Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 283 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

’ i , ®gn wakes a man fee) queer.” and brought bis rifle forward, but checked bim- self when he saw who the new-comer was, darted forward, and began to shake hends with him earnestly. It was an old man, hale and strong yet, with many streaks of gray run- ning through his once raven locks. The face was a peculiar one, but full of spirit, and the black eyes bad fire enough in them yet. His dress was that of the trapper aud guide, He carried a rifle of the most approved make, and a splendid revolver bung in bis belt. ‘*Ben Miffin! By gracious, I’m glad to see ” " “Same to ye, old boy,” replied Ben. ‘Come out with a huntin’ party of boys from the towns, I judge?” ‘* Jess so, Ben,” ‘‘ Likely to lose yer skulps, too. It beats all human natur’ how resky boys will be.” “T ain’t quite a boy, Ben Miffin.” ‘Yes ye be. Yer a boy to me, Jeff Rooter. Qh, git out. Ive tramped these pararies too much not to know.what I’m talkin’. Danger! That ain’t no word fer it, Jeff. Don’t think I’ve bin asleep. Ive bin a-watchin’ ye, mighty clost. I knowed of danger ye didn’t know nethin’ ‘bout. Yes I did.” ‘“Then why didn’t ye come an’ tell us, Ben?” said Jeff, reproachfully. “Teach yer grandmother, Jeff Rooter. I sorter reckin | orter know when to speak an’ when to keep still. Mout be: ye’ve seen the White Sperrit.” ‘*How did ye know that?’ “Never you mind. Didn’t it warn ye to git up an’ dust? Now, why didn’t ye take advice? I ain't overly fond of these youngsters thet eomes out hyar so off’n nowadays. hey drive all the game from the plains. Time was when 1 e’u’d drop a deer ora buffler on any spot of ground I liked. I kain’t do it, now, an’ Pm minded to travel furder west, It’s gittin’ too closely settled about yer fer my way of thinkin’,” Closely settled! Jeff could not forbear a smile as he looked about him. There stood the eternal hills, as they had stood for ages. The river flowed at their feet, and the trees hung heavy upon the mountain side, “Yer thinkin’ it don’t look none too much like bein’ settled about yer. Mebbe it don’t look so to you, but does to me, Ive seen the ‘day when to see a white man in this region twice a year would bea wonderful thing. *Tain’t 2 news An’ besides, thar’s more hyar than you think, . ‘* Who bé they?” ““T ain’t goin’ to tell ye now. make ye uneasy like, an’ that wouldn’t do no ood. No, wait ‘ill the time comes. Though ’m jubous it would be better ef ye would couple up an’ leave.” ‘“We wo ’t.” “All right; stay ef ye like; Ll’ain’t goin’ te say nothin’ ag’in’ it, am I? Not a bit, But *Twould only o ‘* Ye’ve bin married, though.” ‘*T guess so. y wife was a Crow. The Greens thaaké was her name. A lively eritter, she was. I'll back her to make things lively furany man. [ve traveled round some, my- self, an’ I’ve tried to trade off that woman to any responsible human, but I kain’t doit. She ain’t a bad-lookin’ female, fur an Injun, but Lord! When did any woman hey her tongue? She’d talk a seaeania man stone-blind in half a year’s time. I’ve been lookin’ round fur a deaf man thet would like to tackle her. A deaf ‘un would be a good joke on her, Ill bet.” ' ‘** So ’twould!” said Jeff, laughing. ‘* | tried to sell her to Jan Schneider onc’t,” said Ben with asly giance at the inymoyable figure of the Dutchman who stood leaning on his rifle during the conversation, and making no attempt to join init. ‘*I told him about her, an’ blame my catsef he’d give a knife fur ber— jest a common buck-born handled butcher- knife. He was a queer ’un, Never knew Jan, did ye, Jeff?” ‘* Never,” said Jeff. ‘I were speakin’ to this man ’bout hina minit ago, His name is Yost Hoppen. Dutchy, this yer is Ben Miffin, what i told ye about,” ‘* How you do, Penn?” said Yost, calmly, and with asmile which Jeff could not fathom. ‘I hope you pooty vell.” ‘*Sarvice to ye, mister what’s yername, Um comfortable enough. Hope yer pooty peart. Ye make me think of Jan Schueider. er ez like ez two peas.” ‘* Vere Jan now?” asked Yost, ‘‘He ain’t fur away,” said Ben, with a sly wink. ‘ Not overly fur. I kin git him by a whistle, ef I'm minded to it. Wal, onc’t more, Jeff, look out fur yerself, Thar’s them in these hills ain’6 overly fond of ye, an’ mout be ye’ll git into trouble., But ef fha wust comes fo the wust, yer party is all men, and men ar’ easier to handle than females,” ‘‘ Won’t ye come in an’ see the boys? Thar’s some among ’em would be glad to see ye. So would the gentleman. He was a-sayin’ no later than day before yesterday thet he would give money to hey you with us,” ‘** Would he though?” ‘* You kin bet on it.” “Then I’m ther man,.sure., I'll go in an’ see what they’ve got tosay. Ef so be they keer to hev me, I’m open to maké honest money any way I kin. 1 heern tell ye was minded to take a carcajou. *Tain’t every one kuows whar to find one. I does,” ‘*Come along. Yer the man we want.” They enteted the camp together, where Yost triumphantly produced the ears of the wol- verine as an evidence that he would eat no more beaver. The simple faith and readiness of Ben strue¢k the hunters favorably and he was en- gaged to stay with the party while in that re- gion, He claimed the right to go away for look yer. I’m goin’ to watch ye. When TI hol- | three days first, promising to eome back at the ler, look out fer danger.” end of that time, He left the camp just at “ -Youn’ll let us know?!” usk. Not long after Yost strolled out alone © “You bet ye. Old Ben, Miffin is old Ben | toward the river-side. An hour passed, and Miffin yit, an’ he ain’t goin’ to stand by an’ see | Jeff went to look for him. He searched high wrong done to any one, not ef he knows it. | and lowin vain, The Dutchman was gone. Specially a white buman. I’m gardeen of —— every one thet resks bis neck among the Black ‘CHAPTER VI Hills. They will do it, These young men will ‘ come hyar, though I’ve warned them not, ag’in A VISITOR. and ag’in. But sence they do come, old Ben THE surprise occasioned by tho sudden de- Miffin is the’r gardeen. ho but he! Does ye | parture of the Dutchman passed away after a see this yer rifle?” I day or so. Free trappers get used to these ‘Sho is a beauty, Ben. Gosh, I wish’t I | things, and they consoled themselves with the owned sech a one.” reppoe zon that he had left behind the results ‘‘ It’s five year gone by when the boy ez sent | of trapping since they had come to the me thet shook bands with me at old Laramie coor. Opening the cache with theintention of an’ see’d me go out on the plains. Morris his | dividing the spoil i i da their pur- name is; Bentley Morris. A brave lad an’ true poe changed. Every skin belonging to Yost —a chap thet it wouldn’t hurt a man so much | baddisappeared, He was honest enough, how- to lose his life fer. Wal, I stood by him in | ever, to refrain from touching any thing which danger an’ he stood by me, Last spring when | did not belong to him. The traps which had I went to Laramie the cunnel sez to me, ‘ Ben,’ | been lent him by Jeff Rooter arid the rest, were sez he, ‘thar’s a packige hyar fur ye.’ Now I | left where he had sét them. thort a packige was one of them steamboats thet run up an’ down the river, an’ I told bim I didn’t want to go nowhar. ‘ You're wis- taken,’ sez he. ‘Some one hez sent ye some- thin’.’ An’ he brung it out, Thar was a note from Aer, in her own hand-write, the gal thet was with us in danger.” ** Who’s she?” “Her wame was Midy.*_A beauty, she was. Nout sech a beauty ez the White Sperrit, ye un- derstand, ‘cause she lays over at deus} I, see, She wasn’t proud like the White Sperrit. But she used to call me father Ben, an’ that took me, somehow, Ef I ever wish’t 1 had a darter truly, it were then. A lovable gal like that ‘* He’ll come back,” said Jeff. “T ain’t off’n fooled ina man. He’!l be sure tocome back: ef he’s gone away, he’s gone fer a good reesoa. Don’t go back en him too soon. He don’t look like a bad man; Ben Miffin said sq.” ‘He went away soon after Ben did,” said Daniel. musingly. ‘There may be something’ in it. Let us wait.’ : 2 ‘Somebody coming,” said the half-breed at this moment, raising his hand ‘for silence. The talking ceased, and every eye was turned toward the entrance to the canyon. The rapid beat of coming hoofs could be heard, and in'a moment a white horse dashed into the valley, bearing _Mpon his back the girl known as the White Spirit. ! a et ee eae ee 7 — — -+ ~— ee eee => a ee She was looking aver her shoulder in an atti- tude of fear, and Dan sprang into the saddle a followed by: Jeff Rooter and the half- e reed, Just then the heads of other horses appeared at the entrance of the canyon, and three Indians, with lances at rest, came on in pursuit of the flying girl. Seeing the determined attitude assumed by the trappers and hunters, whom it was plain they had not expected to see, the Indinns drew rein, and fled back over the path they had so. lately traversed at their best speed. By the ‘ame they bad turned, Dan Crowley bad reached the side of the girl, and laid his hand upon ber bridle-rein, lt seemed to him that she looked more beanti- ful to-day, flusbed by the exercise of hard rid- ing, than she had fhat day upon the mountain- side. Her eyes were downcast before the boli orbs of the young man, ‘You were in danger,” be said. “Tam glad you came upon us s0 luckily. You are sate here.’ ‘*T thank you, sir,” she said, ‘‘ You have in- deed rendered me u service. But that my horse stumbled in coming up the pass, [should have escaped easily. But Gipsy sprained her ankle badly. You will allow me to proceed,” “Tf you must hurry away, there is no man here who would attempt to stop you—not even Jeff Rooter, who was inclined to keep you as a hostage the other day. He will not do it again. “No,” said Jeff, * though I hold to it vit, thet ot RS c’u'd keep her in the camp we sh’u’d be safe ‘You know much of the secrets of the hills,” she said, ““but you vo not know all, Ishould be a living, breathing Calamity to you,” “Then don’t stay.” said Jeff. ‘‘Do ye know . a man called Ben Miffin?” *T have seen him often. He saved me from death by the feet of a herd 6f buffaloes. I baye much to thank him for,” , ‘*‘ He is goin’ to be one of our party in a dey or two,” said Jeff. . She looked at him angrily. ‘ [t seems to me that every one I[ care for in the least will perish by getting himself into danger, simply to annoy me, Why have you entrapped that brave old man! He knows the danger better than any of you, and yet he will run his head into it in this blind, reckless way, Why place me under obligations for which feel that I must make a bese return? ‘* You have done no harm to any one here,” said Dan. : ‘Have done, You know nothing of it, 1 warned you all, as far as lay in m pores I would have saved you, but what could [do when all were pgainet me! My power extends onl thus far: I can warn you; if you refuse to @ ing, be it on your own heads. But Be warn Miffin must not come among you.” “Tn two days he will be here an take the lead of the party,” said Dan. “{[ do no upderstand your warmth, Is he not a worthy man?” " nr ‘None more so; him,” she replied. “From what?” , " ‘‘T have not the power to tell.” ° a ‘Let it pass then., Do you know the tribe of the Indians who pursued you just now” “Certainly; they were Crows,” ‘* Might thev not have been Blackteet?”’ “‘T do not fear Blackfeet; these were Crows,” she answered, Dan looked at the half-breed. ‘White girl right,” he said. Blackfeet.” ; ‘“We shall be in danger from them,” said Dan, mysingly: ‘We thoghe ourselves safe from intrusion here; it seems that others know these passes as well as you, Jeff.” ‘*T didn’t think it,” said Jeff, looking crest- fallen. ‘‘ Ben said thar war moré about then | thougbt fur, an’ he war right. I ain’t sure we orter stay byar, but now we’ve got in, don't let us be driv out by nobody.” , ‘* Why should you be so obstinate?” said the irl. ‘I have kept your fate abe! from you Seoeet than you think; Tecan not aid you much longer.” ‘Will you alight and eat? We were about to partake of food,” said Dan, ys “Thank you, | will do so; and I hope, too, be- fore I go, to persuade you that this is no safe place for you.” ‘Tam ready to listen Loxreason,” said Dan, as he assisted her to alight, “Which means, in p'ain Eelish, that J am an unreasonable female,” said the girl, accepting and therefore I would save “Crows; no - ’ Gomilecbooks (go) adie