Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 278 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

— eee ee mine frent dat I vould not leafit. Dat ish all apout it.” ‘*Do you mean to eat any moreif I make him?’ demanded Jules. ‘‘Yaw. Venever you makes vrog soup I vill not leaf any of bim vor you. Dat ish vat I dinks apout it.” “Perhaps you’ll get a good chance,” said the Frenchman, ‘“ And perhaps you won’t. But vou’ve finished it. Perbaps you will go out with me and catch some more of them,” ‘*‘ Nein!” said Jan. “Why not? You eat them fast enough.” “Yaw. 1 alvays eat dem fast enough. I know vatish gootfor mine frent, unt 1 dinks vrog soup very pad vor him,” ‘That’s enough,” said Ben. You've taught Jan to eat frogs, and he has taught you that if a Dutchman is slow, he is sure, and that you can’t fool him wuth a cent, Scatter the brands and pick up your dunnage. It’s time to be on the way.” “* How far is it?” said Jules. ‘‘A matter of five miles or so,” said the trap- per. ‘* But we'll pet our pay for the long jour- ney we've made ef we ar’a little footsore at the end. Come on!” They shouldered their pieces and strode off into the hills, the Dutchman sauntering in the rear, leading his horse by the bridle. CHAPTER II. THE GRIZZLY BEAR, Brn MIFFIN strode on in advance of both the others, leading his horse, loaded with camp utensils, by the bridle. This man was known far and wide upon the prairies, as a skillful trapper, a bold hunter, and an Indian-fighter of reat renown. He bad one quality which was is own, in common with many of his class—of boasting of his exploits. Perhaps this trait was a part of his frontier education, learned from the Indians. At any rate Ben exhibited the strange anomaly of a boaster who was at the same time a brave man. The scars upon his body were taken in many a bloody fight along the Yellowstone, by the Platte, on the Washing- ton, and in the Sierras. His step was free and firm in spite of his fifty-five years, and the gray hairs sprinkled in his heavy beard and mus- tache. The road lay through a growth of scattered pines, such as grow upon the Black Hills, and among others afew specimens of the nut-pine, known only in the West. Ben stooped to pick up one of the cones, and as he was tearing off the husk to get at the seed he heard a sound which caused him to drop the cone and seize his rifle. The sound was a nt resembling the _— of a hog, and looking up, be saw, a few eet from him, an enormous grizzly bear, stand- ing with his head cocked on one side in a know- ing manner, regarding the trio in a way which seemed to say that he hesitated to decide which of the three would make the best meal. There is no living mountaineer who does not fear the grizzly bear. Their strength and ferocity can- not be fairly stated. Ben knew the danger he had to encounter, and was ready to meet it like aman, The Frenchman aimed his rifle at the avimal, but dropped it again at the stern signal of Ben Miffin’s hand, who never removed his keen eyes from those of the fierce animal. Cooper says in ‘‘The Pioneers”: ‘*There is something in the front of the image of his Creator that daunts the hearts of the inferior beings of creation.” And the great student of nature was right. No one knew better than Ben Miffin the power of the human eye, and his never quailed. ‘‘ Let me shoot,” whispered Jules. : ‘‘ For your life, don’t!” muttered Ben. ‘‘ Hold er charge tell I give ye the word, and then let im hev it.” ‘“‘T can shoot him while he stands still,” re- plied Jules. ‘Mind me,” was the reply. ‘Keep yer eye on the brute all the time, ’Tain’t no use to fire; his hide is like a sheet of iron. Bullets flatten ag’in’ it like paper-balls. Darn my hide ef they don’t. He's got his eye on my hoss; he kain’t hev it, mind ye.” ‘* All this was said almost ina whisper. The bear had not moved, but was standing in the same place, shifting his head to and fro to get away from the eye of the intrepid man. n knew his conn but between keeping his oung companion from firing and watenin the ar, he had his hands full. At last the bear rose slowly on his hind legs, and opening his jaws, uttered a terrific growl, at the same time tice set of long, white teeth, at the sight of whick poor Jan, who was crouching behind a rock, uttered a yell of terror. ee i I RR Se ee ee re nate ee + ee eee ae -———- —————— —— +2 = ee — re ee, The Three Trappers. a ‘*Keep still, you durned fool,” said Ben, without turning his head. ‘*‘ You'll bring him on us ef you show the white feather thet thar way. Still he kept the eye of the bear. The brute lowered himself upon all fours and suddenly began to retreat. He had not gone ten paces, however, when he turned again and rose upon his hind feet, repeating the menacing growl which he had uttered before. ‘*Och! Mein Cott!” muttered Jan. ‘Our vader vich art—goot saints, vat teet’! Dere ish no more as fivifty teet’in hees jaw. 1 dinks I ish mooch ’fraid.” The bear again dropped on all-fours and turned his head up the rocks. But Miffin, who had restrained himself well until now, jerked his rifle to his shoulder and fired. The ball had hardly left the barrel when the savage brute, with a broken fore shoulder, came down the slope on three legs, with growls which made the blood of the Dutchman run cold in his veins and wish himself safely back in fatherland. But he took up the gun he had brought with him from the Rhine, a gun on the pattern of the roer of southern Africa, and with his heart in his throat awaited the onset, Jules Damand fired one in- effectual shot at the savage brute, and then drew his pistols, Ben Miffin saw that he had brought this on the party, and that he was the one to be sacrificed, if any. He drew his knife and was about to close with the bear, when the Frenchman dragged him away. ‘*Climb a tree,” he said. ‘‘Take your gun with you.” Each darted at a low pine, and scrambled up as soon as possible, just in time to escape the fury of the brute. He reared himself on bis hind legs at the foot of the tree occupied by the trapper, and glared at him seated comfortably in the lower branches. The mouth of the bear was open, and the white foam dropping from the red tongue. He lowered his bead and licked the blood from his wounded shoulder, The taste of blood made him more savage, and he gnawed at the tree with his white teeth. ‘* Where are you, Jan?” cried Ben, not seeing a Dutchman anywhere. ‘‘ Have you got toa ee? “Nein!” replied Jan from behind his rock, ‘dere ish no dree bere. Lish kilt! I ish eaten oop mit a pear! Ach, mein Cott! vy you don’t shoot ’im? Vire mit de gun at’im, Dere ishno acne vor boor Jan Schneider, dat ish drue; so help me der saints!” ‘* Keep yer mouth shet!” replied Ben. ‘‘ The b’ar may miss ye. But ef he noses ye out, dig fer a tree, that’s all.” The bear evidently suspected the presence of some one else, though he had only seen the two he had treed. He began to nose about the ene, making toward the horses. But the ed at his approach, and he stopped.a little way from the rock where Jan was hidden and began to snuff the air. He then advanced to- ward the rock. ‘Look out thar!” cried Ben; ‘he noses ye now. Climb up on the rock.” Jan scrambled to the top of the rock, still clinging to hisgun. The grizzly reared his pon- derous bulk against the rock and saw his en- emy. The growl he uttered caused cold shivers to begin at the top of the Dutchman’s head and chase one another down his back and into. bis boots. The only hope be had was in the gun. He thrust it forward and was about to * when his bearship lifted his paw and gave it a erred tap, which knocked it out of the poor ellow's hand, and sent it flying down the other side of the rock. But Jan caught it by the stock and pulled it back. The bear began to climb up the rock, but moved with difficulty, for one leg was useless to him, and every move- ment was accompanied by a row. of pain. Ben Miffin bad by this time loaded his rifle, but the body of Jan was directly between him and the bear, and he dared not The gun of the Dutchman was loaded with a handful of buck- shot. As the bear came nearer he lifted the wonderful weapon and pulled the trigger. A noise like the report of a small cannonfollowed, and Jan was knocked headlong from his perch, falling on his head and shoulders nearly ten feet away. He wasup in an instant, running for a tree, fearing to feel the claws of the bear in his back at ovary step. He reached the tree, tugged his weight up to the branches and uttered a shout of joy. He was safe for the present. ‘* How does ye feel?” said Ben from bis tree. ‘*You’s nice man to shtand py a frent!” said Jan, in high dudgeon, ‘‘ You’s goot feller. I dinks I costed. ans here goot many dimes more mit you. Off auver a man is a good fiter, he Se - 4 4 a . Ps . . ‘ 4 “ . ~ ¥ eee wm — ver fite den mit der pear, You’sa coward, Penn in, ! ‘“ Yer safe in yer tree, or durn me ef I wouldn’t giv ye the darndest lickin’ ye ever got in all yer life. I would, by gravy,.. Does ye think a man like me is gwime to stand thet thar? Lreckon not. LIyruther calculate you’ve barked up the wrong tree. Jest wait tell I get down, and 1’ll chop ye inter kindlin’-wood, _Thet’s as good as if 1 swore to it.”’ x ‘Where is the bear?’ said Jules, ‘‘I can’t see him,” ‘‘No? Mebbe the Dutchman knocked, him over with that blunderbuss of his’n-—-the darnd- est weepon! It’s got a muzzle like thet thar little cannon they’ve got at the Mackinaw. Mountain how’tzer,. they call it. Look sharp again, Jule; kain’t ye see him now?” : ‘* Yes, Ben; he lies under the rock, with his head on his paws, He keeps very quiet.” ‘* Mebbe he’s shammin’,” said Ben. ‘ Don’t ye go too nigh the durned critter, It’d be jest like him to git up and go for ye the minnit yer feet teched the ground, Jan?” 4c Vat?’ ‘Git down outer that tree and an’ prick him with yer knife. Ef he don’t git up then we may safely conclude he’s a dead b’ar. ‘*I ain’t a yool!” said Jan. ‘I don’t vant nottings more to do mit te pears, You go you’- self unt brick him.” ‘** All right,” said Ben, ‘‘ I'll do it; andif he is dead b’ar, I’ll take his sculp.” |! ‘*Dake him all,” said Jan, “I not vaants him, Der duyvel! He ish von plack peast. I vash scared mit him,” Ben got down from the tree and crept cau- tiously toward the rock, keeping it between himself and the bear. Ee reached it and drew himself carefully up the side, He found the gun lying on the rock where Jan had dropped it, and then, creeping forward, he looked down upon the grizzly. The first look was enough, and he hailed his companions with a shout, “Safe?” asked Jules. ‘* Dead as a hammer,” replied Ben, Jules slid down from his tree and bastened to join his companion, The grizzly lay where he ell, and they could see that the heavy charge of the roer had passed into the ear of the dead nea “on blown a passage completely througb ea - ‘‘ Vell, vat you dinks?” called out Jan, still in his tree. ‘If youse vool me, unt dat pear ish not deat, I gits mad ash ter tuyvel.”, A ‘Dead enough,” answered Ben; ‘it’s all your durned luck, Come down and see him,” | Jan slowly left his tree, and came toward ppewein a hesitating Ra me atts erry at the savage was sufficiently fe. But even he was serie when he saw the hole the charge had made. <r “* Dere,” he said, ‘‘ vat vas I dell you ven. you —— at mine gun. ; Ret rash goot, It y den ‘Could do it, ef I hed a chaince barrel clost; to his head,” said. sy ‘Yaw, Vy you not das | ‘“‘Nobotty dinks you dare do. it. : ’vraid, I vash not clime a dree all pecause off a little pear like dat. I kills hiun,mineeelf. 4 _ Ye run fast enough after ye shot. yer blun- derbuss,” said Ben, “‘ But that) ain’t, it. Let's git our hosses back again, I kin git mine easy enough.” ‘* How?” said Jules, ‘““This way,” replied Ben, raising his fingers to his lips. A loud, clear whistle rung through the hills. Directly after they heard the swift beat of coming hoofs, and the three horses ap- peared in view, led Peso horse of Miffin. He advanced and seized his property, faith- ful animal laid. his head agaist master, VeNDE SOG) Dis gladness, a stroking bis sbinin | ly head. The horse was a model of h of the mustang breed so much in use upon prairies. Of middle size, a pure white, with small head, deep chest and long body, with keen eyes and the light step of the deer. There is oe better wed a biogeee ie ie eh d. id same es, O Vy, sa rapper; ye are one thet will always come at my whistle, no matter when I sound it,” 1 al ‘Where did you get him?” said Jules, com- ing up, with the bridle of his own horse across arm. | ‘‘From the Crows,” said Ben. ‘ They are my friends yit. I'll never need one on the prairies. I go back to them onc’t in a while and they al- ways make a feast,’ . e * ~cCorM vai B04 rs ne ; ory n moment g mane and his small, sha is kind — ; tne 1 j2ae horse is @ beauty,” said Jules, glancing. aan y et <" ' . —- a ‘