Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 56 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 “Wal, I don’t s’pose she can help that, and so ou shouldn’t blame her fur that; but you don’t ove her half as much as that young ehap that’s walked off wth her.” This, of course, was uttered in the Blackfoot tongue, and the Indian comprehended it. It was touching him in his tenderest spot, and his black eyes gleamed wiith an evil light as he turned upon the trapper. be fire of jealousy was burning in his dark nature, and some threat was struggling to his tongue; but he repressed it, and the words he would have spoken were not uttered, and he looked down in the fire be- fore hiin. “Sneak, Red Bear, if you have anything to say,” said Nick, who understood the movement, and wish- ed to encourage him. But the Indian maintained silence. ‘“You needn’t get ready to sing your death-song, ‘eause I ain’t going to hurt you, that is as long as you behave yourself—mighty! no—what would I want to hurt a poor red scamp like you for?” “The words of my brother are the words of a coward,” replied Re Bear, turning defiantly upon him. “Let him lay down his gun and meet me with his knife.” ‘Nobody is afeard of ye, Red Bear,’’ replied Nick, not disconcerted in the least. “ I've raised the ha’r of bigger Injuns than you, but what’s the use? I won't feel any better for wipin’ you out, and you hain’t got any chance to wipe me out.” At this juncture mity bounded into view, and his appearance meant that danger threatened, that it was time for him to be on the move. Stooping down, Nick caught up the rifle of the Indian, and said: r “Tl leave it out here, where you can find it at daylight ag’in; but you see I don’t care "bout gettin’ hit inthe back. Good-by, Red Bear.” As he was passing out of the circle of light on the other side of the clearing, the trapper looked back, and saw the infuriated Blackfoot with his tomahawk raised over his head. The next instant it had left his hand. As Nick sprung to one side it whizzed past him, almost grazing his shoulder. At the same moment Red Bear gave utterance to a whoop, intended to draw his warriors about him, and Nick concluded it was time for him to make tracks; and so he did, plunging into the woods and running with the speed of a deer. Ned Mackintosh was prudent enough, when he left the camp with Miona, to take a very different direc- tion from that which led toward his destination. When assured that he was beyond sight he turned off sharply to the right and made all haste toward the So a which for so long a time seemed to have shut em in. Whiffles was confident that they had traveled a goodly distance by this time, for both of them were too wise to permit any thing—not absolutely beyond their control—to prevent their making all haste out of what they might properly view as a literal Valley of Death. So the trapper did not bother to look to the right or left, but kept straight on toward the mountain intent only upon reaching it as close in the rear of his friends as possible. He knew the Blackfeet were swarming through the valley, searching up and down in every direction for their prey, and, as he had remarked to his friends, this persistent pursuit would be kept up so long as there was the least prospect of success. The ground was very rough and uneven, and the wood became more open as he advanced; but he and his dog bounded forward like a couple of cham- oises, scarcely heeding the obstructions any more than those animals. Once over the ridge and into the stream that flowed northward, with his faithful paddle in hand, he would fear no pursuit from his foes. A day or two would carry him beyond the Blackfoot country, into a territory where they would be sure of meet- ing friends and where all danger of Miona’s recap- ture would be ended, Filled with these cheering thoughts, Nick pressed forward and soon found himself ascending the slo toward which his eyes had been turned so longingly for a day or two a ; ** On, up he climbed, until at last he reached the culminating point. Here in the pale moonlight he east his eyes anxiously down the other slope. He could just discern the course of the stream, along whose banks, somewhere near at hand, lay the canoe, which he had used several months before in making the same journey. The descent upon the other side was much more abrupt, and in a short time Nick Whiffles was at the bottom. Then a few hundred yards further he stood upon the bank of the stream. Just then a footstep struck his ear, and turning his head, Ned Mackintosh stood before him. Nick im- pulsively caught his hand. ** Where's the i “She's all right,” laughed Ned, at his pagecnass and while he spoke Miona came smilingly orward and joined them. ‘* Didn’t you have any trouble?” ‘‘None at all,” replied Ned. ‘‘ As soon as we got fairly away from the camp-fire, we struck a bee-line for the ridge, and never stopped till we reached this point, where we wai your coming. We haven’t seen an Indian on the way, and count our- selves very fortunate.”’ ‘““ You are indeed, by ex ig: A if you ain’t.”’ “Are we not out of anger?” asked Miona, with a glowing face. “We ain't yet, but soon will be, if good luck follers us. These varmints ain’t goin’ to let us alone. That canoe of mine ain't fur off.” The search was begun, and in a few minutes ended in discovering the little boat stowed away under a | clump of heavy bushes. It was placed in the water and the three took their seats just as the ears of all heard the same ominous, dreaded tremolo whistle of the Blackfeet startlingly near them, Nick muttered an expression of impatience, * There the varmints are ag’in, by mighty!”’ CHAPTER XVII JOURNEYING TO THE HAPPY LAND. Tue fugitives, including Calamity, were seated in the canoe, and Nick iffles was holding the paddie in his hand, when the well-known whistle of the Blackfeet was heard. The worst of it was that it sounded down-stream, so that it looked as if they would be compelled to run a gantlet. Dipping the dle softly into the stream, he began cautiously moving with the current, listen- ing and watching, while Calamity, in the prow of the canoe, with his paws resting upon the gunwale iu his a de ai manner, was vigilance and watch- ulness. All the wonderful skill of Whiffles and his dog was now called into exercise and he warned the lovers not to attempt to move or speak even in a or al The moon, faint though it was, was against them, for the owl-eyes of the red-skins would be on the alert, and a little inadvertency at such a time would prove fatal. Nick kept as close under shore as pos- sible, and moving with a tardiness that at times mee his progress less than that of the current it- sell, Something less than a quarter of a mile was pass- ed in this manner, when the same whistle reached their ears again, This time it came from a point di- rectly below them, and was instantly answered from a point above. At the same moment, Calamity gave utterance to his warning whine. At that time they were in the shadow of the shore, and close to a sort of tiny bay about a rod indepth. Into this Nick instantly sent the canoe, for the time had come when a t was necessary. Nick was — confident that the canoe was not seen by the Blackfeet as yet. Bear had been wise enough to know the point aimed at by the fugi- tives, and upon being freed from his durance at the camp-fire, had summoned his warriors and started upon a fierce and immediate pursuit. n the deep shadows of the cove, overhung by dense shrubbery, the darkness was impenetrable, The occupants of the canoe could look out omthe creek and see the surface of the water reflecting the pale moonlight, but when they withdrew their gaze they could not see each other's faces, Searcely five minutes had passed when the soft rustling of a stealthily-moving Indian was heard, It was a familiar sound to Ni:k; he had heard it man a time in years past, and |.» could not be deceived. The pad oe knew, from the peculiar sound, that the red-skin had parted the bushes within six feet of the eons, and was peering into the gloom in search of them. It was a trying ordeal, where men, woman and dog knew that their lives depended on absolute, ut- ter silence, but all stood it well. Like so many stat- ues, carved in stone, they sat, motionless, speechless, and almost breathless, For two minutes the Blackfoot waited and listened, and then withdrew, and in the same stealthy, cat- like manner continued his search along the banks above them. The Indian had not been gone long enough for the whites to attempt to breathe freely, when a second omay ry in an appearance, A slight rippling of the water, caused all to turn their gaze toward the creek; they saw a dark, round body floating upon the surface, which they instantly recognized as the head of an Indian, who was swim- ming in the deep water. Nick Whiffles, with the instinctive sagacity that distinguished him, made up his mind that discovery was inevitable, and he grasped the buck-horn handle of his knife to make sure it was ready. Swimming against the current, the savage moved very slowly, so as to make his search as thorough as possible, and doubtless his black eyes were scruti- nizing the dark shore, on the alert for the first indi- cation of the hiding-place of his victims. Curiously enough, the Indian swam on by the cove, and bad nearly passed out of the range of vision, when he seemed ay to discover his oversight, and turning back, swam directly into the opening. e water was so deep that he continued swim- ming even when abreast of the canoe, and within an arm's length of the shore. He was groping about with his hand, to make certain of not missing any- thing within, and began at the upper side of the half-cirele, made by the indentations, and proceeded to make the circuit of the cove. Such a search could not fail to be effectual, and as he came around where the boat lay, his hand touched the gunwale, and he slid it oy ge nd along, with the instant conviction that he dis- covered his prey. ‘‘Hooh!” he exclaimed, as he reached his arm further over. But, just then, something was placed upon his shoulder which quietly but powerfully forced him ance the surface of the water and held him ere. It was the iron gripe of Nick Whiffics that forced him —— and against which he .s powerless to resist. The Indian struggled flereely, and in doing so, Nick felt an ornament around his neck, Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. It was an ornament so peculiar in its construction, that he recognized the wearer at once as Red Bear. A thrill of amazement ran through the hunter at the discovery, for it seemed as if the young chicf was doomed to haunt them. ‘Lean t’other way, quick, or the boat will upset,” said Nick, as he braced himself in the canoe. His command was obeyed, and calling into play his immense strength, he drew the limp, almost lifc- less Lody into the boat, depos:iling it ct his own feet. There was @ gasp, anda strugele, an , as Red Bear gained command of himself, Nick spoke hurriedly in the Blackfoot tongue: ‘* Don't stir or speak, or I'll drive my knife through you.’ The Indian did not move, and but for his hurried breathing the lovers would have believed he was dead. Ned Mackintosh felt that it was misplaced mercy to spare this treacherous red-skin, and he was impa- tient that Nick should have drawn him into the boat _ out of danger; but there was no gainsaying the trap- ee = a ee eee ee { Ree ———————————— —— UEEEEEEEIEEEEEEEEEEEee per, who certainly was entitled to have his way. kor half an hour they remained in this cove, at the end of which time Nick felt satisfied that the Blackfeet were all up the stream out of their way, and consequently the coast was clear. Once more he dipped his paddle beneath the sur- © face, and began cautiously floating down the current, still keeping close to the bank, end moving with the arene sare that had distinguished his actions from e first. Red Bear lay motionless in the bottom of the ca- noe. Faster and faster rowed the boat, until gradu- ally it neared the center of the stream, where ad- vantage could be taken of the current. The hours of darkness were improved, and the toughened old trapper plied his oar with ceaseless en- ergy. “the ys oa wore on, and mile after mile was placed behind them. When the gray light of morning broke over wood and stream, were asleep excepting Nick Whiffles. When the forenoon was well advanced the creek was found to open into the south branch of the Sas- katchewan. Here, for the first time, Nick turned the boat ashore, touching the beach very lightly, but with sufficient force to awaken Red Bear, who came to - upright position and looked wonderingly about im. ‘*Red Bear,” said Nick, ‘“‘this is the second time you've been in my power since yesterday’s sun went down. Just as you was drownin’ I found it was you; I hauled you out, and saved you. You are in my power now, and, though I say it myself, there ain’t many that would be as merciful to you as lam, But, you're an Injin and I’m a white man, and your ways and mine ain’t thesame. I've took your weap- ons away from you, ‘cause I can’t trust you; and I’ve carried you so far away from your warriors that there ain't any more reason to fear’em. You can now step ashore and go back to your village, with me good-by of Miona, Mackintosh, and Nick Whif- es,” The Indian stepped sullenly out, and as_ his feet touched the ground again, he looked back for a mo- ment, and then turning about, vanished in the wood. The next instant the canoe was under way down the South Branch. When the lovers opened their eyes and saw him gone, the trapper told them that he had left, and there was no more need of thinking further of him. Near noon the entire party landed, and a fire was kindled, while Nick and Calamity went in search of game. It was easily procured, and he prepared one of the best meals that they had ever eaten. Then they had a long rest, after which they re-entered their canoe and continued their leisurely way down the South Branch until night closed about them. A camp was made, and with Calamity as their sentinel, the entire party secured a long night of slumber and freedom from fear. The river was followed until its most northern int was reached, when the canoe was left on the h, and they made the journey on foot across the country to the Churchill river, where they procured a canoe from the Indians, and when they disem- barked again, it was at their destination, Forr CHURCHILL. Here Miona joined her mother and father, whose joy at the restoration of their long-lost daughter I eave to the imagination of my readers, Nick Whiffles was looked upon as the hero he re- ally was. He at first refused the rewards that were prema’ upon him, but, more to gratify the donors han himself, he accepted a couple of splendid rifles, two magnificent silver-mounted reyolvers, and a number of knives. Besides this, Ned succeeded in inducing him to take a package, with the promise not to open it until after their departure. In this parcel was a photograph of the giver, and under- none aroll of bills amounting to two hundred pounds. Nick remained at the fort several days, but finally bade all farewell and started_southward on his re- turn with Calamity, to join Shagbark, and to re- sume his wild, lonely life in the solitudes of North erica. A week later, the homeward-bound vessel * Vic- toria”’ sailed up through Hudson’s Bay, and through the straits, into the stormy Atlantic, and on across the ocean toward London, Among her passengers were Bandman and his wife and daughter—the child of the woods—the betrothed of Ned Mackintosh, who, the happiest of the happy, was one of that ves- rag precious company in its homeward flight over e sea, GomiGbdooks-co