Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 18 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

He had hardly ended his speech when the face of a beautiful girl appeared at.the wicket of the stockade, and a sweet voice said: “Dick Darling scalped? [Tl never believe that till I see his body. Why, I’d trust Dick to whip a whole war-party. You’re afraid, that’s all that ails you. Come in and see if you can tell a straight story.” And the gate flew open, revealing a tall, magnificently-formed girl, who beckoned the negro in, as if she had been used to war all her life. Somewhat abashed, Tom dismounted and en- tered, muttering: “Dar ar’ Missy Charlotte, Marse Dick’s gal. Ain’t she lubly, jist?’ A few minutes later the darky was in the stockade with his mule and dog, while old Fair- field, with his two beautiful daughters, Char- lotte and Sophy, cross-questioned him strictly on the events of the morning. When he had finished, all looked grave ex- cept Charlotte, who said, firmly: *‘ He promised to come here this evening, and come he will. I know Dick.” In the hot noon of the prairies, a young man, with a Spencer rifle in his hand, was riding lei- surely toward Fairfield’s ranche, followed by five Indians, Every now and then one of them fired a shot; but it seemed indeed as if Dick Darling bore a charmed life. Not a bullet struck him for some time, and he rode on as if disdaining to reply. The Modocs seemed to be afraid to close with him, as well they might. Seven of their war-party had already bitten the ‘lust, killed by Dick. At last the chief took a long and steady aim, halting his horse to fire, and to his great joy the quondam express-rider dropped from his saddle to the ground. With loud yells of triumph the Indians gal- loped up, only to meet a terrible transforma- tion. Leaping to his feet, unhurt, Dick leveled his repeater across his horse’s back, and fired five shots in rapid succession. Three Indians fell, and the remaining couple, thoroughly de- moralized, fled in confusion. ‘The daring hun- ter uttered a triumphant laugh and remounted his horse. He panted a little and pressed his, hand to his side as if in pain, but that was all the token that the bullet had hurt him, ‘‘By Jove!” he soliloquized, as he rode to- ward Fairfield’s ranche, ‘‘that little invest- ment of mine has been well worth the thousand dollars it cost me. But that last bullet tried the mail. It wasa fair knock-down.” The secret of his invulnerabitity among the Indians was very simple. Dick wore a shirt of mail, light and flexible, but perfectly bullet- proof. It had cost him a thousand dollars, but it was well worth the money, as long as he kept the secret to himself. Just about sunset, Darling rode leisurely up to Fairfield’s ranche gate, and the first face he saw was that of Charlotte Fairfield. ‘‘T knew the Modocs could never kill my Dick,” was all she said. And thus began the Modoc war. CHAPTER II. Tax Modocs were up, and all Northern Cali- fornia was in a fever of excitement. Volun- teers were hurrying to Yreka in hot haste; the troops were being concentrated around the celebrated retreats, known as the ‘ Lava Beds;” scouts were galloping to and fro in the country, and every one was anxious and dis- quieted about the prospects of a general Indian war. In the midst of all these difficulties came an- other, as great as any. Besides the insurrection of the Modocs, it was certain that their next Dick Darling. through the streets to the head-quarters of the commanding officer, and to hear that the re- nowned Dick Darling, the first man who ever rode a pony express, had offered to carry the mails to and from the Lava Beds, single- handed. His offer was of course instantly accepted, and he departed immediately. Within an hour after, a second visitor disturbed the equanimity of the town. He came in the person of an in- nocent-looking negro, none other than our old friend, Tom Nelson, well mounted and armed, and followed by Dick Darling’s splendid hound, Hector. ‘Please, marse cappen-colonel,” said Tom, when he was introduced to the commander of the district, ‘‘I’se come to see ef I couldn’t help de sogers, nohow. Tse ole hunter, | is, and I’se tuk many an Injun scalp, when | war down in Texas wid de ole Ninth cavalry. You gibs me twenty dollar fur ebbery scalp, boss, an’ I gets you a hull basket full.” ‘‘Get out of here, you black rascal,” said the pompous commander, in great scorn. ‘‘ Do you suppose that the United States can’t take fifty red vagabonds without paying scalp bounties? Be off with you.” Tom drew himself up with native dignity, and cuttingly observed: ‘“°Tain’t b’en looking much like takin’ dem, marse colonel, when dey kills ten sogers for one squaw. I offers my sarvices. Will you hab dem?” ‘* No!” thundered the commander, half angry, half amused at the darky’s offer. Tom made a stiff salute, wheeled round and marched out, muttering: ‘““ Needn’t be so huffy, noway; don’t want to steal nuffin’. ” He climbed into his saddle, and rode out of the town in high dudgeon, resolvad, as he ex- pressed it, ‘‘to have a scout on his own hook, anyway.” It took but a short time for him to be clear of the town; and then, when shut out by an in- tervening swell, he seemed to be as much alone as if in the midst of the desert. Tom Nelson had not obtained horse and arms, had not come all this way from Fair- field’s ranche, without an object. What that object was, will be explained by a few words that fell from the lips of Charlotte Fairfield, the day before, when Dick Darling rode away to Yreka from the ranche, announcing his in- tention of volunteering as mail-carrier. “Tom,” she said to the negro, ‘there is something tells me that Dick is going to a greater peril than he has ever yetrun. Are you brave?’ “Try me, missy,” was the laconic reply. ‘‘Take my horse, and one of my father’s ri- fles, then,” she said, ‘‘ and follow Dick. What- ever happens to him, do you be near him; and let no harm come to him. Bring him back safe, Tom, and ll give you free quarters in our house for life.” And Charlotte blushed, for it was currently reported that she and Dick were to be married, as soon as the latter had settled his ‘‘ claim.” Tom accepted the offer with eagerness, Mounted and armed, he was a very different man from Tom on a slow mule, without a wea- pon. Followed by the hound Hector, which he trusted implicitly, while Darling considered the dog an incumbrance in active service, he set forth, and presented himself at Yreka, as we have seen. The fact was that Tom, while anxious to serve his patroness, was equally anxious to turn an honest penny; and he had heard from all the citizens round that a bounty was offered on Modoc scalps. His reception by Col. W: had undeceived him, and he re- solved to ‘‘stick to business, and bring back 13 gallop, with his nose to the ground, following the tratl which his keen scent recognized as that of his master, “ Good hound, good ole Hec!” cried Tom, de- lighted. ‘‘ Who says dat we can’t track like all creation?’ And away gallopéd the darky after the dog, at a round rate of speed, the track of horses’ feet appearing at intervals, the sagacious dog running steadily along, the scent “ lying well, to use a phrase culled from the language of the prairie. After nearly an hour of this sort of work, Hector made a dead stop; and appeared puz- zled., Then he ran slowly and hesitatingly along for some paces, and at last paused, threw up his head, and gave utterance to a long and mournful bowl. “‘Gorra mighty, wurra dat?” exelaimed Tom, as he looked down to find the cause-of the dog’s behavior. To his surprise, appeared nothing singular. The hoof-tracks had vanished, or were so faint as to be scarcely discernible; yet it was evident that the hound could not have lost the scent. In fact, he had not. As if he had relieved his feelings by that howl], he set off on the track once more, and speedily put another mile be- tween himself and Yreka. Tom noticed, however, that he ran slowly and seemed uneasy. Every now and then he would half stop, turn his head to windward, and utter a low wail, till at last, as a puff of wind came from the north-east, Hector again stopped, threw up his head, and howled once more. ‘Dat dog’s got mo’ sense dan half de Chris- sens,” soliloquized Tom, scratching his head. ‘‘Whaf for he do dat, l’se wonnerin’,.” Then, as a sudden idea struck him, he cried: ‘‘Why, Tom Nelson, ef you isn’t a foolis’ nigger! You so anxious to catch Marse Dick you forget whar you is. Dem’s Injuns, and de dog smell ’um. He nebber act dat way widout dey was around.” The negro halted and cogitated. Then, tak- ing a sudden resolution, he called the dog off the track, and spoke to him. ‘‘Find de Injuns, good Hec, find dem; and we’se spoil deir leetle game. Dey’s arter Marse Dick, jess so sho’ as eggs is eggs.” The hound, with wonderful sagacity, appear- ed to understand the reason of the change of route; for he galloped off to windward, his head well up, no longer whining or baying, but ‘“‘runping mute.” It was plain from his ac- tions that the Indians could not be far off, Tom brought his rifle to the front in readiness and followed at a canter. As he topped the next swell, he came in sight of a scene that re- paid him for his change of course, He had, indeed, arrived in the nick of time, Not a mile off the rugged edges of the famous Lava Beds could be seen indenting the edge of the prairie, giving but little indication of the deep chasms and caves that existed below the surface. Tom stood by the brink of a long, narrow valley; and up it was coming, slowly riding back from the Lava Beds, Diok Darling himself, returning with the led mail-pony,. But not fifty feet from the negro crouched a group of five Modocs behind a rock, waiting for the unsuspicious mail-carrier. Well was it for Dick that that presentiment of danger had crossed Charlotte’s mind, and induced her te dispatch Tom on his track. In a moment the darky justified his patroness’ choice, Up went his Spencer rifle to his shoulder before a Modoc had risen; and the biggest warrior fell dead. Then there was a confused hurly-barly of shots, ending by fearless Dick coming galloping up, a revolver in each hand; and the result was summed up in the death of three Modocs, the wounding of Tom in several places, none of them deep, and the flight of the renaming pair of assassins among the cracks and fissures toward the Laya Beds, while the negre and neighburs, the Klamaths, were unruly and dis- | yarse Dick.” posed to give trouble. Two mail-carriers, in For some time Tom rode north from Yreka succession, disappeared; and it became neces- | toward the Lava Beds in a very leisurely man- sary to find a volunteer, to continue the indis- | yor making frequent excursions to the right — but dangerous duty. a Re aes | and left, and hunting for Darling’s trail. On t was during this ume 0 Y, 89 | the hard ground of the prairie he might never D lv back to cam well remembered by our citizens, that the good | pave found it, had it not been for the assis- Baden ee weak Teak Yeligiousty scalped of Yreka were surprised, one Morning, | tance of the hound. Hector suddenly uttered each one of his fallen foes and then turning to to see a nattily-dressed young fellow ride | 4 iow yalp of joy, and set off at a swinging COMMICOOOKS:»EG@