Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 283 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 farewell, which was full of dignity and grace. The next moment the rock was vacant, and the yarty stood dumfounded, gazing at the spot where she had stood. ‘“* Now let me ask you why you didn’t keep the durned witch?’ growled Jeff. ‘‘ You see trouble don’t come out of it.” wt ‘* Don’t let me see you take hold of a lady in that way again, Mr. Rooter, while you are under my orders.’ ‘Oh. You don’t say! A lady, too! That devil says she knows me. I don’t know her. But, if you don’t wish you’d kept her for a safe- vent, then my name ain’t Jeff Rooter. Come ong.” A CHAPTER V. A NEW-COMER, THEY made a camp in a secluded passamong the mountains, not a mile from the spot where they had seen the mountain maid. Jeff Rooter was the leading spirit of the camp, and the ether guides naturally looked to him for adyice, unless he assumed too much, when they at once asserted their own dignity, after the manner of free trappers and guides. “ Thar’s a man in these yer regions I'd like to kev in the camp, ef he c’u’d be got,” said Jeff, ene day, as they came back from a deer-hunt. ‘*He’s the best man amongus. None of the, boys are at all afraid to allow thet old trapper Ben is the boss.” ' Yost drew near with an appearance of in- terest, which did not escape the attention of Dan, who was watching him closely. “Trapper Ben?’ said Dan, ‘‘ Whois he?” “Ben Miffin is hisname. He’s tramped these plains time out of mind, an’ thar ain’t a man atween Laramie and the Comp thet don’s know him. He’s been a Crow chief in his time. That ain’t all. He hates Blackfeet like death, an’ he reckons it’s his duty to see thet nobody eer caed by ’em hyarabouts. [ wish he was yar. * Do you know where to find him? I would pay him well to join us.” ‘*T don't know where to place him jest now. Last time I seen him was up on the North Red, treppin’. Thar used to be famous huntin’- grounds hyar, but they ar’ nigh about cleaned out. I don’t reckon boys work fer themselves when they ain’t hunt- . in’ fer you?” . ** Not at all,” said Dan. * Because, ef they kin pick up a little some- thin’ by the’rselves, aside from what you pay ’em, it’s so much cl’ar gain. The _band, the remains o ————— | Indian J oe. mm re nee + te se ree oe == + ato Oo a “T’ll show it to ye, then,” said the other. ‘*Durn it, we kain’t be eaten up by the varmint. Show me whar she comes.” They went up the canyon about a quarter of a mile. The trap was set in a sheltered nook close to the base of a rocky bluff. Jeff laughed heartily to see so many bones scattered on every the wolverine’s visits at various times, ‘You may laff off you vants to, Sheff Rooter. Shpose dese Vash shtole from you, maybe you laff t’other side off your mout’,” ‘*T kain’t help havin’ a laugh about sech a sight ez thet thar. Don’t stop me. Let a chap laugh, kain’t ye?” ‘*Dere!” cried Yost. Look at my trap.” There indeed was the article in question, pulled up out of the water with the bind legs of a es beaver sticking in it, the result of the last raid. " ‘¢ Oh, cracious to gootness!” cried Yost, ‘‘ vat a sight ish dat vor mineeyes to see! I dinksdat ish yorse nor any tings vat I sees. Dat peaver vash te pig feller vat I dries to get so long. Ach, mein Cott! Let us catch dat wolverine unt Shim shall cook him, unt so help me cra- cious ash I vill eat him.” Jeff showed him how to do the work, and he set about making a deadfall. In an hour it was done. He wanted to stay and see the wolverine come into the trap, but the trapper would not let him doso. j “Don’t ye try it,” he said, “The cunnin’ varmint kin smell a man haifa mile off, easy enough. Ye kain’t think how much they know. A man ain’t got any chaince with them, ‘cause they won't come within gunshot unless they’re pooty hungry. ‘Tain’t off’n we kin git a wolver- ine. Comeaway. I ain’t sure the deadfall will fetch her. Ef thar is any way to git under it, er over it, she'll do it.” J The bait which Yost had placed on the end of the deadfall was so arranged that if anything pulled at it a weight fell from the other end of the log and it dropped across the body of the thief, generally breaking its back. The trap he built was a good one, and he had great faith in its success, During the afternoon he went up to see if anything was in thetrap. Jeff was with him. As they came near they could see ‘‘He’s peen here agi’n. ou’lt object to lettin’ the | that the log had fa Yen, ; “*Ve’ve got him!” cried Yost. ** Don’t too sure of thet,” replied Jeff. ‘Ye kain’t ketch a wolverine every day.” He was right. When they came to the spot, they found the trap empty both of thief and ground ain’t | meat. Too cunning to go under the log, the nigh so good ez twas Onc’t, but it ain’t quite | wolverihe had gone on it, and pulled at the bad. Thar’s han’some felts to be got by them | meat from above, thet’s thrifty. Yost took to the work with unusual aptitude, . which awakened the suspicions of Jeff Rooter more and more. His success was something almost wonderful, It was rather early for trapping, but the nights were very cold, though no snow had fallen as yet. Besides two or three packs of beaver-skins, Yost secured a number of martins and mink, and several other skins, But the Dutchman had an enemy who was more than his match. Nearly every day one of his traps which he had set in a favorable place, was cee i out of the water and its contents devoured. It was no human thief who did the deed, for they would never have torn the skin into shreds and patches, and left the bones scat- tered on the ground, gnawed clean of flesh. The thief was partial to that particular trap. Not a day passed but Yost suffered loss both in bis pockets and morals. For every beaver lost caused him to Swear terribly, a habit which was fearfully developed in him, He told bis troubles to Jeff Rooter, and the old guide went out with him to view the ground. “IT know what it is,” said he, looking at the scattered remains of a fine beaver. ‘ Only one animile c’u’d hev the heart to do it.” ‘It’s a wolverine, an’ no mistake.” said Jeff. “Pll bet money a wolverine knows more than any man in this camp.” * Vat ish a wolverine?” ‘Don’t you know? It’s one of the durndest thieves ye ever saw in the shape of an animile. Steal! Good Lord, they’ll beat a Blackfoot, chaw me into inch pieces ef they won’t. The durndest critter? ow many times hev she cleaned out yer trap?” ‘“ More ash seven dimes, so help me cracious,” said the Dutchman. ‘Yes? An’ she'll do it every time thar’s any- thing in it so long as you set a trap for beaver. Why don’t ye set a deadfal! for her?” - “TY don’t know iim,” said Yost. _to its merits. a a LT LL LTT ee SS eee eee eee Of course the trap fell, but the thief, after eating the bait, walked coolly away. Yost was in a rage. He swore oaths which none but German lips can attain without incurring the danger of lockjaw. He called down all kinds of anathemas on the bead of the unfortunate thief, while Jeff stood by, shaking with laughter. ‘“*[T judge ye ain’t answerable for swearing after sech a loss as thet ar’,” said he. ‘‘ l’dsw’ar tod. But what ar’ ye goin’ to do?” “TI fix him dis dimes, so ash my name ish eeu AR Pa Vait; it ish getting late. I fix m ‘He went back to camp, and returned shortly with a lariat and some more bait. He then loaded his gun, putting in a double charge of powder and a handful of buckshot. He then climbed a tree and suspended the gun to a limb by means of th~ lariat, in such a way thaf a pull on the muzzle would discharge it. To the muz- zle he attached a piece of meat in a tempting manner, ‘‘ Dere!” he cried, contemplating his invention with, great pride. ‘‘ You see vat ish done. Pymepy cooms volverine, dakes holt off’n de meat. Pop! bang! She keels over, Dat ish goot. Yaw!” ; ‘*Thet’s a good trap,” said Jeff. ‘‘I judge thet will fix her flint eternally. Efitdon’t, ’m aliar, Let’s go back to camp.” They did so—Yost looking back lovingly at his invention, and declaiming loudly in relation On their way back they stopped at such of their traps as lay between them and camp, and took out the spoils found there. Jeff had just taken a fine beaver froma trap, when he heard the report of the gun they had left. ‘Thar she goes!” he cried. ‘* nyway, yer trap hez not failed to git the gun off.’ _ “Vat you pets dat I haf not Kill von volver- ine?” cried the Dutchman. “I'll bet five beaver pelt ag’in’ ¢ single one,” said Jeff. ; “* I dakes dat pet, Sheff. I makes finiff pea- ees eg ee nt eee ee ow ee ee ee ver-skins so easy ash notting vas. Coom; ve coes unt prings in my volverine.” It was now dark, and Jeff did not care to go back. But he had bet, and wanted the bet de- cided. So there was nothing for it but to go. It did not take long to reach the place where the trap had been set. The gun no longer hung in the tree. The wolverine did not lay dead at the roots. But there lay the gun, as it had fallen. ‘*The cute varmint!” said Ben, she’s done!” The animal bad climbed the tree and gnawed off the lariat, letting the gun fall. Of course it went off, and before the trappers arrived upon the scene the strange beast was away into the depths of the forest, carrying the bait which she had so richly earned. The rage of poor Yost passed all description, As before, he danced about, swearing his entire vocabulary of choice Dutch oaths, much to the delight of J. ff, who stood near enjoying the scene, ‘ ‘This yer is too tough a colt for ye to man- age,” he said. ‘‘ Let me take hold of her. I judge thet thar is only one way to fetch her, an’ now thet she hev bothered ye so, I’m the man to ketch her. It’s an old head too; none of yer fools of animiles; ye bet.” ‘* Vat ye do, Sheff?’ replied Yost, in high dis- pleasure. ‘‘ You no pett\r ash I pe. You can nix catch her. She pees too much vor you.” ‘*] calculate not, coleman. P. chee ye don’t know me. Now stand aside and let a feller work as knows how.” The first thing he did was to bend down a small tree toa level with the stump of a tree whicb he had cut down, and fasten it tightly so that it could not spring back. In the top of this tree he placed a large trap, one of the strongest he had, which happened to be set near at hand. This he baited ‘with a choice piece of meat. When all was done he undid the fastenings ahd placed it in such a way that. the moment the trap sprung ‘and the animal caught began to struggle the tree would spring into air. The trap itself was so buried under the leaves that an animal, to reach the bait, must get upon the body of the tree and cross it. When all was ready Yost accompanied the trapper back tocamp grumbling at the ill suc- cess of his last Gap Jeff said nothing. “T dells you tish no goot,” said the » Dutcb- man, ‘ Youcan nix catch her, anyhow. Dcn’t I know? S’pose I pees a vool? Dish ish no vol- verine dat dakes mine peaver dat ish al) vool- ishness; dis ish von tuy el, unt noiting else; dat ish vat I dinks; yaw. . ‘*T’]) ketch bim fer all that,” said Jeff. ‘* Does e know whol learned the trick from? "Twas rapper Ben; old Ben Miffin, as I was tellin’ ye ‘bout. He’s ‘bout the cutest varmint ye ever see, that old Ben.” ‘**T jikes to see him.” ‘‘ They say he’s got a new commerade lately —a big Dutchman named Snyder—Jan Snyder. I never see bim, but they do say he’s nigh about ez smart ez the old man hisself.” *Doochmans smart? ‘You’s voolin’ mit me now, Sheff.Rooter. You nefer dinks a Dcoch- mans ish smart,” ‘*Yes I does; you be, fer one. Bnt never mind thet, You want to see me catch a wol- verine the way old Ben does it. You jest lay low an’ keep shady; old Jeff kin doit. They kain’t fool bim wutb a cent.” “f se it to-night,” pleaded Yost. ‘** No, to-morrer.” They returned to camp and said nothing about the wolverine. Next morning, quite early, they started for the trap. Jeff, mueh to the disgust of Yost, insisted upon stopping every nov and then at bis traps and takivg out the captives. ‘“‘He wa’s’t goin’ to lose bis time,” he said. In vein Yost begged him to roceed, for he was in a hurry to get to the p and see if the animal was taken. At length they reached the trap, and Yost uttered a wild shout of triumph. avs, The top of the tree was swaying in the air, and there, dangling by one foot, hung the wol- verine, her feet just brashing the earth below. It was a huge animal, and she turned her vicious head from side to side to catch a te of the new-comers. Jeff echoed the cry of his companion and started forward on the run. The wolverine began to le, knowing the fate in store for it, and sent up its low, peculiar note of alarm. ‘Thar sbe bangs, the cantankerous reptile,” said Jeff. ‘‘ Now d’ye say I kain’t ketch a wolverine?” “You did it bully, Jeff,” said some one near them, in a quiet tone. Jeff looked up quickly, ‘* See what mIEbOOKS,.e O ) - a tet iat sO eh ot B= A. TF SS -_