Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 241 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

_ ved-skin from carrying out his purpose? ~--- -— ‘‘The Tigers will stand by you, cap’n.” ‘*T know thet.” ‘* But the Cherubs—” ‘“‘They made thet white-livered boy a pard jes’ to rile us,” was the grated interruption. ‘I know Placer Pandy. e must go down in the general wreck. e’s follered me too long already.” ** Follered you, Rube?” ‘‘ Like a bloodhound. He thinks I never no- _ ticed it, but I hevn’t been asleep.” ‘* What hez Placer got ag’in’ you?” “More than you could dream out in a week’s solid sleep, Dave,” assured Revelation Rube ina tone of mystification. ‘‘Ah! hyar comes the corpse. eneedn’t be hyar. Ther boys know whar to put Karl.” The two, who were a short distance to the right of the cabin, moved away, and Posy Nell, instead of entering, drew back from the door and followed them. She therefore did not see the two Tigers carry the corpse of Bill’s victim into the house. She was anxious to hear more of the conver- sation which Revelation Rube had terminated so abruptly, and it was for this purpose that she glided after her ‘‘ protector ” and his friend, But they did not enlighten her further, for they joined a group of companions before Idaho Ike’s, and held a kind of indignation meeting on the square. : Nell went back to the cabin. She had prepared herself for finding the corpse of Kar! the Killer stretched on the ficor, but she had not dreamed of meeting an Indian on the threshold. The girl drew back from the door with an ex- clamation of surprise, and a yard away stared at the arrow-like figure of the brave who had just emerged from the cabin. . ' **Karl the Killer is dead, Mountain Rose!” said the Indian, angrily, and then before Nell could reply: ‘‘Him more red-man than white. Him go back to the tribe.” ‘* His friends are going to bury him here,” the girl answered. ‘“No! Black Feather strong enough to carry him to the camp down in the =) valley. Him take ’im away now. Mountain Rose must keep her tongue still.” The stalwart Sioux turned back into the cabin, before which Posy Nell stood more than half bewildered. Should she raise the alarm and Lag tbe ar the Killer was not a weighty personage phbysi- cally, and the gir] knew that Black Feather, who was by no means a stranger in Cinnamon City, was capable of bearing the body away. he was still undecided when the Indian re- appeared at the door with the body in his arms. “Black Feather got his brother, Mountain Rose,” he exclaimed, triumphantly. ‘‘ The wolves what killed him shall perish. The whole tribe will bunt ’em down. lwas killed in the white man’s town. The fireshall eat it up.” Nell did not tell the Indian that Karl the Killer had not fallen by the hand of a man of Cinnamon. “The young man has enemies enough al- ready,” she said to herself. ‘‘ Ll don’t want the Sioux to hunt him, too.” She did not resist the abduction of the body, ‘but stood aside and saw Black Feather bear it ‘ toward the Indian camp, which was not far away. She then entered the cabin and retired to the little sleeping apartment to the left of the door. But the girl could not rest. ‘Fate must have brought us face to face,” she averred, time and again. ‘‘I wish he had not come into this country; but he is here, and we have met. He and Rube are enemies, and the secret that Revelation carries may be unspoken forever. Nat Grayscot did not promise me that he would not strike until Rube had reveal- ed the story of my life. He was about to do so, but the bear-man checked him. I hate Bill Bravo for that. Now the Indians have come upon the scene. There will be terrible times from this night. And all because Nat Grayscot hates Revelation Rube.” The young girl paused almost abruptly, for the cabin door had been dashed open, and she heard an exclamation of surprise, and then a mad oath. ** Nell, whar ar’ you?” The girl started, then flung herself down on the couch—she had been seated at a little win- dow—and pretended to be fast asleep. The next instant Revelation Rube sprung into the room, and almost lifted her from the ‘“Whar’s Karl?” he demanded, holding her at . SES EMS arm’s length while he glared at her with a 'HIZIitVUZU UU #i =" 2. == =... =... nnn... 2 nnn nn ee epee eee ee tiger’s ferocity. ‘‘Don’t shake yer head an’ say you don’t know. I want the truth, Nelly— the bottom facts. Now, whar’s Karl?” ‘You must ask Black Feather.” At mention of the Indian’s name an oath shot from Revelation Rube’s throat, and she fell from his grasp. ‘““The buzzards found the carkiss afore we looked fur ’em,” he muttered. ‘‘Go back to bed, Nelly. You couldn’t keep the Injun from totin’ Karl off. You’re more precious to me to- night than you ever war since I’ve protected you. They sha’n’t tear you from Revelation ube ez long ez he kin touch a trigger er handle the bowie!” The girl’s eyes dilated. Who were seeking to separate her from the captain of the Tigers? ‘‘The youngster don’t want you, Nelly, be- cause he’s never seen you,” Rube explained in reply to her look. ‘‘The man what hez been my shadder fur fifteen years ar’ closin’ in on me—fur what’/—to furnish the mountain vul- tures with a squar’ mea]. You’re not goin’ to change masters now, girl. I could sell you fur a million, but my enemy—the old one, 1 mean— sha’n’t tear you from this shanty!” Nell was alone again. ° CHAPTER VI. REVELATION RUBE’S REVENGE. Britt Bravo spoke but little during the journey back to the mountain cave, nor did Nat care to break the silence. The two bears trotted along the trail ahead of them, and were the first to enter the den. A moment later the four cubs rushed from their corner and greeted the quartette with many ludicrous demonstrations of Joy: “Wal, Dictionary, what do you think?” sud- denly said Bill, turning to his friend in the fire- light, and laying his hand on his sboulder. “What do 1 think of what, Bill+—-Cingamon City?” ‘No; ther gal—Posy Nell.” ‘* She is pretty.” ‘* Ov course,” ** And brave!” ** Ez a lion.” ‘* But she’s a slave,” ‘* Whose?” ‘Revelation Rube’s.” ‘*She told you, then?” ‘‘TIn one brief sentence. What you do know about her?’ A smile brightened the bear-tamer’s eyes. ‘‘Forgettin’ Rube a’ready?”’ laughed Bill. “You've met yer destiny, Dictionary! When you first told me you war on ther road to Cin- namon I said to myself—‘ Fate ar’ bringin’ the two face to face.’ What do I know about the al? Not ez much ez she told you, I expect. ‘ve seen er off an’ on fur a few years, thet’s about all. She is the only woman in Cinnamon worth a bowie. Rube appears to think a good deal ov Nell, an’ it’s ther only redeemin’ trait the catamount’s got. ‘Ts his affection sincere?” asked Nat. ‘* T think so.” ‘*She isn’t his child?’ ‘Oy course she isn’t, Thar’s bluer blood in her veins than ever run through his, She’s a lily, he is dog-fennel—thet’s about the differ- ence, Dictionary. But, look hyar. I’m goin’ down into ther valley. I saw alight down thar ez wecame up. Dandy Dick saw it, too, for he uv me a knowin’ look, but didn’t let on. You fin stay hyar with the cubs an’ Rocky Dan. I’ll be back afore you’re half through thinkin’ ov the Lily of Cinnamon. Come, Dandy!” The huge grizzly obeyed his master’s call, and the twain left the cave together. Nat threw himself down on the ground at the edge of the firelight, and reviewed his journey since leaving the school which he had deserted at Placer Pandy’s summons to hasten to ven- geance. He had found new friends aud new enemies— the former true, perhaps, the latter deadly. While thus engaged with his thoughts in the cave, the youth did not dream of the scenes to which Bill Bravo and the grizzly were has- tening. | The bear-tamer had not been mistaken when he said he had seen the reflection of a camp-fire in the valley. He soon stood above the fire gaz- ing down into an Indian ae that held per- haps fifty Sioux, who looked like a marauding party: The entire gang was well armed, but ill did not see any horses, which omission seemed to puzzle him. On a certain spot where the firelight revealed everything lay some object covered with a blanket. The bear-tamer had scarcely noticed this when one of the Indians threw the cover back and revealed the body of a man. ‘Karl the Killer!” ejaculated Bill. ‘The men ov Cinnamon gave him back to the Injuns,, who allus claimed thet he war more Sioux than white man. Ef he bad stayed with his own, an’ not tied himself to Rube’s band, he might be breathin’ ee But he war too eager to stop one ov my bullets, warn’t he, Dandy?” The grizzly looked into bis master’s face and . showed his teeth good-naturedly. The bear-man was soon to discover that Reve- lation Rube and his followers had not given Karl the Killer back to the tribe of his adop- tion. Pree the light sprung suddenly an athletic In- ian. ‘‘Black Feather,” cried Bill Bravo, at sight of the Sioux. ‘‘I once put an end to the play ov Mazeppa which the Crows war playin” with him, but he’s forgotten the little circum- stance.” While the bear-tamer spoke Black Feather halted beside the corpse of Karl the Killer. The other Indians instantly surrounded him, “Suthin’s up. They’re goin’ to hunt dowm the man what sent Karl down the narrow trail. Dandy, we are in fur it now.” The following moment Black Feather began to address the assembled Indians. He told them how he had entered Cinnamon to see two men carrying the Cotes of their adopted bro- ther into Revelation Rube’s cabin, and how he had entered it and stolen the body for burial by the tribe. Then came the terrible denunciation. Black Feather played well the part of a red Antony over the. body of Bill Bravo’s victim. He roused the Indians until cries of rage and ven- geance made the valley ring. ‘‘ All thet means me!” said the auditor above the camp. No! suddenly Black Feather announced the names of the men who were to pay for the death of Kar] the Killer. He knew every man in Cinnamon, the town built on the best hunting- grounds possessed by the Sioux. io ig wooden wigwams of the white wolves!” cried Black Feather. “They have sent Karl to the Great Spirit, and that after he had lived with them. e chief of the Tigers has reddened his. hands with our brother’s blood. Let not a wolf escape! Let the light of the burning lodges blacken the sky, and by and by where they now stand the red-man will once more watch for the buck, and stand face to face with the mountain grizzly! Our bro- ther’s blood is on the hands of every person with a white face. The Great Spirit tells Black Feather that the sun need not shine on the lodges of the gold-hunters. If the Indians lis- ten not to his voice he may visit them with & lague before Kar! the Killer rots in his grave. Will the Sioux go and strike the blow?” Need we record the wild answer which was: | one prolonged shout for revenge? The Indians acted like fiends. They executed a grotesque dance around the corpse, while they gave vent to sundry cries which would have driven fear into hearts less brave than Bill Bravo's. The listener knew that at the conclusion of the dance the Indians would take up their march for Cinnamon. ‘‘Rifty bloodhounds like thet crowd in Cinna- . mon will make an ash-heap and a grave-yard out ov it afore mornin’,” he said. ‘“‘ They will baffle ther youngster, an’ kill Posy Nell. The will prevent me from hevin’ a fair fight wit the men ov Cinnamon. Ther town must be warned. Come, Dandy! We must try to save some ov ther men what would kill us on sight.’ Bill Bravo and his companion withdrew from the scene rapidly coming to an end. ‘‘ Pll take ther Retreat in on my way to Cin- namon,” he said, turning into a narrow trail that led to the mountain cave, A few minutes later he and Dandy Dick the bear entered at the door-like opening. ‘ Back ag’in, Dictionary! har ar’ ye?” There was no reply. ‘‘ Dictionary, Isay?’ inalouder tone. “ We’ve ot hot, bard work afore us.” At that moment the grizzly which had accom- panied him emerged from the darkened recesses of the cavern carrying in his mouth the -arcass of one of the four cubs. ‘‘What does this mean?” almost gasped Bill Bravo springing forward as Dandy Dick drop- ped his burden on the ground and looked up into his master’s face with an almost human moan. ‘* Who’s stooped so low ez to kill one of the babies?” cS) GComichboo ~~?