Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 146 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

. oe ry = — canoe of herambrilla, and sailin’ Out across a roar- in’ river?”’ ‘**Oh, yes; she’s a jewel in your eye, Arkansaw, but if you’d’a’ had a red-hot skillet flapped over your head or atater-masher driven into your dio- gony as often asI have, you couldn't see anything smart in the old catapult that done the violence. Oh, I honestly wish the Ingins ‘d skulp her, dash her old picters; but instead o’ that she’s act’ly bein’ ompered up and courted by that old rip of a White rane. He's even promised her the position of queen if she’d give up the white people entirely. Lordy! what a queen she'd make! Knock the socks offen Queen Victory of France. She’s a doctor, and that’s what makes the Ingins like her. She really does know somethin’ "bout pills and sich, and has brought more’n one buck Ingin out 0’ the kinks-a-flyin.’ Oh! she’s a sort of a goddess, and a free character ‘mon them, and ’s haydoogins of friends. But she can’ stand it always. She'll flap her heel ag’in’ the bucket some of these days, and then she’ll call on Peter at the gates o’ Paradise.”’ ** Ah! you think she'll be an angel, do you?”’ “*She’ll go through if she takes a notion in spite o’ the doorkeeper’s club. She’s a will of her own, has Sabina, and alers makes a way; and I reckon she'll foller me upon earth and off.’ “If she follers you, Kitsie, after you leave this hemisfear, she’ll catch blue-blazes, now mind.”’ ‘She'll foller if she takes a notion, brimstone or no brimstone; but mebby the devil and I both can head her off. But, lookey here, Arky, Suppose you and me visit that surve 6 party’s camp and see what they’redoin’. Somewhow ’r other I can’t recon- cile myself to Surveyor Braash and Scientific Day- mon, Thar’s plenty of royal old cussedness crap- pin’ out o’ their eyes; but, arter all, everybody ar’n’t villains because they’re not as handsome and lovely and sweet-spirited as you and me, Arky. Do you know that?” ‘‘That’s so, Kitsie; but thar’s Silver Star that we must look arter, too; and, also, that dasted young feller with the arryhawk cap and feather jacket. He’s got{that eal Elwe, ‘bout which Silver Star talked sO much; and, for some reason or other he’s threa- tened the life of the Boy Knight. I’ve an idea sneak- st under my ship Kit, that that Sparryhawk’s not é clear quill.”’ “Dye think so, Arkansaw? Why? State yer rea- son, will ye?”’ tre “On account o’ his mysterious comin’ and goin’. Now none o’ us knows a dasted thing "bout where he belongs; and I’ve heard it loudly hinted that he’s the leader of a gang o’ robbers, and that his handle is Osman, the Outlaw.” “Great horn that pulled old Jericho! D’ye think thar’s a shadder of truth in it, Arky?”’ *Couldn’t swear that thar is, but my own suspi- cion’s what hinted it to me. A mule’s heel’s not always stationary when the mule’s asleep, Kit Bandy; so keep that in your pipe.” Thus conversing the two old bordermen pushed on through the forest in the direction of the surveyors’ camp, and in the course of a few hours they came in sight of the place. It was located in a natural de- fensive position, and commanded a view in all direc- tions. It was situated upon a high hill or knoll sloping off in all directions. The sides of this knoll were barren of vegetation, smooth and covered with a sandy soil; but upon its crest. grew a little clump of trees and in among these the surveyors had pitch- ed their camp. Without any hesitation Old Arkansaw and Kit Bandy ascended the hill and entered the camp where they were met by Surveyor Braash and his men. The scouts took in the camp ata glance. There were about fifteen men of different nationalities, and some of forbidding looks, in the party. All were armed to the teeth and looked as though they would as soon fight as eat. A wagon of heavy military attern, four draught mules and some twenty fine- ooking saddle-horses and equipments comprised their outfit. As evidence of their business, there lay at one side a surveyor’s staff, a compass, a theo- dolite, a Gunter’s chain and pins, a flag-pole and other things pertaining to a first-class outfit of a sur- ve rty. yar fad to meet you again, gentlemen,” said Herman Braash, *‘ and Lope you will accept of the ce poe of our camp as long as you feel so dis- “Thank you, strangers,’ replied Bandy; ‘‘ we’re t guns for fun and good eatin’. We may,‘and we may not stay here awhile with you—jist owin’ to the weather.” “T desire, gentlemen,” said Professor Daymon, ‘‘to gecure the assistance of one of you a few min- utes in helping me make up the topography of this country. Whichever is the best acquainted with this vicinity will please step into my tent.”’ Kit Bandy motioned to 4 kansaw to go with him, so the old scout followed him into the tent. The first t the -professor did was to take from an inno- cent-looking camp-chest a bottle of liquor and a small goblet and invite Arkansaw to drink. The old man touched the liquor lightly, and Daymon, after Sear otk himself, took a small, portable secretary from chest and opening it drew a well-executed map of the White Earth river country therefrom. This he spread out before Arkansaw, and then said: *T presume you can read and write, can you, Ar- k w?’’ ar Bo that I don’t know ‘B’ “Sorry to say, perfesser, from bull's foot. I used to have a hang of the let- the raw ma- ters, but as it alers seemed a waste of . terial to be thinkin’ ’em over, I let ‘em slip and filed up my noggin with some , useful reseats for burns, curin’ peltries and sich.”’ . “Well, I dou’t know as the want of a knowledge of the alphabet will hinder you giving me just as - Silver Star, the Boy Knight. much information as though you had the learning of Humboldt. This map, now, embraces this coun- try so far as the geographical dimensions are con- cerned; but many of the prominent features of the region are not indicated by location, and as we have to make a complete report, even to minute details, we must have the information to make it upon. To travel the country over would require much time and labor, and so we decided to call some one already acquainted with the lay of the land, as the saying goes.’’ “Yes, yes,’’ said Arkansaw gazing upon the map; “but what river's that, perfesser?’ he said, point- ing to a red line north and south across the map. ‘“'That’s not a river, but an isothermal line, Ar- ‘kkansaw,”’ ee the professor, smiling at the old man’s childlike ignorance; ‘* but now, let us com- mence at the Sioux village and follow east dow the river: what are the general features of the country ?”’ ‘* Wal, professor, I’m not very handy in making g’ography, but then I’ll tackle it best I know how. Arter leavin’ the Si-ox village the country, for a ways is level and oy timbered, but after it git into the vicinity of the Spirit Swamp it’s tumbled up wuss than a trundle-bed, and kivered with stunt- pines and grubs, till ye can’t rest. Then comes the Spirit Swamp—a nasty dismal hole; put her down, perfesser. Thar’s more’n five hun acres of it, and nothin’ but reeds and willers, and frogs grow and ripen there.”’ ‘*Is it accessible by foot or by canoe?’’ asked the professor. “They say it’s navi-gate-able for canoes, tho’ Iecan’t say sure enough for g’ografy. You see the swamp bucks up against the north side of the river; ut it down, perfesser; and a canoe could enter it rom the White Earth. But as it’s said to be the abode of spirits and goblins, put it down, perfesser, that Old Arkansaw Abe, who’s not afeard to face death and distruction, could not be hired to enter it in broad daylight.” “Then you have never explored the swamp?” asked Daymon. ‘* Explored it? Heavens. I'd as soon think of ex- plorin’ purgatory. Why, perfesser, when I pass along the river whar the Spirit buckles on. to her, I feel cold and chokish. It seems as though the wind is always blowin’ over the swamp, and sich a roar as them make—why, I sw’ar it would make the h’ar raise on a dead nigger’s head. Oh, a dasted pa pill is the Spirit Swamp; put her down, per- esser.”’ For fully an hour Arkansaw continued his descrip- tion of the country, and when Daymon had obtained all the information of this character desired, he turn- ed the conversation upon other topics. The wea- ther, the hunting, the Indians—all were fully dis- cussed; and finally Daymon remarked, incidentally: ‘*We were all wonderfully worked up the other | ht, when encamped south of here, by the onpeer _ of a dark spot against the clear sky. any were the conjectures as to what it was, but none = nia — it proved ae be th pion ta Ses a go- ng north, and appeared to setthi ward the earth; but what became of it I know not.”’ * That was the night of the twenty-fust, wer'n't it?” asked Old Arkansaw. ‘** Let me see,’’ said the professor, reflectively. ‘I believe it was—yes, it was the night of the twenty- first; Iremember now. Did you see it?” ‘**No, but Silver Star, the Boy Knight of the Pera- ro, did; and that’s not all. The oon was highly down when he see'd it, and he heard the ballooners quarrelin’ like man and wife ‘mong themselves ’bout somethin’, and presently he saw a bundle let down from the balloon with a rope. Then up went the air- boat, and -the fellers begun to quarrel agin, and presently the boy saw somethin’—well, it was @ man —thrown out o’ the balloon and come screamin’ down through the air, and strikin’ the und, was mashed into a lump of red liver. And that bundle, perfesser, turned out to be the sweetest little gal— so Silver Star said—you ever see’d.” ‘**Good heavens! do you believe it, Arkansaw?”’ “Yes; Silver wouldn’t lie,”’ ‘* What became of the girl?” : “* Well, Silver took charge of her—put her on his hoss and started to the fort; but the Ingins got af- ter ’em and he sent her on to the fort, and he dodg- ed off afoot. But alas! the hoss come through hunky, but thar was no gal on his back.”’ ‘* You don't tell!’ exclaimed the professor; “‘ then Silver Star doesn’t know anything about her?” ‘**No, I know he don’t.”’ ‘“Do you have any idea where she is, Arkansaw?”’ “If you can find the den of one 6 ig ag a young trapper, or hunter or somethin’, 1 think ange d the gal there. I heard him tell a person sO an 9 At this juncture Arkansaw caught the eye of Kit Bandy who was standing near, and who gave the scout a look that expressed more than words could have done. However, to get around an ab- rigat on in his honest revelation of facts, he went on. _ “But that Sparryhawk is a crazy loon that imag- ines himself lord of creation and cock of the fodder- walk. My ’pinion is, that the gal dumped out of the balloon’s deader’n Mother Eve, perfesser.”’ pi. pel replied Daymon, making an entry The two conversed a few minutes longer, then rose and went out, when a general, running conver- sation ensued. Presently Daymon and Braash left camp in opposite directions, but mavaged to get to- gether on the south side of the grove. But of these ee Bandy and Arkansaw appeared to take no notice. in slight, fluttering sound at his around he discovered a red flag flappi 13 Kit walked about camp examining, with a childish curiosity, the surveying instruments and outfit; and finally he strolied off toward the north side of the motte, and took a look at the country beyond. Over among the wooded hills he saw a smoke rising as from a camp, and it filled his mind with no little wonder and curiosity. While pondering the matter over he heard a right, and lookin attached to a bus in the wind. And he had no sooner discov- ered this than he saw a horseman emerge from the woods in a line with the smoke over among the hills, and ride toward him, It did not require a second glance to tell him that it was an Indian, and as he came nearer, Kit saw, to his surprise, that it was a Blackfoot chief. ‘‘Wal, now, what’s brought the Blackfeet away down hereaways?” the old man mused. “ Horn of Joshua! if the Si-oxes git wind of it, they'll bounce ‘em like ducks would @ June-bug. And the bugger is comin’ right smack up this way. Who knows—”’ The sound of footsteps cut short his soliloquy, and turning he saw Professor Daymon approaching. ‘* Perfesser,” he said, pointing toward the Indian, ‘*what does that mean? Can you explain it?’ , ‘“‘ By gracious! it’s an Indian, isn’t it?’ exclaimed Daymon. “ “Yes, a Blackfoot chief,” responded Bandy, eying Daymon. ** Well, he mustn’t enter our camp,” said Day- mon, ‘‘and count our force, or he might give us trouble. I will £0 out and meet him, and find out what he’s after. Daymon advanced from the thicket and moved down the knoll until he met the Indian. The latter dismounted and the two held a long conversation, keeping the horse between them and Kit. Finally the chief mounted and rode back toward the woods; and as the professor approached Bandy, he said: ‘‘T coaxed the vagrant and cutthroat to go -back for fear the boys would raise his hair.” “What's the Blackfeet doin’ down here, two or three hundred miles out of their own latitude?”’ ‘** He says a few of them came down to hunt buf- falo, but I don’t believe him. I think they’re look- ing up Sioux scalps.” “Neither do I,” responded Kit, in a tone that caused the professor to look up as if in doubt as to what he meant. ~ The two returned to camp, talking as they went. Dinner was soon announced by a strapping big ve, cook, pon invitation, Kit and Arkansaw broke bread with the surveyors. After the repast was over the old scouts concluded to take their departure, and as they were not urged to stay, they had no difficulty in getting away. When out in the woods, Old Arkansaw asked: ** Weill, Kitsie, my posey, what do you think of the surveyers?” ** Not quite as much as you do, for I didn’t tell °em ida Lge I knowed, and guess at what I didn’t know, as I heard you doin’. Oh, by the time you’ve served a term or two of married life you'll be a leetle more keerful how you shoot off that lip of. yourn.”’ “Don’t you think they’re surveyers, Kit? Haven't ey got their compass, and chains, and -poles, an ind words, and good treatment, and all sich? hurmph? say, Kitsie?’’ “Yes, and didn’t Judas have a kiss for our Savior when he betrayed Him? humph? say, Arkansaw?”’ “Oh, well, er goin’ to quotin’ Skripter and usin’ of metafysics, l ar’n’t thar, Ka-ristopher. My book- Varnin’s not very plentiful, and so if ye want to run with me, you've got to talk solid sense right at me. But I can fetch one, Kitsie, that can hold you level on the talk till the cows come home—that can read and talk on any subject from matromony to a Bab'lonian inscription.” ** Your confidant, Professor Daymon, eh?” “No, that old honey-mug of yourn, Sabina ar A “Oh, Arkansaw! you're a fiend—you delight in torturin’ me—you’re second cousin to old Satan.” ‘*‘ Thanks for the rose-tinted complishment, Kitsie; but all jokin’ aside, I struck a lead in Skinflintic Daymon’s tent by stretchin’ the blanket a leetle and bein’ communicative.” ** Indeed?”’ ' “Yes, sir; he took out.a map of these diggin’s and axed me if I could read. Itoid him no, but I meant that I couldn’t read Lae cep eg then he showed me the map. The fust thing that ‘rested my ‘tention was a red line runnin’ no and south across the map, and I axed, innercently, what river it war, and says he, smilin’: ‘It’s not a river, but an’ icythermule line, or some sich a name. But right thar, Bandy, is whar the little eddycation, that lhad mauled into me at the B ne Holler school-house, come into play. Right along that red line it said: * track ay the alicon.”” “Horn of Joshua!” ‘Yes, sir; that’s what she said, Bandy, and it's my solemn opinion that Skinflintic Daymon’s the man that run that balloon that Silver Star got the galoutof. He talked about the palloon—siid they all see d her over °em; but somehow ’r other I couldn’t swaller all he said after he lied ‘bout that when line. Now how’s that, Adonis of auty?” e fal, that’s been my opiniom, all algmg, of them. They may be government surveyors, and all that, but that doesn’t hinder ‘em from bein’ rascals. Government has lots of sich servants,” said Kit. “Wal, I mean to look around that Blackfoot camp, and keep an eye open,” declared Arkansaw, “Second the metion, Arkansaw, for I think thar’s (G| O}O)) <eom “<S (E€@)