Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 184 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

> « =z ~@-3 = _— - From their elevated covert the young trailers saw that there was more than cowardice in this movement, for, like human snakes, the four In- dians began crawling nearer to the rock ledge, carefully hiding their movements from the Wolf Queen. Apparently she did not suspect their purpose, but answered the hail of the Mountain Vulture, again demanding his wishes. ‘You need not be so suspicious, for [ mean you no harm,” said Weeninx, seating himself upon a bowlder. ‘‘ All I want is a little infor- mation. People say that you have learned a little witchcraft from your mother, Kangewock. If so, maybe you can serve my turn,” The young trailers, from their peep behind the scenes, saw that the ruffian was talking against time, hoping thus to mask the move- ments of his dusky allies, and both felt a strong temptation to send a bullet through the brain of the treacherous scoundrel. And doubtless such would have been his reward, had not so much more than their own lives been at stake. ‘She is no fool—see!” muttered Dainty Lance, as the Wolf Queen, as if unconsciously, moved so as to conceal her person from danger, as the red-skins stealthily drew nearer. ‘‘ She knows what they are doing, and will open their eyes at the proper time—never doubt it!” ‘‘Tt’s about my wife,” added Weeninx, has- tily, as though afraid his coveted prize was about to elude him by flight. ‘‘She run away, or was stolen away and brought up here. Sibyl, her name is—” During this speech, Hardy Zeph was grow- ing more and more excited. He saw that the Indians were tuking full advantage of their being hidden from view of the Wolt Queen, by her change of position, and relaxing their cau- tion, they hastened forward to reach the base of the rock on which she stood. With an interest far deeper than he had ever before felt in one of the opposite sex, the young trailer cocked and raised bis rifle, forgetting all else in his generous resolve to save the Wolf Queen. And faithful to his friend, though against his own convictions of prudence, Dainty Lance made the same preparations, But the Wolf Queen just then gave evidence that she was fully competent to take care of herself. With an active leap, she stood upon tie verge of the ledge, the long arrow drawn to its head and covering the heart of the foremost savage. They were taken completely by surprise, end before they could make a move forward, or leap to cover, the feathered shaft hissed through the air, its barbed head splitting the heart of the un- lucky wretch upon whom the Wolf Queen had first set her gaze, Uttering a horrible yell of death-agony, the warrior leaped high into the air, dead ere his body touched the rocks! Swift as thought, a second arrow was fitted to the string, and as the survivors sprung to cover, it left the bow. Striking its victim under the shoulder-blade, the arrow passed clear through the red-skin’s body, falling upon the rocks before bim. Utier- ing the death-yell, that proves their natures akin to that of wild beasts, the savage fell for- ward, biting and splintering the blood-stained shaft with his strong teeth in his last throes. “Take the right hand critter!” grated Zeph, his eyes aglow as he raised his rifle. Tae two red-skins had taken to cover which perfectly screened them from the rock ledge on which the Wolf Queen stood, but unwitting ot danger from behind, their bronzed backs = fully exposed to the aim of the young trailers. ees Oe = ee ee —— =—---— -— — ee The Boy Trailers. a had not the wounded pale-face, with dying strength, raised his rifle and fired at her. The bow and arrow fell from her hand, and spinning half-way around, she pressed one hand to her head, then sunk down upon the rock ledge. The young trailers witnessed her fall, and fierce shouts of vengeance burst from their lips, as they dashed on in pursuit of the fleeing out- laws. Had their rifles been loaded then, the life career of the Mountain Vultures would have come toa speedy end. As it was, at every leap their revolvers spoke, but the range was too long for successful pistol practice. Never once looking back the outlaws fled on feet doubly winged by fear, doubtless believing an army in pursuit. But swifter still sped the avengers, now racing in silence, their pistols still Every energy was called into play. They were resolved to capture at least Dirk Weeninx, for his mention of Sibyl, the Snow Sprite, while parleying with the Wolf Queen, told them that he must know something of her whereabouts, But their hopes were doomed to disappoint- ment. The outlaws were still more than a hun- dred yards in advance, when the rocky ey was cleared, and a number of horses reached, Leaping into the saddle they dashed away, tak- ing with them the animals belonging to their dead comrades, Choking with rage, the young trailers halted and sent several pistol-shots after the fugitives, but without any perceptible effect. ‘*The devils have escaped us now, but [ll take the trail and hunt them down, though it takes me a lifetime!” uttered Dainty Lance, a deadly calm in his tones. ‘* Not ontel I look to her, fust—an’ the hound as shot her down!” grated Hardy Zeph, bis ones glowing. ‘*The trail won’t spile. We kin lift that to-morrer. They’s a woman layin’ back render, dead or dyin.’ Ef dead, I mean to bury er—ef livin’ she needs our he! p all the more.” Until this day, Hardy Zeph had ever been content to follow wherever Dainty Lance chose to lead, but now their positions appeared just reversed. It was Zeph who asserted and Dainty Lance who assented, Lucky it was that the love between them was so powerful, else their con- flicting wishes might have ended disastrously. Hardy Zeph hastened along the back trail, pausing at the rock where the white man had fired the shot that laid the Wolf Queen low even in the moment of victory. A short, bitter snarl hissed through his clenched teeth as he saw that the fellow was dead, the avenging rifle still in his hands. Seizing this, Zeph shattered \it by one desper- ate blow across the bowlder, then hastened on to the rock ledge. The Wolf Queen was lying as she had fallen upon her left side, her face masked with blov that was powerless to conceal her extraordinary beauty. For a few moments the young trailers stood in avwe-struck silence, as though spellbound. But then Hardy Zeph tenderly lifted ber head, and with his finger probed the wound. A cry of joy parted his lips, for he found that the bullet had merely grazed her temple, breaking the skin and stunning her for the time being, ‘Fetch some water—quick! Take my hat— hurry back!” he muttered, trembling like a leaf with strong agitation. Without a word, Dainty Lance hastened away to the little brook in the valley, and returning, they bathed the wound, and used every effort to restore the strange girl to consciousness. So wholly absorbed were they in this generous Hardy Zeph fired first, but the last Indian | duty, that they were ignorant of the approach of could hardly have heard the ee that rung | danger, until they were violently assailed and out the death-kuell of Lis comrade, ere his spirit vas cast loose from ils casket of clay to oe the shades of his fellow braves company along the trail to the happy huuting grounds. The white men seemed petrifi.d by tae unex- | flung forward upon their faces! CHAPTER IT. DRIVEN TO BAY. ‘THE ears of the White Medicine are open. pected attack of the Wolf Queen, and stood in | Let my son speak strai. bt as his arrows speed cpen-mouthed amazement until the beautiful Amazon turned her arrows toward them. Only a swift leap saved Dirk Weeninx from ceath, the arrow passing on and sinking feather deep in the chest of one of lis comrades. At this moment the two death-shots came from the rocks, and breaking cover, the young trailers dashed at a breakneck pace down the hill, bent on capturing their ancient enemy, if possible. Four men dead, and a fifth mortally wounded, would have cowed a bolder heart than that owned by Dirk Weeninx, and with a yell of mingled fear and rage, both he and Ham Top- long turned in headlong flight. Even they would not have run far, for the Wolf Queen was ready with another arrow, \ ' tothe mark. His words shall not fall to the ground unheeded.” These words were spoken nearly as possible at the same moment that Hardy Zeph first discuv- ered the Wolf Queen at play with her grizzly pets, and only a few miles distant from the valley in which the forest amazon fought so gallantly for life. They fell from the lips of a tall man, remark- able on more accounts than one. Of more than ordinary hight, with limbs and torso denoting enormous strength united with activity. With snow-white beard and hair that united in covering his breast and shoulders as with a vail, nearly reaching his waist. With aquilizme nose, and large eyes filled with a : ee rere om ee eee = = CO 3 ——— a aD strangely impressive fire—a glittering, shifting, yet magnetic light such as is rarely found in the windows of an evenly balanccd brain. A pale-face, though arrayed in the fantastic garb of an Indian chief,and one whom the reader will recognize as the mad hermit, the father of Sibyl, the Snow Sprite. is companion was scarcely less worthy note; a very model of masculine beauty, au athlete from crown to sole, trim built as tle woodland stag, yet with the strength and steel- tempered muscies of the royal tiger; one in the first flush of manhood, yet wearing the eagle plumes that told of more than one bloody war- path, showing him a chief as much by right of valor as by royal descent. A more warlike race than that of the Plain Crees never confronted the pale-face, and of them all, none was braver or more fearless than the Shooting Star, son of grim old Kekionga and a pale-face mother. He who never flinched from the mostimmi- . nent peril, was now trembling perceptibly, and though somewhat reassured by the kindly in- toned words of the mad hermit, it was not un- til the second attempt that he spoke. ‘* The Great Medicine is very wise. He must know the words that his son would speak. He is not blind. He has seen the love-light that filled the young chief’s eyes whenever they rested upon the face of the White Fawn—” ‘* And bis heart leaped with proud joy as he read the glad truth!” interrupted the hermit grasping the hand of the young chief and pressing it with a fervor that was unfeigned, ‘*for he knew that a terrible weight of anxie was ina fair way to be lifted from bis min fcrever.” Shooting Star found no difficulty now in speaking. The joyous thanks flowed freely from his tongue until checked by a motion of the mad hermit’s hand. ‘**T know all that you would say, and more. My feelings were the same when her mother first crossed the trail of my life. I could touch the heavens, then, and make the stars my play- things! It was glorious while it lasted—pray the Great Spirit that the black night may not overwhelm you as it came upon me!” The mad hermit turned abruptly aside as these words fell from his lips, a terrible expres- sion convulsing his features. The young chief gazed upon him in silence, deeply awed. Like the majority of his people, he regarded the pale- face as something more than mortal. Only the» passionate love which had been kindled in his untrained heart by the wonderful beauty of Sibyl, enabled the superstitious warrior to smother his awe and reverence sufficiently to re- veal his wishes to the Great Medicine. He had done so, had been met more than half- way, and if not told so in as many words, had been given to understand that his suit found favor in the father’s eyes. He knew that Sibyl was near, and longed to hasten to her side, there to declare bis great love and receive the sweet assurance that it was not unpleasant in her ears, bus he did not know how to take his leave. The question was speedily solved for bim, From some little distance there caine a thrill- ing sound—the shrill, piercing scream of a wo- man! ‘‘Tt is Sibyl’s voice—crying for help!” gasped the mad hermit, then rusbing headlong in the direction from whence the aJarming sounds proceeded. But rapid as were his motions, the res chief passed him like the meteor which ha given him his name. With sad and glocmy thoughts Siby! had left the Indian village that morning, roaming list- lessly through the wood that bordered the rocky tract, followed at a respectful distance by the giant negro Hercules. Constant dwelling upon the horrible mockery of the betrothal feast [See HALF Dime Linrary No. 160] had almost driven her frantic. Raised to bliss almost ineffable by the blessing bestow- ed upon their love by her parent, only to have the cup of joy dashed from their lips by the diabolical cunning of the madman, and that in a manner too terrible to contemplate. She knew not whether her lover was living or dead, but she feared the worst, for when she recov- ered from the effects of the drug she had been forced to swallow, her father told her that those who had plotted against bim so cunningly would never again draw the breath of life. Already dead to all outward seeming, they would slowly | perish of starvation, feeling the gnawing pangs all the more posi pape their inability to give audible vent to their agony. ‘ ;00Ks_-com