Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 24 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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

=. * — — —_ _ ~- + = SS ea ———t eee + Diamond The Mystery of the Yellowstone BY COL. PRENTISS INGRAHAM, AUTHOR OF ‘‘ THE FLYING YANKEE,” ‘“* BALPH ROY, THE BOY BUCCANEER,” ETC., ETC, CHAPTER IL. THE DEATH-SHOT, A CURLING column of blue smoke floated lazily upward from a little clump of timber, overhang- rail creek, not many miles from the great and wonderful valley of | cord, and ornamented with a pair of crossed the Yellowstone, whose mysteries are known to | sabers of gold. but few men, and Whose marvelous beauties will | become the theme of the historian, the traveler ing the clear waters of and the poet. Through the trees glim- mered a cheerful fire of huge logs, and around it were grouped half a dozen men enjoying the blazing warmth, for a light snow lay upon the ground, and a cold wind was blowing up with the ap- proaching mens In the background of the camp-fire were two tents and behind these, sheltered from the wind by the canvas walls and thick foliage, were a dozen horses, or rather In- dian ponies, those hardy lit- tle animals that climb the mountains like a goat, and scour the prairies with the speed of an antelope. Hanging to the limbs of the trees were saddles, bridles and other accouterments, while leaning against the trunks were several rifles, ready at hand for use. It was a cheerful camp- scene, and those about the fire seemed greatly to enjo it; for they were idly watch- ing the movements of a ne- gro, as he skillfully prepared a most tempting supper of buffalo-steaks, prairie mn onions, roast potatoes an coffee. Another negro was busy bustling about the tents, spreading blankets and pre- paring for the night’s rest, which soon all would seek. The four remaining per- sons were strangely unlike in appearance, and two of them seemed wholly unused to a wild life upon the plains. One of these was evidently an Englishman—tall, well- formed, handsome and stern- looking. He was dressed in the suit of a huntsman, and wore a soft slouch hat that cast his face in deeper shadow, while re No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. — = = = ——— —— ——_—s —— ~ ——_ ——— - — \ = — =, sway §| |PR |R| || (| | | —— \ Os | | \ , O \ \ \ © ‘~. OBB— Co ft — re ? : i € ma tt! Lt i! nt int il i tl it Copyrighted in 1878, by BEADLE AND ADAMS. BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, —_—- --- —--~.~-- | silently away ata cigar. | Upon his right, seated-upon a log, was a man of slender form, swarthy face, and quick, nervous manner, while his dark eyes seemed ever flitting from face to face. His hunting-snit was faultless, his nationality U evidently French, and his manners easy and those of a thorough man of the world. Upon the left of the Englishman was one who in any land would be recognized as an Amer- ican. He was a man of striking Seabee dressed half in buck-skin, half in mi wore his fringed leggins stuck in cavalry boots, | and scarr and his dark, curling hair was sheltered by a broad-rimmed sombrero encircled by a golden and blue. His form was faultless, graceful, and his face not only a very handsome one, but every fea- ont ee ue | ae . —— ne — = _ - Min | Hl / / salytiten —— ~ ——_ — f—— ns . . _—_— ~ AY = TT iy! att \ Al \\ \ “! i of. +9 2 weds Tr; + 4 - —— * = 5°. Su = > _——_ -———— } —————__ x 5 wi ] Me mS NOAANANAINRIDQCQQD Ge ee RO eS Oo Le SS a ee Ye =3 \ ’ ; = == : es t + a. Ft —— —sF:! ; . —oa So —— —+——> +— > Fa J gg das Ni: &. "PESTS Hs cecmsey ate ANT flay, =) IM!) rity wie : | I] ¢ Subp ee + a © men '* — » ‘* Diamond Dirk drew rein suddenly—forcing his steed back upon his haunches, \ OY - < . IS YT eee TT AN Price, 5 Cents. (COMMU S33 lalelatotelol/ | — WS a! (tt Vf VY, ee oe —_—_—_—__ _ -—« No. 24. he half reclined upon a folded serape and puffed | ture was stamped with fearlessness, determina- tion and intellect. At the time he is was engaged in polishing the silver mounting of his Evans’s rifle, which h thirty-four leaden messengers of death. n the other side of the fire, quiet and meditative, sat a prairie-man, for sndk his at- tire and appearance indicated. His buck-skin suit was worn, fringed, and trimmed with quills stained red resented to the reader he eld in its slender stock et fancifully He wasa man of herculean build, about forty itary attire, for he | years of age, and with a face weather-beaten . as if from + ony to rough usage of the elements, steel and lead. Around his waist was a buck-skin belt, hold- ing a pair of serviceable revolvers, and a long knife, whose blade was dented from hilt to point. A faded, stained sombrero covered his head, and at his side, as if from habit, was his rifle, a seven-shooter. As the shades of night crept over the encampment the snow began to fall heav- ily, and the party of four gathered around the repast set before them by the ne cook—those four were the Englishman, the Earl of Lochiel; his comrade, Jules Vernon, once an officer of the French army; Captain Leo Markham, from Fort Ellis, and to whom the English noble had brought letters of introduction from friends in New York, and who had ac- cepted the invitation to join the party for a hunt in the Yellowstone valley. The fourth man was Tra per Dan, the scout and gui of the expedition, and said to be the only man who had ever gone alone into the un- known land which love of adventure and — had in- fluenced the Earl of Lochiel and Jules Vernon to explore, At Boseman the expedi- tion had been fitted out, ponies, pack-mules and other necessaries purchased, and with a competent guide and Pompey and Jake, the two negro servants, the dari little party had set fo — their adventurous trip— venturous, because around them were bands of hostile Indians, and they were going into a country where few white men and no red men dare go. An unknown land where strange stories were told of stranger deeds done there, where lakes of icy and boil- ing waters were side by side,. and silvery streams bounded over precipices a thousand feet in hight. Where dark caverns pene- trated the mountains, and deep canyous sent forth ten JOO “S (EO)