Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 184 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

~——< _——-—— i a . - . — i - -—-<- " — , it ~*~ The Boy Trailers.. ee ee ee - C—- "> 4 — ~~. — —_ —— —— — <S ne Le ae on ewe ee we —-- = -_—-- -+- oF a £ ¥ N\ _ a - — - - ——~ from the salt waters where the sun rises and sets, just to gaze upon me from the hill-tops and to worship my footsteps as I passed through the forest. But now—that was long ago—I am old and blind and ugly. Men run and hide when they see me coming. They call me an old witch—the devil’s dam—but not to my face —no, no! The silly fools whisper it in their sleeves, thinking I will never know. But the devil’s dam has many cunning imps who serve her faithfully, and the teeth through which those bitter taunts pass—see! I[ have them here!” and, with a low laugh, the weird crea- ture fingered her horrible necklace. ‘* Ha! one of my trusty imps whispers in my ear that it shall soon add your strong, young teeth to my collection! Bah! } am growing childish, and know not what | say,” she added, hurriedly, as if conscious of hav... spoken too plainly. ‘‘ You came tosee me? What do you want of old Kangewock?” “Tell her your story as you told it to me,” hastily whispered Netawaka. More than ever regretting their venture, though not through positive fear, for he now set the old woman down as a lunatic more dis- agreeable than dangerous, Dainty Lance obeyed the Wolf Queen, detailing such of his story as seemed necessary. As he spoke,a complete change came over the Indian witch. All fire and energy died away. Her tall form grew bowed and a dull film crept over her eyes. She Jooked more than ever lilke a skeleton raised from the grave, or a moldering mummy exhumed from some cata- mb. Still she lent an ear to his words, and made reply when he had ended. Even her voice had changed, and now was dry, harsh and quaver- ing. e It may be that I can tell you what you seek to learn. Ihave heard something like it—but all is cloudy now. There is a mist over my brain. I mustsleep and dream. Go—leave me alone. To-morrow I will answer you. Go!” She turned away, and once more cowered over the fire, drawing the skin robe over her head. ‘*Say no more,” whispered the Wolf Queen, gently rasping the arm of Dainty Lance. ‘She will have her own way. She knows what you seek to learn, but she will say nothing more at present. Come—I will show you where you ass the night comfortably. In the morn- ing ngewock will tell you all.” ‘Show us the way outside, and we will find shelter for ourselves,” replied Dainty Lance, somewhat coldly. ‘‘ Have your way then, since you doubt me.” There was a sadness in her tones, that touched even Dainty Lance, while Hardy Zeph was mad al enough almost to fight bis heart’s brother for having given cause for it. ** You kin go, but durned ef Ido! I mean to do as the lady ’vises, even ef she hain’t got no better way to lodge me then to hang me up on a nail, head down’ards—so thar!” So earnest was the young trapper, that the shadow on the girl’s face was chased away by a smile, and almost for the first time she looked him squarely in the face. What she saw there apparently did not displease her, for she ex- tended her hand, which the lad, with native , pressed to his lips. Banishing the vague presentiment as being wholly without foundation, Dainty Lance made a frank apology, and after a few words, the ‘Wolf Queen procured another torch and led them through a narrow passage to a second and smaller chamber. In one corner lay a pile of fine dry grass and leaves, covered with furs and skins tanned with the hair on. From the rock walls hung various garments which could only belong to the forest n. * Yes,” she said, noticing their glances, ‘‘ this ismy rcom, but I have another not far away, so you are not re me. Be patient for a few minutes, and I will bring you some supper.” As she spoke, she disappeared, followed by her ~ wolves, leaving the young men to themselves. The air of the rock chamber was cold, and Dainty Lance, noting a fireplace well filled with wood, in one corner, soon had a cheerful blaze started by means of the torch left them by their new and strangely acquired ally. Netawaka was as good as her word, speedily ‘returning with bread and hot meat, and seated ‘together poe? Figo a good and cheerful supper. hile eating, they interchanged confidences, the Wolf Queen telling the strange story of her ee a QaobuOwvm—_) wock, who had not greatly exaggerated the truth when she claimed for herself beauty and many charms when young. A pure-blooded In- dian, she had at length married, according to the rites of her tribe, a white fur-trader trom Scotland. Among their many children, was the mother of Netawaka, who received a fair edu- cation from her father and a missionary who assed some years among the Plain Crees. She in turn married a pale-face who, though only a trapper, came from a good family and was an educated man. From these parents, Netawaka received an education much more thorough than might have been expected, considering her early age when they were killed by a party of warriors from a neigboring tribe. At the same time Kangewock received a terrible blow upon the head which partially deranged her senses, and she fled to the hills with her grandchild, She had always been noted for her power of subduing wild beasts, and since ber injury, this taste became aruling passion. As time passed on, she imbued the girl with the same fancy, until now they were both looked upon with supersti- tious dread by the members of their tribe, and thus led a peculiarly isolated life. As they were shunned, so too they were unmolested, until a few weeks prior to that date, when the Moun- tain Vultures, Dirk Weeninx and Ham Toplong, made their reappearance and formed an alliance with a number of outlawed and degraded In- dians of the tribe. Twice before had Weeninx insulted the forest amazon, but never until that day had he offered her positive violence. Supper ended, Netawaka once more called u her four-footed guards, and repeated the curi- ous introduction, teaching each wolf to acknowl- edge the young reer as their masters. ‘*They will fight for you now until each one is torn to pieces. No voice but mine can induce them to forget this lesson and touch you with either tooth or claw.” Promising to call them at the first dawn of day, to hear what old Kangewock could tell them of the Snow Sprite, Netawaka left them to themselves, followed by her gristly -body- ard, ‘‘ Don’t do it, Lance, onless you want us to git to pullin’, ha’r,” said Zeph, gravely, as his com- rade began joking him about his evident infatu- ation for the queen of the wolves. ‘ They’s never a crooked word passed atween us as long as we’ve bin on the trail together, an’ P’d mightily hate fer to it to begin now; but come it will ef you rub me too heavy on this p’int. So fur in life I’ve bin a durned bull-headed fool. I jedged everythin’ from what I saw while livin’ with the old folks. They got drunk rigular every day, an’ fit rigular every night. I tuck it that all married folks did the same way, an’ so I didn’t want any of it in mine. But my eyes was opened the minnit they sot themselves onto her. I says then, an’ I says now, ef she’ll hev me, I’ll marry her jest as soon as the Lord !] let me—an’ ef she won’t, then you nur nobod else won’t never see Zeph Hardy pullin’ double harness with airy other female gal—so thar!” Dainty Lance saw that the young trapper was in sober earnest, and refrained from saying anything more on the subject. Hardy Zeph, feeling absolute confidence in the good faith of his inamorata, and worn out by fatigue added to much loss of sleep, rolled himself up in a robe and was almost imme- diately lost in the land of dreams. Not so Dainty Lance. He had more to keep him awake, not to mention that strong forebou- ing of impending evil, and for an hour or two longer he sat before the fire, fully resolved not to close an eye that night in slumber. But human nature is weak, especially when it has been overtasked as had his, ever since that night on which the mad hermit so treacherously cut the betrothal feast short in the cave of stalac- tites beneath the mighty glacier, and ere long bis head drooped, his body sunk over, and his senses were lost in a grateful oblivion. Scarcely had his regular breathing denoted perfect slumber, than a hideous object crept stealthily into the circle of light cast around by the glowing embers—the form of the old Indian witch, Kangewock! The red firelight gleamed upon the bright blade of a long knife which she held between her toothless jaws, and as she na serpentilike to the side of the sleeping youth, her skinny hand closed upon the horn handle, and the keen blade was poised above his strongly beating heart, ready to be driven home at the first signs of his awaking. A few moments thus, then, as the youth unsus- ressed the which she poured over a rag, then mouth of saturated cJoth over the nostrils an the young acventurer. At the touch, Dainty Lance awoke, but the hideous hag had chosen her baleful agent well. Before he could utter a sound or move a limb, the work was done. Had his body been sud- denly petrified, he could not bave been more utterly helpless. His brain was as clear and active as ever, but he could not cry aloud or move a muscle. Fiercely he strove, but in vain. He saw that hideous face bent close to his. He saw those serpentlike eyes glaring mockingly into his own, and saw the hag dangle the hor- rible necklace of teeth before his face, thus silent- Jy recalling her threat of a few hours before. Oh! if Hardy Zeph weuld only awaken! But he did not. Wearied, the young trapper slept on, aj! unconscious of the fearful peril which threatened his brother. Deftly the Indian witch unbuckled the belt containing Dainty Lance’s weapons, and laid it aside. Then, with a strength truly wonderful in one so old and of such slender build, she raised the helpless youth in her srms and noise- lessly left the lighted chamber, gliding steadily along through the dark passage as readily as though her reputed sightless eyes possessed the visionary powers of a cat. It was a truly horrible ordeal for Dainty Lance. His brain and all other senses save that of motion alone, were infullplay. He recalled the threat of the old hag, and never doubted but what she intended to put him to death, probably torturing bim first with all the diabolical in- genuity for which those of her race have been noted from time immemorial. And he must endure it all, without the power of bringing aid by crying aloud! On through the inky blackness passed the witch with her helpless burden, finally pausing near where a large torch was burning in a niche. Here she lay Dainty Lance down, push- ing his head and shoulders over a ledge of rock, beyond and beneath which all was intense dark- ness. Dainty Lance turned sick and faint at beart, for he guessed the truth. A horrible, fetid smell came up from the unknown depths, such as only emanates from aden where many wild beasts are herded together. As though reading his thoughts, the witch laughed horribly. ‘* My pets are down there, hungry, and must be fed—panthers, bears and wolves! When they are done with you, then I will collect your teeth, clean and polish them up, and add them to my beautiful necklace!” Mingled with the sound of her voice, there came low growls and snarls from helow. Daint Lance saw many glowing eyeballs—then wit another frightful laugh, the Indian witch thrust him headlong into the wild beast den! CHAPTER IV. THE SNOW SPRITE IN DANGER, ‘Out of my way, or I'l] ride over you!” The speaker was Dirk Weeninx, and he ad- dressed his comrade in iniquity, Ham Toplong, whose panting horse had cut in ahead of the other as they came in their mad flight to a nar- row gorge where horsemen could only ride in single file. Both were nearly beside themselves with terror. The sudden death of their five fellows, where pney bad counted upon little or no resis- tance, took all the brute courage out of them, and they still fled at breakneck speed, though no longer pursued. he spoke, Dirk Weeninx lifted his horse and caused it to plunge bodily upon that be- strode by Ham Toplong, thinking only of re- moving all obstructions to his own flight. The shock was a terrible cne, and both animals went down under it, they and their riders forming a confused heap from which emanated fierce curses, cries and snorts of mingled rage and pain. Dirk was the first to free himself and arise, casting a fearful glance along the bac«é trail asa fierce imprecation hissed from between his teeth, ‘‘Curses on your infernal clumsinesss, why didn’t you get out of the way?” he snarled, char- acteristically casting the blame where it least belonged. ‘‘If they overtake us, I'll save one bullet for your fool heart!” ) Bruised and bleeding, Ham Toplong strug~ led clear of his fallen horse, but made no reply in words to the unmerited abuse of his comrade. To doso would but fan the brutal rage of the _life. <A brief synopsis is all that need be given in this place. She was the grand-daughter of old Kange- piciously slumbered on, the weapon was lowered | desperado, and Sea a sudden pistol-shot or and the hag produced a small horn bottle con- | knife-thrust. ven then he might not have - taining a colorless, pungent-scented liquid, ' escaped, had not the sharp clatter of horses’. a eee eee ee eEE ——Ee f td | J00 ———S wee ee a + ee . 8 + ee -— ~~ ee we we - a eee eas Se eee + rrr ww a a oo + oer <> — —-—-* - _ — ee” " . an -_ C ‘S