Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 6 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

‘ ~ Don’t you remember that fur 2 —_-—- ——_- —-- ee —— ing.”’ A That’s my opinion, exactly, That camp, I opine, is a good dozen miles off yet.” “Then we may have a chance of reaching it still | what direction to take to reach her.” before morning, as this bright moon favors us.”’ The moon, full and clear, had arisen an bour be- fore, and its light illuminated the prairie for a great distance. Far away, on every hand, we could dis- cern the blue outline of the horizon, while the prairie seemed to roll up against it like the dark boundaries of a mighty ocean. ‘*T wonder whether those fellows will go a foot out of the way to pick us up?”’ muttered Nat, half to himself. “JT don’t believe they will, They told us they wouldn’t, and they value their time too highly to waste it for a couple who are of no account to them, »especially since we can fall in with other trains.” ‘I reckon they're of some account to us, being aoe have got our horses and our traveling appara- us.”’ “That is true, Nat. In fact, since we have been walking here, I have persuaded myself that those fellows would, just as likely as not, turn out of the way to get rid of us."’ ‘“Somehow or other, I’ve thought just the same for a week.” “Then, if we value our property, we mustn’t let them slip.” *““No; [ll be shot, if we must!’’ exclaimed Nat, half angrily, striking at once into a more rapid walk. “Tf they run off with my mare, [’Il—I’ll—”’ and again he strode faster over the prairie. Long—long, we journeyed in silence. Nat’s appre- hension had been aroused, and he was willing to walk the whole night to come up with those in whose honesty he had so little faith, Now and then he would mutter incoherently to himself and shoot ahead, keeping me almost on a run to maintain my place beside him. Suddenly he halted, and turned upon me with an expression I shall never forget. I could see his eyes expanded to twice the usual size, and his whole face aglow beneath his monstrous hat, as he asked, in a cold whisper: ‘*Do you spose there are any Injins roving round | the country to-night?” “‘T am sure I cannot tell probable. Are you fearful our trail?” “There might be! Iwas thinking if we should come across any of them, they might be able to tell us whether any of them chaps think we're lost, and have run off with my mare.” “Should we meet a lot of those savages, no doubt they would tell us something else besides that.” ‘**T expect so,”’ and he wheeled around and strode ahead again. It was now getting near midnight, and I was completely worn out. It was out of the ques- tion to reach the camp that night, and we might as well submit to our fate at once, so I spoke rather decidedly. “*T’m tired of this.” Nat turned and looked at me a second, and then answered: | “SoamlI. We've to camp out, and there’s no use in waiting till morning. Ain't it lucky you brought your blanket with you? It would go hard to do with- out that to-night.” “T brought it with me by the merest chance, not thinking I should needit. It was indeed fortunate; and now let us prepare to use it.” There was not much choice on the hard but warm earth, My blanket was‘ample and sufficient for both. After some search, a small depression was se- lected, and in this I spread my heavy blanket. We then stretched ourselves upon it, pulled the ends over us, being sure to inclose our rifles in its folds, and resigned ourselves to sleep. Ere the sun was fairly above the horizon, we were up and upon our way. Knowing the company would not be in motion for several ane hoped to reach them before they breakfasted, and have a laugh over our adventure. Nat led the way, and took long, rapid strides over the ground, seemingly oblivious of my existence. I kept beside him, now and then venturing a remark, but receiving no intimation that I was heard. Suddenly, my friend came to a dead halt, dropping the butt of his rifle to the earth with a ringing clamp, and wheeled upon me with one of those inde- scribable looks. I knew something unusual was agi- tating him. “What's the trouble now?” ‘It’s no use; we'll never see that company ag’in.”’ ‘What makes you speak thus?”’ “IT know so. I had a dream last ~~ that my mare was gone forever and ever, and I know she is, ent told us they’d c e the direction they’s trave some time yes- ie They hadn't done it when we left them, and y a but I think it extremely that there are some upon ne it as soon as we got out of sight, I warrant.” nembered our ide remark, as fur agent with us, that the trail made an nd several miles ahead. We were traveling I now r also did north-east at that time, and the contemplated change ‘was nearly due south-west. This fact had entirely es- caped our minds, until it now occurred to Nat, and we had consequently been proceeding in a en direction. By refer to the sun, we found we gone far too much to the east in order to intercept e train, which was now in all probability many sngues to the south-west. 7 : was a discovery which was overwh : We had then been journeying in a direction whic had brought us not a foot nearer the company than if we had remained motionless, and it was certain that the party was irrecoverably lost. Every thing was as silent and | a as though we were treading a region of | t Beadle’s Half-Dime | | useless to hope to reach the camp again before morn- 2 — is a pleasant discovery, Nat!” e 7 “T see no hope for your mare. She is prubably a good day’s journey diabants and we do not know “That's it,’’ replied Nat, ill-humoredly; “if I knowed sure what way to tramp, I wouldn't stop till I'd laid my hands on her for a certainty; but this trudging along, and just as like as not going away from her all the time, isn’t the thing.” ‘**Tsee no course left, then, but to proceed south, in hope of falling in with some emigrant train, or in striking the Oregon trail, north, and getting into California ahead of them.” “The Oregon trail then. If these fellows find they’ve got the start of us, they won’t give us a chance to come up again, and we might as well try to catch a whirlwind as to follow them. No, we must try the Oregon trail, and get into California first. How far is the trail off?” ‘Tt can’t be more than a day’s journey; the trail follows the Platte through Nebraska, and I’m Nee sure we can reach it by nightfall, if we proceed pret- ty steadily and rapidly.”’ The day was clear and pleasant, and the ca! de- void of the least signs of threatening storm. There were two or three white clouds straggling off in the western horizon, but the sky was of a deep clear blue. We now proceeded, in a northward course, intending to strike the Platte at the nearest point. South, east, and west the small, waving hills of the prairie stretched, unrelieved by the slightest object, except in the west the far-off outline of some mount- ain-peak was just visible, resembling a slight pointed cloud against the blue so This disappeared at noon, and we were again wanderers upon the illimitable sea. A short time after, Nat's keen vision detected a number of black, moving specks to the westward. “An emigrant train, perhaps,” I suggested. “They're Pawnee Tnjins as sure as the world, and we'd better give them a wide berth.” “Pawnee Indians! How do you know that? You never have been in this section before?” “That's true, but you don’t s’pose I started out here without first l’'arning something *bout the coun- try and folks, do you? if you do, you're mistaken. Just let me know in what part of the country we are, and [ll let you know what sights you will see, that is, if we are going to see any. t’s keep to the east; I don’t want them Pawnees in sight.” The Pawnee Indians are reported friendly to the whites.” “Exactly; but have they been reported honest ? If they should come upon us and take a fancy to our rifles, what is there to prevent them from icomge them? And,’ added Nat, with a shrewd shake o the head, ‘I've not faith enough in their good inten- tions to want ‘em in sight at this time.”’ Not unwillingly I turned my face more to the north-east, and soon saw them ov pe from view. Some time toward the middle of the afternoon we descried a solitary buffalo ahead. After considerable peerage, approached nigh enough to — him down. He was quite poor, and his flesh was stron and tough; but we were glad enough to get it, suc as it was. He was thrown on his face, with his knees bent under him, a keen knife run along the spine with just sufficient force to penetrate the skin, which was then pulled down each side. This done, we cut the choice Renrions out. Nat reserved the buffalo- skin for his blanket, and the rest was thrown away. Just at dark we reached a stream of considerable size, which I afterward learned was the Republican Fork of Nebraska. The point at which we struck it was about where it leaves the territory of Kansas and enters Nebraska. Although no considerable stream, we concluded not to cross it before morning, and we made arrangements for passing the night upon its banks. A goodly quantity of t-wood lay scattered along its shore. As the river was quite low, we gathered several armfuls, and had a fire soon started. The slain buffalo gave us a good supper. Seated around our fire, half -hidden in the river bot- tom, with the dark, glistening stream ee Sag silent- ly by, and smoking our pipes, we naturally fell into an easy conversation. a We can’t be far from the ‘ trail,’ can we?” asked at. “Further than I ted,” I answered. ‘The Republican Fork, whicht am convinced is the stream out there, is over fifty miles from the Platte.” “Fudge! I don't eve Ican head off them fel- lows after all, and my old mare and overcoat will go to thunder.”’ iy They will go somewhere where you will never see them m ‘“T know I’m bound to lose 'em, and I sha’n’t think any more about them.” That's the best plan, Nat. They are no great ‘*T sh’d like to know whether that greaser or fur agent og them, though,” interrupted my friend, earnestly. After this he fell into a fit of musing, and we re- mained silent for some time. When the fire burned I rose and replenished it. Nat looked earnest = the we blaze, carrying ashes and cinders hig n the air. ** Wonder if some Injins won't see that?” S ‘eae not. We are so low down the bank that I think it can be visible for no considerable distance upon the prairie, and the bend in the river fortunate- ly saves us from view up or down-stream, The 0 int from which it would attract attention is y across from us.” ‘ And it looks suspicious enough there,” repeated Nat, in a whisper, removing his pipe, and gazing across the river. It did indeed look forbidding. Our fire was nearly Library. — rrr eee on a level with the water, which rolled darkly and noisily at our very feet; and when the crackling blaze arose higher than usual, the low face of the opposite shore was struck by the light. At such times I could not help reflecting what favorable chances were afforded any one who might be lurkin opposite. I involuntarily shrunk from the fire, anc felt relieved when the shore blended with the dark- ness. It now began to grow quite late, the fire had smol- dered low, when Nat, removing his cap, turned upon me with: soe do you think of our journey to Califor- n a 9? I was at a loss to comprehend his meaning, and looked at bim for an explanation. - “I mean to ask whether ae feel in such a hurry to get to the mines as you did when we were in Inde- pendence ?”’ Now, to confess the truth, the experience of the last week or two, and eepecielly of the last two days, had done much toward dampening the ardor. which I once thought could never leave me; and I believe had I possessed moral courage enough, I shoul have seized the first eee, to return to a home where I poss | enough to satisfy any sensible per- son’s ambition. Still I hesitated to commit myself. “Tcannot say that I am; but what induced you to— ‘I’m sick of this business,” interrupted Nat, length- ening his legs with a spiteful jerk, and looking dis- gustingly into the fire. “What has come over you?” I asked,’‘amused at his manner. ‘** Well, there’s that mare—”’ ‘*But you promised not to think of her.” ‘*How can I help it, I should like to know? She’s gone sure, and there’s that overcoat, that cost me four dollars and a half in Lubec; and Alminy made a big pocket in it on Bak anes for me to fill full of gold chunks; and I should like to know how Iam going to do it, when a ene has got it.”’ “Tam afraid that that would not be the only diffi- culty you would be likely to experience, Nat, in get- ting it filled.” ‘*“And my jack-knife was in the coat-pocket, I de- clare!’ exclaimed he, suddenly starting up and pinching alternately one pocket and then another. ‘Yes, sir, that’s gone, too; that’s worse than all the rest,’’ he added, despairingly, falling upon his elbow, and Rezing abstractedly into the fire. “That's a trifling loss, surely, as you have your hunting-knife.”’ “T’ve a good notion to get up and go back now,” he added, not heeding my remark, “I’m sick of this business, It’s bad enough to lose the mare, but when the knife is gone I can’t stand it.”’ I knew this was but a momentary despondency with my friend, and for the sake of whiling away the time before sleep, I was inclined to humor it. ** But what will you do for that gold that you was going to buy Deacon Hunt's farm with for your - Let her go without it,’ he answered, fly, without removing his gaze from the fire. «She can et along without it. believe she only coaxed me o go off to Californy to get me out of the way, so that mean Bill Hawkins might take my place. he does come any such game, he'll catch it when I get I laughed deeply, but silently, as I witnessed his ap nce, at these remarks. It was so earnest and feeling that it was impossible to resist its ludi- crousness. “Nat,” said I, after a moment's thought, in which my mind had taken an altogether different channel, **| am free to own that I have little faith in our suc- cess in California, I propose that we seek our for- tune elsewhere. The fact that gold exists in Cali- fornia is now known all over the world, and we know there is not the remotest corner of her territory which is not sw with hundreds who leave no means untried to amass their fortunes.” “But where else can we go?”’ “If gold exists in one spot on the Pacific coast, it is right to suppose it exists in many others.”’ = ave you thought of any place?” It seems to me that in Oregon, among the pus of wottcy my Mountains, there must precious metal. ‘But why hasn’t it been found?” “Oregon is thinly settled and no suspicion has led them to search for it.” ** Well, let us dream upon it.” A few more fagots were heaped spon the fire, and then we lay down for the night’s rest. My companion had lain but a minute, when he sud- deny sprung to his feet, and exclaimed: e Hurrah or Oregon!” “Be careful,’ I admonished; ‘your indiscretion may be fatal. That wall of darkness across the river looks gloomy and threatening enough to me.” = 5 s—hello! I’m shot—no, I ain’t neither.” That instant the report of a rifle burst from the other bank, and a bullet whizzed within an inch of my companion’s face, ‘Heavens! are we attacked?” I ejaculated, start- ing back from the fire. I believe so,” replied N cowering behind me. We listened silently and fearfully, but heard no more, The fire smoldered to embers, the river w darker, and the night, moonless and cold, settled upon us. But no sleep visited my eyelids that night, the gray dawn of morning I listened but heard no more. : CHAPTER IT. he light iene avers dei th As the erspre e felt an unspeakable sense of relief. Not a ea 900 <€om CSAC ECO)