Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 188 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

ee -— - a “ Negotoo talk mad now.” *“*T am not Negotoo.” Several bands fell from Cyrille, but those of the spokesman of the band still beld her. **Girl lic!” he cried. rille’s face reddened. *“f am not free. lam a prisoner,” sho said, indignant, ‘‘ButIam not Negotoo, He may be behind you now.” More than one Indian turned toward the en- ‘rance expecting to see the figure of Death nomi ready to deal tha blow that always lew. As for the positive brave, he held Cyrille in a rise-like grip. Her words did not deceive him. Sho and no one else was Negotoo The Slayer, for had she not lately spoken in the Terror’s name? ‘** Negotoo is in the Long Viper’s hands,” he said. ‘She will never strike again.” The braves came back. “Red Cloud has demanded that Negotoo, when captured by his braves, should be killed,” continued the tall Sioux. ‘‘We have caught the killer, and the young brave Cat Eyo lies at her feet. She sball die here in her own lodge.” Did the shout of savage approval that seemed to shake tho roof of the cavern blanch Cyriile’s cheek? She was not allowed any time for reflection, for as the fire burned anew under a fresh sup- ply of fuel preparations for death began. ‘All this came by your hands, Thornton Hardinge,” broke from her heart. ‘‘ May the blood that these Indians are about to shed bring a speedy justice to your door.” *§ ‘What Negotoo say?’ asked Long Viper. “Nothing for you. Yes, yes; there isa white man who bas betrayed his people—a soldier— who is among you now. He hates you: bis heart is bound to your enemies, the Crows. If ou don’t slay him on sight woe to your tribe hrough his work.” . ‘* Nogotoo means the white captain?” ‘* Yes; Captain Hardinge.” **Long Viper and his braves will not forget; they will split his Crow heart with their arrows.” ““Good!” cried Cyrille. ‘“‘After all my avengers will be red ones, traitor!” A minute later ten Indians who had been stooping around the fire stood crect once more, and Cyrille saw that each held a bow in his hands to which the slender death-arrow of the Sioux had been fixed. The moment had come. Long i glanced at his companions and then led Cyrille toward tho rear wall of. the cave. It was now revealed by the fire. Halting there he held our heroine out at arm’s length and looked at the executioners bending their bows. ; . At that moment his grip was not tight. “‘ Heaven guide me!” ejaculated Cyriile in an undertone as wrenching herself from Long Viper’s hand she bounded into the gloom on her left. ‘* Merciful Father! show me safety !” There might be a wall there; she did not know; but none halted her, and she darted on. A wild ery that made the cavern ring greeted her escape. It lent new speed to her limbs, and with her hands before her anda prayer on her lips she kept on with the scarlet tigers of Sioux land at her heels. She had never explored Negotoo’s home, and the dark way she was threading might lead to death. CHAPTER XII. A FATAL PARTNERSHIP. Iv was the night after the thrilling occur- rences of the chapter just ended when a man ap- peared at the foot of Bald Top and tried to pen- etrate the forest of trees and bushes that covered the sides of the mountain. He wore the well-known garb of the army scout, but there was something about him that proclaimed him a superior being to that person. “This is Bald Top,” be said; “but I am in the dark as deeply as I was before I heard that wild man utter a word. Maybe be instructed the boy in an undertone, but I think not; I know he did nothing of the kind. I am ahead of the youngster, at any rate. I am here to wrench Cyrille from him should he find her. Major Beverly, this is to be your battle ground. Al) you have to do is to wait for the foe; he is bound to come.” The man, then, at the foot of Bald Top was Frank Beverly, whom we left leaving the cliff from which he had pushed the traitor scout Ben Simon. f f ——_——— +e - se ** —_ — —— ——__—__—_ + - ee ee Ned ‘Templ — ee a ae / oS Oe A a Te He was still hunting for Cyrille the lost; but e, the Border Boy. 11 ‘* My last check, eh? You wouldn’t hold back what had brought him to Bald Top? A word | a minute, would you?” he said. will explain. In hastening from his last adventure he moved toward the Sioux village and had the fortune to come suddenly upon Death Shadow and Ned Temple. By the veriest chance his presence es- caped notice, and he heard tho conversation that passed between the pair, and felt his heart leap into his throat when the bear-demon told Ned that he would find Cyrille somewhere on the mountain. Then he hurried away. To beat the boy to the place, and to find Cyrille first was his heart’s desire; but the wrong trail has misled him. When be found Bald Top night had again spread her vail over the face of nature. He stood at the foot of his goal and uttered the words just recorded, He knew that his young rival could not be far away, for Negotoo’s words would cause him to hasten tothe mountain: but Beverly did not care to wait for him. ‘* We will have to meet and fight it out seme- time,” hecried. ‘‘ The boy fool! does he think that lam going to yield such a queen of beauty to him without a struggle?’ Ho no longer stood at the foot of the mountain, but was creeping up with no definite object in view. Perhaps he expected chance to reveal him Cyrille’s hiding place. Chance had several times befriended bim in the hunt for her, All at once Frank Beverly stopped. ‘* I’m missin’ my reg’lar dose to-night,” said a rough voice, the sound of which led his gaze to the speaker, who looked like a statue carved ogainst the starry sky. ‘* Wildcat, you’re on Bald Top ahead ov the hounds; but you hevn’t struck the fawn’s trail yit.” Beverly started at the name that fell from the hunter’s tongue, Sam Wildcat! the man who had separated Ned and Cvrille—Sam Wildcat, whose promis- cuous slaughter of Indians had caused the Goy- ernment a great deal of trouble; and the man whoso presence at any of the forts would have cost him bis life. Beverly had never been so near him before and the thought of this lawless frontier wolf hunting for Cyrille was enough to make him draw his revolver, which he noiselessly did. ‘‘T’ll go up an’ look at the old cave; hev’n’t seen it tur five year—not since I took an over- dose ov Injun in it, an’ got laid up fur six weeks with lead in the lungs. The boy an’ the Crows can’t be fur behind me, an’ 1 might take the trick by findin’ the cave first. Never give up, Sam; the pansy ov the mountain ar’ bound to be yourn!” He passed by Beverly so closely that the sol dier might have touched him; but he did not. ‘* So he knows where a certain cave is?” ejac- ulated the major. ‘* He shall guide me to it, but I will enter alone. Yow shall never enter it, Sam Wildcat, for death is at your heels.” Beverly took care to creep without noise be- hind the outlaw, and more than once smiled at the thought that Wildcat was innocently guid- ing his worst enemy to the spot where the ob- ject of their mutual attention might be. Wildcat suddenly turned to the right, and when Beverly reached the turning spot he saw a narrow path which gave out evidences of late travel. ‘‘? am on the trail at last!” he cried. ‘“ Cy- rille, my love, I am nearer than you think.” He never took his eyes from Wildcat, and when that individual halted, the soldier saw that the cave had beenreached. An absence of five years had not blunted the outlaw’s recol- lection. ‘Wal, I’m hyar now fur my hollyhock,” fell from Wildcat’s lips. At that moment the figure of Beverly sprung up scarcely ten feet away. At the same time he cocked his revolver. ‘“‘Thunder! follered!” roared Wildcat, wheel- ing upon his trailey, and the major started back with a cry of astonishment. ‘¢ Yes, followed, Wildcat!” he exclaimed, re- covering ina moment. ‘‘Iam Frank Beverly. Our mission to Bald Topis the same; but you shall fail, while I am going to succeed. ou have found the cave for me, and Cyrille, I trust, for which service accept my thanks. From this hour I have no need of you. And then I owe the Government a service which I can perform while I help my own affairs. You are going to cash your last check now. Major Beverly is the indorser.” Wildcat knew what was coming, for the re- volver rested on a level with his foreheed. If it meu been day he could have looked into its barrel. ) ! j 4 : \ Se ee gt ee PO ; as this. ee . ’ . — —— aes ee oer etn ee eid -— ee - -| h— _ Br - ee ee a i —- > ‘** No!” hissed Beverly who had heard of Wild- cat’s many feats of agility. ‘lm not the man who throws away such a brilliant opportunity Your time has come. No more Indian wars from you,” ‘* An’ no hollyhock fer Major Beverly !” The last word ended like the short growl] of the panther just Lefore its leap, and at the same instant Sam Wildcat’s figure dropped suddenly sai Beverly’s pistol, and then leaped at 1im. The following second the report of a revolver reverberated among the defiles and forests of Bald Top, and Beverly struck ** below the belt” by Wildcat, would have been hurled from the path if an iron hand at bis shoulder had not prevented. ‘*Sam Wildcat’s last check, eh?’ was hissed in his ear. ‘‘Somebody else will pass in his’n afore mornin’. So you want the pansy ov Bald Top—you, an’ the boy, an’ the cap'’n, not to speak ov the individual called Samuel Wildcat, Ksquire. What do you think ov ver chances jes’ now? Wouldn’t you sell all ov ’em at less than cost?” Beverly did not reply. The sarcasm of the voice seemed to be intensified by the murderous flashing of the speaker’s eyes, ‘‘T ginerally give white men a fair show,” continued Wildcat. ‘‘Il always respected the sarvice; b’longed to it myself once.” ** You a soldier?” exclaimed Beverly. ‘‘ What part of the service did you disgrace?” “The Whisky Brigade,” answered Wildcat with a grin. ** Just as I suspected, but you were an honor to a department, not a disgrace. Pardon me Beverly at his turn was trying to be sarcastic. ‘Arter I left the sarvice I turned avenger. The loss ov ten barrels ov as good whisky ez ever killed a soldier, made Sam Wildcat the In- jun’s foe, an’ I take my reg’lar dose every da —two red-skins raw an’ when I kin git ’em wash ’em down with three or four wildcats, But let’s gi to bizness. I always give white men, an’ ’specially members ov the sarvice, a show. Hev youa knife?” 7 ¥en.” Beverly was released, and as he had been de- rived of his revolver he instinctively drew his nife—a formidable bowie. ‘The mountain pansy ar’ in thet cave, I know it!” said Wildcat. ‘ Ef you wipe me out you kin walk over my carcass, an’ take her; but ef I manage to git the pint ov my knife into your life chest, why I'll do the claimin’.” The two men were standing toe to toe before the cave’s entrance, Beverly was eager for the signal. To gain Cyrille he had but to plunge his knife into an outlaw’s heart, and this he had resolved to do. For a moment the twain stood ready for the combat, They had lifted their knives, when a strange sound, very like a signal, came up’ the mountain, 1t was replied to from some point overhead, ** They’re hyar—the rest ov ’em!” ejaculated Wildcat starting slightly at the sounds. * They i—who?” ‘“‘The boy an’ the Injuns. They’ve their issues. The man that wins in our will hev to fight all three.” ‘* Why can’t we pool our issues?” re Wildcat gave Beverly a searching look. ** Honest, major?” } ‘‘T mean business. If they have leagued to- gether why need we be enemies at the present me Wildcat thrust forth his hand, and the major grasped it. The duel was averted. ** Now fur the common enemy,” said the In- dian-slayer. ‘‘Thar ar’ two Injuns, my reg’lar. dose, an’ the boy kin take the place ov the Wildcat dessert. Come, major.” : The two entered the cave and glided down the corridor. When Wildcat stopped, he said: “ We're in the big room now whar I took the overdose ov Injun fire years ago. Hev you matches?’ Beverly felt in his pockets and produced sev- ore é lucifers which he placed in Wildcat’s an The next moment a sharp crack announced the lighting of the matches. : ae held the burning bunch over his ead. ‘Tt was my tightest rub,” he said, going back to his fight in the cave, five years before. ‘ TH Laat you the hole thet seved me arter while. \ow— led “tussle fee Sec F |