Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 59 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

10 Beadle’s ssalf-Dime Library. RI ee Old Pandy was ruefully feeling of his new buck-skins, which not being coated with grease like those of his comrades were well soaked by the rain. The fury of the storm was now about over. Pandy was delighted when the major showed him a little bundle of dry sticks, he had gather- ed before the rain came, thoughtfully reason- ing that they might be needed. In five minutes these here rocks three of us held out ag’in’ nigh on a hundred Sioux fur two days. Thar war Wild Bill, Kickapoo Dan an’ myself. Poor Dan went under, and wo buried him, Bill an’ me, un- der thet great pile o’ rocks.” ‘‘How did you get out of the scrape?” asked the major, full of interest, for they might have to use the same means. ** Didn’t git outen it. Bill and I war half e cious bodies and the long-range rifles of thom . behind the stockade. Pandy laughed quietly to himself as he noted | the effect of shot. ‘‘I knowed ole Betsy Jane w’u’d fetch ’em every time. Reckon az how she air ter be de- pended on in an emergency. ole love afore ye’re on wi ‘Be off wid ther ther new,’ az ther feller sez, but I'll never quit lovin’ Betsy Jane the faces of the little party were lighted up by | killed ourselves an’ yanked off ter the town. | even tho’ I hang on ter this new-fangled affair. the blaze of a fire, around which they gathered, | Bill, he managed ter escape, but I lay sick fur a | Now, ef lag gather ’round me, es, we'll to dry their clothes, and also their weapons. long time. Id ’a’ been all right in a day or two | see w’at kin be did in ther premises.” Here they remained during the remainder of | if it hadn’t been fur the ole medicine-man, what | Every one of them was perfectly willing to the night, thinking that all danger from the Sioux, was past, now that the head chief was gone, little suspecting what lay in store for them. When morning came a survey of the plain was taken. Here and there a silent form could be seen lying upon the ground, but not a living creature was in sight. fter a hasty breakfast, they mounted, and continued their journey over the mountains, hoping to reach the other side by dusk. stuffed all sorts o’ things down my gullet. At last they pronounced me well enough to run the gantlet, the next day, but w’en the time kim ole Ralph warn’t thar, ’cause Wild Bill hed paid him a visit in the night, an’ hel him off.’ During this conversation the others had kept a close watch upon the Indians. They came plunging madly on until within easy range of the fort, and then brought up in a confused mass. Whether it was the guns of the fugitives, plainly seen above the ramparts, or vivid recol- give the whole affair into the hands of the vet- eran, knowing full well that if there was a maz on the plains who could get them out of their — situation, that individual was Pandy is. Roaring Ralph had been cooped up in this place two days, and yet Pandy seemed to know more about it than the reckless Colorado ranger albeit he had only taken a sweepin t under circumstan the ground, and t did not allow a close scrutiny. g survey of CHAPTER XIII. lections of a former severe tussle on this very | _ It was a natural rocky fort in the great wil- Gib ters? saie’s tORG eHOT same ground, that caused this sudden halt, it | derness. On the upper side it was oie inac- would be impossible to say, but the fact was ap- | cessible, so that there was not the slightest dan- ‘WE are in a nice pickle.” It was Rocky Mountain Joe who spoke and there was none todeny his assertion. Complete silence seemed to assume full sway. Back of them the mountains arose, tier on tier, stretching away on either hand, and out- parent that they no longer advanced toward the whites. There were perhaps fifty of the red braves in the band. They were still huddled up in a con- fused mass as if engaged in earnest discussion regarding their aga when a commotion a er of the Indians getting above them and Then the back ther Pe en the consisted o uff, an ing down upon upon the edge of the steep bl dh of feet below the yellow water of the roared and speaeeres as it rushed along its ies. for it was dreds uri lined against the clear blue heaven. In front } peared among them. loud yell went pealing | rocky channe lay the valley of the great Missouri river. | over the rocks, and to the surprise of our friends | The front and lower side consisted of a pile of Human agency could not find a path up the | it was answered from the side of the mountain. | rocks higher than a tall man, and whose pon- stream on this shore, such was the labyrinth | Upon looking up, what was their astonishment | derous weight and immense size precluded all of rocks that rere Tee up mountain high. On another side, indeed directly below them, lay the yellow river, and from where they stood they could look down upon its muddy surface. Down the stream and on the same shore, not half a mile away, a large band of mounted In- dians were coming toward them. To goup the mountain again in the exhausted condition of their horses. was utterly out of the question, and no wonder there was not a contradictory voice when Rocky Joe, who was perfectly at home among the stony hights, announced that they were in a bad fix. In the far west, the sun was just sinking out of sight behind the ridges that indicated the rolling prairie. They had halted to survey the river as it boomed along hundreds of feet below, and to determine upon their future course, when the eagle eyes of old Pandy Ellis caught sight of the large band of Sioux who had just made their appearance around a sort of bend some distance away. The last rays of the sun shone for an instant upon their paces forms and gaudy trappings, and even at this distance Pandy was meaty to declare that they belonged to the village of the head chief, Buffalo Horn. He wasted no time in idle scrutiny, but while the others were watching, his keen gray orbs to see a second band of Indians descending the very canyon they had so lately used. ey were not far from being equal in num- ber to those who already blocked the path which the whites would have taken had they been al- lowed to depart from the place. At the head of this second d rode a chief whom they recog- nized even in the gathering twilight as their deadly foe, the head chief. *‘ Dust my Sunday breeches if it ain’t Buffalo Horn!” exclaimed paring sole. ‘‘It was evident, then, that the chief had es- caped the dreadful fate that had overtaken his braves, when the avalanche rushed down upon them. How this had been done there was no time to ens nor was there the remotest pos- sibility of finding out, even had they decided to pry into the matter. It was quite enough for hem that the great warrior and leader had es- caped, and that he was leading his braves for- ward again, more determined than ever to crush his mortal foes. Pandy Ellis looked ve. He was in truth troubled, although he tried his best not to show it. His many glances toward May Hasly showed the tenor of his thoughts. For himself the old trapper chief cared little. He had roamed the broad prairies too long to think aught of dan- ger, save that it must be continually incurred in a trapper’s life. ibility of their having beem moved into heir present position by human agency. It would have poaaired great machines 7 ele by the deft Behind these natural breastworks the fagi- tives gathered around Pandy Ellis to hear h directions, while the Sioux seemed to be settling nes to have budged one of these h at had been piled up so nea hand of nature down for a regular siege, and, with matters this shape, darkness arrived upon the scene, CHAPTER XIV. THE CAMP ON THE BLUFF. Upon the very ascent where we first saw the young fugitives of the North-west, a band of soldiers had encamped. cag dg twen in number, and the horses t -five t were picketed close by proclaimed them to be United States cavalry. The officer with the iron-gray hair and fierce military sionally changed into one of care Hasly, sometimes called ‘‘ the general. Beside him stood a frontiersman, dressed in buck-skin garments and carryin mustache, whose stern look was occa- , was Colonel ble weapons of his craft. This individual was a scout o as Fire-Flash Frank. His some renown, known upon the border greatest deeds were accomplished with the long rifle he carried, and were roving in another direction. , A loud, clear yell, followed by a chorus of “Poor leetle gal, I’m sorry fur her. I didn’t | such was his skill at marksmanship, that there short, yelps such as a pack of hounds | think ther major war so foolish, but then w’en | were people who believed he could do anything s might give utterance to upon striking a trail, roclaimed the fact of their being seen, and the Indians started their horses on faster. a feller’s in love he don’t do anything likea reasonable critter. this fur on’y ther He had no ijee 0’ comin’ ineral chased ’em, an’ they under the sun with his firearms. A serious e that tallied with the troubled look worn ression rested on the scout’s face by the @ 4 Pandy smiled grimly. At the same time a| w’u’dn’t guv in. al, wal, this air no time | post commander, and it was evident that th look full of satisfaction came into his eyes, as if | fur reflectshuns. We must git ter work an’ | conversation, just dropped for a brief period settle up ther place, fur I’m mighty afraid we'll | while each communed with his thoughts, had he had caught sight of that for which he looked. “‘Ef we stay hyar, we’re fone up. I think thar’s a spot up hyar w’at ’ll suit us fur a fort. Foller me, right lively,” he ordered. Helter-skelter came the Indians, rushing on, but the retreat of the little band although rapid, was not disorderly. The ree chief led the way in among the rocks, and old Roaring Ralph burst out into an exclamation of satisfaction, that terminated in a wild shout when he dis- covered what manner of place they had stum- bled upon. : ‘Rub me ag’in’ a hay-cutter! Didn’t I think this hyar place looked familiar like? Hist me inter a’Pache’s grave! I’ve been hyar, an’ fought hyar, an’ kim near leavin’ my ole bones hyar for good. Will lever forget them times?’ and as if there was not an enemy within miles, the Colorado ranger sprung to a certain place where the rocks rose in a pyramid-like form. He was curiously watched by Pandy and the major, while the others kept watch on the reds. ‘‘Then this place has seen a fight before?” said the ranger inne, ore “Seen a scrimmage! My dear major, you’ve heard o’ this ; an’ you too, Pandy Ellis. This air Dead Man’s Hole.” “ Air it ible!” ejaculated the old ranger, surveyi e place with a new interest. “ W’ale-bones an’ w’ite-wash! itair! Behind stay hyar longer’n we wanter. t o’ all, Pil try ole long-range, Betsy Jane. Ther major hez her, but I reckon I kin borry ther ole ,pet fur ther occashun. Them reds air too close; I'll teach ’em a lesson.” Pandy had handed over his old Western rifle to the soldier, but he soon had it in his hands again. He had no faith in the far-shootin qualities of the new-fangled weapon, although he had pronounced it a ‘*‘ powerful handy affair in close quarters.” Old Betsy Jane was swung to his shoulder and held station for a few seconds until he had sighted one of the red horsemen in the first band. Then a sharp crack reverberated amon the mountain gorges, sounding with un distinctness in the clear air of the evening. Before it had quite died away, one of the mounted Indians was seen to throw his hands above his head, and the wild cry that went g over the distance, and reverberatin rom hundreds of rocky cliffs, proclaimed tha there was one more Sioux brave on the lon trail leading to the happy hunting-grounds o the red-men. The warrior fell to the ground, and, warned of their coher ous ig tres the rest of the party turned their horses’ heads and made to place more ground between their pre- — been of a very pleasant nature to either of em. At hengeh the prairie scout turned to his old and well-loved commander. ‘‘ Well, general, thar’s no use in our crying over that I ilt milk. The young ones were here, swear to, but we’ve come toolate. Why they ain’t been | ee up by the reds afore now I can’t see, of the hostiles for days past.” or they’ve been in the hot-bed ‘‘There can be no chance that you are ng yee Toho. in your surmises?” questioned the faint glimmer of hope. cer ‘‘Not the least, general. The trail is as plain as daylight. ve been captured by a e ? mighty can squad of the reds. Thar can be no doubt bu village, so you see the case ain’t as ht be. “From the way they k beginning to believe we never wo might be. with ’em, and that we’d fetch u or the Polar sea yet, but now have ’em safe. e reds won't any indignity—at least the * critter ye don’t car’ much that thev’re from Buffler Horn’s 4 bad. as it aps on I wag d come u at the P on’t ye see, we dar’ to offer ’em ; as for the they do run ific qos the fire a leetle; he desarves something like that for ing off your daughter.” << or have a hair of eavens sake, say not so. I would his head harmed for the Comic 6)(0)(6) not world, ‘Ss