Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 348 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

i it : f 5 ee Oe TO my * Wy = ARES / " easi , on the soft ground, near the cave. The track was lost among the rocks, further be- yond. : ‘‘We will look forher! We will find her!’’ cried Mr. Danton. ‘‘ Come, help me—come! she may not have gone far!” : The merchant, now off his guard, suddenly felt the hand of Jasper grasping him like a vise by the back of the neck, while he raised a long knife he had drawn, to stab him between the shoulders! The aim was sure and deadly, but, as the knife was descending, the arm of the villain was seized in an iron grasp, and the blow from the butt of a pistol laid him senseless on the ground. Danton turned to discover that his,deliverer was Frank Belton! CHAPTER XVI. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY. SKINFLINT and the Indians kept on with Lorne toward the settlement where Justice Wentworth was to be found. The country traversed was wild and lonely, abounding with rugged peaks, deep wooded glens, and dark thickets. All at once the Omaha braves paused. “‘Helloal What’s up?” inquired Skinflint. ‘Snakes come,” said one of the Indians, ‘* Whar?’ The Omaha pointed toward a distant thicket, Skinflint could see the shrubbery there gently moved, and, to a less practiced eye, it might have been thought that this wascaused only by the wind. The Omahas at once prepared for battle, those who had rifles cocking them, and such of them as were provided only with spears, holding their weapons ready for service. They had not long to wait. With a wild yell, a dozen Snukes, headed by Tamina, sud- denly broke from the shrubbery, and rushed to meet their enemies, discharging rifles as they came. A couple of the Omahas fell, shot through their hearts, so that there were now but four left. Meanwhile Skinflint’s piece, aimed with un- erring precision, brought down two of his foes, but, ere he could reload, the savage band came rushing up with spears and tomahawks, and a hand-to-hand combat ensued. This was of hrief duration. Another of the Omahas having been killed, the rest took to their heels. Skinflint finding himself surround-_ ed, endeavored to use his knife and revolver, but Lorne caught one of his arms, and strove to hold it, while Tamina, with a blow of bis rifle,. knocked the pistol from his grasp. An Indian had been about to strike Lorne revious to this, with his tomahawk, but Tam- na had said: ‘‘ No, white prisoner is our friend. He must not be burt!” and the savage had im- mediately lowered his weapon. Several tomahawks were flourished about the head of Skinflint, when Tamina again inter- now too good for white hunter. posed. ‘* Scal The torture for bim!” A yell of fierce delight was given by the war- riors, as they crowded about the hunter, fast- ening his arms securely behind his back with thongs. These savage fellows, naked to the waist, with their bideously-painted faces and their head-dresses of black and red feathers, some of which drooped over their fiery eyes, were soon capering about their prisoner, performing a wild, triumphant dance, while their yells and hoarse, guttural cries rung upon the air. ‘Yer may as well stop yer dancin’,” re- marked Skinflint, ‘‘as it has no effect on me. I don’t keer shucks fur any one on yer!” ‘¢ Why help Omaha?” inquired one of the In- dians. “Tf not help Omaba, would not tor- e, “Td help ’em again, ef I had the chance,” was the reply. ‘¢Good! then like torture. Make dance and scream when fire burn. The pale-faces cannot stand fire.” ‘‘We'll see ’bout that,” answered Skinflint, coolly. Lorne now stepped in front of his late captor. ‘The tables are turned,” be said triumphant- ly. ‘‘ How do you like it?” he added, taunting- ly. "Skinflint showed his teeth, and his eyes liter- ally blazed, but he said not a word. “T wish you would permit me to shoot down this fellow as he stands,” continued Lorne, turn- con to Tamina. ‘He will make much mischief, if he should escape.” ‘‘The hunter will not escape,” replied Tam- > iva ia 2 apie ek Seared -~ % . ha F ~* PT +e ro __— — <*. e = * ; > -— o¢ * he wk ae ere } ~ « « . ” J %- é * “ ° =) > 4 ite 4 Con . = “> w= 45 + ’ ba 5 ida = - . j ae ie D> 4 “s « 7 7 we 7 ; . 4 - ' - r. ¥) ') 7 : > ~ a rj ’ Fireheels; or, Ola Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. . ~ ina. ‘‘If my white brother wishes, he can go with us, and see us burn the prisoner to death !” ‘‘T will go with you to see that,” replied Lorne, ‘‘even though I lose much precious time by it.” "Six of the savages started off in pursuit of the Omahas; the rest, with Tamina and Lorne, went on toward their camp. This was situated on the other side of the thicket. A fire was about to be made for the torture, when a furious storm of wind and rain came on and prevented it. Skinflint, bound hand and foot, was then placed in one of the skin tents. The storm raged all day. When night came, a guard of two Indian youths was stationed near the prisoner’s tent. One of the boys seated himself under a tree, near the edge of a thicket, where he was partly sheltered from the rain. The night was so dark that, even had any of the other warriors emerged from their tents, they could not have seen him, Ali at once the youth received upon his head a blow which laid him senseless on the ground, An Indian girl glided from behind the tree whence she had dealt the blow with a heavy stick. This girl was Lona, who now proceeded to put upon her head the mass of drooping feathers worn by the boy and also the tattered blanket in which he had wrapped his form. Then, seating herself for a momenc under the tree, she rose and walked leisurely toward the tent armed with the spear which the boy bad carried, The youth who had not left his post glanced at ber, and muttered something which she could not hear, but it was evident that his sus- picions were not aroused. Finally Lona started to creep into the tent. ‘‘What are you doing there? Why are you going there?” inquired the youth, in his native tongue. ‘¢T'o see if our prisoner is all right,” answered ona. ‘‘You take too much trouble. Of course he is well enough,” Lona, however, kept on. ‘* Hello!” whispered Skinflint, ‘‘ what are yer up to now, Injun?”’ ‘Hist! it is Lona. She come to rescue her friend.” ‘‘ God bless yer, gal, yer’s an angel!” said the hunter, as, with her knife, she quickly severed his thongs. She put a pistol in his hand. ‘‘Come!” she added, “‘ you must make a rush! It is even now uncertain if we succeed in es- caping!” ‘Give me the range of the woods, and I'll risk it!” was the answer. Followed by Lona, be dasked out of the tent. Tbe youthful guard, shouting an alarm, sprung to thrust his spear into him, but Skin- flint adroitly avoiding the weapon, knocked bim senseless with the butt of his revolver. A moment later, as he darted into the woods, he beard the yells of the savages, who had been aroused, and were now in pursuit. He looked for Lona, but he could see nothing of the girl in the gloom. Ahead of him he be- held the dark forms of the camp-guard, who stood vear the other side of the thicket. He could see the gleam of their fiery eyes like those of wild beasts, as they leaned forward, and, fearing that they might get a glimpse of his form, he glided off in another direction. Meanwhile the boy whom Lona had struck senseless, had come to and joined in the pur- suit. As he crept swiftly along the ground like a serpent, he saw the indistinct form of Lona crouched behind a tree, g few paces ahead of him. In a moment he was upon her, holding her fast in spite of her struggles, until Tamina came up with several of the warriors. The latter were about to bury their toma- hawks in her head, when the young Indian in- terposed, ‘‘No!” he cried. ‘“‘Tamina want the girl. He will make her his squaw, and his slave!” ‘¢ Lona rather be killed!” said the maiden. “Tt shall not be. Tamina has her, at last. She shall hereafter stay with the Snakes. The Omabas shall know her no more!” ‘Lona will never forget her people, nor will her ple forget ber!’ answered the girl, proudly. “Tamina is half a Snake, is mother was a Snake, but Lona is of the noble tribe of the Omahas!” “Tt does not matter. At last Tamina has ber in his clutches, and he will make ber love and respect him!” “That can never be done, for ber heart is iy from Tamina. It was never with bim.” ‘It was with bim until Firebeels crossed her path!” cried Tamina, enraged. ‘‘That pale- face will yet be in our hands, The Snakes are on his track,” A shudder passed through the girl’s frame. She feared that Belton would be captured by the Snakes, who she knew were wonderfully skillful on the trail. the white hunter should be made prisoner the Snakes, be might not be tortured. ‘‘Tamina’s talk comes too fast,” she said. ‘‘What does he mean? Lona likes Firebeels as a friend—that is all!” ‘It is pot so. Tamina has keen eyes. cannot deceive him.” The girl was then taken to the camp, and her ankles having been bound, she was placed in one of the tents. ; Next morning the savages who had bunted for Skinflint came back to the camp. They had been unable to find this man, who bad contrived to escape them by dodging about,in the dark. thicket. Lona CHAPTER XVII. STRATEGY. Mr. DANTON, saved as poked ag! described,. by Frank Belton, who bad struck John Jasper down at the moment when he was about to plunge his knife into the back of his intended victim, was at first, on recognizing his rescuer, too much agitated to speak. ‘‘ You, it is then you,” be cried, at last, “Yes. sir, and it was lucky I came this way.” ‘¢] would rather owe my life to any person than to you /” said Danton. ‘“T know why, but you’re mistaken. God knows I had no band in killing your daughter!” “Tt is too late for you to deny it now. Sur- render yourself! You are my prisoner. I am not yet too old to arrest my daughter’s mur- derer.” And as he spoke, Mr. Danton pointed his pis- tol at Frank’s head. The youth, leaning on his rifle, looked at him, — calmly. “ Surrender, I say, or I'll shoot!” ‘¢‘ T will not surrender,” answered Belton, ‘‘be- © cause lam innocent. I hope before long that this may be proved.” ‘What do you mean by that?” ‘‘Thar’s a youth, now at large, who saw the person who did the deed. At present he can- not be found, but I hope he soon will be, and will be made to tell who the assassin was.” “Rascal, you speak of your accomplice, or friend, Forner. 1 heard all about him from Lorne. You bired him to say what he did.” “Thar you mistake. I had never seen him before I met him, one night—” ‘‘ Never mind particulars. The question now is, will you or will you not surrender? The law will justify me in shooting you down, for there has n a reward offered for you, dead or alive.” At that moment something came whizzing through the air. It was a spear, which, striking the pistol held by Mr. Danton, knocked it from his grasp, and passed through the body of Jobn Jasper, who still lay senseless, pinning him to the ground. A vell was heard at the same moment, and half a dozen fierce Indians of the Snake tribe were seen rushing toward the young bunter from a thicket not twenty paces off. ‘Run and save yourself,” said Belton to Mr. Danton. ‘‘ The Snakes are on the war-path and willscalp you if you remain.” The merchant bad heard that this tribe bad lately attacked and killed some white men in another part of the territory. ‘* You will come with me,” he said. “No, sir; I’ll stay hyar to keep the varmints at bay as long as possible.” Danton burried off. He bad seen in the dis- tance a party of hunters, whom he hoped to notify and bring up to the assistance of Belton, for he was determined to bave the youth ar- rested if possible. Meanwhile, as be ran on, he reflected on the trick of which he believed he had been made the victim by Jobn Jasper. But bow came the breastpin in the cave? ‘‘T am sure it is the one which belonged to my daughter,” he muttered. ‘‘That rascal Jasper must have stolen it from the body after death, and put it there on purpose, in order to carry out the deception, and not excite my sus- picions, so that he might bave a chance to Ki me an himself of the $10,000. Well, he has met with his deserts, at any rate, and now, It at once occurred to her . that it was best to soothe Tamina, so preg ad ‘ y ° . ° ‘ ’ ae Nal ‘EGDOOCKS:C 4 s] 4 e ma , Cy om