Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 348 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

a al > i ’ ~* “- yh An “oT; ~~ oe Ld ~~. a * — . i ee ‘, a -_ 7 & - im. — - yy *, - -« > -? 2 Pete , a i. ae WN al =4 Ae 4 te os ~e? + : r iis VF A onerames as Then Firebeels is afraid: He has the heart of uaw—of a coward!” e quick temper of the youth was not proof —————$. ys : - against this taunt. re he himself was hardly aware of it his hand flew out against the speaker’s tawny cheek. The other showed no emotion whatever, except a fierce glitter of the eyes. ‘‘Firebeels has struck Tamina. refuse him, now, what he asked!” oft! suppose you ’re right,*’ said Belton, regret- fully. har shall we meet?” ¢: A mile from here there is a willow grove.” **] know the place.” “Near the grove there are thick bushes. I will be there, w aiting for Fireheels!” “All right, Injun,” said the hunter. ‘‘ I'll be thar with. you, before the sun goes down.” Tamina strode out of the tent, and at once repaired to the spot he had mentioned. A manemerged from the clump of sbrubbery. It was Luke Lorne, ‘* Weill, how did you make out?” he inquired. ‘“Fireheels will Soon be here. Has my white brother posted his men?” “Yes, there are eight of them, four being Officers of the law.” ‘*Tt is well,” said Tamina. While he was speaking, Fireheels left the camp, and was soon on his way to the appointed rendezvous, The impatient young Indian went forward a short distance, and climbed up a tree to watch for his coming. At that moment Lorne beard a low whistle, close bebind him. He turned to behold a tall lean, figure he had never seen before, wearing a slouched hat and a teamster’s long blue frock. ‘This way,” said the stranger, drawing the youth toone side. ‘‘ You are after Fireheels, are you not?” “Yea,” ‘*Well, if you wait for him heer he'll escape yer. He has suspicions, and will come round this way, instead of taking the path you expected he would!” ‘Who are you, and how do you know?” “To your first question I hev to say that I’m @ person, who, heerin’ of the escape of that mur- derer, hev made up > mind todo what I could to help catch him, I hey been watching him, since he left the Omaba camp, and I know what I'm talking about. I saw bim take the route which will lead to yourrear. He will then see you and your men posted here, and will hev no trouble to avoid you.’ ‘* What is your name?” “€ John Henderson, sir.” ** Well, Henderson, if what you say is true, ‘and we succeed i in re-arresting that fellow, who I may say is guilty of one of the foulest crimes ever committed, [ shall reward you.” “Thank you, sir. Follow me, and I will put ‘yer in the way of capturin’ him,” He cannot CHAPTER VI. : BAFFLED. HEADED by Henderson, Lorne and his men moved swiftly and stealtbily through the grove. ‘“‘It seems to me you are taking us a long distance,” remarked Lorne, as the man kept on, after passing through the grove. **Tt’s the only way to catch him, He, too, is going to take a long, roundabout course.” They kept on in silence, The shadows deep- ened as they proceeded. ‘‘ There,” said Henderson, pausing at last near asmall valley. ‘‘ Here, behind these bushes, we will wait for about five minutes, when we will gee Fireheels pass.” The five minutes went by and thirty more, but no sign of Fireheels was to be seen. Henderson, who had crept away from the party, saying he would go and look if he could see any sign of the young hunter, had not yet ' returned. Meanwhile Fireheels, having left the Omaha camp, burried along toward the place where he had agreed to meet Tamina, who now, from his position in the tree, saw bim approaching. “Ugh!” muttered the Indian. ‘‘Tamina will have the white hunter in a trap, and this shall be his revenge. He has won t e heart of Lona away from the Indian!” He then descended from the tree, and took his —— near the sbrubbery, in which he sup- Lorne was still hidden with bis men. ‘‘Tamina has waited lon tie he said to the outh, as he came up. e began to think eels was not coming.” “ey always kee Py word,” the bar 4g quietly Peta iy % but Pll own I'm sorry thar must he any ete be ia® Bide io “Fireheels; 8; OF, Old Skinflint, the the Death-Shadow ee es this knife-work between me and one of the | allowing it to dangle from the edge of the tribe which are my friends!” ‘* Fireheels can never be the friend of Tamina,” the Indian replied. ‘Come, let him draw, for the sun is down, and it is time we commenced the fight.” The youth pronounced the last word in a Icud voice, as 1t was the signal agreed upon for Lorne to rush forth, and seize his prisoner. Not a sound, however, was to be heard in the bushes, Belton drew his knife, and said he was ready. Tamina pretended to’ be looking at his blade, as if to make sure it was in good condition, when, in reality he was delaying the fight, in order to give Lorne time to come out of the shrubbery. Seeing no sign of bim, he was enraged, and he now made a sudden rush at bis opponent, aim- | ing his knife at his heart. Belton avoided the thrust by foe J himself, and, at the same time, pricked the Indian in the right arm. Tamina, with flashing eyes, drew back, and, perceiving he was no match for the skilled hun- ter in the use of the knife, be quickly loosened his tomahawk from his belt, and sentit flying, with tremendous force, full at the head of bis yf ee he latter dodged quickly enough to avoid the flying missile; then he ran at the Indian, aiming at his arm ‘another blow, which, had it taken effect, would have disabled the limb for some time. But the wily savage avoided the thrust by gliding bebind a tree, and then, suddenly point- ing full at the youth a pistol, which he pulled from his pocket, he fired. The bullet would have passed through the hunter’s heart, had not a strong arm knocked aside the pistol, ere it was discharged, causing the shot to take an upward direction! At the same moment, the young Indian fell seriseless to the earth, as he received 2 blow from the butt of a revolver upon bis head. ‘‘ Thar, yer are—but the mean skunk hev not got bis desarts, which would be a knife in his gizzard!” was ‘uttered by the person, who to Lorne bad said his name was Henderson. Belton saw before him, wearing a teamster’s frock, a tall, sinewy personage, so thin that he had the appearance of a gaunt shadow. Al- | though, in reality. not more than forty-two years of age, he looked as if eokhd years older. His visage was half-concealed by a white beard, which descended to his chest, his nose was long and straight, his eyes, of a light gray color, looked almost white. ro. timely interference,” said the young hunter, that we might fight out a little trouble of his own making, with knives. He broke his agree- ment by first using bis tomahawk and then his pistol. To whom do Lowe my rescue?” ‘* My real name is SKINFLINT. This red skin byar did not mean to fight you at all, but to lead you in an ambush of Lorne ane his men. They were tocome out on you, ’fore the fight could begin, but I balked the raskil nicely. sey ees his party are at least halfa mile from hyar ‘He went on to explain. ‘* How did you discover Tamina’s intentions?” inquired Belton. ‘I overheard what he said, last night, to Lorne, when he met him. I was close by in the shrubbery.” ‘“'You seem to take a kindly interest in my affairs, thar’s a fact,” said Belton, holding out his hand. A strange, fierce light gleamed in Skinflint’s e cs I b’lieve in helpin’ them that’s in trouble,” was the answer, “and,” he added, ina voice hoarse with passion, ** I’ve made one vow of revenge, which I’d gothrough coals of fire to keep. But, come, you are no longer safe in the Omaha a Belton followed the speaker, who made his way toward the mountains, looming up in the distance. “| know a cave yonder, whar all the detect- ives in the universe couldn’t find yer.” “Thar is many a cave thar, which I know of myself,” said Fireheels, ‘but they are also known to other bunters.” ‘*The place [ll take ver to was never known to mortal man but me.” By the time the two reached the mountains the moon had risen and lighted the dark rocks wherever they were exposed to her rays. . Skinflint. raising a small bowlder on the sum- mit of a cliff, revealed a hollow in which a rope was coiled. One end of this rope he fastened to a projecting rock; then he dropped the other, NN Eee —_ = oe ee ee _ | said Skinflint in a voice of emotion. “ an angel upon the airth, and when I came home a ‘* That varmint asked to meet me here | O_o — eee eee hight. “Yer kin see a ledge ten feet below us,” he said. ‘Climb down to that ledge and push aside the bushes thar, and yer’ Hh See an openin’ which will take yer into a cave,’ ‘** Are you coming?” “Not now. In the cave yer’ll find deer’s meat and other things which are useful.” ‘‘Suppose I should want to come out before you join me?” * Yer’ll find a sort o’ rope-ladder thar by which yer kin reach the rock twelve feet below the ledge. Come, yer better lose no time in git- tin’ to yer quarters, for Lorne and his men are by this arter yer like so many bloodbounds.” ‘‘Upon my word, I think you are very good to me!” said Belton. “*] bev reason to be.” “What?” ‘‘T hev reason, fur I never furgit a kindness, Do ver remember a stormy night, one year ago, when yer saved a zal, which was lost, from ing captured by savages or froze to death, and went miles out o’ yer way to take her to her home?” ‘*T think I remember something of that kind, ° | answered Belton. ‘Well, that gal war my little sister, Mary,” ‘She war and my wife showed her to me, all safe and sound, and said that a hunter, calling himself Fireheels, bad saved her and brought ber thar I blessed yer from the bottom o’ my heart, and made up my mind that, ef ever I could sarve you a good turn in any way, that I’d do it!” “The girl must be a pleasant companion to you,” remarked the other. ‘‘ I hope she is well.” ‘*No more, fur the love o’ God!” cried Skin- flint, in a husky voice. ‘' Don’t speak of her!” And, to the surprise of Belton, he saw a big tear trickling from the eye of this fierce man. Without another word he seized the rope, descended to the ledge, and entered the cave, seers of which had been concealed by the ushes, CHAPTER VII. THE MELTING. NEXT morning Henderson, or rather Skin- | flint, the latter being his real name, emerged from a but which he bad made his habitation since coming to the settlement. He went straight to Lorne’s abode, anid knock- ed at the door, An old woman, employed there as housekeep- er, answered the summons, and asking to see Mr. Lorne, Skinflint was shown into a hand- somely furnished parlor His gray, whitish eyes gleamed fiercely as he glanced round bim. ‘*Rayther bright—rayther bright, fur this part o’ the country,” be routtered. “ Ther things I see must hev cost a heap o’ money.” Lorne soon came. ‘‘ A fine trick you played me last night,” he said, angrily. “ Don’t understand yer.” ** You didn’t return, after leading us off from the very place where it seems Belton did that evening. It looks to me as if you did’ it on purpose. ‘‘No, J made a mistake. After I left you, I saw a man stealing ts whom I thought was this Belton, and not until Il’d tracked bim alon distance, did I discover my mistake. When came back to whar I had left yer, I found that yer war gone!” ‘*We waited and waited for nothing,” said Lorne, “and might have staid there longer but for Tamina, who came, at last, and told us that he and Belton bad met and fought, and that the white bunter had run away!” A scarcely perceptible smiled hovered about the corners of Skinflint’s eyes. ‘‘T repeat,” said Lorne, ‘‘ that I believe you deceived me on purpose, and I mean to have you arrested.” és Do yer?” “Yea, I do” “I do#’t think so. I hev a little letter fur yer. Hyar it is!” As he spoke, Skinflint pulled from his pocket a crumpled bit of paper. ‘“My eddication bev been neglected, but I think that was writ by you, as yer name's signed at the bottom!” Lorne took the note, at which he had no soon- er gazed than his cheeks blanched and his hands trembled. ** Where did you get this?” he “‘T found it near the holler, in the woods, bi: they tell me the late mu was done!” , nee nt yt fe ' a> , 5 7 +4. -- = (Te oi Ups) “Fike wee s mye + | ° Ces aaa ae - x ke a he - | - Le 6) @ 7 . ~ n RCDOOKS. com