Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 5 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Vagabond Joe. 7 Hand, the whites were on their way southward toward their own camp. They journeyed through the wood and snow with light footsteps and buoyant — Vagabond Joe was unusu- ally jovial and exuberant. He loved adventure as he loved his food. His whole life had been spent in the midst of danger, and he came and went as though he bore a charmed existence. As the night advanced, light fleecy clouds drifted athwart the sky, and a ring encircled the moon. ‘‘That,” said Joe, calling attention to the ring, ‘‘isa bad sign. It indicates more storm within three days. But I prophesy more storm between this and morning. 1 never seen it clear up in the night but what it spoilt the followin’ da bP a Thats the signs we old hunters go by,” ad- ded Neutral Bill, ‘‘and they seldom fail. I think myself that it’l1l be snowin’ afore mornin’.” ‘I hope your signs will all fail this time,” said Captain Howard, “ We have already had enough of storm and red-skins to answer all practical purposes.” ‘T like ’em both, captain,” replied Joe; ** they make fun and frolic for a feller. Now, me and President Bildad’s had more solid, super-finished adventure to-night than old Satan could shake his finger at.” ‘‘] think such adventure anything but enjoy- able,” retorted Meeks. ‘“'That’s all owin’ to one’s love of the beauti- ful, ll admit, president;” responded Joe, ‘‘ and the strength of his vertebrae.” Meeks disdained to reply to the boy’s humor. Pushing on, the little party arrived in the vicinity of their camp between midnight and morning; and when they had gained a point whence they could command a view of their tents, they were not a little surprised to see a dim light shining from each one of them. ‘‘ By mollyhorns!” exclaimed Joe, whose keen eyes were tle first to discover the fact, there’s somebody in them tents. Ten to one a pack of smut-skins are riotin’ in there on our game and supplies.” **Shouldn’t wonder a bit,” affirmed old Bill. ‘‘ If it’s Ingins, friends,” continued Joe, whose tongue, boy-like, ran incessantiy, ‘‘ we want to ive ’em goss. ‘lhis thing of foolishin’ with the dasted critters ’s gittin’ ancient. Don’t you say so, Neutral Billiam?” ‘In course | do; and hev all along.” ‘‘ Gentlemen,” protested Bildad Meeks, in his usual weighty tone, ‘* use discretion. Don’trun into danger when it can be avoided,” “lf I'd adopted that plan, president, you'd still be in the hands of the red-skins,” suggested Joe. ‘‘ But your risks, then, were a necessity,” de- precatea Meeks, ‘‘Not by any means,” rejoined the lad. “If you’d never esca nothin’ but the eddyca- tional mterests of Fort Dodge would have suf- fered. But I’m willin’ to do as the majority say: run or fight.” ‘I’m willing to do as Joe thinks best,” de- cided Fred Manning, —_ his words were re- ted by a majority of the party, a? Men,” cemiieted Meeks, ‘the calm judgment of age should have precedence over the rash impebtuosity of youth in matters of sich grave moment.” ‘‘ We've tried Joe,” Captain Howard an- swered, ‘‘and find that he is not wanting in Ing gnens upon such matters,” “Nor imperténence,” rauttered Bildad, un- gratefully. ‘“T believe I'll slip down to camp and recon- uoiter. I don’t see any of the introoders movin’ about,” said Vagabond, preparing to depart. _ “Be very careful, Joe,” cautioned Captain Howard, ‘‘and report as soon as perme Im getting hungry and tired, and will fight for our camp if the odds are not too great.” Joe at once departed upon his mission, As he approached the tent he crossed the track of a sleigh and team that had been made there since the storm. They had come and gone in the same direction; and the youth was con- vinced by this evidence that white men occu- ied the tent. He observed no less precaution, 10wever, aud crept on until he had gained a position in the rear of the largest tent of the group. Pressing his ear against the canvas, he listened. He heard voices speaking the English tongue; but all were strange to him. He en- deavored to catch the drift of their conversa- tion, but could make out nothing definite. Finally he drew his knife, and ran the des- perate risk of cutting a small hole in the can- vas. Fortunately, however, he esca detec- tion, and next applied his eye to the hole—a mere slit scarcely two inches long. He was greatly surprised by the scene that met his gaze. he tent was lit up with the lantern belonging to Joe’s friends, and was sus- pended from the apex of the structure. Great improvements had been made in the internal ar- oo ema The und had been carpeted with soft furs; while to the pole-supports hung arments of fine‘and costly textures. ene ‘heen were a lady’s shawl, cloak, and hat; an near by Jay a set of sable furs. Four men occupied the tent, and reclining upon a jaguar-skin, with her head resting upon the breast and arm of one of them, was a young woman of exceeding beauty. She ap- eared to be asleep, and the man who supported er down into her face with a look that did not at all please Vagabond Joe. The lady, for such she evidently was, could not have been over nineteen years of ; Her handsome face looked pale under the dim light of the lantern, and her eyes, although closed bore evidence of recent weeping. A wealth of luxurious brown hair was gathered back from a brow of alabaster whiteness, and fell in rip- pling folds over the arm of her companion. er head, thrown slightly back, revealed the pearly smoothness of a throat that rivaled in whiteness the collar of swan’s down that en- circled it. A white, dimpled hand lay upon her breast, and upon the index finger flashed a hoop of gold. Vagabond Joe was strangely impressed by the presence of this girl; for he had never seen one so fair, so delicate, and, withal, of such patri- cian blood. He was well satisfied that she did not belong in the West; but must have come from the far Kast. He knew she was a lady by her fine, costly ents, her white face and dimpled hands. Intuition materially aided him in arriving at this conclusion, for, unsophisti- cated as Joe was, he had learned that external appearagoet did not always constitute a lady or gentleniMn. But what was the woman doing there? What were those men to her? These were the —- that naturally arose in the youth’s mind. To him the woman seemed entirely out of her sphere. The men in no way seemed fit compan- ions for her. They were rough, bearded fel- lows, strong and hardy as bordermen. Their language was not altogether rude, but it was far from being refined. The one supporting the girl was about thirty years of age, and of the four, was by far the most intelligent and prepossessing. Yet his face wore a restless, w look, such as Joe had seen upon faces before when a guilty conscience and mortal dread harassed the soul. ‘‘There’s something not right in there,” the young vagabond remarked to himself; “angels and s don’t ’sociate, for if !m any judge, that gal’s an ~—— and a purty one, too, if ever an angel descended to earth. And them men— well, I don’t like their looks, for some reason or other; and Pll—”’ His train of thoughts were here interrupted by seeing one of the strangers rummaging the camp-chest of Captain Howard, for this was the captain’s tent. He saw the man take a sil- ver cup from the box and hold it up on the ti of his fingers; at the same time he heard the man make some slight allusion to the wealth of See Feategiaattt th te oe recogni e cup as the private propert of Captain Howard, and presently he edad the man read these words, which had been engraved upon it: “‘To Ralph Howard, from Lrene.” ‘**What’s that?” exclaimed the man support- ing the girl, as if startled by the hiss of a deadly serpent, while his face grew pale with abject horror. ‘*To Ralph Howard, from Irene,” the man again read. The woman stirred, opened her eyes—great, wondrous. brown eyes that stared wildly and sadly about—and then in a troubled, flighty tone called out: ‘* Where is he? where is he?” ‘* Here, darling, here; don’t worry,” the man replied, and when she had again relapsed into her seeming stupor, he reached out, and takin the cup, hurled it out into the snow. The look that he gave his companions seemed to explain to them the cause of this conduct. Joe, however, was not a little surprised by it; yet he became fully satisfied as to the char- acter of the four men, and leaving the tent he continued the reconnoissance of the camp until he had seen inside of every tent. He found that all but the one were occupied by Indians, who were quietly smoking their pipes. They be- longed to Ishtahaba’s band, aiid: seemed disposed to regrrd the situation as perfectly safe. Fully satisfied with his reconnoissance, Joe re- mw I. oe a diski V. ad?” ell, what did ye diskiver, Vagabon asked Neutral Bill. r ** Lots and gobs; I’m completely confound upsot, shook into confusion—annyhilated, boys, replied the lad. ‘Why? what’s the matter, Joe?” ‘Well, sir, all the tents but one, are filled with primroses of Ishtahaba’s band; that one has got four men and a woman in it; and if ever the shader of an angel fell upon earth, that gal’s is the shader. I tell you she’s perfectly delicious; and such finery! you’d ought to see it. Her face is as white as this snow, and her hand’s as little and dimpled as a baby’s. She’s from the city, I know; for no western gal’s got sich flub- dubberies and fine things as she’s got. But it seems to me she’s as much out of place in that tent as I'd be on the top of the north pole. I wish you could get a peep at her, captain; I know you’d want to expire the next minute. And—oh, yes! I'd nighly forgot: I seen one of the men take your mug from your camp-chest, and when he read what was written upon it, the fal cried out “ Where is he?’ and the man pacified her then, but his face wore the scorch- in’est look you ever seen in all your life. He took the mug, finally, and slung it out at the door with all his vengeance. S’pose you cree down there and look in, captain. ey re all quiet as bears up for the winter, and don’t ‘pear to be expectin’ the owners of the camp in.’ Captain Howard felt strangely impressed by Joe’s story—particularly that part relating to the silver cup; and so he concluded to creep down to the camp and get a peep at the occu- pants of that one tent. Observing Joe’s instruetions carefully, the captain had no difficulty in reaching the rear of the tent, nor in finding the little slit made by Vagabond’s knife. Applying his eye to the aperture, he quickly pances over the interior. He saw all that Joe ad described, but the face of the woman. He could see her form pany enough reclining upon a couch of skins, but her face was con- cealed by the head of the man who was bending over her in an affectionate manner. Presently, however, the man raised his head, and then Ralph Howard saw the maiden’s face upturned and her eyes gazing up into those of him who supported her. ne glance at the face of the man and the girl, and then Howard’s heart seemed to grow eathly sick and his brain to reel. He started up, staggered back, and turning, fied the spot. He made his way back to his friends, and tak- ing Fred Manning aside, said: ‘Fred, I want you to do me a favor.” He spoke in a strange, husky tone. “ Captain,” said Fred, startled by his friend’s excitement, ‘* you are excited: what is the cause of it? what favor do you want of me?” “T want you to shoot me dead! I ask it asa avor.” “Why, ro Howard, you are crazy. What ails you, man ‘Oh, God, Fred! I dread to tell you the truth; but she whom I supposed was a thousand miles from here to-night—she whose last words to me were words of love and vows of eternal devotion—Grace Manville, my affianced wife, is in yonder tent, pillowing her head upon the breast of a villain—smiling in the face of Dr, Burton Cudmore!” CHAPTER VL. OUT OF THE TOILS AND INTO THE STORM. FRED MANNING was completely astounded b his friend Howard’s revelation and conduc He could not credit the story, it seemed so un- reasonable and vague—yea, impossible. For, in a quiet home, far away in the sunny South, he and How had left Grace Manville two months previous, smiling and happy. She bore a name irreproachable. She was a handsome, accomplished young lady, at the shrine of whose beauty of face and heart more than one man of distinction had worshiped. Doctor Burton Cud- more, he knew, had been an unsuccessful rival with Captain Howard. It was generally known that _the gallant young captain and Grace were engaved; and so, it seemed impossible that she should disregard her vows, end desert her home and friends with sueh a man as Cudmore. “Captain,” Fred protested, “I believe you are deceived—laboring under a mistake. It cannot be Grace Manville in that tent.” ‘‘IT have not been deceived, Fred. It is Grace; I could not be mistaken in her face, and that of Burton Cudmore, too.” “Then, by heavens! there’s something wrong.” SSO LA ‘SS S (E()