Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 146 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

wo Silver Star, THE BOY KNIGHT. A PRAIRIE ROMANCE. BY OLL COOMES, or ‘“‘VAGABOND JOE,’ “‘ANTELOPE ABE,” “ KEEN-KNIFE,”’ “‘LASSO JACK,” ETC. CHAPTER I. DOWN FROM THE CLOUDS. A FULL moon shone through the blue depths of an October night upon the great prairies—the dark woods and winding rivers of the great Far West. A soft, balmy wind drifted lazily from the south, laden with the rich, ripe fragrance of autumn. The voices of the night were low and monotonous. The White Earth river rolled along as if rendered sluggish by the influence of surrounding nature. “or that weird, mysterious spirit of an Indian sum- er night seemed to have thrown its dream-like 2 over the land. ut, as the hours of night wore, the slumbering ‘ Yhoes of the woods were suddenly awakened by the sound of hoofed feet- galloping down its dark- gned halls. It came from the direction of the White Earth, and appeared to be moving south- ward toward the great, boundless prairie. A pair of deer on the edge of the plain, hearing She sound, stopped in their trail and pricked u their earsin alarm, for clear and distinct soandaa the clat hoofs approaching along the path they were following. . A moment later che animals sniffed the air with quivering nostrils, and turning, fled away over the plain into the purple haze of night. Then forth from the dense shadows of the night— along the deer trail—galloped a horseman. Upon the margin of the plain he drew rein under the mellow light of the old moon. The re of the horseman was that of a man— a youth in age but a man in physical development, and of experience in the saddle, with the revolver, and upon the trail. From under the rim of his gray, slouched hat a brown, beardless face looked out— marked with all the impetuosity of a yo daring spirit, and set with a pair of as bright, AUTHOR and wk- like eyes as ever shot their keen glances over the plains of Dakota. He was dressed in a finely-wrought suit of buck- skin that fitted him neatly, displaying his manl figure to advantage. A rifle was slung at h back, upon either hip hung a silver-mounted revolver. But the most conspicuous feature of all, was the great silver star upon his breast—a star that was as well known to every savage and prairie freebooter in Dakota and the Black Hills as old Ursa Major is known to the students of astronomy. For the horseman was the noted Silver Star, the Py Knight of the Prairies. He was mounted upon a small, clean-limbed gray rse, whose long, slender neck, small head and wide nostrils deno wonderful speed and endless endurance. The animal was caparisoned with a light, strong saddle, and bridle to correspond. At the pommel of the saddle hung a leather-covered canteen and a rope lariat. As he came to a halt upon the plain the you man dro the rein upon his animal’s neck, anc restin arm upon the cantle of his saddle, as- =anell an attitude of intense Pee At the same time his keen eyes searched the plain before and apon each side of him, closely, carefully. “Surely I can’t be mistaken 4s to the point,” he mused; and then he took from his pocket a slip of paper, and read these words—written ina bold, rude “Smver Srar:—Paul Osman, the Outlaw, has some deviltry afoot—the culars I don’t know. Put if you are in the vici ween the point where the Big Deer Trail enters the White Earth woods, you may learn the facts. Goif you can; that v must be thwarted. Tae Hippen Spy.” When he had concluded this note, which he had found pinned to his blanket one morning upon awake from a sound slumber in the woods, he glanced around him as if to take in his position, then continued: “Well, this is the place; but the question is whether I've been duped, or led into a mg I've heard of the Hidden Spy and the Mysterious DY for some time, but I always believed he wasa myth; nor does this note weaken my views of the case, I'm inclined to think that the ee Spy and the Demen of of which we bear so much, but never see, are creations of some dull, superstitious minds. At any rate, I shall consider the Spy a genuine fraud, if this trip down here terminates in a water-haul.”’ Thus for several minutes he mused to himse]f, and finally, satisfied that he had come there upon a wild-goose chase he took up the reins and spoke to his horse. But to his surprise, the dnimal refused to obey. It shook its head, reared slightly and gaye a low, uneasy whinny not to be mistaken by his young master. “Shades of the temple!” exclaimed the boy. ‘What's in the wind, Prince, my — horse? Can it be possible that Osman, the Outlaw, and his gang are near?” As if in answer to his questions, the horse shook ee , snorted repeatedly, and pawed the earth ently. “What in the name of conscience can ail you, Prince? Are you going mad? I never saw you act so before,” said the Boy Knight; and with his revol- | Silver Star, the Boy Knigat. ver in his hand he leaned forward and searched the rass before him. But he saw nothing, and quieting is animal, he listened. Nothing, however, save the beating of his own heart, seemed to disturb the quietude of the night. A moment or two passed when the horse i became fretful and uneasy. Then a shadow crossed the youth’s vision, and lifting his eyes to the object that had come between him and the moon, acry of horror burst from his lips, and he ppm FS w up on the reins until his horse was nearly thrown upon its haunches, an be ae him and the moon hung—in mid-air— what ? Never in all his young life had Silver Star known fear. Never had he shrunk from danger or duty, however great, however arduous. He was not super- stitious, as most bordermen are, but it must be con- fessed that the youth now found himself confronted by an object that, altogether, was beyond his com- prehension—that filled his breast with a strange, mysterious feeling—a feeling of commingled awe and fear. He fixed his eyes upon the object and held thera there as if riveted by a hncesibls fascination. is horse, too, s silent—trembling in every limb with affright. High above the horizon swun at object. In shape and size it resembled a ystack, top downward. It was moving, and reeling against the — like a drunken thing, and appeared to be u- ally settling toward the earth. Something like a great basket was suspended from its base, and in this basket the Bo ight could see the forms of two men dimly outlined against the blue sky. And, furthermore, he could hear the voices of these men engaged in conversation—engaged in loud and em- phatie tones, that, to all appearances, were those of animosity and resentment. Silver Star was somewhat relieved of bis wonder- ment when he heard the voices of these sky travel- ers. He never seen a balloon, but had often heard of it, and now came to the rightful conclusion that the object before him was a balloon settling to earth, It relieved him of all fears and doubts, and turning his horse, he rode back into the shadows that lay stone. the edge of the woods, “By the es of the temple,”’ the horseman mused, ‘I wonder, now, if there isn’t something in the words of the Hidden Spy! Can it be possible that Osman, the Outlaw, is in that balloon? or is he lurking about the ‘ Deer Trail’ to meet them balloon fellows here, by appointment?” The balloon was, by this time, about a hundred yards above him. It seemed to have become almost stationary, and foce trembling and quivering in the air as if eras. anced between the laws of gravi- tation and the buoyant éffort of the inflated canvas —unable to descend, unable to Meanwhile, Silver Star could still hear the aeronauts engaged in high words that sounded more clearly to his ears thanif they had emanated from a lower point; still,he the e ha was unable to make out anything intelligible. How- ever,.as the balloon drifted slowly along the edge of the woods above tlie tree-tops, he rode ost direct- ly under it, but carefully concealed in the shadows. e words of the aeronauts became somewhat pert and he finally gathered enough to learn that hey were disputing about throwing something over- board to lighten their craft and prevent it from fall- ing to the earth. ‘I don’t care a ——, professor,” he heard one of them say; “if this balloon is lightened of one thing, it will be lightened of me, also.” ** Man,” replied he who was addressed as professor, “don’t you know thatif we go down here we can never rise again?”’ “I don’t care a spark of fire in purgatory!’’ was the response; ‘“‘ you've heard my decision.” saan this the professor laughed a wild, sardonic ugh. A conversation in a lower tone now followed, and a few moments later Silver Star saw, to his surprise and wonder, a dark, elongated object lifted over the basket of the balloon and lowered by means of a rope. When it had reached the und, the rope was ropa notwithstanding the sha rotest of one of the aeronauts; and thus relieved of a portion of its burden, the balloon an slowly to ascend. Now again did the Boy Knight hear high words be- tween the aeronauts, with not an infrequent use of frighthful oaths. But the balloon was soon rising so rapidly that he could no longer distinguish their words. He kept his eyes upon the air-ship, how- ever, and was startled to see the men moving quick- ly about in the basket, and making motions with their arms as if engaged in a hand-to-hand strug- gle. This had lasted but a few moments when o the horror of the lad, he saw one of the men litt the other in his arms and hur! him out of the basket. Down, down, with a wild, blood-c ng scream trailing through the air, the doomed man sunk, and struck the earth with a dull, crushing thud. ‘Oh, my God!"’ burst from the lips of the boy, his soul fairly sickening at the horrible sight and sound; ‘““what awful ‘nystery and murder are these?” He glanced up as if to see what next was to follow, but the balloon, now relieved of more of its burden, soared into the blue depths above, and striking an upper current of air, drifted rapidly away to the northward. Without a moment's hesitation Silver Star ,dis- mounted, and, lea his horse to follow, advanced to where the ill-fa aeronaut lay. He found the man—an entire stranger of about thirty years—ly- ing in a broken, bleeding lump. Life was y extinct, and the young borderman was about to be- gin an examination of his person for documentary evidence of his identity, and from whence he had come, when a low, stifled moan hard by arrested his attention. This reminded him of the first object -_—_— ~~ eee that had been lowered from the balloon, and turn- ing, he walked to where it had been let down. To his surprise and astonishment, he found it to bea human form be in a gray blanket, and strug- gling to free itself from the folds of the blanket, and the rope that encircled the mw 6 Without a moment's hesitation Silver Star drew his knife, and severing the rope, stripped the blanket from the form and face of the unknown. “Holy Jerusalem!” burst involuntarily from the lad's lips, while his face and eyes lit up with a glow of surprise and admiration. And no wonder, for before him, now occupying a sitting posture, was a girl scarcely past sixteen! summers—a. girl of wondrous beauty—a beaut hightened by her wild surroundings, and the weird, mellow beams of the old white moon. ‘CHAPTER II. ELWE ——. Ir was astrange, touching scene—hard for the pen to describe, for pencil to portray. The long, dark line of forest—the great brown prairie—the astound- ed young Knight of the Plain—the beautiful, terri- fied giri—the lifeless lump of Humanity lying nea! —the motionless horse of the ran athe tall, wav ing grass, and the whole flooded by the pale light of the moon struggling through the mist of autumn, formed a combination of elements whose expressiox and spirit could not be transferred to the canvas ol the painter. For several moments not a soul stirred. The pale lips of the maiden were parted, and her soulful eyes lifted to the handsome face of Silver Star as though she would speak; but, like the youth himself, she seemed speechless, spellbound. The spell was suddenly broken by Prince, whe gave an uneasy snort, and struck the ground sharply with his hoof. Silver Star glanced quickly around him, and then turning again to the maiden said: “I can’t actually believe my senses.”’ The maiden glanced around her, as though his voice came from some other direction; still she spoke never a word. - ae a Face pe Rasen Nong ae prood C the youth continued, advan an nger upon her hand as'if to ansuns iammeell theb'ghe was a material object and not a vision. The touch of the boy’s finger seemed to break the spell that bound her motionless and silent, and by an effort she arose to her feet, though still gazing in bewilderment about her. In size she was a little below the medium, but pos- sessed a petite, well-rounded form, a sweet, gir sh face set in a wealth of golden hair, and large brown eyes with long silken lashes. She was-dressed im garments that were not of the border, but of wealth and civilization. The shawl about her shoulders, the jewels upon her person, and the air of refine- ment upon her features told that she was a child of wealth and society. “Where amI?’’ were the first words she 4. ages oe ee her eyes over the boundless p be- ore her, ‘“*My dear young lady,” said the Boy Knight, gal- lantly, ‘‘ you are in the southern extremity of Dako- ta Territory.” * ¢ h, sir!’ she exclaimed, with a start; ‘‘ this can- not be.”’ ‘It isa fact, miss, howsomever bitter it may be to you. Pardon me, but may I ask where you live?’’ ‘A thousand miles from here, I expect!’’ she said, half-choked with some terrible inward emotion. ‘** But, oh! this cannot be true! Iam surely dream- ing! Tell me if this is not all a frightful dream?” I wish I could, miss, and tell you the truth; but it’s all too real,’’ replied the boy. ‘*Oh, merciful heavens!” she cried, wringing her little hands in bitter anguish of heart; “‘why did L ever live to see this? Oh, sir! how came I here?”’ Silver Star was greatly astonished by these ques- tions. He saw that the maiden had been the victim of some foul and devilish comre e had been kidnapped and carried from her home, wher- ht be, in the balloon, and that, too, ever that mig while under the influence of some vagy “All I know about you, miss, is that you were lowered from a balloon a few minutes ago--that the balloon rose in the air and sailed away to the north- ward, lea you alone to the protection of Heaven in this wild, heathenish land. t, rest assured, I'll die before I see harm come to you. I'm Silver Star, the Boy Knight. I b’long up to the fort, and there I'll take you. If I do a, it myself, Miss Stranger, I’m young, but blest if [can’t square ac- counts with any red-skin or prairie freebooter that'll dare to offer you harm by word or act. And I’m rough too, as a quartz-rock, but then you will excuse me, I know, for ven't had the society and school-pol- ishing like I know you've had, miss. We fellows out here are full of fight and fun, but not much for nice clothes and big words; but if there is anything I like to see it’s a fair fight anda on woman. J] know you've not been treated right, Miss Stranger; them men must ‘a’ been awful demons to leave you, a perfect angel, alone on this prairie for the wolves to eat you up. , ‘*No doubt that is what they desired—intended,” the gi responded, half-choked with her emotions. “But their game’s failed them, thank Heaven! Now may IL ask you what your nanie is, miss? and where you come from? and who them men are? and what they are to you?’” a** My name is Elwe—"’ she began, but the rest of the name was lost to-the ears of Silver Star in the lou a rr bk at a “Great shades of the temple! what's comingn wW, Prince?” the lad exclaimed, and turning, eye te horse looking southward over the plain, Then the JOO ECON MINCE “Ss s (El) i } ) — ee me ee ere Ore lie ta 4 a ei On nee no: See of $