Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 56 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 ——— = ed his rifle more firmly, and said in a low tone oO Mackintosh: i ‘** Be ready for the varmints any minute.”’ ‘fT am ready,” replied Ned, feeling in his breast- pocket to make sure his revolver was there. “It is getting dark, and if we can keep out of their way until night, | have hopes of giving them the slip.’’ “Tf we hadn’t got hindered so in crossin’ this blamed place, there’d be a better chance for us, but it’s going to be the condemnedest diffikilty we ever was in afore.” Nick Whiffles did not forget that his companions had not slept a wink upon the preceding night, un- less they might have snatched a few minutes when in the canoe, and he had the strongest doubts of their ability to stand the strain to which they would be subjected through the coming darkness. 3ut there was a present danger which now re- vired all his thoughts, and he led his friends steal- thily and slowly through the wood, so as to escape the observation of any who were stationed on an elevated look-out. Sud ienly Calamity gave such unmistakable evi- dence of uneasiness that all paused, feeling that the danger was so close at hand that there was no need of attempting to proceed further. CHAPTER XIII. PURSUED BY SHADOWS. Nick Whiffles stood with gun grasped in both hands, ready to fire at an instant’s warning, while Ned Mackintosh held almost precisely the same po- sition directly in the rear of him, the affrighted gm pale, motionless and almost breathless at his side. A dozen feet in advance crouched Calamity, grow]- ing and bristling with anger, the only member of the par! y who was making the least sound. “Sh! pup,’”’ admonished the trapper; “‘there’s no need of making a noise, but keep your head p’inted toward the varmints.”’ The dog quieted down, but his appearance showed that he was angered at something that was rapidly approaching, and that at the same time, he was agitated by an undefined fear, such as Mackintosh had never seen him show before. This painful state of suspense was ended suddenly and unexpectedly by the appearance of an enormous izzly bear that came awkwardly shuffling through e woods directly toward them! As quick as thought Mackintosh brought his rifle to his shoulder, but ere he could sight it at the ap- proaching monster, Nick furiously gesticulated, and called out in an excited undertone: ** Don't you do it!” There was no disregarding that command, even though the king of the woods was almost upon them. Catching the arm of Miona, the two walked rapidly backward, he holding his gun so as to use it effec- tively, while he kept his eye fixed upon the brute, coming straight at them. As Calamity was mes 4 in the path of the bear, his sagacity taught him that the only thing for him to do was to get out of it without attempting to dis- pute the right of way with this king of the western wilds. So, wheeling about, he skurried behind his master, still snarling and growling and ready to min- gle in the fray, aS soon as an a we gra offered. It was a trying moment. Nothing but absolute, undeniable necessity could induce Nick to fire, for he knew that the crack of a rifle would be sure to guide the Blackfeet to the very spot where they were standing. Instead of firing, therefore, he threw up both hands and sprung di rectly toward the bear, uttering a sup- pressed exclamation as he did so. The bear uttered a snuff of terror and then shied off to the left, and at a faster fait than ever galloped away in the woods. ** Now, come,”’ called out Nick, plunging into the forest and taking a course at right angles; ‘the var- mints ain’t fur off.” With that sharpness of perception, which was al- most intuitive with the trapper, he comprehended from the action of the grizzly bear, the instant he came in sight, that he was fleeing before the Indians, who had roused or unexpectedly come across him in the woods. The brute made no attempt to disturb either Calam- ity or his friends, and his advance upon them was merely because they happened to be in his path, shying wt the moment Nick added to his terror by shooing in his face. The Blackfeet were so close that the crack of a rifle would have brought them to the spot ere they could have fled, and hence the prompt, imperative manner in which Nick Whiffles checked the shot that — almost discharged from the gun of Ned Mackin- sh. By this time the sun had set, and the gloom of twi- light was already in the wood. Every moment was wing more favorable to the whites, and with some- ig like a renewal of hope, they hurried through the shadowy forest. Calamity gave no = of appre ension, but glided deftly through the undergrowth, keeping a good lead of the others, and comprehening very well the direc- tion his master wished him to pursue. Suddenly the sharp and near crack of a rifle rung among the trees, and confident that one of their number had been struck, Mackintosh turned with a gasp of alarm toward the trapper, expecting to see m stagger to the ground; but all that he did was to change the course he had been pursuing, and com- mence reloading his rifle. At the same instant the grasp of Miona upon the arm of her lover was spasmodi tightened, and as he glanced inquiringly toward her, she pointed pa and aspirated: * OOK!”’ Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. In the deepening gloom of the wood Mackintosh saw the figure of a man with arms thrown up, fall- ing backward. He was barely able to discern that it was that of an Indian, when their hurrying steps carried them out of his sight. It was Nick Whiffles, then, who had fired the gun, and so truly was it aimed, that the unerring bullet drove the life from the body ere he could give utter- ance to the death-yell, which almost invariably dis- tinzuishes the death of the Indian of this country. “There are others near!’’ whispered Miona, as they sped away. Deeper grew the gathering gloom, and the lovers could scarcely keep pace with the hurrying Nick Whiffles, who saw that all depended upon keeping out of sight of the Blackfeet until it was impossi- ble for them to detect their trail, or to see them at any considerable distance in the wood, Aware of the value of time, the red-skins were pushing their search with the utmost vigor, avoid- ing any outcry or signaling for fear of giving them the alarm. The course of the trapper was as zigzag as the track of the lightning across the sky. He turned until the athletic Mackintosh began to feel exhaust- ed. They were barely able to see the lank form of Nick as he sped along, and he looked like some shadowy fugitive that they were vainly pursuing instead of their own leader. All at once he came to a halt, and, turning upon them, demanded: “Be you tired?” Their pariting breath answered his question with- out their saying any thing more. “By mighty! we've had a sharp run for it!” he exclaimed, breathing somewhat more rapidly him- self. * But will it do to wait here?’ asked the tremb- ling Miona. “Yes; they’re off the track now, and by goin’ ahead we'd be as likely to butt into ’em as not— while if we stay here we, kin git a rest, that I rather think you folks need.” Need it they did, and were glad enough to get it both sitting down upon the ground, while the olc trapper folded his arms over the muzzle of his upright rifle, and seemed lost in reverie, while Calamity crouched at his feet panting, but as keenly vigilant as ever. he woods were still—no sound betraying the proximity of their dreaded foes. Where they were, and what they were doing, could only be imagined, but there could be no doubt that they were on the alert somewhere, watchful for the first indication of the hiding-place of the fugitives. Ten, fifteen minutes passed, and a faint tremolo- like whistle, was heard, so soft and musical in its character, that Mackintosh could not tell whether it was in the air overhead, or beneath, or beside them. A moment after the sound was repeated, appar- ently from the same spot, but Nick Whiffles read both signals aright. The first came from a point several hundred yards to the north, and the other almost the same distance west. Had the latter been south instead of west, it would have shown that the whites were directly between the two parties giving utterance to them, and that they were closing down upon them; but, coming from the points mentioned, it proved that the Black- feet had no certain means of guidance and were ** feeling ’ for their prey. Had Nick Whiffles been alone he would have in- dulged his characteristic humor, by answering both of these signals, and equally misleading both. He had done so many a time when alone on the war- path, and he was strongly tempted to do so now, It was only his regard for the safety of the two dear friends under his charge that induced him to forego this little piece of amusement, and to give his whole energies to keeping them out of danger. The whites now made a slight change in their posi- tion, passing deeper into the wood, where the trees were more dense, but, as they immediately dis- covered, they were beside a sort of path, such as are made by animals going to and fro to water. They fell into this = without noticing it until ee gone some distance, when Nick immediate- Vv left it. 4 “ty long are we to wait here?” inquired Mack- ntosh. “Till we git some idea of where the varmints are,”’ replied the trapper. ‘“‘We must git out of this condemned valley afore morning, or we'll never git out of it.” His plan was to wait where they were until they could advance with a tolerable certainty of not run- ve into great danger. en solely wit e purpose of kee ou of immediate danger only. When the red-skins were endeavoring ‘to close about them, the utmost they could do was to keep slipping out of their grasp, un- til time could be gained for some plan of escape al- together. e report of Nick Whiffles’s rifle narrowed the st le down to an exceedingly narrow point. The Blackfeet, scattered here and there through the woods, instantly converged toward the point, F hae > in time to find their dead comrade, and to miss finding who had been the means of his taking off. For several minutes succeeding the signals men- tioned nothing was heard except the distant sound of the torrent and the rustle of the night-wind through the leaves overhead. Then, all at once, the same whistle reached their eai's, sounding so close that even Nick Whiffles him- self started. Seemingly guided by fate, the Indians, without any certain knowl themselves of the fact, were drawing nearer and nearer to the party each minute, Nick stepped softly forward, and whispered to Miona to stand behind the tree closest to her, Mack- intosh did the same, and then, as the trapper took his = he whispered: ‘* Don’t stir or speak till I give the word.” Calamity at this juncture, gave utterance to an al- most inaudible whine. ‘**Sh! pup!” said his master, and all was still again, the dog retreating to the denser cover of the wood, This had hardly taken place when a slight rustling was heard, and the outlines of a huge Indian were discerned walking stealthily along the path. He seemed really a shadow, so silently did he move, and so swift were his footsteps that he was in view only a minute, when he slid into invisibility, and a second later another form came to view. Nick Whiffles was the closest to the path, and he recognized this individual despite the darkness. The peculiar head-dress, which he sported, marked him as the prime mover in this mischief. He was the young chieftain, Red Bear, seeking so determinedly for his bride, who was seeking with equal determina- tion to get beyond his power. Miona thought the beating of her heart would be- tray her, when this second form stopped almost op- posite her. Could it be that his acute ear heard the tumultu- ous throbbing of her heart? Had some slight rustling of her dress, inaudible to herself, caught his atten- tion? Did the magnetic consciousness of her pres- ence make itself known to him, as we are warned of the proximity of another person, when our senses fail to acquaint us with the fact? She felt as if she would sink to the ground, when she made certain that the red-skin had halted so near her. It seemed to her that all was over, and despair took the place of hope that had been cheer- ing her on. Still she sustained herself from falling, and hardly allowed herself to breathe. Pressing her hand to her heart, as if to still its penn she uttered her prayer that the danger might pass by her. In this extremely delicate situation matters stood, when Red Bear, without moving a limb, gave out the same tremulous-like whistle that had already been a “ee times, repeating it twice, with a slight nterval. Alarming as was the sound, it was cheerful under the present circumstances, for it proved that Red Bear was really unaware of his neighbors, and Miona et pin it as such, scarcely able to repress a sigh of relief. The signal was answered by some one further up the path, and then Red Bear moved on, followed by another and another, until nine Indians had filed by, all moving so close that Nick Whiffles could have ate ~ any or all of them, by merely thrusting out s foot. For several minutes after the last had passed, none of the party moved. Then the trapper step- ped out in the path, as a signal that the others might do the same. His action was speedily imi- tated, and they began moving forward again, taking eer directly opposite to that pursued by the In- ians, As there was a possibility, if not a probability of encountering some more of the red-skins, Calamit took up his old position of avant courier for friends, maintaining such a relative position that he could easily give them warning in time for them to dart aside again from the path. The lovers Mond naturally had lost .their reckoning entirely, but Nick Whiffles knew that the path they were following led almost parallel to the two ridges between which they were placed, so that as long as it was followed they were really making little or no advancement toward their real destination. But his present purpose, as it had been for some hours past, was to get beyond the immediate vicinity of the Indians, so as to obtain some freedom of movement. As the path afforded them the Tr. tunity to move much more rapidly than through the broken wood, and at the same time was less liable to cause a betrayal of their presence by the noise of brushing limbs and breaking twigs, he availed him- self, so far as was ible, of these advantages, and pressed forward with something like his old haste. In the constant hurry and excitement of their sit- uation, Ned Mackintosh scarcely found time to ex- change a word with the trembling, affrighted Miona whoikept as close to him as the nature of the groun would permit; but now and then he managed to whisper a word of encouragement, and to press the little hand that rested so confidingly in his own. It was scarcely the time for sentimentality or for any expression of love; but the peril which h over all seemed to bring the two in close unison, an my hero felt that he would be glad to face any dan- ger that would attest and prove his devotion to her. The skill and sagacity of Nick Whiffles, favored by Providence, had sufficed to bring them through a labyrinth of peril, but they were yet in the gravest danger. How much longer could a collision be postponed? Was there a possibility of reaching wae ie am | over the ridge, without a deadly encounter with the Black- feet? ile they had hoped that there were no more than three or four in pursuit of them, there was now every reason to believe that there were over a dozen fully-armed and vigilant red-skins following them like bloodhounds. Where would the morrow find them? Even if on the other side of the slope, would their safety be anyways increased? Would they not be followed with the same unrelenting ferocity? — Such were the thoughts that were in the head of Ned Mackintosh, when a sudden stoppage of Nick Whiffies and his suppressed *’si/” warned them that they were in the presence of a new and startling danger! JOO ECON MINCE cS (El@)