Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 70 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

OO But before he could finish the sentence, Zip was beyond sight and hearing, and Fitzsim- mons turned back, feeling that that game was blocked. To add to his scorn when he looked at the couple, he saw them sitting close together bill- ing and cooing totally unmindful of his pre- sence, and apparently as happy as happy could be Perey was on his dignity now, and, folding his arms, he strode back and forth with a lofty look, as if he would shame the young man into rushing after the hunter, and Poe oe himself headlong into the thickest of the fight. ‘T didn’t think anybody could have the cheek to act that way,” he growled, scowling at them sideways, ‘‘ unless was the man; I have done thin that were about as thin as that. But then th had wit enough to put them in the best light ible, while he just owned up square that he was a coward—” At this juncture Fitzsimmons heard some- thing that sounded like a kiss, and he paused abruptly and glanced savagely at them. ‘*T should think that they would have more sense of propriety than that,” he added, as he resumed his walk, ‘‘ but there are folks in this world who don’t know what’s what.” And nursing his wrath he strode back and forth indignant at himself, because he could not avoid making himself utter] | nen by sur- veying the happy couple. ally he managed to give himself a grain of comfort. **T am sure that when, to-morrow, Helena has had time to consider the character of this young man, and to compare the two, she will never countenance him again.” CHAPTER IX. ‘‘ KEEP AWAY FROM THE CABIN!” A STRANGE presentiment of danger came over Old Zip Smith as he left his friends, and de- ean the ravine, which he had traversed so often on his way to the cabin in the air. ‘* It’s blamed queer,” he muttered as he ad- vanced with all caution and circumspection, ‘‘but thar seems to be something about these yer Sioux that I don’t understand. pie seapped among the Blackfeet of Oregon, and the bufflers a the Comanches of the Llano Estacado, until I thought I got the hang of their devilments, and so I did, } ‘‘But,” he added, as if arguing the matter with a visible opponent, ‘‘ these yer Sioux seem to have a little different style from both. It ain’t clear to me why they didn’t tomahawk young Persimmons when they got him, and then they used ’Lena as respectful like as though she was the medicine woman of thar tribe. The way they’ve sarved other settlers and women round the country, proves that the Comanches and Apaches can’t beat ’em in pure cussedness. I know they take prisoners sometimes, but they ain’t apt to treat ’em so well as they did these. ‘‘ Then they hain’t hurt his house, so far as I can see, while they’re burning every other in the neighborhood. It can’t be that they think anything of Hugh, ’cause he’s never had any- thing much to do with them. The last Sioux he spoke to was last week only, when he smashed one’s nose till it looked like a split tomat’, all ’cause he said something not very nice to ’Lena. ‘* And if he had saved twenty Indians from small-pox, measles, whooping-cough and starva- tion, them same twenty would the first to turn right square around and cut his throat; that’s the style of the noble red-man. ‘‘The consequence of all this to my mind,” continued Zip, pursuing a train of argument and conclusion, as though he were an advocate at the bar, ‘“‘is that some of these Sioux—not all of them—are playing some trick upon us. When them varmints went to peppering my old hat they acted natural, just genuine red-skins; but then they left very suddent, and where were they when Ned and me went down the rope?” It would be tedious to the reader to follow the hunter through all his peculiar ratiocinations by which at length, he came to the conclusion that the Sioux were endeavoring to ae’ aon into by disarming suspicion, and mak- ing em cieme tl that they had withdrawn alto- ether. It was more than natural that they should do this very thing, seeing that the cabin in the air was vi y é impregnable; but there were other phases of this business—not necessary to be mentioned here—which wore an inexplicable look to the hunter, old and experienced as he was. However, he concluded to leave their develop- ment to the future, “If Ican make sartin that thar’s 1 chance to run the gal up the cabin, p’raps Persimmons Nee nnn nnn nn nnn ncne emma sameness LLL LLL LLL LL LL LDL LLL lll, Old Zip’s Cabin. too, I'll do it—but if any thing looks shady-like, Pll keep out of this ravine, if we’ve got to run all the way to Saint Paul to get out the way of the varmints.” The reader will understand that although Zip’s present home was not to be equaled by any similar contrivance in the world, yet the man- ner of reaching and leaving it, was perilous in the extreme, as a man going up and down the rope was the best target that a lurking foe could wish. Indeed, Peggy Smith had seen three men, at different times, picked off in this manner—and once her own husband was wounded by an In- dian, of whose presence on a distant rock he was well aware, and who, he did not believe, could ibly reach him while so far away. Perha it was a chance shot, but such as it was, the hunter came desperately near losing his life. This couple, who were devotedly attached to each other, and who always lived in the great- est harmony, arranged a series of signals be- tween each other, by which it was almost im- possible for danger to exist undiscovered. The elevated position of the cabin gave its oc- cupant an extended view, while whoever was wishing to ascend the rope, first made a careful reconnoissance of the rocks upon the opposite side of the ravine. How, then, the reader will naturally ask, when both Zip and Peggy took up their abode in some other places, as they occasionally did, was it that they managed to leave the cabin at | the same time, and when once away, how did the first person manage to get up again, with the rope coiled up on the windlass, nigh a hun- dred feet beyond their reach? This was a question that many a person had asked, and yet had never received a satisfactory answer to. As the hunter and wife had been together in St. Paul and in Alden, and even had spent more than one night at the house of Hugh Fullerton, there can be no question that there existed a way of performing what seemed an almost impossible feat. Hugh himself, unable to get satisfaction from Zip, had watched nearly a whole day in the hope of discovering the mysterious means by which he bridged the chasm that to all others seemed eg | But neither he nor any one besides the couple themselves had learned the secret, and upon the whole, we think we will not tell it just yet promising the reader that it shall be explained in full to them before the last page is reached. We have said that Old Zip had arranged a system of signals with his wife, by which the could understand each other perfectly well, whether it was night or day. And now, as he sdiuanned stealthily along the ravine, his glance was constantly thrown up- ward, on the look-out for some token from his better half. His trained eye was enabled to locate his nest,” without difficulty, although the position of the moon was such that it was thrown entire- in shadow. But advancing nearer and nearer, he was soon enabled to discern its outlines. NE iy. was of the same seas age! pp along: lage val ing no sign or appearance of any living per- son te within the cabin. * = ‘*But Peggy is thar,” was the conviction of the hunter, and a conviction indeed that could not be shaken, She had extinguished the lights in the struc- ture after the departure of her friends, perha for the sake of greater safety—so that the dark- ness and stillness neither meant danger nor safety. Zip crept forward, like a panther stealing up- on his prey, not once looking up the rocks, but watching every side for his foes, whose presence he had good reason to fear, When he was almost directly beneath the cabin, he paused, and feeling around for a small stone, threw it iato the air, with such accuracy, that it struck the planking of the building with a dull thud, distinctly heard by himself. “That'll fetch her,” he concluded, stepping back in the shadow of the rocks, and watchi the buildingalone. “I never yet had to ram J at the door twice for the old woman.” Nor did he have todo so in the present in- stance. Scarce a minute elapsed after the strik- ing of the stone, when the glimmer of a light was seen within the cabin iu the air—and fixing his eye upon the nearest window, Zip pee se 4 aneriee to P paged mech point of life itse made by the candle, through the thin coveri that protected the window. — ‘‘ Now, she is going to speak,” concluded the aseees as he watched the point with admiring interest. tcmainine stationary a moment, it moved 13 around in a circle three times, then paused for an instant, and turned backward with precisely the same motion, except that it was reversed. “That means keep away from the cabin,” muttered the hunter; ‘‘they’ve got to be purty sharp to shut up Peggy’s eye.” If there could have been any doubt in the mind of Old Zip it was removed during the next five minutes, Standing still in the shadow of the rocks, he heard the report of a rifle from the top of the ag = - net gta Sage oe the same ee the jingle of g and the extinguishment of the light in the cabin, told very distinctly at what target the weapon had been aimed. . t’s a piece of tomfoolery,” was the com- ment of old Zip, ‘‘ fur all that varmint has done has been to break a eof glass and to snuff Peggy's candle. e had kept still, and staid out o sight, he might have got acrack at bigger game Such was the case beyond question, and the shot proved that the Sioux were in waiting and were holding the cabin in surveillance. Having received such indubitable proof of the presence of the sav whom they were seeking to avoid, Old Zip saw that he had nothing to do except toreturn and rejoin his friends, with the assurance that the time had not yet come for aan to make the entrance to their ‘“‘ nest” of ety. Hie return through the ravine was character- ized by almost as much care and stealth as his entrance; for should the hiding-place of his friends be discovered, they could annihilate them as well there as close in the vicinity of the cabin in the air. He found matters about as he had left them. Ned Hosmer and Helena sat by themselves, so engaged and interested in each other, that they scarcely noticed him when he came among them; while ‘‘Persimmons” was still pacing back and forth, with arms folded, like some legislator absorbed in affairs of state. e quickly explained the situation and added: “I don’t s’pose thar’s very much danger in staying here till morning, but it looks to me as though we shan’t be able to craw] into that cabin fur two or three days.” ‘It will hardly do to remain here,” said Hos- mer; ‘‘it seems to be a ag enough place at night, but won’t we be liable to discovery during the daytime, so close to the ravine, with the In- dians constantly passing back and forth and hovering near us? ‘*You're right, Ned,” replied the hunter. “Tm going tomake another reconnoissance in several hours, as I’ve a kind of belief that that ere rifle bullet was intended asa parting shot by the red-skin.’’ ‘**'You must be very careful that your recon- noissance is a thorough one,” said Ned, ‘‘for you can understand our situation.” ‘“‘ Never fear for me,” was the answer. ‘‘I’ve been in this business too long to pass for ‘ Per- simmons ’.” ‘‘TIn case it is impossible for us to enter the cabin to-night,” said Hosmer, ‘‘do you propose for us to remain here, until such a time as it shall be safe?” ‘No: if we’re outside at daylight, we’ve got to make a change of base, and we ain’t fur from the cavern.” ‘‘ Ah! if that’s the case, I don’t see why we mgs not go there at once. You know you took me through it last summer, and I consid- ered it as safe as that eagle’s nest of yours.” “But it ain’t, though, and you're likely at any time to get cotched there. If such a thing as a thousand Indians should come crawling in there, you couldn’t keep ’em_ out, while ten thousand conlea spare e cabin. Do you see the difference, Ned?” “I won’t dispute it with you,” he replied, with a ang. As Old Zip did not propose to move tai reg an hour or two, and as all were pretty tired, they took seats upon the ground, in the deepest of shadow, where they could converse in quiet. Their conversation is hardly worth the re- cord, and it had continued but a few minutes, when a new idea seemed to strike the hunter. ‘‘We orter have a sentinel here to keep watch, while the rest of us take a little rest.” “T am of that opinion,” instantly replied Hosmer, “‘and so make yourselves comfortable, while I—” He paused abruptly, as he felt the foot of Zip press ‘* As you staid back yar, when I needed yer, I don’t feel very much like trusting you ag’in. Persimmons is my man, so you set still, while he acts guard, till I’m ready to change places with him,” JOO jléom ( S CO