Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 169 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

Qimes ee ee a ee ee eee eee eee Tornado Tom; OR, 1NJUN JACK FROM RED CORE. & Btory of the Unexplored Wilds of Idaho. BY T. C. HARBAUGH, ~pramen.or ‘' NICK 0’ THE NIGHT,” ‘‘ NIGHTINGALE eae,” HIDDEN LODGE,” ‘‘OLD FROSTY,” *‘ KIT T,” ‘DANDY JACK,” ‘‘ MIDNIGHT #aCK,” ““KIOWA CHARLEY,” ‘‘GOLD TRIGGER,” ‘‘ JUDGE LYNCH, JR.,” ETC., ETC., ETC. CHAPTER I. THE MAP IN THE SAND. ‘““"Perwano, ar’ ye dreamin’? No! Ar’ ye bhind? Nary a blind! Is this confounded ‘ bewitched? That’s a conundrum what ye must give up, Tornado. But, let me git owns to solid bizness an’ bottom facts—yes, vaiPer Gown to hard-pan, an’ the bed rock ov tru. That thing warn’t thar yesterday, fur I «steed right whar 1l’m standin’ now contemplat- “an” the scenery an’ tryin’ to git the right bear- im’s. It didn’t come hyar ov its own account, “Gar maps don’t grow in the sand. Somebody * is one—somebody whose bizness in these seems to be your bizness. Your bizness! | think ov that, Tornado!” '““fhe eves of the lonely speaker flashed, and as ie started with clenched hands from the spot ~wevhnere he had halted, he cried: _ “Woe to the man what makes my bizness - eeyar his!” it was getting dark, the sun had disappeared | tbebind one of the gigantic mountdins that | Jwevomed the man in. The scene exhibited nature in her wildness, wand he, tall, gaunt and tanned, matched the prospect well. _ Strange to say, he was standing on what might have been in an age long gone by, a sand-bar. But where the river had flowed, trees and grass were growing, with here and there a patch of jie: aye whose particles would have glistened Bat sun. This scene was in the midst of that wild part wf Edaho which some geogra hers have called ithe terra incognita of the Far West, and others “ the land of death.” The man who called himself by the singular yaame ef Tornado was puzzled; his expression wowed this. Now, what had perplexed, mysti- Misco mA a lot of lines in the sand at his feet ee) bisected each other like the streets of a city. A wumber of serpents might have made them; ast the man was willing to swear that a snake _ Jaad not marred the surface of the sand. He had come suddenly upon the strange map ~—$o suutdenly, indeed, that a few moments be- Gere the ludicrous questions which we have ‘heard him ask himself, he had started back with vn exslamation of astonishment. Oue would have thought that he had seena ee the map in the sand. a his fierce warning words? What did they mean? “ Wee to the man what makes my business tus!” ‘For many moments the discoverer had stared « tae uncouth tracery withouta close examina- oom, Now he stooped and appeared to study it with Re interest. He in his left hand a long-barreled, ieee rifle whose stock, adorned with thie of a deer in tin, rested on the g:ound Yeattie an enormous foot, while the fingers of his ‘xt hand followed, as if from some irresistible wey 3 oy my little creases in the sand. ~* Pa hike to carry this ’ar map in my pocket,” -‘' said, speaking to himself. ‘ But as I can’t 9 et pe got to tote it in my noggin. The TAA t made it didn’t carry it on paper; but ‘ine-wed it byar from recollection to refresh his wisemory. It begins to look asif thar’s two men “antin’ the same thing in these parts. Great -oorin’ thunders! Whatif thar ar’? What if e~wmebody—mebbe more than one—intends to a it with ye, Tornado?” be man sprung up and dashed a foot across ee sand—which action had the effect of obliter- sauna yg the pg ‘* tracing.” A ~ } war hyar first!” hecried. “I came hyar to etuod if, an’ to keep it! An’ I say, woe to the man “what made the map in the sand if he hunts my prize}! Let me see! The widest and the deepest ‘gt 4 4 | self in a narrow mountain pass which he had Tornado Tom. line on thet infernal map pointed straight toward | Then, I know why you’re hyar!” cried Tor- the narrercanyon. An’ thar war anarreron the | nado. ‘‘ We might as well proceed to bizness!” end ov thet line, too! oe means a good deal; There was no reply, but the next moment thy it means, Tornado, that it war the most import- | two men, thus strangely met, were advancing ant line on the hull map, an’ the one what he | toward each other with drawn bowies. would most likely take if he’s lookin’ fur the prize. I’m off fur the canyon. I want to meet CHAPTER ILI. the fellar thet made thet map, an’ chaw ’im QUEEN OF RED CORE. It was a wild place for such a combat. up!” With a parting glance at the ground which | Tornado Tom let his rifle slip to the ground, and braced himself for the duel. had yielded him such unwholesome fruit, the ‘One ov us ar’ bound to go under, mebbe man sprung away. both,” he said to himself. Eagerness coupled with rage seemed to lend speed to his ungainly limbs; he almost ran. The duelists came together at length, each one about ten feet from his rifle. We have said that the man was “tall, gaunt ani tanned.” These four words briefly, but well, Then Tom got a good look at his foe, and describe him. If tall and gaunt, he did not | knew that he was a man whom he had never lack strength; his bands, when clenched, re- | seen before. sembled sledge-bammers in more ways than He was quite an Indian in appearazxice, so that one. His face was beardless and well defined, | the name he bore fitted him well. He hada but not unhandsome. A pair of hawk-like eyes | handsome and supple figure, which was clad in peered over his high, sun-scorched cheeks, | a new buckskin suit, and Tornado saw that he which were whipped vag oasis & by crackers of | was still a young man though one who had long hair that touched his shoulders. roughed it much. A clean-cut face ornamented is garments were the well-known habili- | by a dark mustache that might have killed a ments of mountain men; they had served him | city beau with envy, and eyes that scintillated well, and the seams told that he had lately seen | like the stars overhead. He was about thirty- ‘‘the plains,” for they were well laden with | six, and if there were no Indian blood in his alkali dust. The rifle was not his only weapon, | veins, why the dark skin, and the dark hair. for a huge bowie-knife occupied a leathern | that lay loosely on his broad shoulders? sheath on his right bip. | Such was Tornado Tom’s foe. He had seen the plains; he had crossed the | The toe of Tom’s heavy boot touched Indian Bitter Root Mountains; and invaded the death- | Jack’s dainty moccasin when they halted. infested acres of Idaho. **Injun Jack, eh?’ thought our first acquaint- He had traveled one thousand miles and faced | ance. ‘‘ By Jehu! he’s a daisy! Ef he war a death a thousand times to find—what? friend instead ov a foe, gosh! how close he’d. Let our story tell. ; stick!” And now somebody was before him. The men faced each other for several minutes Tornado Tom—for let us complete the ti- | in silence as if they hated to ‘‘ proceed to busi- tle by which we sball kuow this character— | ness.” did not halt for a moment until he found him- Why should they be enemies? In that wild land why should they not be the stanchest of friends? At last Injun Jack spoke:— ‘* I’m ready, Tornado.” ‘* T’ve been waitin’ fur yé these five minutes,” was the response. The gladiators threw back their ample chests and raised their bowies. The next instant there was a furious pass followed by a recoil; but they stood together once more foot to foot. All at once Injun Jack lowered his blade. ‘We'd better let them go by first,” he said, addressing Tornado. **Confound it!” growled Tom, ‘ This ar’ the second time in my life that the p’izen varmints. hev interrupted a duel fur me. Ar’ they fol- lerin’ you, Injun?’ **Guess not; I’ve been hyrr two weeks; but I haven’t seen a scalp-lock ret.” “Two weeks!” ejaculated Tom, cpe: ing his eyes with amazement. ‘‘What bev I been doin’ all the time thet—” The sounds that came from the western end of the pass put an end to his sentence, and, by common consent he and Injun Jack stepped aside and hid among the young trees at the foot incorrectly dubbed a canyon. It was several miles from the startling map, and on either hand rose the dark and wooded sides of the Unknown Mountains. The man had evidently visited the spot before for he had called it the narrow canyon. ‘Wal, I'm hyar!” he said. ‘‘ Tornado, what do you think ov the ma , now?” he man bad halted in the narrowest portion of the pass, and was wiping his brow with a sweep of his lengthy arm. If he intended to reply to the self-put ques- tion he did not, for a sound and a sight held his tongue. ‘*T guess I’ve found the map-maker a’ready,” he thought. Perhaps he had. At a certain point about twenty feet in his front stood a figure which he would have ran against if he had continued on a few more strides. It looked like a statue cut out of stone and planted there; but Tornado Tom knew that it was a living man, and, of course, his mortal enemy! While the man-hunter was hastening to the | of the bill. pass, night bad thrown her pall over the coun- While they stood there, breathlessly waiting try. The mountain pass was lit up by the stars | for the Indians, their shoulders toucled—ile alone—lamps that hung too far away to afford much light. But the light was sufficient to show Tornado that bis antagonist was his equal in hight, but a little stouter in build, and that he was similarly armed, ‘‘ By the jaws ov Jonah’s whale! we kin hev it out hyar without interference!” gritted Tom. ‘*He’s the man thet made the map, an’ conse- quently he’s my victim.” Then he raised his voice, but at the same time his hand glided to his thigh. ‘* Hello! stranger?” ‘* Hello!” was the gruff response. ‘* Who might you be?” Tom was leaning forward eager to hear the reply when it came clear and distinct, a chal- lenge in every word. ‘* Injun Jack from Red Core!” The words went up the mountains, and a moment’s silence followed. Tornado had drawn his knife; so had the man from Red Core. ** Ain’t ye goin’ to trade names?” be asked. **Sartinly! I’m called Tornado whar they know me best.” Tom thought he heard Injun Jack utter a note of surprise. : “Why ar’ ye hyar?” asked Tom. ‘“‘That’s my business,” ‘“‘Tt’s mine, too! You made the map in the shoulders of these two deadly foes. ‘‘ They’re on horseback,” muttered Tom. ‘* lm goin’ to count ’em jest fur fun.” Presently the leader of the cavaicade came in sight, then another and another in single file, Tom counting them in low whispers as th«y rode by. Injun Jack did not appear to nctice the night riders. From the corners of his eyes he was inspecting the man at his side. In the meanwhile Tornedo had ‘ounted fifty Indians, and then stopped with an oath. ‘It’s a bull tribe!” he exclaimed. ‘Injun, if we wait till the last chap goes by we'll never git to squar’ accounts byar.” ‘“Mebbe not. Let us go up the mountain.” ** Agreed,” An instant later the duelists would have lided from the spot if an unforeseen aceident not occurred. A cry like the call of a night bird came down the mountain; it passed as it were directly uver the heads of the foes. Instantly the Indians drew rein, and Tom und Jack exchanged glances, “Them fellars up thar ar’ comin’ down,” an- nounced Tornado. ‘It looks to me as if we’re between the fryin’-pan an’ the fire!” an expres- sion containing a good deal of truth. The red-skins in the pass were waiting for some above to join them. ee — dirt?” Retreat was now puposevle, and to crouch — Jack did start; Tom saw this, where they were seemed to be courting death. “Yes!” he said. Tom was revolving several problems con- S | comicboo (E(0) de 9