Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 238 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

‘‘ Praise the Lord for this!” solemnly ex- claimed the old preacher. “But I tell you what, we mus’n’t lead them Injins down there, for if we shouldn’t be able to keep them off, ’d be adead ranger. The don’t know they’re there, you see.” *‘ What shall we do, then, to escape those yell- ing demons?” cree nog mt = track _ lead ’em up ver. among them islands, ahead, Tommy.” : By this time it became evident that the sav- ages were gaining upon them, and so every mo- inent now was precious, Before the fugitives lay a cluster of little islands covered with water-willows and cotton- wood shrubbery, and in among these ss Dae solved to try and elude the red They kept on, however, until they had reached the lower side of the up out of sight of the foe, when they abruptly turned and pulled up among the 8, The Indians came on and the islands divided their force pend eae esas tow 3 to the ret three to the left and one through the cen- ter of the group. Those sent aro soon met at the lower end of the island, but the fugitives were nowhere to be seen; but the wily red- skins quickly detected the fox-like movement of the whites, and witha yell they tacked about and glided in among the Ptolemy Frodd and Shocky paddled here and there in a zig-zag course among the islands. In places they found the channel, or passage, be- tween two islands so narrow, or shallow, as to admit with difficulty the passage of their canoe, and finally, when nearing the upper side of the group their boat grounded in the sand, where the water was scarcely three inches deep. Ptolemy sprung out and pushed it through juto deeper water, but just as it swung clear of the bar an Indian canoe with three occupants swung suddenly around into the channel, bloek- mg their bse’? : With a wild, fiendish yell the red-skins leaped to their feet and gras their weapons. Old Ptolemy d lea into the water, pp be aloft the paddle in bis hand, he d the nearest savage a crushing blow that sent that worthy overboard into the river. Then again and again, with lightning rapidity, the dle circled through the air like the arm of a giant windmill, and with each <P a savage went down in the water, where blow after blow was rained upon their heads until a A were dead or unconscious, ut by this time the other boats were burry- ing to the scene of conflict, and unable to escape in their boat the trapper-boy and his old friend leaped upon the nearest island and sought shel- ter among the bushes. But savage eyes. had seen them, and soon half a dozen bloodthirsty wretches had landed and were thrashin oi the shrubbery like hounds in search o them. The fugitives ran to the lower side of the island and Jeaped the narrow channel onto the adjacent island. Crossing this one they waded the shallow passage to the next, and in this way they kept on until they had eluded the savages arid reached the lower side of the group. Here they sto and listened. They could hear the red-skins darting about like baffled wolves among the bushes. “The sinful wretches!” said Frodd. “Tommy,” said Shocky, ‘‘ I’m goin’ to lead them Ingins ’round this way so’s we can git back to our boat and shin out.” “How can you, Shocky, without imperiling your life?” ‘* Listen, now,” aos ag the boy, turning around and inflating his lungs with air, which, when suddenly forced out, seemed to end ina sb cry several rods away. “Gracious, lad!” exclaimed Ptolemy, ‘‘ you are a ventriloquist. That was superbly done! Throw a few more decoys over there, you mag- nifieent little war-horse—” “Here! here! this way, Tommy! run, man, run!” suddenly rose on the right from the east- ern side of the group, and, as the savages went plashing through the water and crashing through tbe brush toward that point, Shocky stood eee ee suppressed laughter. Suddenly there was a yell and then a crash of firearms, that was followed by groans of dying agony. * Oh, heavens!” : a ae Ptolemy Frodd with horror at the sound. “*Moley Hoses!” exclaimed Shocky with joy, “‘ the demons are firin’ into each other in the darkness, and the way they sing out I'd say they were in’ each other’s brains out, but let ’em splat. Now’s our time to strike, The Parson Detective. —_ + — eee Mr. Frodd, so let’s peg out for our canoe by re yi ve Shock lided idl fol saying, Shocky g rapidly away, fol- lowed by Hrodd with colossal strides, and ina few moments pees were safely back to their boat around which stood a dozen Indian dug- outs, ‘‘Gathber up all their paddles, Tommy,” said the boy, ‘‘ while I pitch a few more words over a little to the south,” In a few moments every paddle had been transferred to Shocky’s eanoe, and then leaping into the craft each took up a paddle and sent the boat rae from among the islunds into the river, and before their escape was discovered they were fully a hun yards from the A wild, demoniac yell followed the discov of their sannpe but when the outwitted : skins found their paddles had all been stolen they seemed transformed into frantic demons. And a parting shot from Shocky’s gun add- ed fuel to the flame of their wrath, for all they could now do was to stand and watch the cunning pale-faces paddling off in safety into the aber of the distance. “Shocky,” said Old Ptolemy when he realized they were out of immediate danger, "‘ youare a little—a little staver.” Shocky laughed at the old man’s odd com- pliment, then re ete dled them three red- plied “ And the wa yom skins, Tommy, | should say you war a bu’ster ut just hear ’em from the roarin’ Wabash. Bob Crusoes yelling down there! Don’t they open their yawps and let her scream? Tommy, look here; if you ever catch me gittin’ you into another deefiki ty like this, I hope you’ll kick me up-hill and cuss me down.” ‘*T never swear, Shocky; I am a preacher.” ‘Great je- whomicky smidgeons!” exclaimed the astonished boy, ‘‘ you a preacher? Who ever heard o’ a preacher ona war-path and kickin’ ’round like a wild bull in the mountains, spankin’ the brains outen red-skins instead o teachin’ them peace and love and the way the Holy Prophets went? Old folks, ar’n’t you try- in’ to feed this rooster on sawdust?” Ptolemy Frodd, for the first time in a week, burst into a peal of hearty laughter at the boy’s blunt, outspoken words. ‘It’s true, Shocky,” he replied, ‘‘ however wrong it may appear for a minister to be an Indian-fighter.” ‘‘Oh, Idon’t think it’s wrong,” exclaimed the philosophical youth, ‘‘and if it’s religion that puts starch in your backbone, strengthens your arm and dashes the sand into your craw when it comes to business, it’d be a good thing if lots more folks in this world had some o’ the same materia]. I never wasan awful bad boy, if I do say so myself, and never until yesterday had I fired a shot at any human bein’—not even an Ingin; but I found it necessary to shoot the daylights right outen a renegade, whose soul is now smokin’ hot in—” ‘“* Boat ahoy !” sg ae CuatieD . one @ SOR Be Saeed alon e shore. oc 0 is 6 an took up bis rifle. > ‘ But Ptolemy Frodd recognized the voice and ano fil d th ? o, friend Rocky, is that you?” | ** Bet it is, Psalm-Singer,” was the response, and the next moment a bateau with five occu- pants ran alongside of them in the moonlight. CHAPTER IX. A DASH FOR THE ISLE OF REFUGE. SHocky knew that the bateau alongside of them was the one that had passed the island and that he had followed. ‘* Wal,” declared Rocky as he the old preacher’s hand, ‘‘we thought you’d throwed up your hand, Ptolemy, when we heard that shootin’ and them red devils yellin’; but what yethere, Frodd, a captive?’ ‘‘No, sir; ’ve a_ brave little friend—Shocky, the Boy Trapper.” An exclamation burst from the lips of those in the bateau,, te -evening, Shocky,” said Tom Acker- man, ‘‘ don’t you know me, my vated ‘“T should say I did, Tom,” replied the boy ‘and |’m all-killish glad to meet some feller i know, though I'll be dashed to smidgeons if this big preacher isn’t a lively crowd to be out with, you may shoot me for a tadpole.” **'You may bet he’s a hull meetin’-house full, and alers holds a full hand,” observed Rocky. ‘“‘ What became of them Indians you were in trouble with?’ asked Ogilvie, the gambler. “‘ We Bob Crusoed them down on the islands b’low here by stealin’ their paddles and runnin’ —- away with ’em,” answered Shocky; ‘‘ but it off some way’r other, if they have to ar’s haydoogins o’ them, and we've got to look out or our hair’ll ornament some warrior’s t. ‘Well, what shall we do, Ptolemy!” asked Major Brandt. ‘“Wecan only go ashore and go into camp again,” replied d. ‘As for me,” said Shocky, ‘“‘I’m gein’ back to the Isle of Refuge or the folks there will stand on their heads. Tom, you know Rog’r Millbank? well, he’s down the river with eld Max and his gal on an island.” An exclamation of surprise burst from the lips of the men. ‘‘ He "bout got his head bu’sted, though,” the lad continued, ‘‘but he’s pullin’ along — in’ly now, and I as well if the Ingins don’t git hold of him; but if they do his scal isn’t worth takin’, his head was all cut mauled up so.” ME Sess P am A a Sh hear that he is recover~ ing,” dec] randt. ‘Yes, for if he had been killed Miss Robert- son would have died of a broken h ” said Ogilvie, though just why be had made this as- sertion Ptolemy Frodd could not fully under- stand, for to him it seemed out of place. ‘After some further conversation the two boats were headed toward the shore, and as they moved along Shocky said to his friend: “* Mr. d, I wish you’d go with me to the ~ 4 d,’ 8 n think I’d be welcome, Shocky?’ elcome?” exclaimed the lad, ‘‘ 1’ll bet eo a dollar you'll be doubly welcome. The fact is, we're in need of friends down there.” ‘Then I believe I will go with you,” replied Frodd, and when they reached the shore he said to his friends: ‘“‘Boys, ’'m going with Shocky to the island; I want w see Millbank. I may stay there to-night, but if I do, Pll join you early in the morning. If it didn’t look so much like intruding we'd all go down. But keep your ears and eyes open, boys, for there’s dangers around you, Good-night.” So saying the boy and the old preacher- detective turned their boat and moved slowly and silently down the stream in the shadow of is they paaeae posite th f islands— the 0) te the group Of is the gat Bee their Mate adventures—they heard the ‘‘ Crusoed” Indians still there. Half an hour’s paddling brought them in sight of the Isle of Refuge, and when they finally left the shadows of the shore and veered off toward it, they were suddenly hailed by the voice of Max La Fleur, demanding: “Me Shocky,” was the trapper-boy's rept é , was the tra . 8 reply as he and the preacher reached the island and landed, ‘‘and I’ve got the bossest kind of a friend with me, too—a reg’ler ole slam-banger on a = ball La Fleur advanced to meet them and was in- troduced to Frodd. ‘* Welcome, my dear sir,” said the French- man, joyfully. ‘‘ We are in sore yeed of brave friends just now. This is my daughter, Aimee, Mr. Frodd.” The maiden extended her littl hand and greeted the old man with a sweet, tremulous voice. ‘‘Shocky,” said Old Max, turning to the boy, “T never expected to see you alive again.” ‘‘ We had a big racket with the redskins, you can bet, but we outgineraled em and escaped handsomely,” responded Shocky; *‘ but come, now, Mr. Frodd, and I’ll introduce you to Rog’r Millbank.” The tent in which Roger lay was lighted with a candle, though the walls were darkened soe that the light could not shine through. At sight of Ptolemy Frodd young Millbank started up with a cry of surprise and joy, for he and the preacher had met before at River View. Shocky at once retired from the tent and sought Fleur to consult on their situation. While thus engaged, Aimee took her Bete as sentinel, and silently paced the rounds of the camp. Frodd and Roger held a long conversation. The old preacher revealed to the ranger the mysteries surrounding the teh ee on Fe Fairy Grotto. Roger was deeply affec by the startling news, and at once expressed the belief that it was a deep-laid conspiracy, but what result was to be achieved by it he could not imagine. Barely,” the old detective finally said, in a low tone, ‘the attack of La Fleur on you had nothing to do with the conspiracy. ‘“While it looks suspicious, Mr. Frodd, I am Gomicbdooks (E@) ~* ang