Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 184 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

. thus lessening the dangerous pressure. —_—-~ lead into ’em lively!” he cried, cheerily, the report of his revolver emphasizing his words. ‘’ ‘*The bear and panther, not the wolves—they are hers and will fight for us,” hurriedly re- sponded Dainty Lance. Even as he spoke, one of the panthers, stung to fury by his bullet, leaped forward and struck full against his breast. Dainty Lance saw it coming and instinctively thrust forward his blazing torch, the fiery brand fairly entering the animal’s mouth. With a choking howl of pain, the creature fell back, and was instantly pounced upon by the wolves, headed by gallant Tarkio. The tumult now was more frightful than ever, but high above the din, Dainty Lance heard and recognized the voices of Netawaka, the Wolf Queen. ‘* Stand up—do not resist and you are safe!” Mechanically he obeyed, glancing upward. Something’ cold and feeling like the coils of a snake fell over his head and shoulders, instantly closing around his body. Before he could realize the truth he lost bis footing and felt himself dangling against the face of the rock in mid-air. A moment later he was drawn over the ledge and Netawaka was bending down, hastily re- moving the lasso noose from around his body. ‘Save him—my brother—or I go down again!” gasped Dainty Lance the moment he could recover breath sufficiently. Hardv Zeph had also understood the words of the forest amazon, and saw the dextrous lasso cast, but be had time for no more than to snatch up the torch as it dropped from the hand of his friend, for, with a savage growl, the bear he pm upon all-fours and plunged toward im. Twice his revolver spoke, the second time so close to the grizzly front of the maddened beast that the burning powder singed the hair between the bear’s eyes, and then Hardy ai, leaped swiftly aside, leaving the baffled grizzly to butt its tender, blood-streaming nose against the cold rock wall. Once more he raised his pistol, but, ere he could fire if, the second panther made its leap, striking him on the left shoulder and knockin him down. Luckily the claws of the beast dia not fasten upon him fairly, else the brave lad would never have left that horrible cen alive. As it was, he scrambled to his feet just in time for Netawaka to fling the noose of her lasso over his head. By the light of the torch which Hardy Zeph still held, though the blaze had been extin- guished by his fall, Netawaka could see that the noose had closed around the young trapper’s throat. ‘Slip it down over your shoulders!” she cried, aloud. “No time—haul away—l'll resk it!” he shout- ed, burriedly, leaping aside as both bear and anther made a rush at him, discharging a pis- 1 in the face of one.and dealing the other a fierce blow on the head with his clubbed torch. Longer delay would almost certainly be fatal, and both the Wolf Queen and Dainty Lance hauled away upon the lasso, As he felt the noose tighten about his throat, Hardy Zeph dropped his splintered torch and grasped the rope above his head instead, Drawn from his feet, he swung beavily against the wall. The shock knocked the pistol from his hand. He heard a fierce, snarling cry, and in- stinctively felt that the maddened panther was once more making its leap. It came, but the true friends above were not idle. Swiftly they drew in the rope, and the furious beast only struck the young trapper on the feet, then fell back amidst the snarling, snapping, worrying wolves. In another moment Hardy Zeph was drawn over the ledge, and found himself tightly clasped in the arms of Dainty Lance. CHAPTER VI. DARING DEEDS. A SHRILL, angry screech from the darkness below cut short the embrace of the heart bro- thers, and drew an exclamation of recollection from the lips of the Wolf Queen. “ Kangewock—my grandmother —the ani- mals are crazed now—they will not obey her, they will tear her to pieces!” Bending far over the verge of the pit, she cast the rays of her torch down into the horri- ble den, lighting up the scene. Fortunately for the Indian witch, percha the heavy kick dealt her by Hardy Zeph, added to her fall, had deprived her of sensibility for ' ; ‘ RN ee ee ee ee oe heey | ' The Boy Trailers. 9 ——_— ae See the time being. She lay motionless through the brief but fierce fight which followed the bold aa vent of Hardy Zeph, rousing up at the clear cry of the Wolf Queen, but was unable to re- alize the whole truth until Dainty Lance was rescued and Zeph was dangling in mid-air. She scrambled to her feet with a screech of frantic fury, as she saw the failure of the pan- ther’s er a leap. Her insanerage seemed impartially divided between the human beings above and the four-footed creatures below, ‘* At them, you lazy cravens! Leap up and drag them down—tear them limb from limb— suck their blood and crack their bones! Leap, you cowardly curs—up and at ’em!” The faithful wolves were still fighting with the two panthers, the first of which wes already at its last gasp, while the other was plainly overmatched by numbers. As soon as Kangewock realized this, she drew her knife and leaped into the midst of the melee, cutting and slashing on every side with the tire- less fury of a demoniac, foaming at the mouth and giving vent to most discordant cries, This was a suicidal act, as those above could not help seeing. The panther was freed from its load of hard-biting assailants. More than one of these were killed or disabled by the vicious cuts and thrusts showered upon them by the beldame. But the remainder were ren- dered all the more furious by tke scent of fresh- ly flowing blood. The panther made a mighty leap, striking the witch tull in the middle and hurling her across the pit, where she struck against the grizzly bear. This huge creature had been blinded by the last shot fired by Hardy Zeph, the hastily aimed bullet luckily ranging across both eyes and utterly destroying their sight. Since then it had only made short, lumbering rushes to and fro, shaking its blood-streaming head, uttering deep moans of pain and perplexity. But now the mists seemed to clear away. It scented the presence of a human enemy, and as the Indian witch recoiled from the panther’s blind assault, she was struck by the bear’s huge forepaw and hurled headlong into the midst of the infuriated wolves. These closed upon her, and doubtless would have torn her to pieces ina very short time, only for the clear, commanding cry of their young mistress. Soadmirably had they been trained that obedience was granted without a moment’s hesitation. The grisly knot separated like magic, and the wolves looked upward as though the more quickly to anticipate the fur- ther will of their queen. Bruised and bleeding, yet almost miraculously having escaped without broken bones, Kange- wock staggered to'her feet, still clutching her blood-cripping knife. Now surely a madwo- man, she heeded not the warning cries from above. She paid no, attention to the panther which crouched in the gloom beyond, straining its muscles for another leap, but rushed upon the wolves with shrieks and wildest fury. Only an act of the most daring self-sacrifice could save the crazy creature. The young trap- ers both realized this, but they also remem- bored that through her agency all this danger and trouble had originated. ‘The lasso! it may be in time!” panted Net- awaka, leaping to where the rawhide rope lay. Swift as thought and certain as fate, the lasso was cast, the noose settling fairly over the head of Kangewock and drawn tight. Hastily the young trappers added their strength to that of Netawaka, only to fall back heavily as the strain upon the rope abruptly relaxed. Whether by accident or pete ioaag the In- dian witch in madly brandishing her blood-reek- ing blade, had severed the rope above her head, and now lay in the midst of the howling, snap- ping wolves. A single glance Netawaka took. It showed her this. It showed her the long shape of the anther launching forward. It showed her the elive bear plunging headlong into the melee, And as a piercing screech of mingled rage and agony came up from the lips of her grand- mother, she leaped boldly into the frightful den, torch in one hand, bow and arrow in the other. So sudden was her action that it took the young trappers completely by surprise. Before they could fairly realize the startling truth, Netawaka had recovered her balance, thrust her blazing torch into a crevice in the wall, fitted en arrow to the string and sent the feathered shaft hissing upon its mission, bury- ing it deep between the ribs of the panther as it crouched upon the writhing form of old Kangewock. Then she uttered a shrill, clear cry of com- mand that was instantly obeyed by such of the a D eee eee aeaeeEeeEeee eee ba she thrust wolvesascouldcrawl. They cleared themselves from the melee and surrounded their young mistress, a cordon that only death could break. ‘*T cain’t see that an’ stay yer!” grated Hardy Zeph, grasping his remaining revolver and leaping from the ledge just as Netawaka let fly her second arrow. In the obscurity he alighted upon the body of one of the wolves slain by the old woman, and piscsing forward, his revolver flew from his and. A warning cry came simultaneously from Netawaka and Dainty Lance. Hardy Zeph glanced over his shoulder and saw the huge bear nearly upon him, its white teeth rattling as its powerful jaws clashed together. That glance told him he would not have time to avoid the onset, and drawing his knife, he ar serbia for the dread encounter, thrusting his eft arm forward as a guard, , An arrow hissed over his head so close that it ruffled his hair, then buried itself tothe feather in the massive chest. At the same instant Dainty Lance, realizing the full extent of the peril that threatened his heart brother, leaped from the ledge above, i feet first fairly upon the back of the ear. His lowered heels struck squarely upon the animal’s spine, and produced the effect calcu- lated upon. The bear collapsed under the shock, its hind quarters temporarily paralyzed, its long fore claws barely touching Hardy Zeph as it struck out viciously, roaring most horribly. Catlike, Daint nee rebounded to the floor without losing his balance, and snatching up the revolver dropped by Zeph, poured bullet after bullet into the huge creature’s ear. At the same time, Hardy Zeph was drivin his long blade again and again into the side o the monster, until it sunk down, dead beyond all doubt. Until now they neither had had time to give a glance toward Netawaka, but now they saw that she no longer had need of their aid. Her second shot had cut short the panther’s thread of life, and she was now bending over the un- conscious but still living Kangewock. ‘She is alive, but death is hovering over her,’ she said gently as Hardy Zeph came to ber side. ‘ Her pet panther did its work before I could kill it.’ ‘*She fell into the very trap she set for me,” said Dainty Lance who would not pretend a sorrow he did not feel. He had suffered too much while under the in- fluence of that subtle drug to feel forgiveness so soon. ‘*She is my grandmother, and dying,” softly added the Wolf Queen. ‘She is very old, and many wrongs done her by your people have un- settled her brain.” ‘* We'll hel ae ‘*But how to git her out o’ this p’izen hole, [ don’t see.” ‘There is an easy way out. weapons, and then one of you hold the torch to light the way.” y aid of the blazing fagot, the scattered weapons were soon recovered and all found to be in working order. The Wolf Queen raised the bruised and bleeding form of the Indian witch in her arms, then led the way to the rear of the foul-smelling den, where the red light soon discovered a rude but substantial door, secured by heavy bolts let into the solid rock jambs. By her direction Hardy Zevh removed these and swung the door inward, revealing a narrow flight of rudel cut stone steps, leading to the level of the rock chambers above. In a few moments more, the party reached the rude apartment set aside for the use of the Indian witch. Netawaka placed Kangewock upon the pallet of skins, then closely inspected her injuries. These were numerous and so severe that it seemed almost a miracle the old woman still drew the breath of life. The young trappers interchanged quick glances, she would never recover consciousness. In this belief Dainty Lance began to soften toward his almost murderer, and lent Neta- waka all the aid in his power. With a celerity and steady nerve remarkable in one so young, the Wolf Queen cleansed the many burts of her grandmother, then anointed and bound them up with simples collected by the beldame herself. The effect was almost magical. Kangewock opened her eyes, and as they fell upon the faces of the young papery bending over her, etawaka’s band and rose unaided to a sitting posture, still malignant, intense hatred ringing in every tone of her voice as she poured ~* | poo! TIE Collect your ™~ -_ you all we kin,” said Hardy | They felt assured