Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 146 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 - ——- -_- — —_——-- | Crane; and as he looked across the abyss into the | very face of the brave young scout, a smile of de- moniac triumph seemed to contort his face into that of a gloating demon, Silver Star stood in full view of the chief, whose presence on the eg seme side of the bluff he knew, of course, must be known to his braves on the ledge; and yet the chief acted as though he was endeavor- ing to keep himself concealed from the eyes of all but the boy. He probably felt a pan of guilt in taking this advantage of a boy; but, this as it may, Silver Star was tempted totry a shot upon the renegade, and yet he did not. Buta moment later he saw the chief thrust his gun through a little open- ing inthe shrubbery and levelit upon him. Hesaw che eye of the man blazing down the deadly barrel like the eye of doom, and bowing his head—with the word “* Elwe ”’ upon his lips—the brave young knight awaited his fate. CHAPTER III. OUT OF ONE DANGER INTO ANOTHER, Tue rifle of the renegade chief rung forth, a groan followed, and a limp and lifeless body went bounding headlong into the awful depths of the Dead Falls. But it was not the body of Silver Star, the Boy Knight. It was that of a savage—the one that had stood so patiently at the right of the niche in which the boy was concealed, Silver Star stood unharmed, me je he scarcely knew what to think—whether the figures passin around him were the figures of a wild dream, or o stern reality. He thought it impossible for White Crane to have slain one of his own warriors purpose- ly; and yet it seemed as utterly impossible for him to have killed him by mistake. Surely he—the boy— hed not been mistaken in the person he had seen across the chasm? He was satisfied it was White Crane, but what puzzled him was the chief’s action in shooting one of his followers; and while ponder- ing the matter over, he was suddenl y startled by an- other rifle-report, and the death-yell of another sav- age. Again had the supposed renegade chief slain an- Pp isnt Po and again was the Boy Knight plun into doubt and suspense that were 8 could see nothing of the chief now, nor could he hear anything of his red enemies on the ledge to the left; sill he was afraid to venture from his covert, an while trying to determine what course to pursue, he was suddenly surprised by seeing his unknown friend emerge from the shrubbery on the opposite side of the chasm in full view. It was the renegade chief, White Crane, sure enough ! ** Great horn—I mean waugh!”’ the chief began, in a quick, excited tone; ‘“‘whatin the fire and thun- der are you doing in that hole, Silver Star! Didn't I give you a chance, last night, when I met you on the ledge, to save your bacon? Oh, if I had a-holt of you I'd jerk some of that adventuresome young cussedness outen your system! Why, I had to pl two of my braves to skeer the rest away, and so, you know what’s good for your hide, you want to be a-climbin’ out of t like a sick b’ar. In ten min- utes more my braves ‘Il be round here lookin’ for the feller that struck Billy Patterson. Now shin out round the Dead Fall.”’ “ White Crane,why have you befriended me, thus?”’ the boy ventured to demand, full of strange eager- hess. “That's none of your business, my larkie, and now rood-by, for I’m off like a gazelle,’ and the strange chief glided into the bushes and was seen no more by Silver Star. The boy had been deeply imbued with the honest intention of the chief, notwithstanding his mysteri- ous motive; and so he ventured from his covert. He found the Indians gone, and without a mo- ment’s hesitation he moved along the ledge, around the Dead Fall, and made his way from the cliffonto broader and safer ground. He now breathed an air of relief, and gained a moment for reflection. His mind reverted to Elwe and the mysterious Whit» Crane. He at once relieved himself of all fears con- cerning the maiden, for he felt certain his noble horse would carry her beyond danger; but the more he thought of the chief, and his acts of mercy to him, the greater became his heartfelt gratitude and wonder—won ‘er that deepened into a profound mystery. Long, weary miles now lay before the Boy Knight. They were all the more weary for he was suffering the pangs of hunger and the ill-effect of his long and painful confinement on the ledge; but, with that firm unfaltering courage and resolute determination sO chinractoriatts of the boy, he pushed boldly for- ward. He soon reached the White Earth, and turn- ing westward followed along that stream, looking for a crossing. He had followed this route but a short distance when he came upon the smolderin embers of a camp-fire. He knew by the signs tha a party of Indians had been encamped there during the night. Stirring up the embers he put on some dry fuel, and with his hat fanned the fire intoa blaze. This done, he resolved to have some breakfast, and shoul- dering his rifle he set off in search of game. He con- cluded to kill anything fit to eat, from a deer toa bird, and, as luck would have it, he had not gone far when a fine deer came lancing down the woodland shadows within fifty paces of him. Accustomed to firing at deer and antelope upon the run, the lad uickly brought his rifle to his shoulder and fired. deer lunged forward a few rods and fell in a lit- ning. / eavens!”’ exclaimed the lad, as the echoes re- ated the report of his rifle over and over and sent t rolling and rebounding through the young day, tle o a “that’s noise enough to bring down the Ingins from Silver Star, the Boy Knight. = —_--— eo British ec But then I can’t starve, report or no re ; Reloading his rifle he advanced to secure a slice of the deer. @ animal was scill st ling in its me sgpend ge It ig oe bars with a coat ~ ee Ossy as and as the y knig stood waiting for it to die, he was startled & sight of the animal’s hot blood spurting from #00 wounds in its side. Zo bullets had pierced the deer, and Silver Star had fired but one of them! The other one must have been fired simultaneous—both rifles cracked as onc. Who had fired that other shot? As Silver S ar asked himself the question he raised his eyes and glanced quickly around him, A cry burst from his lips. Forth from the bushes near he saw a ted sav- age ate and glide toward him with drawn toma- awk. uicker than a flash of lightning Silver Star whip- out a revolver and fired. @ savage stopped suddenly, clutched at his face and attempted to ut- ter a cry, but the blood that welled up in his throat choked down all utterance save a low, strangling gas , and reeling he fell dead. But, scarcely was his victory won ere two more warriors came bound- ing from the woods with a frightful yell, and bore down oa the young white. Never flinching, the boy deliberately raised his revolver and fired. bring: ing down his Indian, and was about to repeat the act upon the other, when he—the warrior—threw his hatchet at the youth. Silver Star dod the fying weapon, but in throwing up his to ward 0 danger, the tomahawk struck his revolver and knocked it from his hand. till the savage came on, drawing his knife as he adver oe yelling like a demon. Silver Star, ever ready for any eme mie stood erect with one foot set forward, his fists nched, his teeth set and his eyes blazing with a desperate resolve. He had laid rifle down when he drew ae Pen and now he stood weaponless; still he yielded not an inch, The savage was a herculean fellow—strong enough to crush the boy by main strength. The ferocity of a demon was depicted u his face. He felt confi- dent of an easy victory, for he saw that the lad was without any means of defense whatever. Silver Star, however, had resolved to sell his life dear a Seating facerned Wee w soci teskand th of him, he sprung forward like a young tiger threw between the legs of the warrior, but the feet of the savage striking the shoulder of the boy he stumbled and fell full upon the ground. Both, with lig uickness endeavored to be first upon his feet; but the first down was the first UP, and before the red-skin was aware of the fact, the hands of Silver Star were fastened upon his scalp-lock, and he felt himself jerked backward with dreadful violence across the body of the dying deer. ver eo fell ia! yet nye- 2 ~* and the Sig ee @ mov y under him, supposed, in his blind fury, that he had fallen upon the body of the boy, aud raising his knife he ve the blade, with all his strength, into the animal’s neck. He attempted to withdraw the weapon, but as it had been buried in the muscles and tendons it seemed riveted there and refused to be withdrawn, and before be could repeat his effort Silver Star was upon foot and tugging desperately at his long scalp. By a sudden movement the lad succeeded in jerking m beyond the reach of his knife, when the war- rior was thrown upon his natural resources for defense. Like a huge serpent he pene" a himself about upon the earth and fairly frothed at the mouth. His strength was prodigious, and by a quick jerk he threw the Boy Knight to his knees, and reaching backward he seized the youth by the collar and drew him up close against back, In the iron gripe of the nster the lad was as a mere infant, and he was comPletely at the villain’s nosh § Still the poung knight held on to his scalp-lock, and kept the great bullock-like head of the savage drawn back so that he could not exert his entire strange. In the struggle they had rolled over a rod from the body of the deer, but now the savage an wriggling and ng back toward the deer. Silver Star knew his intention; it was to secure his knife and end the struggle. The young knight felt that his life was in imminent peril, for he was powerless to do aught in the hands of the giant. Inch by inch did the red-skin work his way toward the deer, and at length he came close enough to touch the haft of his knife with his fingers. Another hitch and he could agg it. Silver Star felt his blood run cold. He glanced across the opening and within the shadows of a tree he saw a strange, round, black object, resembling, in some respects, the wi of a monster bat. The sight of it sent a shiver through his frame, notwith- standing his perilous situation. _ Before he had time for a second thought he felt the sav for- ye a ae saw his fingers close upon the handle of the e. At this very juncture a cloud of smoke burst from the dark object on the edge of the Opens and the dull, pistol-like report of a firearm broke the dead silence of themoment, Silver Star felt a quiver run through the frame of his t antagonist, he felt his loosen upon his collar, and looking into his aled face, he saw a bullet-hole directly between s eyes—saw that he had been slain. The next instant the Boy Knight a free lad; but who had saved him? He glanced toward the oda of the opening; but that strange, black object isa While the youth again found himself pondering over another strange mystery, he was suddenly eee ee ee ees a startled by sight of a wild, tragic scene that was being enacted a few rods away. CHAPTER IV. “‘WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK, THEN COMES THE TUG 0’ WAR.” Srtver Srar’s attention had been attracted by the sound of a human voice, and loo around he saw a white man, about ten rods away, in a posi- tion of the most comical and ridiculous character; and the words that he heard issuing from the man’s lips filled him with no little wonder and curiosity. e man was dressed from head to foot in the garb of a frontiersman, and was standing facing, and close up azainst a tree with his arms hugging the trunk tightly. And what was more strange, the arms of another man—evidently a savage—upon the other side of the tree were lapped around the trunk, and the fingers of the hand clutched tightly in the unkempt locks of the hunter. What it all meant, Silver Star could not under- stand, and for a minute or more he stood gazing up- on the strange Poems. To his surprise, he discovered that the Indian was none other than his friendly foe, White Crane, in whose hair the long ts of the hunter were hooked. e two foes had evidently approached each other with the tree between them, and aware of each other’s presence on the ghey side, had endeavor- ed to each other and thus became fastened in a deadly gripe, and in this ludicrous manner they were found the Boy Knight. It ap that neither would relin his hold through fear that his antagonist would gain an ad- vantage over him; and yet they were in a position that would enable them to inflict little damage upon each other. Around and around the tree they circled, jerking and thumping each other's head against the tree un- til their faces and foreheads were bruised and bleed- sci pedelieg, ied Pintle Cho tick borin trante e the m the human mind could conceive. Silver Star enjo the scene very much, yet in some doubt as to what it really meant, he stood and wa “Oh, you gol-infernalated red bastion,” he heard the w uate exclaim, ‘I'll hold vou here the fires of the sulphur-pit out—I'll pound your old cocoa-nut shell ag’in’ this tree tillthe milk in it’s all a into bonnyclabber, confound your ever—o— re) ” His words were here cut short by White Crane eiying his h a furious bump against the tree, “Waugh!” vociferated the red- . ** White Crane much chief—he hold pale-face dog here till tree grows big and makes white dog’s arms “Oh, that’s your idea, is it, you mutton-head? I'll hold onto your hair till my whole carcass is stretched into arms. I'll be found here a hundred ears from now if you last, you red bastion. Oh, ackson, that fit at Waterloo! jist wait and I'll soon kick this tree out from between us; I’m to be your last sickness!” In this manner they continued to pull, and haul, and curse each other around and around the tree for some time. Neither seemed disposed to yield, and Silver Star finally concluded that he wo : terfere. He knew not whether the white man was a friend or not; but he naturall og tem he was a friend. White Crane he knew had befriended him— saved his life, and now if he could repay him he was going to do it, and advancing nearer to them he ex- claimed: ‘* Ho, here, men! what means all this?” Had a bomb-shell exploded near, the two foes would not have started more violently. Each broke his hold upon the other’s hair and started back, still keeping the tree between them. Each glanced at the Boy Knight, then drew his knife and ready, as if ex g his enemy to come around the tree and finish the conflict, But neither stirred from his tracks—seemed anxious to renew the battle. “* Men, y this fight here in this manner?” Silver Star asked, lookiag from one to the other, ‘‘ Because the pale-face dog is afraid to come ‘round the tree and fight like a brave man,”’ answer- ed White Crane. “ The red-faced bastion’s a liar,” roared the hunter, an odd-loo old genius of the enuine Yankee type; “I went around and around that tree fifty thousand times, but the coward alers kept on the t’other side like a squirrel. Them are the facts and figgers in the case, youngster; and I can whoop that spider-legged, gump-headed red nigger out o’ his boots and breeches if he'll just sail around here!” The pale-face is a great coward!” hissed the renegade, shaking his bony fist at his foe, though the tree was still between them. There was something in the ill-shaped and angular-featured White Crane that impressed Bilve: Star rather favorably. There was a strange twinkle in his gray eyes, and an odd, serio-comical ex- pression hovering about the great, wide mouth that were indicative of some of the better traits and re- deeming qualities of human nature. There was nothing repulsive or nr cope gaa | about the white man; but, naturally enough, Silver Star's sympathy was for the man who had saved his life; and beliexing that now was the time to repay the chief, he resolved to interfere. — “Ss rs,” he said, “let this conflict end here. You are both white men—brothers. White Crane has saved my life, and it is but just that I should repay him in like manner. White Crane, you may depart. I will see that no harm befalls you," Thanks to thee, my little cove,’’ said the chief with a graceful wave of the hand, asif glad of the lad's assurance, Ther craning his neck around the fin cS (€@) (E| OV)