Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 64 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

- em ee re ee ee te “Ugly Bear give ’im up!” responded a deep, gu voice; but the Snak, s from the red arm which was outstretched with authority. ‘No! no! him shoot Ugly Bear’s hoss.” ‘It is War-Bow who !” The snake hesitated a moment longer, and then as he shut his lips hard he flung the boy at the stalwart speaker. __ Jack was a second in the air, and then a great red arm strong as a bar of steel was thrown around him. He was inthe embrace of War-Bow, the vin- dictive chief of the hostile Snakes! CHAPTER X. THREE AGAINST ONE. THE Prange captive was soon to learn the im- port of gly Bear’s words, ‘‘ Kill bear and steal His entrance into the Snake village proper was not long delayed after he found himwelf in the arms of War-Bow. When the Indians turned their attention to the horse which their comrade had lassoed, they found him fretful and impatient to be free. A young buck sprung from his horse and un- loosened the lariat, but Ugly Bear who thought that he was going to appropriate the Tlamath’s handsome steed to his own use, upon him with an ejaculation of rage and flung him back. The sent the buck against the dead horse, and as he fell the /azo was pulled from his hand. Little Rivor had started forward again, this - time to find himself free, and before a scarlet hand could reseize the cord, the noble horse was almost out of sight. * Let ‘im go! No catch ’im!” said War-Bow waving back the would-be pursuer with his hand, and then the party returned to the vil- lage. “Where as I have intimated Dandy Jack had the words ‘‘ Kill bear and steal girl” explained tohim. He learned that Luke Whittlesand not Sun-Dance had carried Estil off, and the two persons on the horse which had darted past his station like a specter now stood revealed. But what d us contretemps had caused Sun-Dance to be dragged at the horse’s heels? This was the mystery which now puzzled the boy. War-Bow and his party were in the act of sateen: the village at the time of the theft, hence their presence on the scene to Dandy Jack’s discomfiture. The ‘‘ town” was now a scene of wild activi- ty; the Indian killed by Sun-Dance at the cor- ral had been discovered, and the sav lamen- tations over the corpse were hideous an ee ing. Every dog in the place was awake, adding to the Bedlamic din, The dead bear, a great favorite, as was easily seen, had been dragged to the a ee igen Fm spot in the center of the town, and laid beside the dead brave. The ‘‘square” was filled with savages of all ages, and the two sexes; the seisupiad their groans, curses, and terrible threats, and Dandy Jack involuntarily shrunk nearer to the broad breast of War-Bow, as he was led to the spot. The crowd made way for the cavalcade, and strained its eyes td see what the chief held in his arms. For a moment they seemed to think that Sun-Dance had fallen into the clutches of the band, and the Terror’s name began to be heard on every side; but when they discovered that the captive’s face was white, disgust took the place of triumph. ** Where is Oregon?” cried War-Bow, looking through the crowd for the man whose name he uttered with a half-concealed sneer. ‘‘ Here!” was the reply, and a man clad in civilized garments came eae The accent proclaimed the speaker a white man, but his face was enough to make one doubt it. | The work of Luke Whittles’s heavy whip was easy to see. he bandit’s face resembled that of a pugilist, who unfortunately gets his head in chancery, and is brutally pounded. His fea- tures were not recognizable; the eyes were al- most shut; the whole face swollen and reg b and one of his ears apparently forced into the ‘Oh, you’ve got the little devil!” said Marte- velde, disappointed at seeing the boy. ‘‘The real scamp—that Luke Whittles, has escap bi peti? T want to kill a ecg w 1“) row the AF hippos me own here, an I'll string on my knife.” 5 ‘White boy War-Bow’s captive!” said the chief, looking into the hideous .=.ce, not relieved by the flashing eyes far behind the cut cheeks. Me Keep him, then!” hissed Leon. “I won't ee oe em oe Dandy Jack. cure in yoursport. Who is following the e ‘*Nobody. He will not bother us any more, and Sun-Dance is going through the grass for po ra Tiel the chief a malicious look, regon Leon gave the chief a cious loo and bit his swollen lip. ‘*Oh, curse you, you old villain!” he muttered under his breath. ‘‘T’ll pay you for all this. Bless me if I don’t show you the biggest pile of ashes you ever saw, and that before long, too!” He turned madly on his heel as he uttered the last sentence, and touched an old savage, fan- tastically dressed. ‘*Come and help doctor my face,” he said. ‘‘ The numbness is leaving it now, and I feel as if I had been pounded with a hammer. I won- der if he did all of it witha whip. We'll meet again, Luke Whittles, and then—then it will not be a whip!” He staggered rather than walked through the crowd, which respectively made way for him, followed by the medicine man. The eyes of War-Bow went after the bandit. There was a glitter in them which seemed to say, “‘ You can lord it over the warriors, but not over me!” Then, at the chief’s command, a fire was kin- dled in the square, and soon the place was illu- minated. is artificial light was hardly need- ed, for the full moon was up now, and the light fell uninterrupted upon the Snake village. As the flames shot upward the crowd drew back and mechanically formed a circle. War-Bow advanced to the center, and in a uick, sharp tone called several names which andy Jack did not catch? In an instant the chief’s calls were answered, and three Indian boys sprung into the arena with the suppleness of young acrobats. They darted toward War-Bow, and shook their fists at Dandy Jack, at the same time dar- ing him in the Indian tongue to the combat. ‘ Fight?” said War-Bow, looking at our hero, in whose eyes resentment flashed. ‘One at a time, Little Fox-Tail, Kingfisher and Red Jack- Rabbit.” Dandy Jack did not reply for a moment. ‘* They never hurt me!” he said, at length. War-Bow, with a grin, turned to the crowd and seemed to explain Jack’s reply, for there were guttural exclamations and the clapping of hands. " oe whether they ever hurt white boy or not!” he said, suddenly, and the next i nt Jack found himself slipping from the chief’s gripe. He landed right before the three young pugi- lists, and War-Bow drew back to the human circle. : With a guick glance the young captive mea- sured the Indian boys from head to foot. They were about his hight, strong, athletic and sup- ple, and their large arms glistened in a profu- sion of bear’s grease. For a moment Jack seemed to stand bewil- dered before them, and all at once they began to crow like game-cocks, and to beat their sides with their arms, as if they were wings. The tators, immensely pleased, looked on, a Pp ser the young Snakes, but hissing the w y ‘‘One at a time!” War-Bow suddenly cried. ‘‘The Red Jack-Rabbit will fight the boy first. Let Little Fox-Tail and Kingfisher stand k!” The two last named boys heard the chief and reluctantl ny IS back. Jack stood before the Red Jack Rabbit, the strongest, if there were any difference of the three. The red boy’s eyes were mild, they did not flash with the vindictiveness of the Indian, there was much humor in Red Jack Rabbit. “I can’t get out of the fight!” Dandy Jack said to himself, as he surveyed his antagonist, who stood ready for the combat. ‘1 don’t want to whip this boy, but the other two sha’n’t get one iota of eof . He planted himself firmly, as he finished, and the next minute Red Jack Rabbit opened the *‘mill.” But the blow which he dealt was adroitly turned aside, and Jack’s hands seized his arms. But they slid off in a second, for they had ge late uy A cbr and the scarlet ugilist gave the w oy a smart, half-play- fal Hoa gers added to hie discomfiture. aad **Oh, i t's your game, )’ll play it too, m Red Jack Rabbit!” and the oaptiveduahiadanon the little Snake, and, between a push pin, re blow, sent him sprawling on the ground several yards away. Cries of derision ted Red Jack Rabbit’s unlucky fall, and War-Bow applauded Dandy Jack by clapping his hands. The Indian boy having struck partially on his 9 head, was slowly recovering, when, with shouts of revenge, Little Fox-Tail and Kingfisher sprung forward. : War-Bow called them back, but in vain; they were mad; their blood was up, and nothing but the avenging of their brother’s disgrace would satisfy. “Tat them go! let them fight!” were the cries that resounded on every side, and Jack braced himself for the attack. They reached him before Red Jack Rabbit; could regain his feet, and without hesitation threw themselves upon him. “This is one at a time with a vengeance!” grated Dandy Jack. ‘‘ But you’re the ve young roosters I want to whip, for you haven’ ee a good corner in your eyes, like the Rabbit ? The first fair blow which the white boy de- livered sent Kingfisher staggering back, but he quickly recovered, and was at it again as Little Tox-Tail dextrously tripped their antag- onist; and the three rolled upon the ground in a tussle which grew exciting. ‘ Jack soon found that his gripes on the Indians’ arms and bodies were unavailing, because of the bear grease, and he desisted in that direction. For a minute he was underneath, strugglin manfully and receiving the covert blows whi the young i gg dealt with delight. They did not look like human beings; but resembled dogs in a rough and tumble combat, The Indians were immensely amused; the circle contracted and the fight was watched with interest. Jack’s hand at last fell upon a scalp-lock, It, too, was ees, but winding his fingers through it he held it firmly and jerked it madly and with all his might. At that moment he heard a cry of pain, and a pair of hands left his throat. He was holding Little Fox-Tail’s scalp-lock, and as the boy tried to wrench it loose, the Indian’s face was exposed. And in a manner which enabled Jack to deal a stunning blow. The Indian boy’s head fell back, and at that moment Dandy Jack released the tuft of hair. Then he whirled and getting uppermost turn- ed his attention to Kin er. The Indian could not resist the maddened white boy, and in less than a minute later Jack sprung to his feet with a cry of triumph which he could not keep back. Red Jack Rabbit was not to be seen; after his discomfiture he had shrunk unnoticed from the scene to show his face but once i Dandy Jack stood like a lion in the arena, a stunned foe on each side, and as a yell of re- venge went up from a hundred savage hearts, he shook his fist in the faces of his foes. “ — on your young game-cocks!” he shout- ed. ‘‘ Fling them at me one—two—three at a time, just as you like, and I’ll polish them off in a fiash. If you haven’t any more boys, send in one of your sneaking chiefs. I’m notafraid of your whole tribe!” Dandy Jack’s blood was up. ‘*T might as well dare the whole crowd, for they’re going to kill me, anyhow!” he added un- der his breath. CHAPTER XI. THE FIRM OF “SUN-DANCE AND BUTLER.” Lravine Dandy Yack in the Snake village, se An! ae return ae Braedon whom we e om a of mounted savages— Long Lage Butler. The surprisal of the Indian by means of the Sage Cock call had resulted in no good; - Butler, as we have seen, was compelled to slay the sav- age, and to fly for his life. Fortunately the night was about him; if it had been day his capture would have been but a question of time, and one soon settled at that; but the dim light enabled Lige to elude his foes, He stopped at last and muffled his palfrey’s feet with a portion of the blanket under the saddle, and when day dawned he looked from the edge of a clump of cottonwood trees that grew along the re ae upon an endless and dreary plain. - Not the sign of a foe was in sight, and a smile of grim satisfaction crossed the long guide’s face as he looked over the waste. ‘Well, we sarcumvented the dogs!” he said stroking the bristly mane of his animal. “Thar’s one Injun what'll never hear another a Cock, an’ thar’s a hull lot of ’em what didn’t get the man they wanted last night.” Without more ado, the guide led the mule to the river and watched him drink with > ness. As for himself he drew the remains of a grouse or some other palatable fowl from the gs and fell to at once, with keen relish, ‘Still thar!” he exclaimed, seeing the tin box “ECOMEvOO ‘Si.€O www =.