Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 58 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

“Oh, not at all, Mr. De Ramee,” replied Pau- line, in a matter of fact tone, intended to set the subject at rest. And so it did, and another matter at once sprung up for discussion, and lasted until De mee finally drew rein and halted the party. He then informed them that they were in the immediate vicinity of the Two Buttes, near which the buffalo usually fed: and that the greatest precaution would have to be observed as they were to the windward of the buttes. ‘‘T will go now, myself, and reconnoiter the lain, and see whether or not there are any uffalo about in the valley, and, if so, their position.” As he concluded, he turned and rode to the summit of a hill about half a mile away, from which he could command a long view of plain. When he returned, he bore the exciting news that a mighty herd of buffalo were feeding on the plain about two miles to the northward. But won’t they take the alarm before we can get within a mile of them, De Ramee?” asked one of the party. ‘‘ Certainly, if we attempt to ride down the wind upon them. If we get any game, the main force has got to strike to the right, gallop around to the leeward of the herd and conceal themselves in the hollows and behind the hills; then, one or two can remain here and drive the herd down toward the party as soon as it has gained a position. I would suggest that the ladies remain here with whoever stays back, and ride down upon the buffalo with him. By so doing, they be e to no danger, and, in the meantime, have a better view of the grand spectacle of the chase.” As the party were eager for the sport to be- gin, and as none were willing to be debarred rom the chance of killing a buffalo by remain. ing behind to drive the ts, De Ramee, out of courtesy to their desires, consented to remain behind with the maidens, and with them ride down upon the herd, This point settled, the party took its departure, De Ramee and the irls remaining upon the plain until it could ve time to take up a position to the leeward. An hour was the specified time given the party to take their on. De Ramee spent the e in pleasant conversation with the maidens and when the hour was up, the three gallo forward toward the herd of buffalo. ey suc- ceeded in poten within half a mile of it before the animals took the alarm. But when the sen- tinels gave the Mee! there was a sudden closing up of that sea o forms; then a sound like the dull rumble of thunder rolled along the earth, and the buffalo were gone, pell- mell, in wild confusion over the great plain, a pe continent of dust rising from their trail. n and on rushed the frightened mass, rising and falling with the undulations of the plain like the waves of the sea. “Now,” said De Ramee, when the buffalo were fully under way,” “ let us not follow them through that cloud of suffocating dust, but keep to the left and pass west around the Two But- tes; and then we will be enabled to see the closing scene, for the men will head them off, and turn them in toward the west; and by gain- ing a spur of yonder hills we can command a view of the plain.” With flushed cheeks and eyes sparkling with excitement, the maidens g ford on with the phi n Goat one on each side of him. It was over half a mile to the hills, and all this dis- tance was made in comparative silence. De Ramee kept his eyes fixed ahead of him as though his thoughts were far away. At times, however, a strange light would flash in his fine, dark eyes, then he would glance quickly around him as though he were speeehenaive of danger. All this did not escape the notice of the maidens, yet they were at a loss to know the cause of his apparent nervousness, Pauline believed there was some danger about, of which he was cog- nizant. and was trying to keep the fact con- cealed fromthem. | The spur of the hill referred to was finally - reached, but to the rope of the maidens, De ee spurred on, an when questioned as to where they would draw rein, replied: “Wherever we can command a fair view of the hunting-party, Miss Afton. I think now, that from the edge of yon strip of woods we can have the desired view.” He pointed on ahead to where a wooded ridge rose clear against the sky, about a mile distant. Pauline and Josephine exchanged glances in which a shadow of disappointment was visible, but they rode on in comparative silence, They had nearly reached the wood in question, when a large a a of quails started up with a fright- ened whir di tly under their animals’ feet. The Border King. ! Yi ee a —————eET_——eEeEEE————e————_————— CO —_—- I The beasts became frightened by the noise, and | the outwitted villain who, by this time, had began to rear and plunge in a manner that en- | scrambled to his feet, cursing and fuming with dangered the lives of the maidens. But with | impotent sage. great presence of mind, De Ramee reached over | Oh, Paulie!” cried Josephine in terror, ‘‘ the and caught Pauline’s horse by the reins and Indians are coming in pursuit of us! We will checked its flight; then spurring alongside of | be killed before we can reach our friends!” Josie’s animal, he stayed its flight in a similar ‘* Cheer up, dear Josie, and ride, ride for your manner. | life,” replied the brave and peerless Pauline, as ‘Well done, Mr, De Ramee,” cried Pauline, | ner dashed away over the plain, closely pursu- in a tone of no little excitement. _ed by that screaming, yelling horde of savage “Thanks for the compliment, Miss Afton,” | barbarians. replied De Ramee. “We could ill afford to| It was a wild and fearful race—a race for have a runaway now.” | life! ‘It was quite a scare, I assure you,” said Josie, with an air of relief; ‘‘and to Mr. De Ramee we are indebted for his prompt action.” ** Not at all, Miss Markham; your brother in- trusted you both to my care, and I assure you, it affords me great pleasure to be enabled to serve you,” replied the young gallant. ‘We were fortunate in having been intrusted to your companionship, Mr. De Ramee,” re- plied Pauline, her dark eyes sparkling with joy. At this juncture the trio reached the edge of the timber, and, as a matter of course, the maidens e ted to stop, but De Ramee, who still held the reins of both animals, said: ‘““We had better not stop here, ladies,’ and with a word or two sharply spoken to the three CHAPTER VII. THOSE ORBS OF FIRE. On over the plain went the two fair girls, while on, in swift pursuit, went that band of in- furiated savages. Ever and anon the fugitives glanced back over their shoulders to see how close the foe were u on them, then urged on their beasts with wor of encouragement. Their course lay toward the south-west, and in a direction that took them further and further from their friends at each step. But there was no alternative. To bear off toward the Two Buttes would be to give the foe an advantage that might prove atal. Their only hopes lay in the speed of their | horses, they dashed into the timber. | animals; but in this, even, the enemy had the ~ | ‘*] thought we were to stop here, Mr. De Ramee,” said Pauline, a tinge of disappointment in her voice. De Ramee made no reply, but a faint smile, that sent a chill to the hearts of the girls, swept over his face. His whole aspect seemed sudden- | hope for us; the enemy are gaining upon us!” ly transformed; his features assumed a hard ‘*'We can but do our best, Josie, trusting to cruel expression, while his eyes grew dull and | Heaven for aid. If we could only bear to the furtive, as if from the consciousness of guilt. left, we might join our friends, from whom the A sudden thought flashed into Pauline’s quick, | shrewd and deceitful wretch De Ramee had perceptive mind, the instant she saw this change | us separated. Oh, that we had seen through his in the man’s features. No words could have | devilish designs sooner! He has been working ong her deeper to the heart than those looks. | up this snare for us all summer, and so well has All the indignities of her woman nature were | he played his cards that not one has suspected aroused, and as her face grew a shade paler, and | him of wrong; and I now almost wish I had put her dark eyes flashed with a wild fire, she said: | a bullet through his heart, instead of the heart ‘*Mr. De Ramee, I protest against you taking | of his poor beast.” . us further, and I beg you will release my horse’s ‘* Oh, Paulie, you are a perfect heroine,” re- reins!” , plied Josephine; ‘‘ your presence of mind, and ‘*In a minute, Pauline,” he replied, in a tone | the manner in which you defeated that villain, indifferent to her demand, yet freighted with a | deserves great credit. I did not think of you volume of secret meaning. tte: your revolver until you drew— Oh! “Alfonso De Ramee!” cried Pauline, throw- | those horrible screams!” ' ing all the scorn of her nature into the words, “If I mistake not, Josie, De Ramee is mounted ‘** you are deceiving us. You are not what you | upon ove of the Indians’ horses, and is at the have pretended to be—a gentleman—else you | head of the pursuers. If we are ever taken pri- would explain your present course! You area | soners by him, our fate will be worse than base villain and hypocrite, and I demand that | death; and so we must not think otherwise, than you release my horse, sir,” and all the fire of | that we will escape—oh, my God, Josie, we must er imperious nature blazed in her dark eyes, KO . while her right hand dropped, as if helplessly, ith blanched cheeks, compressed lips and wild, starting eyes, the fugitives ur their at her side. The next instant they debouched from the | animals on. Josie’s hat had blown from her narrow wa timber into the open plain, and | head, and her long golden hair was streaming in i down in a little valley not over two hundred | disheveled tresses at her back. Pauline, firm advantage, for while their ponies were fresh, the maidens’ horses were somewhat jaded with their day’s ride. ‘*Oh, Paulie!” cried Josephine when they had ridden some distance, ‘‘I am afraid there is no yards away, a sight met the eyes of the maidens | and undaunted, sat on her horse like a perfect that sent a chill of horror to their young hearts. | queen, ever and anon glancing back at the pur- It was a band of Sioux warriors, in war-paint, | suing foe, a faint smile of derision passing over mounted and drawn up in line, facing up the | her face. valley, asif awaiting the approach of the three The beautiful fugitives gained but little if any —De Ramee and the maidens! upon their fierce, savage pursuers, and for two “Oh, Mr. De Ramee!” cried Josie Markham, | long, weary hours the race continued on over ‘“‘seel—we are riding toward a band of In-| the plain, beneath the hot, sultry sun. . The dians!” maidens were well enough acquainted with the ‘“‘T know it, my dear, and have for the last | topograpliy of the country to know that if they hour,” replied De Ramee, the demoniac triumph | kept on in their present course, they would of a glozing fiend transforming his hitherto | strike the Milk river, not far from its confluence handsome face. ‘‘Ha! ha! ha!” the demon | with the Missouri. They also knew that unless laughed, ‘‘this is a pretty surprise, my girls! | they eluded the foe before the stream was and you, Miss Pauline, will be mine to love and | reached, all chances of escape would be cut off. wed, and you, Miss Josie—” At length the sun went down behind the dis He did not finish the sentence, for quick as a | tant a ere aks of the great Rocky flash, Pauline thrust her hand forward toward | Mountains, and a gloomy twilight settled over the plain. Still the race continued, but for the last hour the pursuers had been ground ; but the timber bordering the Salk river chad long been in view, and upon this the fugitives the head of De Ramee’s horse with a tiny silver- mounted revolver clasped in her fingers. Then followed the sharp crack of a pistol, a wild neigh, and the traitorous villain’s horse poyages forward and fell dead, shot through | fixed their sole hopes of escape. | he head! ‘T believe we will reach the timber yet, Josie, De Ramee’s p was broken upon the reins | before we are overtaken,” said Pauline, her of the maiden’s horse, and he thrown violentl forward upon the earth a rod in advance of his fallen horse. A yell burst from the lips of the savages who had witnessed this scene, and then with the UW speed of the wind, they came charging up the strength was fast failing. Her trembling voice, vere. a face, languid eyes and white, quivering ‘Now, dear Josie,” said Pauline, hastily re- | lips told this. But Pauline herself still main- turning her revolver te the receptacle where she tained her unflinching courage and hopeful had the time kept it concealed, at the same | spirit, and was arret 6, ready with words of cheer time turning her animal’s head southward; | for her young frien ‘let us flee, for the Indians are coming! And | With a murmured prayer of thanks, the fugi- now good-by, my gallant De Ramee,” and she | tives at length reached the edge of the timber. waved her little hand back in bold defiance at | Without a moments hesitation they plunge inte / voice growing stronger with hope. ‘‘But when there, what can we do among the doomed to a night of agony, if not death!” It was plain to Pauline that her companion’s EOmicbooks shadows of night? Oh, Paulie! we are certainly. ral (E()