Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 238 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

--——- There is, however, one thing we want to know of you, and we will promise you, in view of the fact, that your fate will depend entirely upon the information you are able to give us. Mind, we know that you have a knowledge of what we seek, and you will also bear in mind that we know enough of the matter to tell whether you give us the truth or not. Im fact, all we want of you is a single connecting link.” “Phen you will never receive that from my tips,” replied the prisoner, defiantly. “There is a way of compels you to speak,” assured one of the villains. ‘‘ Here, Rathburn, let’s put on the screws.” : So saying, they threw the end of the rope over a limb above the young man’s bead, and catching hold of it, drew down upon it until ogee felt the encircling noose tightening on his throat, ‘* Now,” said one of the outlaws, “we will ive you one more chance—what say you, ger Millbank?” “I will die rather than save my life by a compromise with villains,” was the unequivocal response. “Then pull down, Rathburn, pull down—” “Fold on there! bold up there! hold there!” were the three several commands that burst from three different points in the surrounding oom. The outlaws started with fear and terror. They quickly let go of the rope and grasped their revolvers, believing it wasa case of Jife and death with them. They glanced quickly around them, but saw no one; to their ears, however, again came the stern command: ‘ “ Hold up your hands there, you fellows of the masks, or we’ll riddle you full o’ holes.” ‘The demand came from the right. ‘Up with ’em, quick!” came another com- mand from the left. ‘* Yes, up with ’em, for you’ve no chance,” said a third voice before them, and at the same instant they caught sight of a human eye blaz- ing along the barrel of a rifle that was leveled toward them from a clump of bushes. The two villains fairly staggered under the terrible shock they had so suddenly sustained. That they were surrounded they had not a doubt, and being caught, too, in an act that would condemn them to death, their chances for lite were as doubtful as Millbank’s had been a few moments previous. One of them, how- ever, quickly whispered something to the other, then both threw up their hands. But in the mean time they kept their eves on the rifle be- fore them, and the instant they saw it lowered they whirled and dashed away into the woods, pe hp good their escape from the single bullet that whistled into the darkness after them. Then, before. Roger Millbank was . hardly aware of what had transpired, a figure stood before him with a knife in one hand and a rifle in the other, It was the figure of a boy of sev- enteen, clad in buckskin garments. s round smooth face was, flushed with excitement, an his big blue eyes flashed with emotion. His head was bare and covered with a great shock: of long frowsy hair that stood out like the quills of a porcupine, giving him an odd, and, to say the least, comical appearance. “s Shocky, the Boy Trapper!” burst from Mill- bank’s lips, as the boy severed his bonds; “ by heavens! I’m glad to see you, lad!” ‘‘T should specerlate you war, Rog’r,” replied the boy; ‘‘ but come, git away from this. light afore the foe rally.” The boy turned and led the way into the darkness of the woods, closely followed by Roger. Nota word was spoken until they had gone half a mile, when Shocky stopped and said : ‘Thar, I guess this’ll let us out, Rog’r.” “Yes, yes; but it seems more like a dream, Shocky,” replied the ranger. ‘‘I can’t hardly realize that I am safe. don’t know what to say to you,” ‘Tell rae how you felt bout the time them critters begun to pull down on that rope,” and the lad burst into a peal of boyish laughter. ‘Not now, my little hero: I want to ge my- self set right nvince myself I’m not in another world.” ‘‘ Pshaw, Rog’r! You could easy tell by the smell o’ brimstone if you’d gone to another world!” “Shocky, you little rascal, give me your band. I want to thank you for getting me out of the worst scrape I was ever in.” ‘‘Didn’t I play that nice onto them neck-tie men, Rog’r? Didn’t they reel off into the dark- as tho’ Satan war after ‘em?’ ‘*'You wasn’t alone, Shocky?”’ “‘ Bet your sweet soul I was!” The Parson Detective. ‘“* What? do you mean to tell me you had no assistance in rescuing me? Why, I heard three or four different voices catl out from different points to those outlaws to hold up their hands.” **T can’t help it, Rog’r; every one o’ them commands come out of this flap-doodle of mine. Why, didn’t you know, Rog’r, that I can sling my mouti around like an ole shoe? Didn’t you know I’d a_ double-geared, back-action voice that I can chuck away into any hole jist like nothin’?” ‘* Well, I believe, since you spoke, that I did hear once that you were a kind of ventriloquist, but it seems impossible that one could use his voice like you—’ ‘Here they are! here they are!” suddenly broke in a voice behind them, and seizing Shocky by the arm, Millbank cried: ‘*The outlaws are upon us! Run, Shocky!” Shocky burst into a peal of laughter. ** That war jist a specimen 0’ my mouth-work, Rog’r,” he said. . ** Well, that beats me all out of time! Shock with that wonderful gift of yours, you should not be here in this heathen land. It would be a fortune to you in the East,” declared Millbank. *That’s what my ole pard, Jack Snyder, says, Rog’r,” replied the Jad, * but, Pil eb Mk I won’t give up the prairies, the woods and the rivers and all their kersloshin’ ole fun. 1 were cut out for a double-breasted prairie vagabone and I don’t want to be spilt in makin’. But say, Rog’r, won’t yeu go down to the ‘ Raven’s Roost,’ and stop over night ’ith me! I’m alone now.” *“My dear Shocky, I'd like to go and stay a week with you, but 1 cannot. I have got to be at River View by to-morrow night, and as I am out of a horse now, it will be all I can do to make it on foot, traveling night and day.” ‘“Woll, I’m sorry you can’t roost with me, Rog’r; but if you can’t now, mebby you can some Other time,” ** Yos, I will, Shocky, and that before long, too. I owe you a debt of gratitude I will pay some time or other. But, my lad, you must be very careful; if them autlaws, find you out, your life will pay the penalty of your daring adventure of to-night.’ ** Let ’om sail in,” defied the boy; ‘TI could ’a’ killed ’em both to-night if ’'d wanted to, but I don’t want to kill anybody—not even an Ingin. But if I have to, Pll not fool *bout it.” Thus they conversed as they moved slowly down the river, Finally they came to where Shocky’s road di- verged to the right. Bidding the youth adieu, Roger resumed the journey the outlaws had interrupted. Shocky turned and glided rapidly away through the lonely wood. He soon came to the foot of a high perpendicular cliff, and, dropping himself on bis knees, slaked his thirst from a cool spritg that bubbled from under the rocks. 3 mn ee ee | ee —-- the Missouri River in Dakota, In fact, roving bands of Sioux had already been reported seen on the Dakota River, and this was bringing danger pretty close to the *' Raven’s Roost.’ As Shocky lay upon his back looking up at the blinking stars, and thinking over what Roger bad told him of his ventriloqual powers, he was suddenly startled by what appeared to be the sound of voices. — to a sitting posture he listened and found he was not mistaken—that a number of persons were halted at the foot of the rock; and, what made the discovery all the more startling him, was the fact of their being Indian voices, and that they were hostiles he had nota single doubt. But what were they doing there? Had they discovered his retreat and the way of ye it? Were they about to climb the cliff? Crawling to the edge of the cliff he silently drew up the rope hanging against the rock and thus secured the Roost against invasion. A few moments later he discovered that the Indians had halted for the night and lighted a fire, and a feeling of uneasiness filled his breast through fear that the lynx-eyed savages would yet find him out and give him trouble. This they could easily do in the daytime by climb- ing into the trees opposite the Roost; but the boy consoled himself with the reflection that while they were climbing he could be shooting. As soon as the light of their fire bad reached up into the gloom before him, Shocky crawled to the edge of the cliff and at 1d over at the crowd, The fire had been built close against the base of the rock, and although the leafy branches of a cottonwood tree partially ob- structed his view jhe was enabled to see seven Indians, all of whom were hideous in war- paint. Nor were they all that he saw; toa tree some thirty feet away, yet within the radius of light, was tied a captive—an old man at the sight of whose face Shocky almost ut- tered a cry of surprise. The captive was an old Frenchman named Max La Fleur, though better known as Old Max, the Tanner; and as soon as Shocky recog- nized him he quickly searched the Indian bivouac for other faces, for, never bad he seen Old Max before without his daughter Aimee, a sunny-faced, bright-eyed little girl of sixteen summers, at his side. The boy even searched the girdles of the red-skins to make sure no scalp hung there, for a terrible fear bad now seized upon his mind—a fear that the old tan- ner’s daughter had been slain, for to this wild, little trapper-boy, Aimee La Fleur was more than all else on earth, But he could see noth- ing about the camp by which he could decide, one way or the other, as to the fate of the maiden; and so he composed his feelings and turned his attention to the old man. ow he ° could proceed to rescue him, he’ could not, for the life of him conceive. The odds were against him seven to one. Were he upon the. Then, slinging his gun af his back by means of | ground he might, with the aid of his wonderful a strap concealed by a natural against the face of the cli he caught hold of arope that hung, quite | gift of voice, accomplish the tanner’s release as roove inthe rock, | he had Roger’s. and began to climb, | The savages seemed totally ignorant of the stepping from one projection to another and | boy’s presence, for, as yet, they had discovered ste ying himself with the rope. With won- derful rapidity he glided up the cliff, but prac- tice had made him expert in climbing that rudely improvised Seite 5 Up some thirty feet he landed on a ledge or table-rock shaped like a half-moon. It was ten feet wide in the middle. At the back of this the cliff continued on up fifty feet higher, ending in a projection that made approavh from above impossible. In this cliff, opening upon the cresent-shaped table-rock, was a spacious hole or cavern in which Shocky, the Boy Trap- er, was making bis home temporarily, or until is friend, old Jack Snyder, returned from Omaha. Putting away bis rifle and revolvers, Shocky threw himself upon a robe spread upon the rock outside the door of the cavern. ere had he lain an hour before when the report of the out- law’s pistols attracted his attention and led him to the rescue of Millbank. While the place was a secure one. it was dreadful lonely for the jolly-hearted, fun-loving Shocky. The trapping season had not yet be- cook his own meals and while awa summer days in dull inactivity. His adven- } A ee | gun, and so the youth had nothing to do but | of savage enjoyment when something was seen nothing to arouse their suspicions, or curiosity, and least ey they were secure, for the tinie being, with their captive, they seated them- selves around their fire and entered into con- versation. Presently one of them produced a queer-look- ing, long-stemmed pipe upon the bow! ef which was carved the face of a man. It was evident from the curiosity manifested over this pipe that it was something new to them—doubtless the property of the captive. | Filling the pipe and lighting it the savage took a few whiffs, then advanced to where the captive stood and deliberately puffed cloud after cloud of smoke into the old man’s face, al- most strangling bim. This treatment of the captive seemed to afford the savages great amusement, and not until the smokers own mouth burned with the hot smoke did he desist and return to his friends. Seating himself in the circle around the fire he passed the pipe to a comrade, and after he had taken a few i passed it on to the next. In this way all were passing the moments in the hight the hot | to drop into the fire from overhead. {nvoluntarily every savage leaned forward tures that night were the first of any conse- | and pressed down at the mysterious object, but quence that he had met with during the sum- mer, Of late, however, he had the promise of all the excitement desired. It was rumored that ‘he Judians had broken out in open war- fare in the Hills and along the Niobrara, and that it was only a question of time when the scene of bloodshed would extend eastward to | only for an instant, for, suddenly, there was a pulf, a dull, heavy report, and a flash that seem- ed the very flame of hell bursting from the earth. Fire, savages, dirt and stone were hurled in one confused mass in every direction. The ground shook as with the jar of an earth- quake. The trees hard by swayed violently. EOmMmIiGdDooks,co