Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 5 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

6 “ in’ out to see,” replied Bill, ‘‘ for I jist ean’t stand this, nor won’t try.” So the old borderman crawled out of their comfortable quarters. His friends expected the storm would drive him back; but in this they were disappointed. An hour went by and they heard nothing of him; but finally he was heard to call out overhead: “I say, boys, come out here. The storm’s subsided; the moon and stars are shinin’, and it’s warmer than a J uly night—fact. Come out and see for yourselves.” Allowing considerable for the old hunter’s ex- aggerations, the little party hastened from their quarters out into the open air. They found the storm had cleared away, and that the moon and stars were shining. But it lacked considerable of being as warm as repre- sented by Old Bill. Our friends soon got their bearings, assisted — osition of the moon and by Vagabond oe, and at once turned their attention toward the ian encampmen t. As they advanced up the valley, Old Bill sud- denly discovered a dark form moving about against the white snow, and he had no sooner called the attention of his friends to the fact, than Vagabond Joe pronounced it a savage. As the skulking red-skin was not over a hun- dred yards away, the young trapper borrowed Captain Howard’s rifle, and tried a shot upon him. What the result was they were unable to fully ascertain; though it was certain the Indian at once disappeared, while a fierce, vindictive yell rose from that immediate vicinity. A few moments later, bullets came whistling in close proximity to our friends’ ears, while the of the enemy’s rifles cracked out clear and net not over a hundred yards pre & ys, timber!” ex- “We've got to timber, claimed Old Bill. “ Rack out, Bill,” said Joe; and the whole party at once broke for the woods on the top of a steep hill overlooking Red Hand’s camp. As cocina were ee cover of the eee, our frien n to speculate upon some plan for the rescue of Bildad Meeks. Vagabond Joe remained quiet, and respectfully listened to the ions of his elders on the subject; but when all had spoken without arriving at any practicable plan, the youth ventured to assert: ** Friends, I’ve got an idea in my head that | ,»” said Captai ow “is in devising some means by which we can reach the enemy’s camp without being exposed toa raking fire. This renders all plans, already d, impracticable.” t, we aged averred Joe, ‘my plan will do away th that difficulty.” “ Joe’s a right to be heard,” proclaimed Fred Manning, “so let us hear what his suggestions are ““T can’t tell it as well as I can ’lustrate it,” replied Joe, “and if you'll jist give me a lift, some of you, Pll show you a hole with a ring around it.” Giving his captive, Red Hand, into the care of the two settlers, Vagabond Joe walked into the woods several rods and began piling up a ball of snow—which being damp and heavy, was capable of bei et ro ea When cee ae made — i l, he began ~ crs talong u the ground, just as every school- boy has ach many a time. As the ball ad- vanced it grew larger, and by the time Joe had reached his friends, it was all he could do to move it.” ** Now, boys,” the boy sai hand. Iwant to roll among the Indians.” Joe explained to his friends the situation of the enemy’s camp, and the manner of its con- n. ey saw, at once, that it would be a very easy matter to roll the ball down into camp, for the hill was very steep and the sur- face even, but they could see no real benefit to be derived from it. Moreover, it would be just as liable to crush Meeks, if he were still alive, as any of the red-skins, t Joe set aside all fears as to their friend —— in danger. In fact, it was not his desire to roll the first ball into camp, but so close to it as to draw the red-skins’ attention to his move- ments. So three or four of the hunters put their shoulders to the huge snowball and if began to roll on gathering in size and weight as it advanced. By the time it had reached the of the woods, and the steepest part of the hill, it had grown to such a size that its own ponder- ous weight, and its natural tendency to obey the laws of gravitation, were sufficient to carry it forward without physical agency; and giving ‘just lend me a is snow ball down Beadle’s Half-Dime Libaary. it a final push, the hunters let the great. mass go. : It started off slowly, but gathered speed and size as it continued to advance. It licked the snow clean from its track, and rushing on—_ leaped into | overcoming all op the channel just ment, Our friends saw it disappear in the valley, and heard the derisive yell of the savages come quavering up on the air. ition—finally ow the Indians’ encamp- ‘*Mollyhorns!” exclaimed “Joe, ‘a few sich | yells as that’d bu’st their gullets.’ Ete Well, what next, Joe?’ said Captain How- ‘“More snowballs,” replied the lad; ‘‘it’s royal good fun, if it don’t do any good,” ‘aptain Howard and his companions seemed to partake of some of Joe’s povigs spirit; and for fully an hour they amu themselves by rolling one ball after another down into the valley, and keeping the Indians in a constant state of excitement. Joe would permit none of them started so as to roll into the camp. saw that he had an object in this, and it was finally made manifest when he said: ‘** Now, boys, ’m goin’ down into that cam to git President Bildad out. I’m goin’ to retali- ate on him for turnin’ me out of school, by doin’ him a kind act. Sich revenge as that cuts deeper than mean acts. I may fail, but if I do, and lose my hair, why, it’s only Vagabond Joe one, and nobody’ll miss him. So now, boys, eave up a huge old ball.” Wondering what the boy could possibly have in bis mind, two of the hunters assisted him in rolling up a ball fully five feet long by four in diameter. When it had been moved to the edge of the woods, Joe took a hunting-knife, and out of the center of the ball he cut and dug a hole sufficient to admit the full length of his body. This done, he appropriated Hand’s blan- ket to his own use—enveloping his head and shoulders therein, Then he borrowed a pair of revolvers of the old ‘‘pepper-shell” petlera, and ensconcing himself in the big snowball, said: ‘** Now, boys, ’m ready. Aim her a little to the _ of where the others fell, and then tetch her off easy. If she drops in the Injuns’ camp, Pi bet they’ll think a torpedo’s bu’sted among em, ‘*But suppose the ball don’t burst at all— they’ll nab you before you can extricate your- self,” said Joel Braxton. ‘‘No danger of that,” returned Joe; ‘for if you aim ber right, and we roll onto their roof, and it gives way, Tl bet I git out of this.” ‘* But you'll be so ’tarnal dizzy, boy, that you can’t tell which side your face’s on,” expostu- lated Old Bill. ‘‘ You'll roll over every time that snowball does; don’t you see?” “Tll take my chances on that, Billiam,” re- lied Joe, determined not to give up to the esnarentian possibilities of failure. ‘‘ ve been rolled down hill more’n once in a snowball and holler log, and come out right side foremost. Jist give me a shove and [ll take all risks, IfI fail, and git catched by the smut-faces, you can 6 that young chief, Red Hand, for me—me, remember, not President Bildad. Now, boys, all together—a-ye!—here we go a-kitin’!” He drew his head into the great snowball like a snail into its shell, and before any of the older heads could prevent the act, in case it was their desire to do so, Fred Manning and Jack Aborn gave the ball a push and set it in motion. Away it crept—slowly at first—grinding and crunching over the ground—growing larger and larger ateach turn. Faster and faster it bound- ed onward straight toward the Indian camp. It soon reached the valley, pare out upon the roof of the encampment and crushed the whole frail covering under its ponderous weight. The ball fell in the middle of the camp and burst into a thousand pieces. Vagabond Joe lay sprawling in the midst of the wreck, half buried under it. The savages began scrambling out from under their fallen roof. They omitted their usual yell of derision this time, for the blankets that had formed the covering to their house immediately began to burn. Smoke and steam spread out upon all sides and threatened to smother all re- maining within the burrow, Vagabond Joe taking advantage of this unex- ected covering of smoke and steam, rose to his feet, drew his knife and then groped his way to where Bildad Meeks was tied when he escaped. He was aided in his search, by the old man_set- ting up a terrible yell for help; and reaching his side, the lad severed his bonds and then said: “Now git your presidential carcass outen here in a hurry.” Bildad did not wait for a second invitation, but made good use of his freedom and legs. In the confusion and blinding smoke, Joe and asavage collided with such force as knocked Joe down; but springing to his feet he began ay RE of his revolvers at the same time at the figures that went sneezing and coughing through the smoke. This was something the red-skins had not ex- cted, and believing the whole party of white unters were upon them, they dashed from their quarters and took refuge in the snow-drift that we served Joe such a good purpose a few hours ore. Thus, in a minute’s time, after he entered the camp, Joe found himself master of the situation. He had accomplished far more than he had cal- culated upon; or rather, he had performed it in a way different from what he had intended, Elated by his success, the young dare-devil climbed upon the bank, uttered a defiant yell as if to let his enemies know that he alone ha routed them, then turned and bounded awa up the hill, reaching the woods and his frien at the same time with Bildad Meeks, who came up puffing and blowing like an overworked ox. A prolonged shout greeted the return of the daring boy and the old settler; and for awhile Joe was the recipient of many congratulations. “Tt worked well, boys—better’n I'd calculated upon,” the youth finally found opportunity to reply. ‘‘The ball smashed the cover of the camp down into the fire, and sich a smoke and steam of old wool and Ingin grease I never seen. I cut the president’s bonds, then opened these pep er-shells on the red-skins. Idon’t think T tched one of them, but I cleared the pit in a jiffy, and then lit out.” ‘* Joe, that was a novel and daring expedient, worthy of an older head and stronger arm than yours,” Captain Howard declared. Eat Older Sgenh ae ny mee > at that y’ll buck ag’in’ any old pate in these diggin’s; and [ll go a tithe that he’ll come oat five lengths ahead. No, sir, captain; none o’ ther can fet away with Vagabond Joseph.” ‘He's brave, that Ill say,” Bildad Meeks ven- tured to confess, as though it pained the selfish, bigoted old ignoramus to admit the fact. ‘Wonderful gratitude,” remarked Captain Howard, aside, to Fred Manning, in a tone of righteous contempt and keen sarcasm. * ‘Well ney Steg suggested Joe Braxton, we are gether again, suppose we improve the time and get out of this.” 7 ‘ ‘““What’ll be done with this Indian?” asked one. ‘* Kill him! kill the tarnal devil, and then we'll have no more trouble with him,” exclaims Bil- dad Meeks, as if exasperated at the very sight of the young chief. ‘‘ Give me a pistol, a k: tfe, or a gun, and I'll finish him.” ‘You'll do no such thing,” spoke Vagabond Joe, with a coolness that surprised his friends, ‘What! do you mean to interfere in behalf of that savage when he was goin’ to kill you by inches?” cried Bildad. ‘I do, most assuredly,” replied Joe, in calm, measured accents, “I b’long to civilization, and you’re not goin’ to murder prisoners with impunity, even if you do expel boys from school. If I’m to have my say, that young chief goes free. A kind act is appreciated by a red aeine and that’s more than I can say of all white- skins.” Bildad Meeks felt the sting of the lad’s sar- casm deeply; and when Le saw that the rest of tha party indorsed the boy’s views and encour- aged his epapubee git he felt that they were t for age. wanting in res ‘** That sounds like humanity, boys, exclaimed Fred Manning, in answer to Joe. “Isay, let the Indian go. What is the verdict of the re Let bi - ded be t him go!” respon a number of voices, ‘‘ Kill him!” persisted Meeks; but he stood alone in his decision. ** Red-skin,” said Joe, advancing and untying the chief’s bonds, “ you and me’s been on a high- lonesome to-night, and now I’m goin’ to let. you go free. I believe you are braye, for an Ingin, spa won't forgit that Vagabond Joe saved your e “Red Hand will never forgit a friend. The white boy is brave and kind,” replied the young ‘‘Good-evening, red-skin,” added Joe, as the chief turned and walked slowly and calmly away, never deigning to look back nor betray the slightest evidence of fear. CHAPTER V. WHOSE LIGHT WAS rT? In a few minutes after the release of Red GOmicboo KS (E(@)