Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 146 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

—— Se 12 brother look so before, and she believed he mistrust- ed something of the truth. ‘Sister,’ he finally said, in a sterner tone than that with which he usually addressed her, ‘how came those strange canoes at our landing? and who came in them?” **Do you mistrust’me, brother?’ the maiden ask- ed, evasively. “That does not answer 'my ‘question, Hellice,”’ hé replied, with a faint smile playing over his stern features. ‘““T brought one canoe there,”’ she said, ‘‘and only one. [foundit upon the river soon after leaving you last night.”’ ‘“But who was in it, Hellice, tell me that?” the brother persisted most cruelly. ‘** Brother,’ she said, her face flushed and her eyes flashing, ‘**T have no desire to tell you a false- hood. After leaving you last night I found that ca- noe on the river, and in it dying, as I supposed, was ayoung boy—”’ **Silver Star!’’ exclaimed the brother laying his hand upon his revolver. ‘* Was it Silver Star?’ **Tt was Silver Star,”’ she answered, igpslei nay & _ “Then, Hellice, his blood willbe upon your head; you know what I have told you—”’ ** Brother,” said Hellice, pleadingly, ‘*do you for- get that—” acetate you love Silver Star? no; but I have sworn that—’ His words were here cut short by the sound of footsteps, and turning, he found himself face to face with the object of his anger, Silver Star, who had appeared from the adjoining room. “Sparrowhawk,” the young man exclaimed, “if Ade want the life your sister saved, take it. am ere to answer for myself. I am not a coward.”’ ‘Silver Star,” replied the desperate Sparrowhawk, “T told you but a few nights ago that when we met again it would be as enemies, Iam not a man that trifles. Again do I meet you unarmed; but I will take no advantage of you. Here, take one of my revolvers, and follow me into the yard.”’ Silver Star took the weapon. A cry burst from the lips of Hellice and Elwe. : 5 owhawk turned to the door, but at the same instant there came a sharp, violent knock against it that caused the recluse to start back with terror. ‘“My God!” he exclaimed, *“‘they have found us! Oh, my sister, and my little friend, Elwe, we are doomed!” He heard the sound of voices without, and before he could shoot the door-bolt, the door swung open and a savage—a Blackfoot warrior hideous in war- paint—crossed the threshold. Beyond him, in the woonlight, Sparrowhawk could see other painted faces and plumed heads. CHAPTER XY. MOMENTS OF TERROR. ‘* Uan!’’ was the ejaculation of the red-skin, as he glided inte- the room and shot his black, snakish eyes about, permitting them to rest upon the white, terrified face of the fair Hellice. **Red-skin!"”” exclaimed Sparrowhawk, “ why do you intrude here in the Spirit Swamp?” “Come git scalps—purty BqDa Te Sheep lubly,”’ was the answer given in English, such as it was. The eyes of Sparrowhawk aa Dy A blazed. The ferocity of ademon and the desperation of a mad- man became set upon his handsome, manly face. The very muscles of his face and neck seemed to contract into hard knots, while his whole person seemed surrounded with a nimbus of superhuman wer. me Red-skin, you and I are not enemies—we are strangers,’’ he said, in measured accents; ‘* but come another step and you shall die.”’ The savage laid his hand upon his tomahawk, and feeling secure in the presence of his friends, he straightened himself up to his full hight and took a short step forward. . a next instant he fell dead—shot through the n. Without rose a fierce, rye. i yell, but before an- other Blackfoot could enter, Silver Star sprung for- ward and slammed the door shut and bolted it. Again the sav tore the night with their yells, and the blows of tomahawks fell thick and fast up- on or Regan frail barricade to long resist such an assault. Sparrowhawk saw the door must soon yield. In silent terror, and with a b humiliation, he turned to Silver Star. He glan at the fearless oung scout, then at Hellice and Elwe, The light in eye had changed. His spirit was unbending. A silence had now seized upon the besieged. Thick and rattling fell the blows upon the door— blows that seemed to awaken echoes in the cham- bers of Sparrowhawk’s soul. * Silver Star,” the young recluse finally said, ‘if you can, I beg of you to forgive me. I have wrong- ed you. Death stares us all in the face.” ‘I hold no malice—no ill-will‘toward you, Spar- rowhawk,”’ was the truly noble reply. The two clasped hands and were friends. A np Bae joy burst from the lips of the maidens. ** Hellice, you and Elwe go into the back room— hide in the cellar,” said Sparrowhawk; then turn- ing to the young scout, continued: “Silver Star, do you think there is any hope?” ** God only knows; but we cannot die in a better cause than in defending those innocent girls.” ** Never, Silver Star, nev— Ah! the door is yield- ing! look out!” | parrowhawk blew out the light as the door burst in. Darkness filled the room and concealed the defenders; but they could see the shadowy forms of the savages against the moonlight outside. The revolver that Snarrowhawk woul! hove raised ? “ ~—« ‘Silver Star, the Boy Knight. ae ee against Silver Star now opened its deadly fire upon the yi ling flends. Side by side the two, Sparrow- hawk and Silver Star, stood dealing death to the ad- vancing foe. Over the Spirit Swamp, the first time, erhaps, since creation’s morn, rung the din of con- ict. But such an uneven contest was not to last long. The revolvers of the defenders would soon be empty. Sparrowhawk finally seized his companion by the arm, and drawing him into the back room, closed and barred the partition door. The savages, a dozen strong, poured into the front room. “While they are pounding away at this door, ~ must try and escape,’’ said Sparrowhawk; “ cou Silver Star, let us join the girls in the cellar.”’ The two descended the ladder into the cellar, where the girls stood trembling with terror. ‘*Now let us go outside and make a run for the canoes.”’ They ascended the steps to the outside entrance, and stood in the shadow of the building. The savages were now inside, yelling like fiends and thundering about in the darkness in search of the whites. For a moment our friends stood by the cabin, con- versing in hurried whispers; but presently the broke and ran -toward the landing, Sparrowhaw taking the lead and the young scout bringing up be- ind, A savage left on guard at the landing gave the alarm. Sparrowhawk shot him dead. Those in the cabin heard the pistol-shot, and at once came pouring from the house and yelling, to- ward the landing. Hellice and Elwe sprung into the first canoe they came to. Sparrowhawk gave the boat a shove, and sent it gliding across the open water into the reeds. Then he and Silver Star leaped into another boat and pulled out rapidly after the maidens, and in a moment they, too,were concealed from view of the red-skins in that wilderness of reeds, The crash of rifles and the rattle of bullets, like hail, among the reeds followed. “Thank God, we have escaped with our lives, if nothing else,’’ said Sparrowhawk, dropping his pad- dle and inserting cartridges into his revolver. “Yes, Sparrowhawk, but we are not out of danger yet,”’ replied the Boy Knight. ‘ ‘*No; and so let us hurry forward and overtake the girls. We can then take them into our canoe and endeavor to elude the savages before we leave the swamp,”’ said Sparrowhawk, taking up the pad- die and driving the canoe into the narrow passage through the reeds. ; They followed the path familiar to himself and his sister, supposing the girls would follow that course to the river. They moved along as fast as two pad- dies would carry them, and to their surprise and re- gret were not in sight or hearing of the maidens whenrhalf the distance to the river was made. ‘“‘ It’s singular we don’t overtake them,” said Sil- ver Star; ‘we surely haven’t passed them.”’ **No; Hellice would have kept this passage; moreover, they are in a light canoe and sister han- dies a paddle with wonderful skill. We'll be apt to find them at the river.” With this assurance they glided along. They were nearing the river, and as the girls were still not in sight, Sparrowhawk began to feel uneasy. ‘inally they glided out into the river. The moon- light flooded. the stream. Quickly the young men anced up and down the glimmering, placid waters; ut nowhere could the girls be seen. ““My God!” cried Sparrowhawk, ‘‘ we have missed them, Silver Star!” ** And I fear the worst for them.” With the strength of a madman Sparrowhawk dipped the paddle and sent the canoe cone through the water back into the reeds, then stop and listened, But nothing on earth save the roar of the Tape, Side rushing over the wilderness of reeds could be heard. “Oh, heavens! this is too bad. My poor sister! my poor little friend, Elwe!”’ groaned the young re- cluse. “We may find them yet, Sparrowhawk; let us go back the way we came and search the side pas- es ” eR We'll be sure to meet the accursed Blackfeet; but then, why should I care?. Lam growing desper- ate. This is worse than the torture-rack—death is preferable,”’ “Don’t give up, Sparrowhawk,” said Silver Star, in tones of encouragement; “T’ve stood face to face with death every five hours in the last forty- ey ep yet the hand of Providence has protected — me.” ‘* Well, ['ll admit I am too despondent at times,” said the young recluse; ‘‘I will follow your sugges- tion, my friend.” He dipped his paddle, and again sent his canoe gliding along the passage they had come. It now ecameé necessary to use more precaution, for they were liable to meet Blackfeet at any turn, Silver Star, who satin the front of the boat, kept on the alert for danger, and when about half.wa ck, the sound of voices fell upon his ears. He gave the alarm, and the canoe stopped. Both listened—both heard the voices. They were Indian voices. The youths turned their boat aside, and pulled into the tall reeds, where they were well concealed from the main passage. The dip of a paddle sounded near, and a moment later a canoe, with half-a-dozen Blackfeet, along, going in the direction of the river. it was immediately followed by several others, loaded with Indians and plunder from the cabin, It seemed to our friends that all must have left the swamp, and > - as soon as the rear boat was out of hearing, they crept from their concealment, and moved on toward the cabin. When a few rods from the landing, Sparrowhawk began searching the by-ways and passages that the otter and musk-rats had made through the reeds, A broken stalk, or a ripple on the water, might give him a clew as to where the maidens turned out of the main e. He felt satisfied they were some- where in the swamp. He would have shouted to them, but was afraid of directing the savages, not pose lh them, but to the girls also, should they—the girls—hear and answer . The only safe course was to search in silence; and still t seemed a opeless task. lieving the savages had all left the vicinity of the cabin, the youths did not observe the precaution they would have otherwise done in their search. The frogs had resumed their unearthly music all over the swamp, which was the strongest evidence pc had that the coast was clear. ey searched here and there for hours, Every po connecting with the main channel was Sip gr explored, from one end to the other, but all with found. At a the moon went down and put an end to the é same result. The girls could not be search. ' The wind was still blowin roared among the dry ree forest. Running their canoe into. a clump of willows, the yo men concluded to await the coming of i “Well, my friend,’’ said Sparrowhawk, as he laid hy the paddle, “thisis a sad and terrible night or me,”’ “Ay, Sparrowhawk, and for me, too,” exclaimed Silver Star. “But you have lost nothing, Silver Star, while f have lost my home, my darling sister, and my little friend, Elwe.”’ **'You know not, Sparrowhawk, what I have lost.” “Yes, I mistrust it, my friend; but of this I do not want to talk. The thoughts of it almost made me a demon—a murderer.” *“*We cannot afford to be enemiés, Sparrowhawk; we must find the girls, living or dead,’ said Silver Star, evasively. ‘Of all the years I have resided here, my friend,” the recluse went on, “‘ Elwe was the first to enter our cabin, and her I carried here unconscious. You were the next, but not the last. The savages came as you know, like the destroying hurricane. Ha they not been Blackfeet, they would never have come. The Blackfeet live ’way north of here, and know nothing of the superstitious fear with which this swamp is des ph ste No Sioux ever enters here. This I know, and when I left the society of civiliza- tion, and, with my little sister, became an exile, I selected this dismal place for my home, Here have I lived, hunting and trapping for a living, and going occasionally to the post for supplies and to barter from the south, and as though a stately my elts. But I also went in disguise.” ; f in surprised, Sparrowhawk, to hear you—a mere boy like myself—talkin’ of bein’ an exile. If must be you are such from choice—from your Own free will.’ ‘No, it is not; I am under a cloud, Silver Star,” he answered, a slight tremor shaking his voice, “ and you have caused me more fear and uneasiness than all the red-skins.”’ “You astonish me, Sparrowhawk—you have said this before; and Pit Iam as innocent’ of any intend- ed wrong towar you, as a child unborn.” ‘**T believe you, Silver Star. I know you have been enemy, and yet you know it not.” ‘There is some mystery about you, Sparrowhawk, I see, plain enough,” remarked the Boy Knight. “Yes, I will admit it, Silver Star: and yet I dare not tell you what it is. Were it not for my r, in- nocent sister and—and, well, one other fact, I would not care afarthing. But t heavens! were Hellice to know all, it would kill her—kill her dead, Silver Star!”’ * Sparrowhawk!” suddenly exclaimed Silver Star, “it’s growin’ lighter; it can’t be comin’ day, can it?’ ‘‘No, surely not,” replied 5 his feet, and looking around him; “but my God! the cabin and the swamp is onfire! Silver Star, we have got to work for our lives!” Silver Star rose to his feet, and looked southward over the swamp. The cabin of the reciuse, surely enough, was wrapt in a sheet of flame, while along the south side of the Swamp the reeds, as tinder, were on fire. And fanned by a strong south wind the flames were rolling and leaping toward heaven like fiery demons possessed. Blue, black smoke, filled with millions o EDGES, went boiling and burst- ing upward into the inky sky. twas an awful spectacle, and the light falling upon the faces of the two wretches, gave them the pallor of death. “Oh, my Lord! where are they?—Hellice and Elwe?”’ burst from the Boy Knight’s lips. As if in answer to the question, a wild, terrified scream came over the swamp, mingled with the roar of the ro seething billows of fire. The two, Silver Star and Sparrowhawk, exnenges lances. They could not They listened; but Seating themselves they took up their paddles and began their flight. THSH SUK TLYORS’ CAMP. ‘Yrs, Kitsie,’’ said Old Arkansaw, as he and Kit ee made their way back from the river into the “that wife o’ yourn is a treasure—a genius. What woman ever born ’d’a’ theught of makin'a m COMME NOC KS owhawk, rising to.