Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 184 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

broke forth into howls and snarls, some menac- ing others dolieful and Iugubrious in cadence, but all combined to form a_ blood-curdling chorus that was fairly deafening. Both lads believed that the critical moment had arriv:d, and each nerved himself for the horrible death-grapple which must follow; but just then came a reprieve, and from a most un- expected quarter. What the plentiful use of cold water had be- | if she can tel gun was completed by that diabolical chorus, | The forest amazon roused up at the sounds of | her four-footed pets, and taking in the situation | ata glance, hastily arose, at the same time utter- ing ashrill, peculiarcry. The change was almost magical. Like so many skillfuily constructed automaons, each wolf fell back, forming a circle around the three forms, sitting upon their haunches, their | eyes fixed upon the face of their mistress as though eager to anticipate ber further wishes. ‘Better than a circus!” muttered Dainty Lance, sitting up and pushing back the cap from over his eyes. Not a word camefrom Hardy Zeph. His eyes were riveted upon the face of the Wolf Queen with an intentness and forgetfulness of all else that plainly told their own story. The Wolf Queen cast but a single glance at them, to assure herself that they had received no serious injury from her faithful guard, then raised one hand with a commanding gesture as she cried: ** Tarkio!” The huge black wolf leaped forward and crouched at her feet, gazing eagerly, wistfully up into her face, ‘Give me your hand,” she said to Dainty Lance, speaking in plain English, without the least accent. ‘'‘So—touch his head—look him firmly in theeye. From this time on he will acknowledge you as his master. He will fight in your defense as he would in mine. Only my voice can cause him to forget the lesson he now learns.”’ One by one the wolves were called up by name and went through a similar introduction to the young trappers. Dainty Lance was in- clined to smile at the peculiar ceremony, but not so Hardy Zeph. An utter change had come over him since first setting eyes upon the Wolf (ueen. He placed implicit confidence in every word she uttered, and followed her directions without the slightest hesitation. Hadshe made a sign denoting such a risk, he would have fal- len upon his knees and groveled at her feet like one of the four-footed animals around him. This strange introduction over, the strange girl—for such she was in years, ‘despite her commanding stature and superbly developed form—spoke rapidly and feelingly. ‘*You risked your lives for mine—and I a stranger to you both. Iam grateful. wt for you, death or an even worse fate must have overtaken me. White Wolf and Walking Buz- zard would have had no mercy—” ‘*We’re white men an’ couldn’t’a’ done no less,” quickly interposed Zeph, an ardent light in his keen gray eyes. ‘‘ You was a womanan’ in trouble; that says the bull thing.” ‘* My brother is right,” added Dainty Lance, obeying a sudden impulse. ‘‘ No thanks are needed for doing our simple duty; but there is a payin which you can repay us, if you only Ww — ‘* Ask—Netawaka will doit if she can. Her life is yours, Silver-tongue,” was the quick re- PY and there was something in tbe tone of the orest Amazon that caused the thoughts of Dainty Lance to revert to that black episode of the past in which the ill-fated Decoy Duck figured so prominently. ut this uncomfortable memory was quickly banished, and in as few words as possible Dainty Lance told why they were there in the land of the hostile Plain Crees. Netawaka listened intently, but slowly shook her head when the young man concluded his story. - it ay be that she whom you seek is here, but if so, [have neither seen nor heard aught of her. She is your sister.” Again Dainty Lance felt that strange warn- ing, but as before he did not pause to analyze the premonition. ‘* No—not a sister, but a very dear friend.” The half-breed girl dat him intently for a moment, then turned abruptly away, her head bowed as if in deep thought. A brief space thus, then she faced around, her countenance composed, her voice cold and steady: = fe the maiden you seek is here, there is one near who can tell you where she is hidden. All the secrets of both air and earth are clear to / - ————— ee ee eee Neem A — — . —————_————_—L_ LLL eS Cee 7 The Boy Trailers. her eyes as the letters in a printed book to the brain of a pale-face.” ‘*Whom do you mean? Lead me to her, and me what I seek to know, name your own reward—” ‘** Make no rash promises, my brother,” inter- rupted the Wolf Queen, with a strange, cold smile. ‘* You may have cause to curse instead of thank me. All who visit old Kangewock do not come away again.” A sudden revulsion came over Dainty Lance. Something told him that there was terrible dan- ger ahead, that his only hope lay in speedy re- treat; why, he could not have told himself, but | such was the fact, Not so with Hardy Zeph. Even his natural superstition had fled with the strange change which had come over him since first placing eyes upon this bewildering being. ‘*They can’t be nothin’ very p’izen ’bout the old lady, sense you know her,” he said, with simple earnestness. ‘‘Ef yowll only show us the way, lady, we'll be powerful thankful.” The Wolf Queen flashed a swift glance to- ward Dainty Lance, then started rapidly away, surrounded by her four-footed guard. Dainty Lance. still under that strange influ- ence, caught Hardy Zeph by the arm as he was following, and checked him. ‘* It may be a trap—I believe on my soul that she is deceiving us!” he muttered, uneasily. ‘Ef any but you hinted sech a thing, I'd an- swer with my fist,” sharply retorted Zeph. ** What’s come over ye, all ofa sudden? You used to act fust an’ count up the resk a’ter- wards; but now you’re hangin’ back when news of the lady you love is waitin’ afore ye—” It does look as though you and I had sudden- ly exchanged natures,” said Dainty Lance, with a faint smile. ‘‘It was you who dreaded the gal-spooks—” ‘Which shows I wasa pesky fool an’ didn’t know it. D’m goin’ to foller her, whether you go or not. An’ more’n that, ef I kin coax her to hey anythin’ to do with sech a mutton-head as I be, Pll make her my wife—so thar!” While this hurried conversation was in pro- gress, the Wolf Queen, becoming aware of the fact that she was not followed, paused and faced around with ill concealed impatience. Zeph saw this, and catching up his rifle, strode rapid: ly after her. Strong as his premonitions of impending evil were, Dainty Lance could not bring bimself to desert his heart-brother, and promptly followed in his footsteps. Clearly Netawaka was inno humor for con- versation. She led the way through the rocky defiles, over the broken ground, at a rapid pace that kept the young tvrail-hunters fully employ- ed in order to keep from being distanced. With each rod of progress, Hardy Zeph fell deeper and deeper in love. The rough trail, the brisk exercise, brought the superb physique of the forest amazon into full play, and as be- fore stated, the road to the young trapper’s heart lay through his eyes. Never before had he beheld such physical perfection, and more than once did he bark his sbins through paying too close attention to the voluptuous shape glid- Hgalang before him. ainty Lance could not help seeing that his friend was very hard hit, and though he felt uneasy as to how it all would end,he experienced a growing pleasure in watching the young misogynist—a Wwoman-hater no longer! He had ro breath to waste in joking, but he trea- sured up all he saw to be used in repaying old scores. For considerably more than an hour the Wolf Queen led them through the rocky fastness, then halted abruptly as she uttered the first sound that}passed her lipssince leaving the scene of the isd struggle with the Mountain Vultures: a long drawn, wailing cry that echoed mourn- fully through the wilds—the imitation of the panther’s signal. If there was any answering signal, neither of the young men caught it, but Netawaka ap- peared satisfied, and bidding them follow, she ran lightly up a steep, winding trail, sure-footed as the mountain goat. ‘Look to your pistols, Zeph,” muttered Dainty Lance, doubtingly. ‘‘It may be a trap she’s leading us into.” The young trapper made no reply, but his actions showed how little he regarded the cau- tion. Without peacting: & feapen he pressed on after Netawaka, and Dain nce saw them both disappear behind a mass of thickly woven evergreens. ‘* Both or neither!” he muttered, raising the hammer of his revolver as he hastened forward, pressing through the leafy screen and finding ‘ # ‘ eee 5 himself face to face with his comrade and their strange guide. A. faint smile curled the lip of the Indian girl as she noted the ready weapon, and there was a trace of sarcasm in her voice as she spoke. ‘*Kangewock will be proud to find herself still an object of fear to the mighty pale-f: «+ in her blind old age. Creep softly along a..c you may take her captive while she sleeps.” Dainty Lance flushed hotly, but made no reply. Neither did be restore his weapon to its resting place. More than his own life was at stake, and Hardy Zeph was so thoroughly be- witched that little dependence could be placed upon his vigilance and usually ready wit. With a toss of her proud head that was very feminine, the Wolf Queen turned and led the way through a narrow, winding passage, feebly lighted by cracks and. crevices in the rocky roof that opened upon the outer world. Close at her heels the young trappers followed, pausing only when jshe paused to pick up a smoldering brand from a fire burning in a little niche in the wall. This she swung around her head until the torch burst into flame, then hastened on- BA ward once more. The air within the hill retreat was damp and cold, but the young adventurers were more strongly impressed = a peculiar, rank smell \ that was more easily recognized than described. ‘* ‘Your menagerie can’t be very far ahead,” muttered Dainty Lance, to his comrade. ‘It smells like a regular den of wild beasts!” “Tll go as fur as she leads, ef it takes me into the middle of a rijiment o’ b’ars an’ wolves an’ painters,” quietly responded Zeph, butinatone - that told how thoroughly he trusted in the good faith of their strange guide. A few rods further carried them into a low- roofed rocky chamber, dimly lighted by a smoky fire, over which a weird looking creature was crouching. ‘Kf that ain’t the devil, it must be his gran’ mam!” muttered Zeph, involuntarily clutching a weapon and falling back a pace as the strange being turned her face toward them. Even Dainty Lance felt a thrill of mingled superstition and disgust, for a more hideous burlesque on humanity had never met his gaze, as the Indian witch rose erect, Of extraordinary hight, the hag was little more than a living skeleton, so much so that the faint crackling of the dried wolf-skins which served her as dress, seemed the rattling of bones in her smoke-tanned, time-wrinkled skin. A few snaky locks of coarse, snow-white hair hung around her face and shoulders. A neck- i lace of human teeth, white and polished, gleam- ed in the firelight upon her skinny neck. Her face, arms and bosom—all of her person left bare by her rude dress of skins—were covered by emblems of bird, beast and reptiles, drawn — in different colored Liens while her deep- | sunken eyes, wih y bright for one blind as the Wolf Queen had hinted, gleamed and glit- tered like those of a venomous serpent. Netawaka glided forward and spoke rapidly inthe tongue of the Plain Crees, so low that : neither of the young men could catch the mean- ing of a word. The old woman listened in si- lence, but it was a silence that seemed sullen and unpromising. And as ber strangely fiery eyes were bent upon them, Dainty Lance felt that premonition of impending evil more power- fully than ever. A moment of silence followed the speech of Netawaka, then the Indian witch strode for- ward and placed one hand upon the shoulder of Dainty Lance, her wrinkled, hideous face thrust almost against his own, her gleaming eyes seeming to burn into his very brain, 4 ‘A pale-face, young and beautiful,” she ut- 4 tered, In a voice that sounded wonderfully musical to emanate from such a repulsive source. | As she ke, her claw-like fingers were passed swiftly over the young man’s face as though her eyesight lay in their tips. Despite his courage, Dainty Lance shrunk away with an involuntary shudder of disgust and aversion. There was nothing human in that cold, clammy touch. It seemed like the pawing of some ac- cursed dead. A low, mocking laugh came from the tooth less mouth, and the Indian witch spoke again in clear and fluent Enplish: ‘Your prendfather would not have trembled and shrunk away from my touch. Time was when men have fought and died for a touch of my hand—for a smile from my lips—and died counting themselves blessed if I spoke but a word of praise over their bloody graves. For I was young and beautiful then—so leautiful that great braves, both white and red, came — Se oe ee ee ee -_—_— ee ee ee. cComicbooks.com