the robbers and Indians, and if required all the stratagem the Dumb Spy could employ to keep them on the wrong trail. e train not having made its appearance on the third day after Nat’s departure, the fears of the ed an active form, and it was decided to send out a second party to investigate the cause of the train’s non-appearance. Old Hurricane and a Dudley volunteered their services for the trip, and the two took their de- parture, going in a north-westerly direction, Their course, after leaving the Des Moines timber, lay through a rough and hilly section of ener A covered with a dense growth of red brush, and di- versified with small, murmuring water-courses, Toward the close of the day, Old Hurricane in- formed his companion that they were drawing near the western boundary of the Black-Hawk Purchase and that about six miles north of where they would touch the line was the point where the claim-stakers had left their train. ‘“*T do not know whether I'll be able to make the trip or not,’ said young Dudley, with a look of fa- tigue. Why, lad, I'm just gettin’ warmed up; but, then, I'm me | to it,’’ said the old hunter. may prams there is no one living through these parts?’ said Dudley, im with the desolate solitude of the surroun hills, over which the shadows of t ht were reer | “Yes, Harry,” replied the old borderman, “ off hereaways there are two cabins. Thar's two families livin’ there, but I’ve allers been a leetle juberous of them. They've too much intercourse with them Dis- pute fellers. But, IL sw’ar, lad, ’s some fine—yea, angel-lookin’ gals ‘round thar. I know they're out of their place, too, just as much as a rose would be among a of Canada thistles,”’ This information did not kindle a spark of .enthu- siasm in Harry’s breast. The words of the hunter fell with indifference on ears, while with most oung men it would have stirred a spirit of adven- tare, But Harry had reason for his passive de- meanor. A secret locked within his young heart ex- cluded all other emotions in which a woman's face The trio of worthies were there, and, by order of | or charms were concerned. “ The two journeyed on. It was near sunset when the keen eye of Old Hurricane detected a thin column of white smoke curling heavenward from a patch of bushes that crowned an adjacent bluff. A halt was at once made. ‘*I must inquire into that smoke, Harry, here. aways,” said Old Hurricane. “It may be friends and it may not. We hunters never let ourselves into danger with our eyes open, tho’ familiarity with dan- gers of’en blunts one’s sensibilities. Ill jist make a detour thereaways, and, if it’s friends ri signal to — from yander bald ridge. If it’s enemies, I'll slip ack here again,*’ and the next moment the form of the hunter was lost to view among the dense shrub- bery. Havre now had a moment for mental speculation, but akeen sense of his loneliness impressed his mind so forcibly as to create a desire for a more perfect view of his surrounding, and, ascending a little knoll, he dropped the butt of his rifle to the ground, and —_— back his hat to allow the breeze to fan his eated brow, he swept the landscape. Behind him, to his left, and in front, rough wooded hills shut off a distant view, but down the valley, to his right, he could see where the hills melted into a level plain, that rolled away westward for weary leagues. e could see small streams, now glim- mering in the rays of the setting sun, winding with the sinuosity of a serpent across the bosom of the green expanse; and, while he stood gazing upon this scene, he suddenly caught sight of two cabins standing close in under the shadows of the bluffs, where the prairie began. The young surveyor felt certain they were the same cabins of which Old Hurricane had made men- tion, for he saw, by the smoke rising from the chim- ney tops, that they were pocmrents Vhile he stood watching for other signs of life about the cabins, the sound of voices and the tramp of approaching feet arrested his attention. ig he saw two men coming down the vaey toward him. There was a rough, brigandish look about their features, dress and movements that im- pressed Harry with no favorable opinion of them, and so he at once concealed hi in a clump of bushes. The men came on, talking in unguarded tones as men will talk in confliction of opinions, Harry bent his ear and listened. One of them was ‘No, this thing’s run on Jong enough, Mobile, Fur three years we've been dilly-dallyin’ along about the ee of that girl; but I'll not give a red more than *ve offered; and ten to one that fellow will git wind of her being in these diggin’s, and then we'll have her stolen from both of us.” From this Harry gleaned that a girl was being sold by one of the villains to the other. He listened for obile’s rere He heard him say: * Your ‘bout that feller, Thoms, will have lit- tle bearin’ on my decision, for I won’t scare. How- ever, I guess you can take her at your figures, and I tell you, she’s devilish cheap, for thar’s not a purti- er face this side of the Mississippi. If she war my own chick, cussed if you’d git her fur twic’t that rice. She and Dolly are out ridin’ now. Lordy, ut that Dolly ‘ll bring mea snug fortune some day.’ “Suppose they should meet them claim-stakers while out riding?’ asked Thoms, the outlaw lieuten- ant. ‘“Tt'd be all up atwixt you and Dora.” Had aclap of thunder burst over his head, Harry would not have started more violently than when he heard that name spoken. “Dora! Dora!’ he repeated to himself, ‘Can it be my Dora, whom a 2ruel fate tore from me—’’ He started. As if in answer to the question he would have asked himself, the clatter of horses’ hoofs, mingled wlth the clear, musical laugh of a young girl, rung out on the evening air, and the next moment two young girls, mounted upon spirited po- nies, came sloping own the valley and swept a-past Harry like the wind. ut he had caught a sight of their faces, and he up, as if to pursue them. The color from his face, then arose to his lips the words: “Dora! Dora!” | But the words were drowned in the clatter of the —. feet, and, before he could repeat them, Dora swept from view down the yao § “Dora, my darling!” he exclaimed, as if starting from atrance, “I the fate that sent me here wn discovered you t0 me! I must see you, Dora, an GPR “Do you know ’em, Harry?” Harry started, old Hurricane stood at his side. He approached unobserved, and had heard the young man’s soliloquy. Harry’s face turned red, and he became greatly confused. - “Don’t take on, lad, said the old hunter; “do yon Far vo glen or > Sept love ty — sight ” ‘*No, Hurrica e one on the brown_pon I know well, and 1 will tell you all about it, Hurry cane. Her nameis Dora Marlin. Four Yeo ago I became acquainted with her in Tlinois. e were in cove other's society a great deal, and finally— ‘Fell in love, eh?” interrupted the hunter with a pleasant chuckle. ~s “Well, yes,” continued Harry, “our acquaintance grew into love, and we were to have been married. ut a week before the time fixed for our marri e, Dora disap _ Where she went to, and why she went away, have been a mystery to me ever since. Some hinted that she had gone away to avoid me, but I never believed it, Hurricane, never, And now that I have found her, I must have an interview with her before I leave. “That's true love and royal grit, Harry,” said Old COMIC OOO KS