Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 562 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

~ ~ J : : ries and in the boundless woods of the reat | West. there was a plaintive symphony as sweetly at- tuned by their commingling as the harps we hear in Dreamland, Over all—like a mystic vail softening the out- lines of the landscape—hung a blue haze—the haze of Indiansummer. But all this romantic splendor of incense, sight and sound, did not seem to stir a single emotion in the breast of the young borderman afloat on the river, He gazed down into the water with passive indifference. The twittering of bright-eyed birds that still lingered about their summer homes; the saucy barking of squirrels in the trees along the shore; the whirr and flap of water-fowls’ wings above and around him, received not a passing no- tice, Heseemed blind and deaf to all things and all sounds. When he shifted his position, as he did now and then, his movements were as sluggish as the river’s current upon which he was drifting. But, why was he so lifeless? so indifferent? He could not have been sick, for his big, round and ruddy face was the very picture of robust health; nor could he have been wounded, for there was no evidence of physical pain upon his immobile features. So, toa caiiad observer, it must have seemed that he was indifferent to all his surroundings, and drifting, he knew not where, and, perhaps, cared less; or else he was wrapt in a profound reverie from which no or- dinary noise could arouse him. And thus he floated, regardless of time or tide, until— The crash of a rifle from the shore, and a bul- let whistling over the head of the silent boat- man, changed that reverie into alertness. Quick as a flash the youth dropped on his knee, his rifle in hand, his coonskin cap pushed back from his brow, his eyes wide-open as a buck’s, sendiug searching glances along the shore, his face flushed, his broad breast heaving and every chord and muscle of his strong frame swelling with the strength of the Hercules that he was, The transformation was complete. The bey who had lain so drowsily in the boat now seem- ed the very picture of defiance. He could not have been over eighteen or nineteen years of age. He was of medium hight, but broad- shouldered, deep-chested, with arms and neck as strong and muscular as those of a Roman gladiator, And thus appeared Blundering Basil, the Her- mit Boy Trapper. The sobriquet may seem paradoxical, but by this name only was he known to the settlers of Hickory Point. Three years previous to the opening of our story he had drifted into the Point alone, half-naked and half-starved. He had been leading a vagabond life among the frontier settlements so long that he had but a vague recollection of where he first started. His parents both dying when he was young, he soon became a homeless, friendless waif. But, when - he arrived at Hickory Point, the good settlers took him in and gave him food and raiment, He proved, however, to be a very eccentric fellow. He was possessed of so many peculiar traits that no one could determine upon what course of treatment and advice was best for him. He was generally good-natured, full of boyish pranks, bright and quick-witted; but, there were times when he sulked, was cross and sullen, his wits becoming dull and torpid: and at such times he was a very disagreeable per- son. Another failing with Basil was his aversion to physical labor unless attended withsome danger or sport, e would lie down by an ax or hoe and sleep like a bear in midwinter; but, give him a pair of wild steers, or a vicious colt to break, or a rifle with which to bunt, and be was all life and animation. He would never give up until he had finished his work, and, in conquer- ing the untrained animals, he always won by dint of patience, perseverence and pluck, » And as a hunter, there was not a man in * Hickory Point who could beat Basil in killing deer. Big and clumsy as he seemed, he was phenomenally lucky as a hunter, and when asked for the secret of his success, his answer always was: ‘I blunder onto it,” In fact, everything he did was by “ blunder- ing onto it,” by bis own admission, and so in time he became known as Blundering Basil. So in.the active and passive, this eccentric boy was all life and energy in the one, and stupidity and laziness in the other. Some be- lieved him the victim of hereditary taint, and were disposed to condone bis faults, arguing that he would outgrow them. But, try as they would, it seemed a hopeless case 6f makin snything out of the overgrown lad, but a hun- Blundering Basil, ter and trapper. He could learn and did learn In the meilow, dreamy voices of nature! to read and write without any apparent effort, | but be made the rifle and trap, as well as the habits of the deer, the otter, the beaver, and in fact all game animals, his principal study. He had the patience to sit all day and watch a colony of otter at play sliding down the oank, while an hour’s labor of any kind was most painful, and generally threw him into the sulks. ; The settlers finally became tired of this and concluded to get rid of him; so they purchased the best rifle to be got hold of at that time, with a good supply of ammunition, and a lot of traps, and bid him speed in the calling he seemed to love so well. Basil was anxious to get away as he knew the settlers were to have him go, but, when the time came to depart, he found he had more friends in the settlement than he thought. In fact, none of them vere enemies; but, in the boys of about his own age, be found genuine friends who were sorely pained to see him leave them. Thirty miles northwest of Hickory Point Basil found a deserted cabin standing on the banks of a little lake whose outlet was into the Des Moines River. The building was surround- ed by a few hickory and cottonwood trees with an outskirt of plum and hazel thickets. It seemed a good location for his purpose, and so he took possession of the place and weut to work, In trapping he succeeded beyond all expectation, and a few months after his de- parture he reappeared in Hickory Point one day, with a canoe loaded with peltries, He re- paid the settlers for the outfit furnished him, purchased supplies and departed. Twice a year at least, be visited the Point to sell and buy, and the feelings of the settlers to- ward him now had become so changed that he was received and entertainsd as an honored guest. At the time we introduce him, he was on his way to Hickory Point to procure his fall and winter supplies. The bullet from the rifle whose report had aroused him from one of his old-time stupors, seemed to pass so close to his head that he be- lieved it had been fired with murderous intent, and the prospect of some excitement to break the monotony of his voyage, quickened the latent fire of energy into a blaze to which every sense and every fiber of the body quickly responded. For a moment the Boy Trapper was all alert- ness—flashing his glances along the sbore for a glimpse of bis would-be assassin. His eyes caught sight of a cloud of smoke rising above a clump of bushes, and quickly raising his rifle, he was about to send an exploring bullet into the thicket, when a peal of merry laughter greeted his ears. The young trapper lowered his rifle, and, as he did so, caught the flutter of female garments among the shrubbery, and then, into plain view on the bank, waving their hats above their heads, came two young girls, who were imme- diately followed by a youth of eighteen, carry- ing arifle. The faces of the three were aglow with merriment, and Blundering Basil at once joined in the laugbter, for he recognized the three as Tom Davton and his sister Jeunie, and Fanny Mcore—young people of Hickory Point. Taking up the paddle, Basil headed his boat for the shore, and soon he was shaking hands with his young friends. Tom Dayton was a tall, manly youth, with a clear, brown eye and a bright, open coun- tenance. His sister Jennie was a year or two his junior, possessed of a slender, sylph-like form, a deep-blue eye, a pretty face and a sweet, vivacious spirit. Fanny Moore was a young girl of sixteen, a handsome, dark-eyed little creature, upon whose sun-kissed face lurked roguish dimples, and in whose eyes shone the light of a merry-hearted irl, ‘“Well, by smokyzooper!”’ exclaimed Basil, after he had greeted the young people, ‘‘so you folks tried to assassinate me, eh?” ‘‘It was I, Basil,” confessed Jennie, her blue eyes sparkling, ‘‘that put brother Tom up to fire a shot over you, for Fanny thought it would be so funny to see you qump.. ‘Well, I jumped, didn't [?7’ the young trap- r queried; ‘‘and it’s all right, gals; but it’d oh awful if ’'a’a’ blundered a shot into that thicket and killed somebody, But, say, what are you folks doing 'way up here, anyhow?” * Nutting,” answered Tom; “ that is, Jen and Fan are, and I’m their pack-horse.” ‘** And we’ve had splendid suecess, too; doesn’t that look like it?’ and Jennie held out her hands, showing her fingers that were browa with nut- stain. A y - . to pack home, and I’ve a notion to dump them in the river,” growled Tom, ‘* Chuck ’em into my boat,” suggested Basil, ‘‘ and yerselves, too, and I'll float the whole out- fit down to the Point:”’ which proposition was no sooner made than accepted, and in a few minutes all were adrift on the river. CHAPTER II. A GRAND DEER-HUNT. BASIL was unusually lively during that river jourucy. He joked and laughed with the young people and told pleasant stories that were quite entertuining and amusing, for be was famous as a ca fe - To Jennie and Fanny he seemed to have grown into another being since he left the Point. In his pleasant, eis, voice, his flashing bright eyes, and his splendid physique, there was muck that woman admires in the opposite sex, ** Basil,” Tom Dayton said asa thought finally occurred to him, ‘I’m glad you’ve come down tothe Point. We're goin’ to have a royal old deer- hunt, and to make sure that game enough is secured to last alla I are a prize of fifteen dollars has been offered to the outsider who’ll kill the most game in a certain time,” ‘*That so? Hadn’t heard of it,” said the young trapper. é Tea afraid you hadn’t; but you're just in time to take a band if you wantto. Besides the prize, each hunter will get three shillings for every deer he kills, so that he'll be well paid if he don’t win the prize.” ‘By smokyzooper !” exclaimed Basil, ‘‘I must have that prize or bu’st a tug tryin’ for it,” **Oh, I hope you'll win it, Basil!” Jennie ex- claimed, seeming to become more and more in- terested in the young Hercules, though wholly unconscious of the fact. ‘You'll have some hard fellers to buck against, Bass,” Tom Dayton said, ‘for already Old Natty Thorndyke from over on the Big Sioux, and Jack Arp from the Wapsipinnicon are on hand, ready for business. They say Arp’s a holy screamer on the hunt. He’s got a rifle the same make as yours, and I saw him put ten bullets in succession inside of an inch circle at thirty paces. Besides, he’s a great wrestler and bas throwed eVery man in the settlement that dared try bim. Big Bill Hohn, who'd never met his match before, got his trotters flipped into the air too nice. nd then, Arp’s a sort of a dandified chap. He wears his hair long and well soaped, and his leggin’s and moc- casins are more than fancy, and with all, he’s sweeter’n wild honey on Jen, and, as Jen holds the prize, he said it’d be the *way-uppest hour of his life to receive the money from her fair (wal- nut-stained) hands, and he’ll break his neck to win that prize.” ‘*Tom, you mean thing?’ exclaimed Jennie; ‘*] hope Basil will win the prize for I don’t like Jack Arp one bit.” “Oh, bo!” exclaimed Tom, ‘‘that’s an ad- mission, Bass, that she does like you! Well, I second her motion in the wish for you to win, for me 4 thinks he’s so allfired, killin’ smart, ’cause he can shoot and wrestle that I’d just yoop to see him beat out of his beaded moc- casing.” : “Tl give him a rustle, anyhow,” Basil de- clared, ‘‘ I know these parts as well as the next hese and I might blunder onto a good run of luck, Thus the four conversed until they landed on the shore at Hickory Point. By the earnest request of both Tom and Jennie Basil became their guest at their widowed mother’s cabin. They found supper awaiting their arrival, for it was nearly dark, and after they had refreshed themselves, and Basil had conversed a few minut2s with Mrs. Dayton, the two boys went over to the Trading Post. Basi) had a small bundle of furs to sell; besides both of them were eager to learn further particulars about the coming hunt. The “Trading Post” was a general variety — store kept by Ward Brothers, who, besides: dis« pensing groceries, dry-goods, and ammunition to the settlers, drove a lively trade in furs and peltries with the hunters and Indians for miles around, It was dark when the boys reached the store which was lighted up with tallow dips, Most of the male population of Hickory Point had al- ready assembled there. Jack Arp. and Sidney, Bush—the latter Arp’s friend who bad come to the settlement with him—as well as Old Natty Thorndyke, were also there. Blundering Basil’s arrival in the village was already known, and when he entered the store he was greeted by a few voices in tones that a ‘* Yes, they’ve got two bushels of nuts for me 4 more sensitive person would not have regarded cbook