Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 5 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

' 4 i ee ee Cae | See ee 8 Be te ee Fe a a _— we em te — = = ns 2s a 14 vial inside. It was filled with a grayish pow- der, and labeled “ poison.” A thought flashed through Irene’s brain in an instant, and rolling up the vial in the paper she ced it in a little cabinet on the toile stand, and retired. And still Myrtle was entirely ignorant of her loss, and was unable to account for the uneasi- ness that caused Irene to toss and moan in her sleep. The next morning when the maidens had arisen and dressed themselves, Irene took the vial from the cabinet and turning to Myrtle ‘d : said: “Myrtle, I want you to tell me one thing, and tell me truly: where did you get this 9) Myrtle looked astonished. “Where did you get it?’ she replied, feeling in her pocket unthoughtedly. F “It fell out of your pocket last night while om. were disrobing,” replied Irene, a little im- ve. Myrtle was so confused that she could scarcely utter a word. The absence of the package from her pocket told her that her attempt to conceal the poison had been detected; and the only way out of it was to make a confession of all. “T found it upon the window-sill where Mr. Newbold left it,” she replied, trembling with fear and doubt. Irene’s eyes flashed with indignation; her cheeks paled and her white lips quivered as she How did you know Mr. Newbold left it ere?” Myrtle held up her little hand and with her fingers flashed off the re iy: et read all that tween you and New- ”7 A smothered cry burst from Irene’s lips, and a dreadful fear seized upon her young heart. She threw herself upon the bed and burst into tears. Kind-h little Myrtle endeavored to relieve her of her overwrought feelings by gen- tle words. But they seemed only to add fuel to the flames, for presently Irene arose with flash- a aspen and bloodless lips, and, through her te teeth, fairly hissed: “Myrtle Gray, you are a treacherous, deceit- ful little wretch !” “Oh, Irene, do not get mad at me,” plead Myrtle, her innocent blue eyes filling with poare “von surely did not mean to do wrong,” ‘Wrong?’ she fairly screamed, her eyes blaz- ing with scorn, ‘‘ why did you not tell me that you knew the lan e of signs?” “T never thought of it until I saw you and Mr. Newbold conversing.” ‘¢ And then, little eavesdropper that you were, you sat still and read all that was said!” gare AO not well help it, Irene,” replied e. ‘That is a very r excuse, indeed, and does not harmonize with your attempt to conceal this vial. What object had you in going out and securing it, and saying nothing about it to me?’ *T see hue mistrust me, Irene?” <OF what) om” su ou. ** Your aioe ied evasions are evidence of the fact; and yet all your fears and suspicions are lavished upon a very small matter, since Mr. Newbold and I conversed in riddles. The poison in this vial was brought by my re- quest. I wanted it to rid the place of those pests of my life—Uncle Jerry’s pet coons and wolves.” Myrtle reflected. She affected credulity in what Irene told her, though she really believed the handsome heiress was trying to deceive her. “T thought it impossible,” she said, ‘for you to be so wicked as to commit a crime, Irene; though I did not know pet coons and wolves slept with a light by their bedsides.” was considerable woman’s keen sarcasm in the little miss’s reply; and the haughty Miss Lamar felt its sting with a woman’s sensitiveness, With a look of unutterable scorn, the latter turned and swept out of the room. ; Poor Myrtle Gray was now in a desperate sit- uation—the neglected guest of the haughty Irene. She dressed herself and went out into the room where Uncle Jerry sat reading before the fire. “T wish you a merry Christmas, Uncle J ” she exclaimed. “ Oh-ho!” said Uncle Jerry, glancing u his spectacles; ‘thank you, Myrtle, thank you. ‘ hope you and Irene will have a merry day of t. “T believe I will go home to-day, Uncle Jerry,” she said. over ——— - = _—= 7 Lr a es Oe em eae srs <n en ee ee SS OS aT = 6 = VS aS SSS SS - peadle’s HalfDime Library. ‘Why, child! what’s the matter? homesick? I thought ou were going to stay a whole week with us. Got tired of Glendale, have you?” ‘*No, I am not tired of Glendale; but then circumstances have changed my mind, and I be- lieve I will go home.” Uncle Jerry.tried to coax her out of this no- ares but finding his efforts were all in vain, he said: “Well, if go you will, I'll have old Shellbark harnessed to the sleigh after breakfast, and take you home.” And so he did, though he mistrusted nothin of what had taken her home all at once, unt they came to part in front of her father’s cabin, when she turned to him and said: ‘“Uncle Jerry, be careful of your sleeping- apartments, and have them well ventilated, for I earnestly believe there is a conspiracy on foot against your life.” ** What's that?” exclaimed Uncle Jerry. But Myrtle was gone; and as the door of the cabin closed upon her form, the old man gave Shellbark the reins and started homeward, his pas of mind disturbed by the maiden’s warn- g. CHAPTER XI. THE RESULT OF INDIAN POLICY. We left Vagabond Joe tied to a tree in the camp of Ishtahaba, about to undergo a cruel torture for refusin gto reveal the ming plese of Grace Manville. hen he declar hat he would suffer death rather than betray the fair irl into their power, Dr. Cudmore turned to he burly renegade who stood ready with the whip, and said: ‘* Lay on the bastinado—lay on, McDuff!” The renegade stepped forward, raised the gad, and was about to bring it down upon the youth’s tender, quivering back, when Ishtahaba step in before him and said: “The boy is brave; he will die rather than t2ll where the maiden is concealed; then both will be gone, Let the pale-face man lower his ac ith a look of bitter Speeppainiznent, the renegade did as commanded. Then Ishtahaba took Cudmore aside, and ad- dr him thus: vie me Joe is as brave as he is cunning; but Isbtahaba is cunning also, Let the boy go. We will then put watches upon him, and when he returns to the spot where the maiden is con- cealed, then will we capture both.” ‘Ay, your head is long, chief,” replied Cud- more, pleased with the Indian’s idea;” there is poliey in what you suggest. Of course, the little rascal will go back to where he left the woman. i ba have bim released before he freezes to eath. And he went back and ordered Joe’s release, As the — replaced his clothing upon his shivering form, he said: **T reckon as what you come to the conclusion I wasn’t as skeery as a fawn, didn’t you, Mr. Lighthouse” I will take no insolence from you, Vagabond Joe,” said Cudmore, ‘‘I give you your free dom, and I advise you to make good use of it in getting away from here,” ‘*Tll do so, rosy-nose,” retorted Joe, ‘‘ and jist you mind, if ever you cross my path again, "ll slip a bee into your bonnet.” So saying, Joe took up his rifle and left camp, going down the river. And he was scarcely out of sight of camp ere two Indians, called Slyly and Keen-Eyes—sly warriors—were sent out upon his trail to watch him. But Joe was a match for the cunning of any Indian. He knew very well that they would never have suffered him to go free there not been an object in it, that object he Readily aneee and determined to act accordingly. He did not betray any sus- picions by glancing back nor around him, as if expecting to be followed; but traveling as fast as possible, he passed on by the spot where Grace Manville was concealed toward Fort Dodge. Nor did he stop until he reached his trapper home late that night, situated upon the Neutral Grounds, north-east of Glendale. Here he lingered but a short time. He re- ed himself upon the pantry stores of his Friends, bimnged hin clothing, and cleaned up ea weapons. Out in a shed hard by were two fine, large elks, the especial property of Vagabond Joe. They were perfectly docile, and well trained to the Bint, and when Joe was ready to return to the valley ofthe Lizard, he harnessed them to alight cutter—the result of his own mechanical genius—put in some feed for them, and then mounting into the vehicle, dashed off through the storm, guiding his elks by a line attached their horns. The youth made his way directly toward Glendale, and in an hour’s time drew up in front of Uncle J erry Grimes’ residence, To his surprise he was met in the doorway by one whom he had not expected to see there—Miss Myrtle Gray.. But recovering his self-com- sure, he drew from his pocket a ring which e had long intended as a Christmas * ppimaios for her, and shipped it into her hand. Meanwhile, he kept himself disguised, and while he was paying his respects to Myrtle, he was enabled to gratify the secret curiosity that had taken him to Uncle Jerry’s house. Leaving Glendale, Joe made his way to the Des Moines, up which he traveled until] he reached the mouth of the Lizard, when he turned and made his way up this latter stream, travel- ang, ngemee upon the frozen surface, e "The cla trons ~ we te depth of the snow. e elks, strong of limb and possessed of an almost endless endurance, plu steadil along through the storm as though it were their own element. Vagabond Joe, bundled up in blankets and furs, sat silent and motionless listening to the crunching and grinding of the snow under the runners of his sleigh. On either side of him the woods rose up a black wall. The storm shrieked overhead, while the river, with muffled voice, rolled beneath. Never breaking that long striding trot pecu- liar to the animal, the elks glided on, patiently obeying the will of their young master. Daylight at length dawned, and for the first time in many hours it ceased to snow; though, the wind rising, began to whirl and drive the snow through the air in blinding clouds, making it all the worse for our young friend. Still there was no great loss without some small gain; the drifting snow filled the team’s track within a minute after it was made, and should an enemy Rappen to cross this track, he would not be very likely to detect it. Continuing on until within a mile of where he had left Grace Manville, he left the river and struck out into the timber. Here he found traveling far more difficult and laborious—his elks having to plunge through snow nearly belly- deep—over the rough wooded hills and valleys, But pressing onward he finally neared the place where he had left the fair stranger concealed. Driving his team under the snow-laden boughs of a tree, surrounded by a dense thicket of hazel bushes, he hitched it; then upon foot he set off toward the Crystal Palace of which he was architect and builder. Before he had come in sight of the structure his attention was arrested by two Indians who were moving along some distance before him, and at righevengios with his course. They were carrying some heavy burden between them, and as it was white with snow, Joe at first took i¢ to be a deer; but, upon closer scrutiny, he dis- covered it was something rolled up in a blanket, and handled very carefully by the red-skins, The young borderman was thrown into a quandary by this discovery, although his appre- hensions did not assume serious form. Still he could not let the red-skins pass out of sight without knowing what they were carryin This curiosity came of the natural precaution of a frontiersman or Indian-fighter, It was always a point closely observed by the latter that when he found an Indian engaged in anything doubt- ful the same would always bear investigation, Joe thought the two warriors might be carrying a prisoner between them, although it never once occurred to him that that prisoner might be Grace Manville. They were not coming ex- actly from the right direction to arouse suspi- cion as to her capture; and yet a thing might be possible, and so he determined to in- quire into the matter before the red-skins passed out of his sight. He move eae, after the Indians, who traveled north until they had reached the river, when they turned west, following the river upon the ice. At this point there was no tim- ber on the north bank of the stream to break the storm; and the wind, sweeping down from the icy north, drove the cutting blast into the Indians’ faces; but, nothing daunted, they drew their blankets over their heads and trudged heavily and slowly on through the snow with their burden. Meanwhile, Vagabond Joe stole cautious}- along after them. : ; Great volumes of snow were whirled and twisted through the air in writhing clouds, as thick and blinding as the simoons of Sahara— making it, at es, almost impossible to OO) ' (ECON MUCE cS (E()