Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 661 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

> Py \ ‘ a Banner Ben, the Wildfire of the Prairie. oo _ — —_—_ -----—_——_ -—- eee and below them the bank was fringed with a dense growth of short willows that drooped over the water. A vine loaded with scarlet berries had run out over the tops of the willows and the red cluster hung temptingly before the eyes of the maidens. In fact, it was the sight of these scarlet berries that had drawn the girls ashore, and while the Indian girl steadied the canoe the other thrust her hand up among the foliage to pick the berries. As she did so her wrist was seized in a grip like that of a giant, and then she was lifted bodily from the boat and dragged up,through the willows and vines to the bank where she found herself in the power of a brutal- looking outlaw—Jaguar Jim. The girl gave a warning cry when first seized, but before the other could ascertain the cause of her friend’s alarm—for the outlaws were so effectually hidden among the bushes—Panther Tail sprung from his covert, leaped into the boat and seizing her dragged her ashore. Half-paralyzed with terror the first captive eould offer but little resistance and in a few moments Jaguar Jim had tied her hands and bound a handkerchief over her mouth. But the Indian girl did notsubmitso meekly. On the contrary, she fought like a wildcat—with all the ferocity of an enraged young tigress. But she could not overcome the brute strength of the powerful Panther Tail, and, womanlike, he - when she saw she could do nothing by physical strength she had recourse to her tongue. With a look of scornful disdain she irew herself up, clinched her little fists and with her black eyes fairly burning, she said: ‘*(o’way! you insult me! Iam Fawn-Eyes, the daughter of the great Stooping Bear, and she is Singing Bird, my white sister! You are cowards—you hide like the coyote in the bush and leap upon the fawn!” Her words, however, had no effect upon Pan- ther Tail and with the help of Jaguar Jim she was securely bound. The villains lost no time in getting away with the girls, and to hasten their retreat they car- ried their captives in their arms. Pushing their way through a fringe of un- dergrowth a few paces back from the river they emerged into moreopen ground. Acrossthisthey were pressing forward with their writhing cap- tives when two men with drawn revolvers step- ped from behind a rock and confronted the vil- lains, one of them seria RS: “Halt there, you grizzled pirates, and drop +hem feminines like hot’taters, or, by the ram’s- horn o’ Joshua, we'll tunnel your carcasses like a gopher-town! Don’t you forgit that I are old Ka-ristopher Ko-lumbus Bandy, and this little toy tempest at my side are Banner Ben, the Prairie Wildfire!” CHAPTER VIII. A DESPERATE CONFLICT. THE two outlaws, Panther Tail and Jaguar Jim, quickly dropped their captives and grasped their weapons, but they had presence of mind enough left to desist from drawing them, for phey saw they were covered by the revolvers of en Banner and Old Bandy. Jaguar Jim was almost dumfounded as well as horrified when he found himself confronted by Banner Ben, who he had no doubt was dead in the bottom of the river. Norcould hescarce- ly believe that such really was the case—that the boy stood before him—until Ben addressed him thus: ‘‘Oh, I know you're s’prised to see me, Jaguar James, on deck ag’in, but, by jeewhango, I’m on just the same, and now it’s my turn to take a deal. Say, won’t you please do somethin’ to provoke me to shoot von 1 could put the pur- tiest forty-caliber hole through youas ever leak- ed out a villain’s life.” . “Dye hear that, critters?” put in Old Kit; ‘isn’t that kid got a whole sand dune in his craw? Isn’t he a multitude, though?—a toy . tempest with volcanic symptoms? Say, gals, step ‘round this way and consider yerselves the protégées 0° Kit Bandy and Banner Benjamin.” The half-terrified maidens advanced to the side of the old detective who at once released them while Ben, with a pistol in each hand kept the outlaws covered. As soon As she could k, Fawn-Eyes looked up into Bandy’s face and said, in g English: ‘The pale-face man and boy are very brave. They have saved Fawn-Eyes and Singing Bird from the power of the bad Ingin and pale-face. Stooping Bear will honor you for it.” Ni. the horn 0’ Joshua! that sounds musical, ga ike a hull band o’ angels, and I’ve a notion to shoot them varmints just for the fun o’ it. But, gals, it’s gittin’ late, so you_and your late ecoort 9 5S aes - , the magnificent Jaguar James, and the —<_——_—__ ee superb villain, Panther Tail, will accompany us to our rendezvous where suitable quarters ’ll be prepared for you until you be sent to whar you belong. Banner Ben, relieve them warriors 0’ their weepons.” This was a rather humiliating and trying thing for Jaguar Jim to submit to, but in the face of Old Bandy’s drawn revolver there was no other alternative but certain death. But the victory of Kit and Banner Ben was short-lived.. Scarcely had they relieved the outlaws of their weapons before Old Tom Rat- tler, followed by Harry Ashmore, Bob Burch and four other men-hunters—who had fallen in with the party as they came up the river—came | hurrying up the valley in search of them with the information that a number of red-skins— followers of Panther Tail—were in pursuit of | them. And a savage yell close by confirmed it. A score of red-skins were but a few rods away. ‘ Boys, let’s save these gals, Ingins tho’ they be, or die!” cried Old Kit Bandy. ‘°‘ Harry, take the gals and escape to the river with ’em and we'll cover your retreat. Go, Harry— quick! there’s a canoe there!” ‘Come, girls,” said young Ashmore, taking each by a hand, ‘‘I am your friend, Do not fear me.” Singing Bird, half-delirious.permitted herself to be led away, but Fawn-Eyes, stooping, picked up Panther Tail’s tomahawk that Ben had cast aside, and then darted away toward the river like a scared partridge. The next moment the outlaw-savages emerged from the woods and hurled themselves upon the old detective and his friends. The red-skins’ yell was answered by the crack of the whites’ revolvers and rifles. Bandy and his party could only act on the de- fensive against such odds, retreating toward the river so as to keep Harry and the two girls covered until they were out of harm’s way. Though unarmed, Jaguar Jim and Panther Tail’s voices were heard above the din of the battle urging on the warriors to the destruction of the whites. Poor Bob Burch and one of the hunters who had recently joined them, fell, under the crush- ing blows of tomahawks fighting for their lives. Back to the river’s very brink the overwhelm- ings ae of savages forced the little Spartan and, Panther Tail, dodging like a coyote through the dense brush, slipped up behind Old Kit and seizing him about the waist flung him to the earth where a desperate struggle ensued. Old Rattler, with Banner Ben at bis side, dodged from tree to tree, and rock to rock, deal- ing out death to those who dared to approach them. Meanwhile Harry Ashmore, with the girls, had reached the canoe and boarded it, Taking up the paddle he drove the craft out into the stream, but before they were four lengtts of the boat from the shore five savages leaped into the water and swam like beaver in pursuit. Harry saw that he must fight them off. He took the tomahawk from Fawn-Eyes’ hand and gave her the paddle. The foremost savage came within arm’s reach of the canoe, and was in the act of grasping hold of it, when the hatchet in Harry’s hand descended upon his tufted head with such force as to not only crush his skull but drive him under the water. Another savage came up on the other side and grasping the boat en- deavored to rock its occupants overboard; but again the deadly hatchet fell, but missing the red-skin’s head, owing to the motion of the boat, the weapon was driven to the eye inthe wretch’s shoulder, severing arteries and tendons, Blood spurted from the wound in jets and dyed the water round and about the boat. A second blow finished him, and then Harry made ready for the third. The other red-skins, however, seeing the fate of their two friends, dropped back out of reach of the deadly tomahawk and set up a yelling to attract the attention of their friends on shore. Immediately afterward bullets began to whistle around the heads of the fugitives from the rifles of those on land, and cries of “* Halt!” and ‘* Stop!” rent the air, But heeding neither bullets nor calls, Harry Ashmore again took the paddle and plied it with all his strength and ae sending the craft fairly flying through the water Seeing the red-skins in the water were still following him, Harry finally handed the paddle to he ye dh and drew his revolver, deter- mined to stop them. But, divining his inten- tion, the red-skins dived under the water. The firing at the fugitives was still kept up. It was quite evident that, at first, the foe had ‘ 6 Os of ' ‘ ; . . a . -* . - . te? P he r ry “. er ° ry 4 | > / “ he 4 ye . ft,.4 7 UT = vd , - PA. «> « ’ . . ae Le ¢ Om | , 900 S iq wads ee) LU < ay oe eee Jat 7 Tt at PS: wd oe: ale AS. Mw AS 4 iv ate eA Pi vas a os ie oe iy ke \e ¥ thar + ff ~ is SS aes ow "4 Vay) re! igh) i 4 " . a no intention of killing them, but fired over and around them in hopes of bringing them to a halt. But when it was seen that the fugitives would escape, the bullets began to whistle closer, and, suddenly, a cry of pain burst from Harry’s lips and he started half from his seat, but im- mediately sunk back again, with a stifled oan. Singing Bird saw that he was growing pale. She saw blood ooze through his shirt and trickle down his breast. ‘‘Oh, good friend!” the maiden cried, ‘“‘ yo are wounded!” Harry made noreply. His head fell slightly forward and with a gasp he sunk down lifeless in the boat. With a lowcry of anguish Singing Bird lift- ed the young man’s head and pillowed it on her lap. She reached over the boat’s side and dip- ping water in her hand, bathed his pale brow and temples. A moment later the boat glided into the friendly shadows of the shore under great, frowning rocks; but as it did so a cry of the bit- terest anguish and sadness broke from Singing Bird’s lips, for she felt that she stood in the presence of death—thati the spirit of the brave young stranger had passed into darker shadows eyond the river of life. CHAPTER IX. DOOMED TO DIE. In his struggle with Panther Tail Kit Bandy was getting the best of it, and had they been alone the cunning red-skin would have been de- feated, but just at the moment of the old detec- tive’s hard-won victory Jaguar Jim came to the chiet’s rescue, and the tide was turned, and Bandy overpowered and taken prisoner. The joy of the chief and outlaw was un- bounded, notwithstanding the frightful slaugh- ter of their followers and the escape of the girls. They were determined at once that he should suffer torture of the most excruciating character their brains could devise. Jaguar Jim reproached him for the trick he had played him and Redtop George the previous night, and gave him fair warning that he should suffer as many deaths as he and Panther Tail had lost men in the conflict just ended. Old Rattler, Banner Ben and the other hunters had all disappeared from the scene of action, but whether they were dead or alive Old Kit knew not. He had every reason .to think, how- ever, that all but Banner Ben had been slain, for this gallant youth was the only one inquired for by Jaguar Jim and the chief. But altogether the situation was a gloomy one for Old Kit, The Indians made great haste to depart from there. They were afraid that the sound of the battle might bring down upon them the war- riors of Stooping Bear, and turn their victory into defeat. It was a sore defeat for Panther Tail to lose the fair princess, Fawn-Eyes. With her he would have been willing to retreat into the fast- ness of the mountain and there gloat over his The retreat from the battlefield finally began. Jaguar Jim and Panther Tail took Bandy in charge. The savages carried their dead off with them. Nearly every able-bodied warrior had a dead one to carry. . It was quite dark when their bivouac was reached. The dead warriors were hastily buried, and then the whole party mounted their ponies and retreated back into the mountains, taking Old Kit with them a living captive still. Ina deep defile, known as Moaning Canyon, they came toa halt. The place was about ten miles from the river, and possessed great natural ad- vantages as a place of defense. It was about twenty rods wide by about forty in length, ob- long in shape, walled in by towering rocks, and entered only at each end by passages so harrow that three horsemen could not ride abreast. Some grass and several pine trees grew in the defile. A littlestream of waterrippled musically adown the pass. A fire was at once kindled under one of the frowning walls. Its light shone out across the canyon and brought a hundred weird and gro- tesque forms and shadows. ec A council was at once called to sitin judg- ment upou the old detective’s case. The outlaws took their seats in the circle with the Indians. Nearly _ man suggested some mode of pun- ishment, and the fertile-brained Jaguar Jim and the spirited Bracelets as many as a dozen each. Each one vied with the others in suggesting the most cruel and atrocious punishment, For two hours they wrangled over the matter, and then pene just as far from an agreementas when they egan. victory over his hated enemy, Stooping Bear.