Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 482 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

- ote x “e Ft al “ . 4 es ‘Your father was weak and nervous, or I would- a’t have sent him away from you, but gone my- self. It are more dangerous to stay here than to o as he did, but as we couldn’t all ride I thought it best that you and I stay. Now let me help you up onto the rock.” Taking her by the hand, they began to ascend the slanting rock, the maiden going ahead. Za- . dok’s moccasins being damp with dew from the grass, they adhered to the rock’s smooth surface, and enabled him to maintain a firm footing. As the old fellow seated the girl on the rounded summit of the bowlder, he said: **God didn’t drap this rock here for nothin’, did he, gal? But now [ll slip back and git my things.’ ‘Do hurry, Zadok,” begged the maiden, eagerly, anxiou-ly, for the sound of the ap- roaching avalanche was now rolling so near ae the Sentinel seemed to tremble beneath er. Zadok sprung to the ground, and procuring his rifle and blanket, started to re-ascend the rock, He had taken but a single step when he was startled by the cry from Mabel’s lips: ‘* Look, Zadok! there are Indians!” The hunter turned so quickly that he slipped from the rock to the ground, but he landed upon his feet, and was ready to meet the new danger that threatened him and his fair charge. fe) drew his revolver, but the savages wero at his side before he could use it. One of the red-skins sprung upon the rock and began crawling up to- ward Mabel, while the other drawing his knife, mopped to ong 6 the hunter, for full well the Indian knew that the Sentinel would not shelter four of them, and one of that four an old-time enemy. Old. Zadok, although his life was in imminent peril, was more considerate of Mabel’s welfare than his own, and when his revolver cracked, the red-skin on the rock, who had by a single leap almost reached the maiden, and was then endeavoring to push her off, that he might save himself, rolled to the ground, shot through the heart. Mabel thus saved, the old man endeav- ored to shoot his own savage, but the latter seized his wrist and preven him from using his revolver, and the next moment the two went down in a hand-to-hand struggle. ‘‘Oh, may Heaven help him!” cried Mabel, clasping her hands over her breast in an agony of suspense, and gazing first at the combatants and then back at the myriads of buffaloes roll- ing down from the north like the black waves of an angry sea, CHAPTER ITIL. A LIVING WHIRLPOOL. To and fro Old Zadok and the red-skin whirled in rapid evolutions about the base of the Senti- nel, in mortal combat. Mabel watched them in breathless suspense. She could hear their la- bored breathing, their blows and occasionally an involuntary gasp of agony. To the poor girl the moments seemed like hours. Her heart almost ceased to beat, and: be- tween her anxiety for Zadok’s triumph and her fears of the on-rushing buffaloes, it seemed the suspense would drive her mad. The earth now fairly trembled beneath the near approach of that million of hoofs, and the roar of an advane- ing cyclone was not more terrible. Unable to maintain her silence longer, the maiden finally cried out: ** Zadok! oh, Zadok! the buffaloes are almost here!” The old hunter and his antagonist lay almost still at the lower end of the Sentinel, but at the sound of the maiden’s voice Zadok raised his head and gazed around him in a dazed sort of a way. Then he raised himself and began craw]- ing up the sloping rock. His movements were slow and feeble. He spoke nevera word. Ma- bel watched him a moment, her heart growing sick with horror when she saw the blood pouring from a wound in his breast and fairly drenching the back of the rock. ** Zadok!” she cried, ‘‘ you are wounded! Oh, my brave old friend! let me help you!” dok raised his hand and motioned her back, at the same time shaking his head, The next instant a black form shot close by the Sentinel, its head lowered, its eyes glowing. like fire-balls—the hot breath pouring from” its nostrils and clouds of dust bursting from beneath its hoofs. And close behind this mad beast came others, and then a solid mass of moving forms—a black, surging, seething sea of buffaloes that reached out on either side and back beyond the range of vision. The dust ris- ing in the air cast a dull haze over the sky, and this dust-fog and the warm, fetid breath of the a te _ - —_— ~—-y _ Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. -_- —— — ee = -_—— ---_—— mad beasts made the air almost stifling and suffocating. Like a mighty torrent the buffaloes parted on either side of the Sentinel, though they were crowded so close against it that their white horns rattled and raked its sides. A huge bull, swept on by the irresistible tide, and unable to turn aside, struck his great head full against the upper end of the rock. So terrific was the blow that the animal would have turned clear over the obstruction had it been a foot or two lower. As it was, it seemed to stand for a moment on its head against the rock, its tail lashing the terrified Mabel across theshoulders. Then it fell outward, half-stunned. Another buffalo stum- bled over it, and another over that, and soon, until the order, as it were, of the stampede seem- ed broken, and the Sentinel became the center of a living whirlpool from the depths of which came the sound of rattling hoofs, crashing horns, angry bellows and snorts of pain. The blockade swiftly extended backward and around the Sentinel. Hundreds of the terrified beasts became piled in one promiscuous mass, in which they leaped, and plunged, and walked over each other—trampling and goring to death the weaker ones. To all this terrible scene going on around him Old Zadok paid no attention. He stood upon his hands and knees, his face bent downward, his body slightly swaying to and fro, while little rivulets of blood from the wounds in his breast ran down the white sides of the rock. ‘* Zadok!” Mabel finally shrieked above the awful roar of that living whirlpool of maddened beasts, ‘‘ Zadok, you are wounded!—you are bleeding to death!” ** Yes, yes, gal,” the old man replied, and the words seemed to cause him a pang of agony, for he sprung to his feet uttering a cry of terrible ain. : Then he threw up his hands and clutched at space as if for support, and reeling to and fro his face contorted with pain, he suddenly made a convulsive leap from off the rock and falling across the head and neck of a passing buffalo, was swept away from the maiden’s sight like a feather swept out to sea on the receding tide. CHAPTER IV, A GALLANT FRIEND. ALON®E now upon the Sentinel, her heart sick with terror and her brain growing dizzy, Mabel . Thurston sat watching the mad torrent of buffa- loes rushing by. It was an appalling situation to the poor girl, and as she reflected upon the possibility of her father’s death—knowing full well that Old Zadok had gone down to a terri- ble fate—and that she was alone upon that deso- late valley, a strange feeling came stealing over her, and the rock upon which she sat seemed mr down, down into the trembling earth—it seemed she was about being ingulfed in the depths of a black sea whose thunderous waves were rolling about her feet. Her strength, her courage, her senses were giving way, and she was fast sinking into a state of unconsciousness when the last of the herd of buffaloes swept by and the crack of rifles and the shout of human voices reaching her ears roused her from her stupor—the lethargy of terror. She started up like one from a troubled dream. She gazed around her. She saw the rear of the mighty herd dissolving in the shadows of the distance, She heard the crack, crack of fire-arms almost continuously in the direction of the buffaloes, and then she knew that they were being pur- sued by hunters. Her first impulse was to cry out for help, but it occurred to her that the hunters might be enemies—Indians, as Old Zadok had intimated, and she remained quiet. But what should she do? She glanced around her. The fog of dust still hung in the air, some- what obscuring the light of the moon. Nota vestige of the two dead savages could be seen about the rock, The sharp hoofsof the buffaloes had trampled theminto dust. Round and about the rock lay several buffalo carcasses trampled into shapeless masses of flesh. The maiden’s mind reverted to her father. She wondered if he had escaped from the path of the mad herd, and involuntarily she turned her face toward the east. Out of the distant shadows she saw a horse- man coming, Her heart gave a great bound of joy: for she had no other thought than that it was erfather. Sheclapped her hands in unbounded joy and shouted his name. But the poor girl was doomed to bitter disap- pointment, for, as the rider approached, she saw it was a stranger—a large man, who ap- one on the horse he rode like a giant of robdingnag, — The horseman rode straight toward her, and again was her heart and mind put to the severest: test between hope and fear. The unknown rode up, reined in his mustang, and fixing his eyes on Mabel, uttered a low whistle, indicative of surprise. ‘‘ Rats and calamity!” finally burst from the fellow’s lips, ‘*‘ what does this mean? a statue to pig or an actual, livin’, movin’ girl of flesh and blood!” ‘* Oh, sir!” Mabel found words to reply, ‘‘ I hope you are a friend!” ‘Salvation and calamity! woman—girl—an- gel!” exclaimed the stranger; ‘‘ I’m a friend to everything and everybody iv need of friends, I am Bob Comstock, or, as they have twisted m name around over on the Jim River, Stonewall Bob, because I’m bigger ’n’ uglier ’n astone wall daubed with mud.” ‘*And are you not called the Boy Trojan?” asked Mabel, her eyes beginning to glow with some of their wonted light. ‘** Yes, Boy Trojan, too; in fact, I’m all mixed up soon names that I’m almost a stranger to mvself. But, no difference who I am, you have found a friend in me, Miss Stranger, and I will be only too happy to serve your wishes. May I ask your name?” “‘ Mabel Thurston,” she replied, ‘‘my home is at Humboldt settlement, on the Cheyenne River.” ‘* Away down there? and you here alone?” the boy poane exclaimed. ** 1 was left here alone.” ** And were you here while that herd of buffa~. loes were passin’?” ‘Yes, sir.” “Sin and calamity! Miss Mabel, ’'m afraid you’re not here of your own free will.” I No sir; [ am here by the power of a vil- in, ‘Tl bet some blue-bearded devil’s at the bot- tom of it; but pardon my strong HOSUR GES miss, and my interruption. hat reason had the scamp for carrying you off up here?” ‘I spurned his proffered love,” Mabel went on. with the utmost confidence in the gallant youth before her here; ‘“‘ I did so repeatedly, because I loathed him. I could not help it, but he con- tinued his advances until my father was com- lled to interfere, and one day he turned Archi- ald Vandyke from the house, Three months later I was riding alone on the prairie, away a mile or so from the settlement, when Vandyke and a confederate rode from concealment, and seizing my horse and me, and binding me in the: saddle, carried me away by force. Where they were taking me I knew not, at first, but when they were joined this morning by the outlaw Black Bluford, and four of his followers, I made: up my mind that I was being taken to the moun- tains, and—” ‘* Pardon me, Miss Thurston,” again inter- rupted the young giant, ‘‘ but what kind of a looking fellow was this Black Bluford?” The maiden described the outlaw and his four men. ‘*Fiends and calamity!” burst from the Boy Trojan’s lips, ‘‘I had that very gang at m mercy yesterday, and could have made cat-fis bait of all of them had I been sure they were outlaws, Whata blind blunder! I mistrusted them, and yet— But go on, miss, and Ill try not to disturb you again.” ‘“‘As I was saying, I felt satisfied,” Mabel went on, ‘‘ that the outlaws’ destination was the hills, although about noon to-day I heard Black Bluford say they would reach camp above the Forks by midnight, and so I siryoeee they had a camp or rendezvous above the Grand River Forks. But qust before sunset this evening, m father, who alone had been following our trail. came suddenly upon the party and attempted my rescue; but he was overpowered and made prisoner; and then by Vandyke’s request he was stretched upon the plain and bound hand and foot to picket-pins driven into the earth, and there left to be devoured alive by wolves. A few miles further on—just before the moon came up—I managed to elude the villains and return to my father, who was still alive. A few mo- ments after my arrival at my father’s side, an old hunter came up and helped me to release him. His name was Zadok, and a kind and no- ble old man he was--” "Yes, yes, I know Zadok,” put in the Boy Trojan; ‘* he’s an odd old soul, but he’s as noble as he’s brave; but, miss, here I’m chirpin’ in again. Goon with your story, and if I disturb you again you'll not be to blame for it,” Mabel went on and told of her father’s release, the repulse of the outlaws, the flight to the Sen- ’ tinel, the departure of her father, Zadok’s fight with the savages, the old hunter’s fate and ber | iICDOO! eee : - .‘S « = Lie 2 “* - Fo 5 ‘ > ele M > » Fe. a % ~ \ ° @ ; Wren