Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 70 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

aed —— seen to hold a rather ingeniously constructed ‘“‘chair bottom,” made by the crossing and in- terlineation of the rope itself. awe fy | go up first,” said Zip, ‘‘so as to help tote you up.” ! | Taking his seat, he began ascending, and in due time vanished through the dark, cavern-like opening in the base of the cabin. Instantly it came down again, and Mrs. Fullerton went up, followed by her husband, pee the rope was drawn in and the trap-door closed. There were now four human beings collected in the “cabin in the air,” and with far more wife of the hunter Zip, resembled him in man respects, being strong of limb, plain-featured, plain-spoken, and as courageous as a lion. This curious building contained four rooms, none of which, of course, were of any extensive dimensions, but they answered their purpose ad- mirably well. The “front room” or “‘parlor” was the most in use, as being the one in which Old Zip sat and smoked his pipe. while his wife worked at his elbow. Back of this was a smaller room, lit by asingle window, containing a cleverly-made and smoothly-working windlass, by which any one within could fish up a friend from the solid ground below. , in cases of emergency, could be used as a bedroom, which was the purpose of the two rooms overhead. to the best advan- Every thing was ede or tage, and yet three or four occupants by no crainped. The means could avoid being greatl furniture of the place consi of a few blan- kets and two solitary chairs, without any cook- ing utensils or an ee cae for kindling a fire; all of which, will understood, when I state that this was only a temporary home of Zip and Peggy, to which they repaired in cases of danger, and when the clouds were scattered, returned again to their coat 3X 9g some- where among the caverns and hills, and to which they were never known to invite any der hatle pains to k ly of dried t i i eep a supply o mea and water on hand, and it was plain that no matter who constructed and nded the cu- rious building, it was done with the purpose of offering shelter against the ferocious red-skins— just as it was doing on the present occasion. 4 greeted her visitors quite warmly, and made them as welcome as possible, Zip explain- ing, in a few words, the circumstances that had compelled this hasty visit. ‘* Hain’t you see’d nothin’ Peg?’ he asked. ‘*Haven’t any of the varmints been see’d yer- abouts?” ‘‘ No—nothing, only some little whippersnap- per stretched out on the ground down there who began shaking his handkerchief at me. I got so provoked that I was going just down to cuff his ears, when he got up and went off.” ‘‘ That was Persimmons,” exclaimed Zip; ‘‘ he ain’t fur off, you may be sartin.” “Do you e the Indians to follow us here?” uired Mr. Fullerton of the hunter. ery ikely, as they’ve done the same thing afore, and ve coherent fi out.” es And you feel no alarm ?” Smith indulged in a quiet grin before he re This thing has been through too much of that kind of business. If we run short of bul- lets, we can pick out enough lead in the planks to last us, and if they can get at us, all I’ve got to say yh let ’em get, and see what they can eo ‘* Suppose they should lay regular siege to us ‘* Let ’em siege.” The assurance with which the hunter spoke was not witbout its effect upon his listeners, who, knowing his a on the frontier, pinned no little faith to his utterances. “ft feel much pe hs by > Hugh. after a moment’s pause, “‘for I can not deur your superior inowlerige to mine—but it is hard for me to rid myself of a feeling of un- easiness. when I enter this nest on the face of the I have not examined the means by which it is held in place, but we are perched so high above the earth—that I do feel nervous— and e I shall—so long as I remain here.” he imperturbable Zip smiled in his huge way » Sayi **Pve t them com- a, wind, and snow, and hail was a-comin’ up this gulch most everlastingly —when every thing outside was as dark as a wolf’s mouth, and the your words,” said bad ten men crowded in yer at the same time—and on a dark night, when the | Old Zip’s Cabin. hail-stones rattled against the plank, like so many bullets.” “That would have been a purty time for all of us to have gone to everlasting smash wouldn’t it? eet some of them chaps did feel a little xrag" when this old thing he lersiny and forth, like the top of a pine in a hurri- cane.” ‘** How long ago was that?’ ‘*Full a dozen years, when thar wa’n’t a white man in these parts, ’cept them as come arter beaver-skins. Every mother’s son that I _had was a trapper, and I kept ’em thar fur two days and nights, with the red-skins howlin comfort than would be imagined. Peggy, the | be- low like a pack o’ prairie wolves, and a-blaz- ing away at us—while we peppered back ag’in.” ‘Did you lose any of your men?” ** Not a hair of thar head was hurt—and when the varmints got dis and left, we all come down ag’in and cleared out.” “ That certainly was afair test of your cab- ** Oh! she’s thar every time,” said the bunter, warming up with pride, at the remembrance of the past. M ny and many is the time that Peggy has hauled me up this ver rope, with the night as black as pitch a forty red imps yelping through the gulch or me. But didn’t the old woman everlastingly turn the coffee- mill, when I give her the sig? I tell yer she made things hum—she did.” “Has any attempt ever been made to fire it?” inquired Fullerton. Se less than a hundred: they’ve fired their blazing arrers into it, but I’ve laid back, smoked my pipe, and laughed.” ‘* But this wood has been so long exposed to the air, that it certainly must be seasoned so as to be combustible.” ‘“* So I s’pose—but the planks are too heavy and solid to take fire from any thing less than a pile of blazing brush; but you see, when they send an arrer into it, the weapon burns a min- ute or so, and then drops to the ground, and the little twist of fire out. Now, if they could drop a lot of brush on the roof, and make it stay there for an hour or so, they might do something—but that can’t be did, and so where are you?” ile this mentary conversation was go- ing on, Peggy, the wife of Old Zip, was lookin out the narrow window, with such an apparen ert as to attract the attention of her hus- nd. ‘** What is it, old woman? Do you see any thing of the varmints?’ ‘No; but there is somebody down in the ra- vine, that is tte. to attract our notice.” “ Look out fur jun devilments.” “Tt isn’t red-skin,” said Peg , without re- moving her gaze. Then she exc aimed, with a smile: ‘‘ Why, I thought I knew him; it is Ned Hosmer, sure enough.” Zip sprung to her side, and looked out. “Yes; it’s Ned, and he’s got some word to send us.” “Is Helena with him?’ asked Mrs, Fullerton, in no little excitement. ‘* I don’t see her,” replied the hunter; “but I s’pose he’s keeping her in the background till he can send us some word.” ‘** How will he do that?” “He has a bow and arrow; I'll raise the win- dow, and then he’ll send his message into the house, and save time.” vib young fried: waving ts laned ed & Fienal a oung friend, wa and as a that all was right, and then stepped back out of the way and waited. A moment later there was a whiz and thud, and an arrow was seen sticking in the planks on the opposite side of the room, with a bit of we fluttering from the head. th Zip Smith and his wife were able to read and write, and reaching up, the hunter drew the missile from the plank where it was sticking, untwisted the paper, and read it. As he did so, the eyes of the rest of the party n him, and they saw him e one who receives startling were fastened u flush and start, tidings. He held the paper for several minutes, look- ing steadily at the letters traced upon it, as if debating whether to make known their mean- ing. Finally he it over to his wife, with- out a word, as if he had decided to leave it to her better judgment. With a mother’s intuition, Mrs. Fullerton knew at once that the message concerned the fate of her only child, and she said, or rather entreated: ‘“*Tell me, Zip, what it is, T know it: she dead?’ ) It regards Helena; do not trifle with my feelings. Is He shook his head in the negative. ‘* Is she in the hands of the Sioux?’ The same answer was made to this. By this time, Peggy had read the note, and she interposed. ‘*It does concern Helena, and is enough to worry any mother. Listen while Lread it. It is addressed to Zip, and says: ‘Upon reaching Alden, I found that Helena had left there early this morning for home. I hastened back again, followed her trail, until she left the route and took to the woods, when I lost it. I vis- ited your house a short time ago, but found a party of Sioux just leaving it, with a young man—a stran- ger to me—as prisoner. They had not Helena with them, so I hope that she is securely sheltered with you. Let me know whether I am mpc not, 77 ED.”’ This was alarming news indeed, and occa- sioned the most painful apprehension upon the part of the parents. ‘**May I speak a few words with him?’ asked eo walking toward the window. “We'll fetch him up here,” replied Zip, ste ping into the rear apartment, jerking up the p-door, and letting the rope run down to the ground. By the time it was within reach, it was asp- ed by the young man, who was hastily awn upward, and the door again closed after him. Ned Hosmer was not a roving hunter, as the reader may prams from the references made to him, although he ragga ain himself upon his claim to that title. @® was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Saint Paul, but spent his vacation every summer in hunting through the upper portion of the State, visiting this section at other times, as opportunity ‘reve itself. All who knew him, unde that great as were the attractions of the chase, they were far by those of Helena Fullerton, whose bright eyes, rosy countenance, and musical voice, would have charmed the heart of any one of the sterner sex, and whose amiability of character made her one of the most loving of daughters and delightful companions. As Hosmer was ‘introduced into the anxious circle, gathered in the cabin in the air, he cour- teously saluted all, and looked about with no little curiosity. ‘Is she here?’ he asked in a whisper, looking inquiringly around, We do not know where she is,” replied the mother, in a sad tone; ‘‘ we supposed she was in Alden, where she would remain until this trou- ble was over.” ‘*So I hoped,” returned Hosmer; ‘but her friends said that she took a sudden resolution a2 to come home, and would not be dis- sua ‘*Do you think she knew of this danger?” in- quired her father. ‘‘ All knew of the impending outbreak amon the Sioux, but her friends did not know tha the danger was so close at hand. ink, how- ever, that she learned it, by some means or other, and it was her anxiety on account of her parents that hastened her return.” “‘T have no doubt that such was the case,” said Mrs. Fullerton, placing her apron to her eyes and giving way to her sorrow; ‘‘ to warn us of peril, she has risked her own life.” “But where can she be at this moment?” asked the father, pursuing the subject with an eager intensity that was almost painful to the others. “That is hard to tell; had I known where to find her, you may be assured that I would not have been here.” ‘“‘T think she is hiding in the woods some- where,” said Zip; ‘that ’ere gal is a sharp ’un, and she hain’t gone blind, but kept her eyes about her. She has found there was a rumpus up afore she got to the house, and has steered clear of it. e is only waiting to see whether her father and mother are in the hands of the varmints, and fas long as she is unsartin abot it, shell do_the best to keep out of the way, but if she should become convinced that the Sioux hed ’em, she’d go right en em and give her- self up. That's that gal, you kin bet.” “Yes,” said the mother, rallying for the mo- ment; “that is just what our darling will do, but what will become of her, alone in the woods? She has already been there for hours, and how can she keep out of their hands?’ “She ain’t in the best place she could be in world, that’s sartin,” said Zip, as if speaking to himself; ‘‘and it won’t do to leave the gal to take care of herself; so, Ned, you and me, I think, will have to make a hunt for her.” ‘‘ My wish exactly, and let us be off at once.” ‘‘ First, we'll take a look to see if the coast is clear, as the sailors say.” Gomicbooks G (E(o)