Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 278 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

© their ing his Pees . it was. of that asured wenty- deep. ‘Dere! d that d him -that’s ’ thun- hot at ran to ‘You we do OW no y, and s Upon id his vaited come. ttered t into r, and r bes thing ' fine r, T never plied nakes ist be rand x uns Taly, Ore’t ¢, fer é< Tt man s the trap, n't ez | the ng us Ben, ‘e he An’ '@ us mor- (0 be The Three Trappers. 13: ‘en Millicent was nearer the river. Bentley oné into the hut for something they needed. ‘Jump up an’ down on it,” said Ben. Jan did as he was requested. The next moment there was a loud crack, as of a hawser parting under a heavy strain, and the craft was whirling down the current, out of reach of the men on shore, Ben darted into the water and made an ineffectual at- tempt to grasp it, but it was already beyond the ut- most stretch of hisarm. To their Thoeror they saw their comrade drifting hopelessly down the stream. They looked downward; as far as the eye could reach the river was Hopelessly churned into foam, and gray rocks reared their heads above the water, threatening death to any unfortunate wretch thrown upon them. The bluffs stood out bold and high on either side, and buried the river in from mortal view. In every eddy by the side of these bluffs the cunning beavers had made their lodges, satisfied that they were safe from their inveterate enemies, the trappers. The Dutchman saw nothing of this; he only saw the foaming river, the brown ledges and the ragged rocks. From the spot where the raft started the eddy Swept him directly across the stream in the direction of a Serrated ledge. which threatened instant de- struction, Seated on the narrow craft, grasping it With both hands and ever looking toward the other shore, the unfortunate man set up a cry for help which pierced brave old Ben to the very heart. He began to throw off his hunting-shirt, Just as he Stood, half naked, on the bank, the raft struck the ledge against which it was drifting. Such was the momentum which it had acquired that it sent Jan pri: from the logs, striking the water many feet - \las! alas!’’ cried Millicent; “he is gone!” "Not yit,” said Ben; “I’m hyar.” The current swept Jan further down, and he Struck the rocks again; but this time he grasped a juttin ledge, found a place for his feet, and shouted or help at the top of his voice. ._ Um comin’, ofe chap!”’ responded Ben in return, Look out! Fotler me, Jule.’ e plunged into the stream, while Jules remained Standing on the bank, The trapper sunk from view inamoment. Taking advantage of the undertow, © Swam toward the other shore. He had learned from the Indians the trick of swimming under water, and did it well. Fora few moments nothing was heard but the splash of the water and the outs of poor Jan, who imagined himself forsaken in the bleak world, All at once he beheld the water separate close by his side, and from the swift cur- rent Ben Miffin sprung into view, dashing the water rom his eves with one hand as he laid the other on € rocks to keep himself from floating downward. How ar’ ye?” he said, coolly. “ Rayther a cold berth, this,” J Ve never gets out of disno more, Penn,” said an, despairingly. “I pees very mooch ’vraid ve Gone dis dimes. Vy den you pring me to dis mis- erble coonthry?” sovt'S good enough fer the natyves,” said Ben. mint up yer meat-trap. Let me do the talkin’; ul hev enough of it, I reckon.” Dalking’s no use,” replied the poor fellow, “‘ Vat I vants ish to pe sure T can get out from dis. An’ dis ish vat I dinka: ve vill never get out from dis no more vile ve lifs, so help me ash I pelieve dis ish drue. Dere ish no more hope vor poor Jan Schnei- der. He ish deat unt drownded mit vasser, Ach! ein Soe! Phew!"’ Ll gi “Jest you open yer mouth ag’in, an’ I'll give ye a smash ht i war in the meat-trap. Now mind what I tell ye: I ain't goin’ to hev two head bosses in this yer business—you bet I ain’t. Now listen to me, an’ hold yer row. Kin ye swim?” ‘Like a hoondred pounts of iron,” said Jan. **Gootness cracious!”’ ““Thet’s bad. I never did see a Dutchman that knowed anything. Ye durned anatomy! Well, ef I let ye git on my shoulders, will ye promise not to ketch me ‘round the neck?” “Yaw; I promise anyt’ings, so ash I does not pe drowned mit vasser.” “Very good. Then when I hands on my shoulders an’ kic ye do it?” ‘*T kicks like ter duyfel.” Ben loosened his hold on the rock and let himself float down to the speaker, When all was ready Jan laid his brawny hands upon the shoulders of the trapper, and he pushed out from the shelving bank. Jan immediately began to flourish his heels like the paddles of an ocean steamer, leaving a broad trail ot foam behind him. Indeed, so vehement were his 4 ote that he buried the head of the swimmer un- 533 Sat wet, And Ben was compelled to call on him 4 4 pes But when he fell a dead weight upon the shoulders of the trapper the drag became fearful even for his iron strength to sustain. They were by this time in the midst of the power- ful current, where the “suck” formed a vortex 80 strong that, when. within twenty feet of the shore, it seized them and hurried them away from the safety so nearly gained. In vain the tray per strug- Filed against it and called to Jules for help But the n an seemed to have lost all control of him- self. Instead of following the trapper he remained on the bank, running wildly up and down making no effort to assist either of them. But Bentley was ce’ .aing down from the hnt at full speed. “Help! help!"’ cried Ben, in a sinking voice. He had got out of the suck by this time, but faced it again bravely, The current had been gradually sweeping them downward. They reached a place where a pine had fallen to the ground and was lying in the water. Ben, striking out desperatc'y, felt the sunken branches strike his leg. ‘ ve the word lay yer with both feet.» Kin “Kick, Jan, kick!"’ he shouted, with all the power of his lungs. “Kick fer yer life.”’ Jan lashed out desperately, and though the head and shoulders of the trapper were buried by the ey he managed to grasp the limb of the fallen ree. ‘** Easy, Jan; keep cool,’’ he said. Jan ceased plunging, and Ben slowly hauled away on the slender limb, going up it hand over hand, as sailors do. If it should break! He looked below and saw the jagged rocks and the high walls of stone on both sides of the canyon. To drift lower down was certain death. He felt the limb bend in his grasp, but it held firmly, and at last he laid his strong hand on the stouter one. As he did so he allowed the shout of joy which had been pent up in his breast so long to escape in an exultantecry. Jan took itup and made the rocks fairly ring. It was easy work now. In a moment more their feet trod the unyielding soil of the bottom of the stream, and they clambered to the shore. Ben ran to the place where his clothes lay and got into them without delay. ‘There! I feel better,’ he said, as the last gar- ment was donned. ‘I kain’t say I like the other style of costume in the winter. "Tain’t voluminous enuff. Fer summer, now, a light an’ airy rig like thet ar’ would be jest the thing; but it won't do fer the Black Hills. Oh, no!”’ ‘I dinks ve pettershaf a vire,’’ said Jan, with rattling teeth. “It ish very cold here.” “Yer mighty right,” rejoined Ben. kain’t ye do thet much fer us?” Jules walked away slowly and began to gather the materials for a fire; but he walked lazily, and Jan turned in to help him, dripping as he was. Ben looked at the Prenchman in considerable astonish- ment. A change seemed to have come-over him since his capture by the Indian band. His eye had a sullen light; his Jooks were downecast, and his whole appearance that of a man who was wholly actuated by some bad passion, ““Blowed ef I kin make out what’s the matter with Jule,’’ muttered Ben. his mind, somehow.”’ ‘*“Come here, father Ben,” said Millicent, at this moment. ‘‘l have something to show you.” He turned and walked to the place where she stood, near where the raft had been lying. The broken withe by which it had been tied still Ruths to the trunk of the pine. Millicent lifted this and showed it to him. ‘*‘Do you see nothing strange in this?’ she said. A glance at it was sufficient to show that it had not been broken in any ordinary way. It was cut clean through by some sharp instrument. He looked anous him. Jules was still lazily working at the re. ‘“Mebbe thar’s somethin’ on the tree or the rocks that did it,” he whispered. “Tf there is we can find it,’’ said Millicent; “‘ you had better try.” He searched the trunk of the tree and the rocks near at hand, to find anything which could by any ssibility have cut the rope. He looked in vain. he trunk was wonderfully smooth and the rocks out of reach, There was but one supposition then. Some one had cut the withe, ‘Ye don’t mean to tell me that Jules c’u'd hev the heart to do that?” said Ben. “IT do not like to suspect anybody, but I believe from my heart that it was he. have good reason to fear him, and so have you.” Ben turned toward the Frenchman. He had at last collected material for a fire, and Jan had kindled them into a blaze, over which he was crouching while Jules stood watching him with a sullen an dissatisfied air. ‘*‘Come here, Jules,” said Ben. thing to tell ye." Jules looked as if he would like to refuse. “What do you want?” he said, moving slowly and sullenly toward the trapper. Millicent had left the old man, and was talking with Bentley by the river side. ‘*‘Come hyar,”’ repeated Ben, in an authoritative tone of voice. Jules paused irresolutely and looked the speaker over from head to foot. ‘Come hyar, I say,” repeated Ben. ‘“ Hev a man got to w’ar his eg tp out a-tellin’ of ye to move?” Jules followed him reluctantly aside, and they stood together near the wall of the hut, not far from Jan, who was intently engaged in drying his clothing. The Frenchman did not like the expres- sion of the old trapper’s face. It showed a deter- mination to understand the matter. ‘* Ye hang back like a twelve-year-old gal, ye do,” said the old trapper. ‘‘ What’s the matter with ye, anyhow? I want ter ask ye a question ortwo, I asked ye to foller me when Jan got adrift. Why didn’t ye?’ “Where would you have been if the tree-top had not lain in the water? Battered to pieces on the rock below the fall. I wasn't going to try it, you'd better believe, I warned you to come back.”’ “« That's all right,’ said Ben. ‘I ain’t hard-hearted enough to force a man to do anything he’s afraid obs ae look yer’. Do you see this withe? Who cut it?’ He held up to view the severed strand, showing where it had been cut, So sudden was the questio and so unexpected, that the Frenchman stammerec and turned deadly pale. There could be no doubt as to his guilt. **T never touched—” “Take keer! ‘Don’t lie to me! I ask ye as a friend to keep a straight tongue. Te t ye to try it on, Lut it’s no use. So don’t lie. Don’t I know ‘7 “Say, Jule, “He’s got trouble on ‘*T have some- _—— ye? Didn’t ye stand behind me when ye cut the: withe? Wasn't it cut through and through? I ain’t quite a fool, nuther be you. Soshut up. You cut it yerself, jist to git rid of the Dutchman, I use of yer old grudge ag’in’ him.” Jules covered his confusion by a laugh, He. thought best to turn it off in that way. ‘‘Well, Ben, I did cut the withe; but it was a joke just to give that big Dutchman a big scare, had no idea the raft would get away.”’ ‘“‘A joke. [cum pooty nigh makin’ it the dearest +B) jest you ever hearn of. ‘You don’t suppose I meant anything in earnest,’” said Jules, cringingly. ‘‘It don't matter so much what I think,” said Ben. ‘I believe Jan has a v'ice in the matter, an’ I reckon he'd say if it wa’n’t in earnest it was the roughest joke on him ever he'rn of, Anyhow, I've got my opinion, and I'll back it for ten mills, U. 8. currency, that he licks you out of your boots when he hears about this nice little joke. Ef he don't. lick ye, he’s a fool.”’ “Te dare not lay the weight of a finger upon me in anger,’’ said Jules, flercely. ‘‘He has done it more than once. Let him beware of the next time,’’ “I've had a hint before to-day thet all ain’t right. I begin to suspect ye grevious, I won't say any- thing about that now. About Jan first; be ain't a bit afraid of you, Jan ain’t. Now let me give you a piece of advice. I don’t want to hev any words with you. Jest let the Dutchman alone. He's clumsy, mebbe, but he's got the makin’ of a man in him, and he’s good-hearted, an’ I won't hev him abused. Thet’s about the way the thing stands now, nigh as I kin get at it.”’ ‘You seem to have taken to him all at once, muttered Jules. ** He’s honst ; thet’s one reason; I like honesty in any one, An’ i give ye fa’r warnin’, next time ye dar’ to do a mean thing to him, I'll walk into ye like chalk. Dye h’ar whatI say? Understand me, too. I won't hev no man in my eompany that won't give the others a fair show. And ye've been bard on thet poor feller ever sense he cum hyar with us, Now stop it.”’ “Ts it anything to you?” wa Ye bet it is. Ef it ain’t Pl make it so, mind: thet.’ 90° CHAPTER XI. THE QUICKSAND, Tury set to work at once and built another raft.. After it was done, Jules mounted and rode away to the east. At any other time, Ben would have ques- tioned him with regard to his absence, But Milli- cent gave a sign which he understood, and let him go without a word. The moment he was gone she came to the old trapper and revealed to him enough to excite Ben’s anger and scorn of the treacherous rascal. “Don't say a word to him. Igave my promise to remain silent about it while he remained quiet, He has broken his pledge, but do not let him know that we suspect ‘ “The gal is right,” said Ben. ‘Don’t let him know. But we kin watch the devil clust; an’ when he gives us a chaince, down with him, “You will do nothing rashly, i hope,. Remember much depends on that.’” “Ba can’t keep my hands off him,’’ responded ntley. They had just prepared dinner when Jules returned, coming, not up the river, but eut ef the pass to the east. Ben looked at bis face as he eame in and saw that it was not moody. He d nothing, but made a lace for him at the fire so that he might have the nefit of the warmth. Jules did not immediately take advantage of this, but busied himself in remov- ing the blanket from his horse, and turning him loose. When this was done, he eame slowly toward the fire and sat down, ** Whar have ye been?” asked Ben. ‘‘Up the east pass. I chorea this morning ‘that. I sighted a moose herd, and 1l’ve been out scouting round, thinking I vp possibly find some ef,the critters. I struck their tracks at the bottom of. the second canyon, and not long after came upom the herd. There was only three of them in all, and — well south they have got too. Butif we can cil one, it will give us g fodder for a week to come. ‘Moose down hyar? That's mighty uncommon, I tell ye. Their grounds is at least five hundred miles to the north of this. I’d Jike to go with ye, but I don’t think I kin, I've got so much todo, S’pose ye go out with Jan? Mebbe ye'll git one of them.'” ‘All right,’’ said Jules, eagerly. ‘“* What do you say Jan? Will you goy” ‘Y **T likes to shoot von coes mit you,’’ said Jan. vat you call him—moose.”’ They started out directly after eating their dinner, leaving the rest at the camp. Jan carried the tre- mendous weapon which already had done such fearful execution. Jules had his rifle. Tiey kept their horses until they had reached the mouth of the pass down which Jan, Ben and Millicent had turned to get upon the mountain. on the day when the Indians came to the camp. Here they picketed the animals and went forward on foot, with great caution. As they emerged from the s they had a view of the small valley. It was tice their own —— nearly circular in form, with the river in front and the mountains on the other three sides. There might have been sixty acres of flat land in the valley, and on the other side, close down: to the water's edge, three moose were feeding. Along the western base of the mountains rar a long strip of timber, and into tnis the trappers at once plunged, comicbooks (S (E(0)