Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 51 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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4 Beadle’s Half-Dim ee where we could see what the Indians were doing, and be hidden ourselves.”’ ““That’s precisely what I was doing,’’ declared “Will. “I knew you boys were somewhere here, of course, but I didn’t expect to find you so easy.” They held a consultation to see what was best to be done. At last they decided, now that it was so to separate, each going in different directions, and find the best spot for concealment close to the camp. Albert went directly forward, while his two com- nions turned, one to the right and the other to he left. Albert, being older, had been looked upon as a sort of leader since first coming into the coun- try, and in the present case the two boys looked to him for counsel, and coincided with the plans he proposed. After cautioning them to use their ut- most vigilance, he moved away in the darkness to- ward the camp. The night was almost inky by this time, save when the faint flashes of sheet lightning illumined the sky for an instant. The Indians had chosen a sheltered spot under some broad-topped-trees, where, in the little open space, they had pitched their camp and were busily cooking their supper over the fires they had b in different places. Step by step Arl n crept up, the wind drown- ag slight noise he made, till at last he had at- a position within a few yards of the nearest fire, around which half a dozen savages were squat- From here he could command a view of the entire camp. Ranty was near one of the center fires, bound tightly, but looking as unconcerned as if no such things as bloodthirsty Indians were within a dozen miles of him. His hands were released to al- low him to eat the supper brought him, but were tied again when he had finished. After a rather protracted survey of the camp, the young man crept silently away to meet his two companions at the place agreed upon. a were both at the spot, and after some con- sultation, they all crept forward in a body, yet with ‘the greatest caution, to the place Albert had so recently vacated. “Well, if they ain’t an admirable looking set!"’ sauttered Will, peering between the leaves of a thick, scrubby bush. ‘‘ Where’s Ranty? Oh, I see him, He looks as sober as a deacon.” “I guess Fas would if you were in his place,” red Fred, “ expecting to be roasted by a slow fire when their mighty lo ps could spare the time from gorman ie er un Huddiled > th er the thick bushes, the trio talked over their plan in the lowest of whispers. But, had the e double the noise they did, it would not ve reached the savages, above the of the wind. ry — is this,” announced Albert. “Tn all probabi ty it will rain before very long, and this will still further favor us. When the camp gets quiet one of us must manage to enter it in some manner, They may leave one or two of their num- ber on but I think we can get over that diffi- p e are all well armed, and I trust, have enough to stand quite a fight if worst comes worst. Ranty must be liberated, and to-night, too for we don’t know what may happen to-morrow. if wecan get him loose, and get ten yards the start, what can they do toward finding us on such a night as this?’ Not anything of course,’’ answered Fred. ‘* Why, they couldn’t see two feet, and the wind blows so they couldn’t hear us run. Id risk them catching us. “And I, too,’’ responded Will. “That's settled then. So all we've got to do now is to wait.” “Which ain’t very hard work for me,” returned Will. ‘I’ve tramped so much my legs ache. Hello! Now what's up?” The last part of his sentence was caused by see- ing the chief approach Ranty with the latter's dou- ble rifle, which he had taken possession of that morning. He knew something of breech-loading arms, but not of this pattern, and he desired a little information. “What matter wid gun, eh? He no good, Went this morning—no go now. You fix ’im.’ “There isn’t anything the matter with it,”’ answer- ed Ranty, composedly. ‘It’s the best gun you ever saw, but it won’t go for you. It don’t like you. shouldn’t be surp if it should bite. You better let it alone,”’ “White boy great fool—big chief mus’ have gun— no fix him, he ou,”’ Ranty meditated. He did not think he stood in need of any ‘‘ fixing,” but he decided that he should not explain the working of the gun, unless obliged todoso. He changed his mind, however, on second =—y" “*Untie my hands and I'll fix it,”’ he said. The chief complied, but Ranty’s plan of escape was sudde foiled by the Indians gathering in a circle about » “Td it anyhow, if I thought thé boys were *round,”’ ty muttered to himself, as he withdrew the eof shells and inserted the cartridges the chief handed him from the belt. But in all probabil- ity the boys were not near him, and he decided to await a more favorable opportunity. r gpeaae FOU OBE Sig Dae LS ae eee meade Dm going, reasy-heads,”’ sO uized, when he ag four Midaelt bound and “sitting on the ground. “* And that before long, too!”’ CHAPTER VI. RANTY HIMSELF AGAIN, ’ Tae night seemed to grow darker; the camp-fires blazed , and fanned by the wind, sent out a eS ee ae + ruddy voy upon the wall of foliage surrounding the little glade. The three boys never left their covert, but ee ——. migee. fl or the camp to become quiet. The rain held bac nee: ow and then a few drops pattered on the leaves, but none fell of any account, and one by one the Indians wrapped themselves in their blankets and composed themselves for sleep. *‘ Boys,’’ whispered Will, excitedly, “they ain't oing to leave a guard, as sure’s you're born! a the last red imp rolling himself in his blanket, now!” It was even so, Will crawled round where he could fet a better view. Ranty, bound hand and foot still, was given a blanket and made to lie between the chief and another Indian, who laid a little apart from the rest, by a separated fire. The chief took the precaution to attach a cord to Ranty’s ankles, the other end of which he tied about his own, A total silence fell over the camp, save the noise made by the roaring and rushing of the wind. An hour before midnight the rain commenced falling slowly, but kept increasing, till when midnight came it was storming quite hard. The fires were beginning to die out. ** Boys,”” whispered Albert, “‘now is our time. If it rains much harder the Indians will begin to look for some kind of shelter, and our chance be over. Follow me, and tread light.”’ With the greatest of caution the boys crept round to where Ranty lay. It was only by the faintest flicker from the fire that they could mark the spot. Arli n had assigned to himself the task of en- tering the camp, and with directions to his two com- panions as to how they should proceed, should he chance to be discovered, he cautiously advanced. Inch by inch, sometimes so slowly that he seemed to stand almost still, till at last he reached a spot within a yard of the sleeping trio. Their lying a little apart from the rest favored him. He £ nced back where he had left his com- —— eir forms were shadowy and indistinct, hough less than a dozen yards away. He glanced around on the sleeping Indians. All were quiet, and stooping forward slightly he touched Ranty’s shoulders. Slowly and cautiously, Ranty raised his head, till his eyes rested on Albert. The latter held his hunt- ing-knife in his hand. One glance, and Ranty un- derstood, and then he commenced slowly and quiet! to remove the blanket. The next instant the cords that bound his wrists and ankles were cut, and he arose softly to his feet. Not a word had been exchanged between the two. Ranty’s rifle lay by the side of the chief, and the belt bh near. Albert had already secured the latter, but when Ranty stooped to pic up the rifle BS found the chief’s hand was resting on it, even in sleep. Slowly and cautiously, and with bated breath the boy began drawing it forth, The savage stirred un- easily; rolled over, and with a low, gut *ugh,”’ started to rise to a ie Bg Be Started, but never ed. With the quickness of light Ranty caught the rifle by the barrels, and ae the weapon as if it had been a spear, dealt the chief a blow in the temple with the sharp, iron-bound corner of the butt-end of the stock. Without a sound—without even a struggle, the chief fell back upon the sward, and lay like one dead. With bated breath, and loudly-beating hearts, the two stood motionless, their eyes fixed on the re- maining savage. He moved a little, drew his blan- ket closer about him, and then lay quite still. Their hearts revolted at the thought of killing the miserable savage. But if ba left him, he might wee before they were a dozen yards from the Spo wpe d a sty, a of the difficulty te Wy She itself to Ranty. He motioned to Albert to take the chief by the shoulders and he would by the feet, and they would carry him away. At that instant Will, who had, with Fred, witnessed the whole, glided up. It was but a moment’s work to give ther guns into his charge, and then, oe the insensible form of the chief, they bore it tow the edge of the glade. It was their only way. Should they be discovered they could drop their burden, and stand a good chance of escape then. But, fortunately, they reached the cover of the woods without mishap. Once here Fred assisted them, and in a short time they were several rods from the camp. ‘** All right, boys,’’ exclaimed Albe , in a low tone. “ This is far enough. Now to fix him.” ‘* Here’s the thong fast to his ankle yet;’’ respond- ed Ranty. ‘And it’s just the thing. I'll put a gag in his mouth, while the rest of you tie him up!”’ Albert wound the thong gan 4 about his ankles, reserving a short ag of it, with which he tied his hands behind his k. “You old heathen!’ muttered Ranty, wrathfully, as he tugged away at the knot behind the chief's head, “I'll miss my guess if you'll be in a condition to screech very loud when I get you fixed. I hope you'll cotch cold, and it wil settle in your big toe tae ou mere life!” ; aieua , ** Come ndoiph, you're getting wicked,” put in Will, soothingly, 43 You should remember to F do to others,’ and so forth. You know it’s much better to give than to receive!” “That's just exactly what I mean!” returned Ranty, giving the + ae ull. *‘I'd like to have him come to about n minutes, till I could thrash him as much as he has me. I'd enjoy ving ita deal worse than I did in taking it! I'll bet he’d re- member it as much as a week, too! There, you red budget of — and feathers. I'd give something to see you when you come to your senses!” “He'll be like the Jew in ‘Morna Mem,’ his _ ———s © eee ee — eee ee ee me eee ——— —_——. oe mm a a ee OC t—i— ee me a ee ee thoughts will be too sacred to speak aloud,’ re- sponded Will, as they fixed their charge in a portl sitting posture inst the roots of a tree. “Good- by, old fellow! a dreams!”’ ** Now then,” sai bert, “‘to get as far away be- fore daylight as we can. The wind is south-east. We will take our course by that.”’ They moved off in the darkness, Albert ahead. Ranty recounted his adventures, and asked and an- swered questions, all at the same time. He was elated, as were all the rest, at his escaping from the savages so easily, and with all his arms and equip- ments safe. “I was going to try getting away to-night,” he said, clambering over a log, that he had run ee 4 against in the darkness. ‘“ You ought to have wai and given me a chance to have covered myself with glory.’ “You have already,” said Will. ‘‘ But oh, Ranty, what if we shouldn't have succeeded in rescuing you? What would have become of us? We never could have gone home.”’ Ranty was a little sobered by this view of the case, and trudged along in silence for a few moments. But his thoughts soon took a new turn. “My! But they won't swear nor anything when they find out all about it. . “Pooh! Indians can’t “Swear!” said Fred. swear!”’ ‘“* They can’t, eh? That shows all you know about Indians, That chief would swear you all to pieces in less than two minutes,” returned ty, backing u and conclu to go around a tree instead of throug it. “* You oug t to have heard him!”’ *T thought you looked rather smaller than usual,” prqnnnnee ill, ‘* but I didn’t think before what made t ” The boys trudged on in silence after this. In the intense darkness they made but slow progress, and the wind and rain were additional discomforts. e had reached a strip of low, heavily-timbered lan and now and then little streams, swelled to twice their natural size, would bar their way, but general- ly a friendly lo furnished them the means of cros- . And so they tramped on, eager to put as much land as possible between them and the savages be- fore morning should dawn, CHAPTER VII. THE FURTHER DOINGS OF THE QUARTETTE. “THat’s just as I expected,’ said Ranty, tartly. “T might as well have staid among the Indians, for I shall smash myself all to pieces, or fas “It was me you ran against that time,” said Al- ead . Ranty stopped to adjust his .cap, and rub s shin. ‘Well, it’s all the same,” returned er * First a log, and then a tree, and then you. I’m prett _— drowned, too. There ain’t one of you wet, is there?” “Oh, no, only a little damp, is all,’’ answered Will facetiously. ‘I vote we stop somewhere, and wait till morning.” “Let me one end of that opinion,’’ returned Ranty, ‘‘and allow me to co ou on it as ’ ngra being the most sensible thing you've said to-night.”’ **] don’t know but it is the best thing we can do,”’ said Albert. ‘“‘But we want to find some place where we will be more sheltered, than here.” ** All right,’’ returned Ranty. ‘‘ Scatter out, boys, and look for a turned up root, or a hollow log.”’ They ‘scattered out’ accordingly, and each be- ana search on his own account, ty proved to e the most fortunate, for he discovered a spot where they could all be sheltered from the storm, It was nothing less than an upturned tree that had, in gro , Spread a mass of fine roots over the top of the low, soft ground, and when uprooted, had carried a portion of the ground up with it, and the edge, opping over, formed a tunnel, al- most high enough for the boys to stand upright, and giving ample room for them all to sit. **Shouldn’t wonder if there was a bear in there,”’ averred Ranty, fumbling in his et for his match og “T'll pull him right out by the ear, if there ** 'Yes,”’ returned Will. “If you should hear one * there even, you’d run like a locomotive going own e.”’ Ranty had nt on the leeward side of a tree and succeeded in striking a match and ignit a roll of birch-bark. And with this held above head, he piloted the boys “ indoors.” “This is a much better place than we expected to find, boys,”’ declared Albert. ‘“‘It’s almost as cosey in here, as Our sycamore.” ‘Which shows the geen | of having a person along who amounts to something,” put in ty ** But I don’t vee anybody ‘ll appreciate me t after I’m dead. t’s always the way with genius- es ’ The boys collected a quantity of wood, and soon had a bright fire blazing. And then they gathered around, and proceeded to wi out, an examine, their arms, and dry their clothes. ey were com- ing sheltered from the wind and , and soon he fire made bt ey. pleasant. “If we only had something to eat now, we should enjoy ourselves finely,” decided Fred. “I’m going out to kill a partridge, as soon as daylight comes.”’ ‘““Which won’t be very long. It’s four o’clock now,” returned Albert, looking at his watch. In a little while the gray dawn began to ap Macky, ti k accompanied by s : ey some called Will, out to loo te ace of sot" ieee Se their breakfast. They came upon a 4 ead ed them, before they were a dozen rods from r camp. They made a very ete breakfast for the four hungry hunters, and before the windy, cloudy morn- GCOmMIcCDOOKS 4