Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 422 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

" gis | Baby Sam, the Boy Giant of the Yellowstoy Se scares to go with me, and fight the whole horde | till I whip them or fail!” ‘‘Ay, Sam!'my heroic young friend, I will ‘go with you!” declared Frank Rodman. ‘*T, too, Sam!” added Fred Sears. ‘‘ Boys,” warned Sam; ‘‘ weigh the matter well in your minds before you act. He, who starts to yonder island takes his life in: his hand. very one of us. miay be riddled with bullets be- fore we're ten rods from this shore.” ‘We will.all die together -then,” was I'rank’s response, ; ‘* All right, boys; let’s get,ready,” and Baby Sam examined his revolver, huckled his cart- ridge-belt around:him and toek:u) his riile. Frank and Fred were soon ready, and the . three entered the canoe again. With the same ont steadiness of nerve and Jone, vigorous strokes that had marked his previous passage to the island, the Boy Giant plied the pacale. ' Soon the island. was reached without any de- monstration from the foe, and. in. hopes. of keep- ing the Indians in ignorance of their knowledge of the situation—the, presence of the foe.on the island—Baby Sam leaped ashore, and in a loud voice called out: ‘* Hullo, Wilma—Sarah! where are you, girls?” There being no answer, the bravo fellows whose courage was now undergoing the.crucia test, began whistling a sprighily lay—at the same time leading the way across. the island. Near the center of t1o island they debouched into a littl opening, which. was: half crossed when they were trout to. a stand by a quick movement im the bushes before then Instantly the hands ¢f the trio sought their revolvers. A ‘sharp, wild yell, more like the bark of hyenas, broke the silence of the,place, and the next imstant eight savages burst from ambush with uplifted. tomahawks and rushed Wad OFS upon the whites. | Quickly the revolvers of the latter rung out almost as one. A savage fell dead in-his tracks; : another stopped short, reeled backward ‘and dropped in the edge of the shrubbery; while the - third, dropping his tomahaw):, sunk to his knees, \ clutching wildly at his breast. At the same } ; time a fourth savage fell dead, his head cloven by the tomahawk ef a friend who, coming in wild baste. behind, and endeavoring to throw his hatchet, caught it against a twig, thereby deflecting its course with fatal result to his brother brave. Sinultaneous with the fall of the red-skins ‘rank Rodman and Fred Sears sunk down un- cer the blows of flying hatchets, and the Boy Giant stood alone contending with the foe, A brawny red-skin rushed forward and with eae e tae in hand was bending over the rate form of Rodman when a lithe form— that of Sparrowhawk, the friendly Crow— leaped through the bushes, struck tho savage a deadly blow, and then seized the form of young Rodman and dragged it into the thicket. All this had occurred in almost a moment. At one blow, as it were, five of the red-skins and two of the whites had been stricken down, and the Boy Giant now stood alone, confronted by three powerful warriors. Before he could fire a second shot a flying tomahawk struck his revolver and knocking it from his hand carried it out of reach, thus leaving him empty-handed, to continue the struggle. But, never flinching, he leaped at the red imps with clinched fists, his eyes fairly burnin with their fierce glare and his features set wit the rigidness of marble. Scarcely aware of what he was doing, he struck right and left. in his frenzied might, and ina moment two of the remaining Sioux were down and the third 6no —he who had accidentally slain his comrade— turned to flee, . But at this very instant, when victory seamed within the grasp of the young giant, a white man—a confederate of the savages, who had hitherto kept concealed in the bushes—dashed from his covert and running up struck tho young athlete on the head from with a : club that brought him to his knees, half stunned, | and before he could recover, three more white A men rushed from the bushes and grasping him | bore him to the ground. A desperate ctr ugple now ensued, in which the young giant gavo the / villains a hard. fight, but the odds were too great for even his marvelous strength, and, ally overpowered, he was sscurely bound. When he was permitted tovrise to his feet and . look around him, a sight met his gaze that | would have dispelled all hope from the breast. of one less resolute and courageous than Baby Sam. His young friend, Sears, lay dead among the savages. was gone, but whether living or dead he knew not. He had seen him fall and ke had seen Sparrowhawk drag him ? . ab’ 4 e+ Ss > ad al 9 14 » “. . 4 > ; > and ie. < : { / a Pe : } .. ‘ar aid he ee % r -.<, ‘ . a ty be too bad fo away. Before him stood three living savages and four white men. The latter he knew .were outlaws, for among them he recognized the no- torious Scott Dresden—an outlaw leader whose security had been guaranteed within the village of Sittimg Bull in view of his services against the white settlers in the Yellowstone and Gal- latin valleys. . Wilma and Sarah could not be seen or heard, and tho bey felt satisfied that -they had. been spirited away from the island. Tho surviving savages became, furious over the death of their friends, and it Was as much as the outlaws could do to .restrain them from slaying the youthful Hercules. Among. the warriors was one whose voice told that he was a white man arrayed in the paint and para- phernalia of a Sioux. He was tall end angular, with long arms, a sharp face, a peculiar-shaped head, enormous mouth, Jarge ears, and small gray eyes, overhanging shaggy brows. dle seemed even more vindictive toward the pris- oner. than. did his friends, but as he was the man who had accidentally slain his comrade at the beginning of the conflict, it was probable that that mishap had something to do with his fury, for, not knowing but his surviving friends had witnessed his fatal blunder, he Was ‘en- deavoring to maintain his standing as a War- rior by boasting and, forced-exprossions of 1e- sentment, ‘* Waugh!” ho-exclaimed, £8 he brandished his scalping-knife Before the face of the pris- oner, ‘* Big Horn, the Sure Shot, is thirsting for the gore of the pale-face! Tie would scalp him alive and then roast him ‘in fire like a dog! Waugh! let: me at Kim!” , ‘* Stand kack, Big Horn?!” commanded Scott Dresden, the outlaw chief; “I want to save that fellow. . I’ve use for him,” | Ugh!” grunted Big Horn, with a vicious snap. of. the eyes; “if you want to save him rou’d better tio me up—’m mad—P’m wild, erocious! The Great Spirit has let me loose. The paletaces are my enemies. They invade our huntin’-grounds and slay our braves, Waugh! the spirits ef forty-~leven dead war- riors are surging in my breast, pantin’ for the gore of that big prisoner. To shake the scalp of the Boy Giant of the Yallerstun undér the nose of the great Sittin’ Bull would Jand me in the breech-clout and head-gear of a great and miphty war-chief,” eV ow're a mighty focl of an Indidh now,” retorted Scott Dresden; ‘*you slop over won- derfully in the presence of a helpless foo.” ““My Indian blood’s fermenting, Captain Dresden,” replied the renegade, evidently net- tled by tho stinging sarcasm of the outlaw, ‘‘and don’t you forgit to disremmember that I’m the crack pistol-shot of the far Nor’west.” You can ¢laim that honor now, since Baby Sam is off duty, but if my memory serves me right he had the reputation of being boss of the revolver in this country.” ‘I deny it, captain, and challenge you to prove it now while youcan, Isay that I am, and have been the prince of the pistol, and dare ou to prove the contrary. Now then, ye want o come to the scratch or gig like a man. I are ready to prove my claim in any way you may elect. I’m sure that’s fair as a summer sky,” ‘All right; you'll stand to that, will you?” responded Dresdén, with a sinister light in his eyes. ae BeDereNy. do what I say I iis declared Big Horn; “* Pm no crawfish or chicken-iz- zard,” ‘Then I suggest that each of you take a re- volver, and, at fifty paces apart, turn your backs to each other, and at the word ‘three,’ turn and advance, firing as you go and when you please,” : “That'd be a reg’ler duel,” exclaimed Big Horn, In apparent surprise. “T'inow it, but the best, shot'd’ wht,” I¢ you're what you claim you are, ae “un no risk; butif Baby Samuel, gits in his work on you, why he’ll be permitted to go free, _ This, now, is the way I elect, and you can come tothe scratch now, or gig.” : “T tellye I never go back on my word,” averred Big Horn, boastfully; ‘‘ but. then, it'll let that big Ingin-shooter go free if a he plugs me. He’s the wu’st enemy we Sioux have got.” nae barais ‘‘ Then you want to drop him, and if you’re Re superb shot you claim to be, you do the at right; bm ready for, blood. Yoop-pee! } right; I’m ready for : Op-p I'm the big Ingin from Sant ‘way over!” howled the renegade; and while he was thus pardding mself, Scott Dresden, took two of his men aside and said to them: rr i i A “Tm beginning to think that we need th renegade out of the way as bad as the /ndian want Baby Sam removed. I believe he fs a treacherous old scamp, who has wormed him- self into the confidence Of old Sitting Bull. I have been led to this conclusion by his presente here.. He was not selected as one of the party for this éxpedition, but, somehow ‘or other, by eavesdropping, I suppose—he has got wind of ‘it and forced himself upon us. Ill swear, if we'd got hero during the fight Pd have dropped him accidentally,” ‘*Tt isn’t too late yet, cay of the outlaws, *Yos; them Indians ’d repcrt us to Sitting Bull, and then we’d be out our best friend. No, I think the best plan is to Jet him and Baby Sam settle thé question as to their marksmaa- ship—for which I care nothing on earth~and in doing so I think they'll settle each other, for both are undoubtedly fine shots.” | ‘** But, suppose the big boy refuses to fight?” “No danger of that on the terms I offered. Of course, if I thought he’d escape being killed, Vd withdraw that offer; but I have no fears but they'll finish each other. However, we tan see What can be done, and that at once.” Meanwhile the renegade kept ‘up his wild boastings in the presence of the captive, and finally he stole up to him'plaring him squarely in the éyes, with his knife raised as if to strike. But Sarn never flinched, and Tike ‘a cat stealing upon a bird the villain crept closer and Closer until his Sharp nose almost touched the boy’s cheek, and in.a low tone he hissed some words in the prisoner’s car that caused the youth to start as though it were the hiss of a serpent. Then, with a wild yell, the old renegade leaped backward, brandishing his knife before the pris- oner’s face and grinned like a snarling Wolf. ‘Say, let this ‘monkey ‘work stop,” com- manded Dresden as he came back: “Baby Sain, what do you Say; will you fight that fool, Big Horn, on the terms I have stated?” “Ves; if you give me my own revolver,” fe- sponded the Boy Giant. | * Allright, youshall haveit. Let tis retire to the beach.” The prisoner was conducted across the island to the east sicle, Where lay a long, level stretch of sendy beach fully four rods in width, and as they passed along Sam saw where something had been dragred from tke grove to the water’s edge, He knew at once it had been a canoe, in which Wilma and Sarezh had doubtless been removed from the island. The duelists wére stationed near tho wateérs edge, fifty paces apart, with hacks turned upon each other. aby Sam's left hand was fastenetl at his back and his fect so tied together that ‘he could take but a short step. The outlaws would not trust him with too much liberty. His dwn revolver was given him, the iat 4 chambers being all refilled from his cartridge-belt. An outlaw remained with him asa second, Another stéod near the renegade, while Drésden and the others yaa at the edge of the grove, about half-way etween, A resolute look was upon the face of the Boy Giant as he cocked his revolver and ‘stood awaiting the signal to act. “Ready!” suddenly runy out the voice of Dresden. The combatants started and évery nerve in their bodies seemed called into action. | yes of the Ay ,” suggested one * One,” counted Dresden, and thé ey Boy Giant flashed like a startled buck’s. pa Tico.” The youth’s head turned slightly. ree | , | law’s mouth ere the duelists spun rotihd Upon their heels, and, as they did $0 their revolvers rung out as one, butinstead of the principals, the two seconds fell dead! And before Dres- den and his companions could realize the terri- ble situation, the weapons of the two deatlly pistol-shots spoke again, and an outlaw ‘and savage fell’ feless Ht the side of the ditlaw cnie.! With a cry of baffled tritmph Dresden and his surviving friend turned and fled for their lives into the grove, leaving the two strange duelists, the renegade and the Boy Gitnt standing alone and unharmed on whe field of honor! ot at “fi ~ ear CHAPTER TIT.) , OLD KIT. ~ oe er 4) Tk niomént that Baby Sam'siw his endfities disappear in the grove with affright, he tw saree hppulng wore te Seampese Bp Horn, who also advanced until they meth convulsed with silent Jaughtér. © Lipping out the kuife he had flourished but ~ , - ° > mh r $ Leny we ' ‘Se ae | (qi oyeye The word was but cleverly ‘out 6f the Out- * mT <r