Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 64 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

4 Ot ee re Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. — ee ee ee ee ere tures of the barren were swooping down upon their victims. The drs thrown topsy-turvy, presented the pitiable spectable of a wreck; its contents 4 in disorder on the grass, but Estil its beauti- occupant was not to be seen. Fate had brought the fugitives to almost re- tributive disaster, for it was the identical cask of brandy which Estil had thrown out durin their ar abe under Luke Whittles which caused the present accident. | Where was Dandy Jack? He was occupying a half upright position in the saddle when the cask sent the wagon on its side, and he disappeared among the plunging beasts. But when they finally broke away, carrying saddle and lines in their mad course over the plains, he sprung to his feet at the — the wagon with the heavy pistols in his “Stand off!” he shouted to the yelling demons rushing forward to the spoil now within their grasp. ‘‘A fellow may as well dio here as else- where. I’m going to defend Estil, and our pro- perty to the last!’ The reply was a shower of arrows which did not inflict any injury, although they fell all around Dandy Jack, and a number of lassoes which hung from the saddle-bows of the ponies were quickly uncoiled. But at that moment the boy nip over the broken tongue of the Conestoga, and with the precision and deliberateness of a regular opened on the red-skins with the revolvers. More than one of those rapid shots told. The Snakes bewildered for a moment threw them- selves behind the necks of their steeds, and with wild exclamations which Dandy Jack could not understand, forced them back. ‘*Four!” ejaculated the boy seeing that num- ber of dark objects lying on the ground, a few ards ahead. ‘*‘ Four dead Indians and twenty ive ones left. Um almostoutof ammunition. Each of those Indians carried a repeating rifle on his back. I must have them; they may save us yet.” bound brought the boy to the dead, but to his inexpressible dismay he found that the liv- ing, probably anticipating his action, had car- ried the coveted weapons away. The yells of derision which greeted the un- welcome discovery was followed by a loud voice. ‘“White boy brave; but if he no gives in he must die.” Dandy Jack looked at his foes. The moon- light fell directly upon them, and he saw them unslinging the deadly repeaters that hung on their backs. “Twenty to one; but I’ve got three loads left so back and stand by Estil to the last!” muttered Jack. CHAPTER IV. SUN-DANCE, THE TLAMATH. THe ‘‘ Conestoga,” overturned by the whisky cask, had completely buried Estil, the girl, from Dandy Jack’s sight. He was fearful as he sprung back, determined to defend her to the last, that she had been stunned, if not actually killed, by the fall of the heavy vehicle, and once on the spot, he called her name twice, but without receiving any reply. Meanwhile the Snakes were unslinging their repeating rifles and slowly advancing. The were determined to force a surrender, or to rid- dle the heroic boy where he stood. “They'd lift my scalp if I gave up!” Jack said, to himself, ‘‘ so, what’s the use in giving in while I’ve got a ball left in the pistols¢ What! surrender to a lot of red-skinned greasers? I didn’t cut loose from everything in the States and come away out here to do that. Now come on!” he cried to the red-skins. “ Weill try the virtue of powder and lead. No surren- der! that’s the motto of Dandy Jack!” - His defiance was received with yells by the savages, and before a rifle could be brought to the shoulder the boy had dropped behind the wagon with the intention of making it serve the er of a breastwork. ‘This isn’t going to the coast, by a long shot!” Jack said, a grim twinkle of humor in his eyes. ‘“Tt’s my first, and I suspect my last fight with the Indians, and it’ll never get into the papers— theyll never know at old Willow Creek how Dandy Jack died.” The young hero, as he spoke, saw the savages execute a sudden halt just beyond range of the weavy revolvers which he griped in his hands. Buc he finished his observation before he ven- tured to inquire into the cause of that halt. _ Without a ngs exception, the Indians were looking toward he east, and at the same time their hands held behind their ears told that they were listening intently. ‘“ What’s up?’ ejaculated the boy, rising with mingled curiosity and hope, for from that di- rection he expected Long Lige, if that worthy came at all. | As he turned his face toward the east, he heard the rapid beating of hoofs. Some person was coming at a break-neck gallop, and he was astonishing the Indians, ‘*He’s got betwixt me and the moon!” sudden- ty cried the boy as a dark object appeared on the disk of the full, round planet, as it were, and its singular motion, rising and falling, as- sured Jack that it was approaching. At length the specter, for into such a sha the grotesque object grew as it came on, hid the moon from the boy’s sight, and the thunder of hoofs was now thrillingly distinct. But as yet Jack could not distinguish the form bearing down upon him; he could not see that the person who rode the horse was an Indian! But such, indeed, was the fact. The red man was seated on a worn-out govern- ment saddle, which was ee d to his steed by means of a cavalry girth. the animal was not large, but lithe of limb and capable of great endurance; it bore its rider with ease, and came forward with its head erect and eyes full of fire. The Indian was a young buck, naked to the waist, about which his leggings were secured by an army belt faced with the traditional brass- faced plate, bearing the legend, ‘‘U. 8.” His face, for one of his tribe, was not unkindly cut, and devoid of paint. There were brass rings in his ears, and three feathers, two of which were either bent or broken, in his long, black hair— the only ornaments visible about his person if we except the breast-plate just mentioned. He was strong-limbed and muscular; that he was ‘‘hard to kill,” the great scars ofi his breast ae y proclaimed—telling, as they did, the barous story of the sun-dance. The onl weapon visible about the Indian was a rifle which his left hand held before him; his right was free but not to guide the horse; he per- formed that service with his feet. On, on came the night rider, riding out of the moon as it were straight down upon Dandy Jack. He did not seem to notice the rhigens ra Snakes who were watching his movements wit flashing eyes; but he ce ly heard their yells as they appeared to discover in hima foe. All at once,the rifles of the hostiles belched out their leaden contents, but the strange Indian threw his body ae the neck of his careering steed and the bullets whistled harmlessly over him. ‘‘That’s curious!” muttered Dandy Jack, see- ing this strange move. ‘‘ Indian pitted against Indian! I don’t understand it.” Ah! he was to know what it meant when in ae days he knew more of Sun-Dance, the Tla- math. ‘‘Tf they are enemies all cannot but be mine!” continued the boy, dropping beside the wagon, his eyes no longer on the Snakes but upon the new-comer on the field. ES held his pistols ready, each cocked in his hand. He felt confident that the single savage had not yet noticed him, and when that worthy sud- denly stopped his steed and rose abruptly from behind his breast-work of flesh, he saw the Snakes shrink instinctly back. Then a jet of flame escaped over the horse’s head followed by another and another in such rapid succession, as to completely bewilder the boy. The strange Indian had opened upon the Snakes, and his rapid firing was emptying sad- dles with terrible precision and fatality. The Snakes were thrown into the greatest confusion, and the few shots that replied to the Tlamath did no execution. He suddenly ceased firing, robably because he had exhausted his cham- rs, and before the sound of the last report had died away, he came down upon the wagon again. Jaci was released from his bewilderment in an tant. “He thinks to finish me now!” he grated, bracing himself, and the next moment bang! bang! went his revolvers full into the face of the solitary red-man. . The smoke for a moment shut out objects be- fore the boy, but the thunder of hoofs still smote his ears, and he involuntarily shrunk nearer the wagon’s bed to keep from being un- ceremoniously ridden down. But it was in vain that Dandy Jack tried to escape from the thunderbolt. The horse was soon bs him, and before he could collect his scattered thoughts, he was jerk- ed violently from the ground and borne away! One of the revolvers fell from his hand as this —-_——- we oe took place; but he managed to retain his hold on the other. The one held was the empty one as the youth soon discovered, for finding the muzzle pressed against his captor’s naked breast, he attempted to discharge it, but there was no report. The uick ruthless jerk that followed the click of tke hammer upon the empty cartridge landed the boy directly before the Indian, and for the first time he obtained a view of that face from which only death was to separate him! The gait of the steed, despite his additional burden, did not abate in the least. The Jndian held Dandy Jack firmly before him, and re- plied to his amazed look with eyes full of tri- umph and revenge. On, on went the Tlamath, and the journe seemed to grow endless to the little captive. He peg of the girl left behind to the mercy of the barous Snakes, and every hoof-beat was ee further from her, further, too, from ng Li as that horse capable of galloping forever? His head was still erect, though he carried no bit between his teeth, and showed no signs of © fatigue. It was when Jack shut his eyes to keep out his painful thoughts, and to shut off the sight of that _ implacable red face above him, that the horse at last came to a stand. The boy opened his eyes and raised his head. The moon was now high in the heavens, and her soft light fell upon the vast plain whose dreari- ness was unrelieved in a single instance. No timber; no water to glisten in the moonlight, no- thing to tell Jack that his long journey with the unknown Indian had brought him nearer safety. ‘‘ Long ride!” said the Tlamath, in good Eng- e met Jack’s ill-natured look with the lish, as faintest of smiles. ‘‘ White boy hold onto pistol Sun-Dance; but all the time. He tried to sh ee oo nai ke, his the boy’ the Indian spoke, gripe on the boy’s arm relaxed, and Jack was seatell before him, . ‘‘Sun-Dance?’ the boy said, struck by the name. ‘Is that what I am to call you?” ‘‘ Sun-Dance is a Tlamath, Where white boy from?” +e I told you, you wouldn’t know,” Jack said. ‘‘Mebbe not, but Sun-Dance been to see the great father at Washington.” ‘* Well, I came from the East, came out here with Long Lige! Ever hear of him in ypur travels?” Sun-Dance started at the mention of the guide’s name. ‘Know him? yes!” he suddenly exclaimed. ‘Where him now?” ‘That's just what I want to know,” was the rejoinder. ‘‘ Look here, Sun-Dance, to see that we needn’t be enemies; but it isn’t that that troubles me now. You left a young girl back there with the wagon. I was going to stand by her till the last; but you came along and carried me off.” The Indian looked astonished. ‘* White girl?” ‘Certainly! The Snakes have found her ere sa (7) ‘‘Mebbe not!” Sun-Dance said, takin ar age, and his horse not s ken to but touched by his foot wheeled suddenly. ‘We go back and see!” Dandy Jack took hope. After all he might find a friend in Sun-Dance, and Estil need not rish. P Back dashed the Tlamath, but not in that breakneck speed just finished. On, on they went and the moon was in the zenith when the tireless steed stopped beside the wagon. Jack, unhindered by the Indian, leaped to the ground with an expectant cry. ‘*Snakes been here!” in -Teion said, before the boy could touch the overturned vehicle. ‘* No use to look for white girl!” : Dandy Jack recoiled from the search which = was about to begin, and looked at the young rave. “Tf white boy don’t believe let him look!” ‘Took I !? muttered Jack, under his breath, and he fell to work, quietly watched by Aa no gave, up in despair aud turned e gave u 1 u upon Sun-Dance a face which confirmed his ob- servation. Estil was gone! CHAPTER V. G FOR THE EUNTIN [THE TRAIL, ‘‘Founp it at last! This is what a fellar gits fur keepin’ on an’ never givin’ mp, Bless me ef <eom 4 chooks:com