Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 24 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 - —- —— | SS thousand echoes from one sound—where weird, spectral beings were said to dwell, and which the Indians called the home of the Bad Spirit. But undaunted by superstition and strange rumors the daring pushed on, and left be- hind them their fellow-men. As the snowy flakes fell around them and shut out all the world except about their camp-fire, and the winds howled mournfully through the tree-tops, the party crouched closer to each other, and more logs were thrown upon the fire, for they could not but feel a dread, a loneliness, that would not be banished. | Then, from his shelter in the tent, a large, gaunt hound arose, sniffed the air, and from red mouth came forth a long and piteous howl. Thrice it was repeated, and Pompey, the cook, said, in subdued tones: ‘Now jist listen ter that durned dorg—he’s tryin’ to skeer us.” ‘Yas, an’ he needn’t iry no more, ’kase I’se skeered now,” announced Jake. Whether Lord Gilbert, the Earl of Lochiel was impressed also by the dog’s pitiful wail, i know not, but he said sternly: ‘* Down, Noble! down, sir!” —— my lord, or his cussed rackit ll fotch Ingins lookin’ for us, an’ then some on us will git er bullet inter our hearts,” said Trapper Dan. Then he arose, and continued quietly: “Tl just scout round the camp a leetle, an’ then we'll turn in, for I is very tired, an’ L[’se got a heavy feelin’ heur.” As he spoke he laid his hand u his heart— the last act of his life, for from the fone of the trees came a whirring sound, and Trapper Dan fell heavily to the ground. Leo Markham was the first one by his side, and a cry of horror burst from his lips: “Good God! an arrow is buried in his heart!” CHAPTER IL. ON THE TRAIL. SEVERAL days after the departure of the party of Lord Gilbert from Boseman City, a stranger arrived in town, coming from Sterling. He was well mounted, well dressed, and well armed—a slender, graceful youth, seeming scarcely more than twenty, and yet with a face strangely sad and strangely stern commingled, His features were bold, and most regular, his eyes large, full of fire, and even restless, while upon his mouth rested a look of almost nervous- ness, though his manner was cool as an iceberg, and his hand as steady as iron. ‘Stopping at the best tavern in Boseman, he at once sought the host and asked: “Have you entertained an English nobleman and a Frenchman here of late?” “ Yes; they left several days ago upon a fool- hardy trip to the Yellowstone.” A shade of pete 9 ae Fey crossed the face of the stranger, and he said, slowly: “To the Yellowstone?” ‘‘ VYes—they have gone on a hunt there; think the Injunus will soon drive ’em back.’ ‘‘ How many were in the party ?” “The Taciebeane, the nchman, Captain Leo Mar , an officer from the fort, Trapper kham Dan, the and two niggers.” Wisin tis fe risky, I ould think: but it is absolutely n that I should follow this landlord, and I would be glad if you pane direct me to a guide.” ‘You ain’t a-going alone, stranger? You'll , Sure but I nab , | ‘“‘T’ll be glad to have you tell me where I can get a guide?” asked the stranger, unheeding the remark of the host. ‘‘There is none of the boys in, now—” ‘‘ Yas—there’s several as has jist come in from Alf Slade’s old ranch,” volunteered a bar-room Joafer, and he added, with a view to earning a drink, ‘‘ ll go and tell em yer wants ter see ’em.” . “Do so, my man,” and the stranger handed the loafer a shi r. 1 ae ‘* Host, eme a room, and when the men dg up—also ‘have dinner for me in an hour.” The stranger was shown to the best room in the house, for there was something in his man- ner and appearance that comman With an air of weariness he threw himself into a chair and covered his face with his hands. e For some moments he sat thus, and when at length he removed his hands his face was very ) bf alle Mew wat ie” 1) end is coming—after long years end here—a- few more days and Gil- bert, Earl of Lochiel, Jules Vernon and myself will meet face to face—meet, not as we once , but ia the American wilds where | y Dudley /— —— nedition—hers is money—and | with to-morrow’s sun.” Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. have tracked them—Ha! here.comes the guide. Come in!” he called out as a knock was heard. “Here is several of ther boys, in, an’ they’s teams, you bet, ef yer want fellers as is on the shoot at the drop o’ a hat,” and the messenger thus introduced four men, who entered the room with him. Four men whose appearance was certainly border-like, and who looked as oe er were all that they had been represented—tall, mus- cular, rough-looking fellows, with long beards, and longer hair—men who held their lives in their hands, who dwelt upon the open prairie two-thirds of tlfe time, and were insome devil- ment the other third. They were dressed in frontier garb and were thoroughly armed with revolvers and long knives. ‘Be seated, gentlemen—TI sent for you to talk business—here, my man, have glasses, liquors and cigars sent up.” The loafer disap 1 and the men threw themselves into chairs, and gazed upon the mere youth before them. Then the loafer returned, accompanied by a servant bearing the required drinkables; behind the two came another personage—a tall, splendidly-formed man, of perhaps twenty-five, with aface strangely handsome, a blonde mus- tache that a Broadway exquisite would have been a of, long golden curls that a,woman would have plore 9 and. dark-blue eyes, fringed with the lon lashes. His was a face that if essed by a woman would have won men’s hearts by the score—as a man’s face, it was the admiration of both men and women. He was dressed in a new suit of the finest buck-skin, ornamented with symbols worked in blue, black and red quills, and beads of various colors. He wore moccasins, and his step was as ae as an Indian’s, while his head was sheltered by a dove-colored sombrero, pinned up on one side with a small, gold dirk, in the hilt of which glittered a diamond of rare size and purity. Around his waist was. a sash of red silk, half concealing a pair of large silver-mounted pis- tols, and a gold-handled bowie-knife, while at his back slung one of Evans’s thirty-four shoot- ing, rifles. e looked more like anexquisite,—dressed for a masquerade, than a frontiersman—yet there was something in his darkly browned face that proved he had seen rough service. As he took a seat near the window, and bowed to the stranger, he smiléd pleasantly, the act dis- playing even rows of the whitest teeth. ‘This heur is Diamond Dirk, sir, the boss of ther prearie, an’ ther whitest man in these heur rts. ™ . Such was the loafer’s introduction of the new comer, who said, pleasantly: ‘““My name is Dudley, sir—on the plains my friends call me Dirk Dudley, and Diamond Dirk, on ny in of a whim I € to wear this yin in my hat. isky eur says you cain to “ with me. There was something in Diamond Dirk’s manner that at once drew the stranger toward him, and he returned with respect: “My name is Belford, sir, and I am glad to meet you. I sent for a guide to the Yellow- stone, and Sam here, has returned with you gentlemen—help yourselves, please, to drinks and then we will business. The four first comers at once obeyed the invi- tation, and usly, while W y Sam, the loafer, sidled up, to the table and dashed off a quantity of brand t would have served a small hospital for cinal purposes. Dirk Dudley did not drink, neither did Burt Belford—the name marked on the ’s : The former said, politely: ‘Excuse me, sir—liquor one’s nerves—I seldom drink: Pegs wish a guide to the Yellowston@, you said?” - a+ pase of six persons left here several days ago, for that country, and it is my desire to strike their trail—I wish a competent guide, and. of many 1907. $6 eee to take for protection— you be that guide?* ‘“Yes—the Yellowstone is a country into which few white men venture, and seldom is a red-skin found in the vicinity: I will guide you there, sir, and my four comrades, here, will go too—will you not, boys?” ‘Oh yas we'll .go anywhar for tin,” said Powder Bob, so called from his powder-burnt face, at “You ‘shall be liberally all of you—to leave the tng out of the ex- desire to start ‘‘ We will be ready, sir—are you well mount- ed yourself?” ‘Yes, and thoroughly armed—if you wish two more men, besides our four friends here, get them, for the service I am going on, I warn you, is no child’s play—I wish men to face any danger that I dare risk.” Pe “We're ther boys ter dance ter yér’musick, vou bet,” said Prairie Pete, one of the worthy quartette. | % “That is what I wish—he who skulks, quar- rels with me—let the boys have some money out of what I have given you, Dudley, to get any- thing that they may need: but mind you, no spreeing—he who gets drunk I will leave be- hind,” and Burt Belford spoke in an earnest manner that proved he would not be trifled with. Te A moment after he was alone with his seem- ingly gloomy thoughts: but with the break of day he was in the saddle, and with Dirk Dudley, and six stalwart frontiersmen, rode away out of Boseman, and struck out upon the trail of Lord Gilbert and his party. CHAPTER III. A STRANGE DELIVERANCE. Wuen Leo Markham beheld the arrow im- bedded in the heart of Trapper Dan, he lost no time in vain regrets, but with more courage than prudence, bounded at once into the timber, running in the direction from whence the shot had come—he was maddened at the cowardly assassination of the-poor guide, and was deter- mined to avenge him. He had gone but a few rods, when a tall form was dimly seen flying before him. With facreaned’ speed the young soldier rush- ed on, firing several shots at the retreating form: but apparently with no effect, as the assassin sped on with undiminished vigor. Dimly seen through the falling snow, and shadows of night, the fugitive looked strange- ly weirdlike and spectral, for he was clad from nas to foot in white, and seemed of herculean ‘‘Ha! Iam gaining upon him—he is a tremen- dous fellow, but I will try my strength with him,” cried Leo Markham, and with inereased speed, he rushed on—rushed on to the next in- stant be confronted by the pursued—he had suddenly turned upon his pursuer. ickly the young officer raised his revolver and pulled the trigger—the cap snapped, and ere he could offer more resistance he was in the arms of a giant. Leo Markham was the crack shot, rider and gymnast of the fort, and his strength was con- sidered marvelous; but he suddenly found him- self powerless to struggle even, in the arms of the being who then held him in his powerful grasp. Could it be human? he thought—this huge, brute-like being, robed in the skin of a grizzly bear, tall, muscular, and almost a giant? The eyes glared in the darkness, and it seem- ed that by their light almost, the young sol- dier discovered that masses of dark hair hung to his adversary’s waist, and a beard, knotted and ,ough, reached to his belt, in which was a long double-bladed knife. ; The hard run after the wild-looking man, caused Leo Markham to pant for breath; but he noticed that he who held him thus powerless to move, breathed naturally; the race had been nothing to him. With gigantic efforts Leo Markham struggled to Tree If—to at least raise his revolver, or draw his knife—it was impossible—the man held him in a clutch of iron, while he hissed forth in a voice hoarse with passion: “You have followed me to your ruin, boy— come, come to my dominions; you will make t for me in my home of the damned.” ‘Good God! I am in the hands of a madman —the ps stories told by hunters and In- dians are but too true,” thought Leo Markham, and te aay energy he made another ef- fort to free himself. But in vain the struggle; the madman held his arms in his clutch of steel, raised him from the ground and strode swiftly away through the timber, muttering unintelligible words in his hoarse, hollow voice. vo A mile perhaps he had gone, and then he 7 ai aside the thick foliage of a thicket, as if thread his way through, yet still holding the soldier in his iron grasp. , As the thicket parted’ there came a loud roar, a heavy blow, and Leo Markham felt the blood spurt from a wound in his head. ; With a scream of rage, a demoniacal shriek, the madman hurled his prisoner from him with terrible force and sprung forward, ; GOmMmIicpDOOKS (E() — — — la