Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 756 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 It was a family party gathered there in the sitting-reom, to see what the mail had brought of news for them, and much anxiety had been felt.of late in that same circle to receive letters from the Wild West, as two dear to them were exposed to the dangers of borderland. One of them was a skilled frontiersman, Cap- tain Emmett, a fur-trader and pioneer into the unknown wilderness of the border, He bad lately visited his kinsfolk in their old home, and soon after his departure the young hopeful of the family, Charlie Emmett, just in his teens, bad disappeared, lt is true that he had considered himself wrongly punished by the teacher of the country school, for where he had offered himself as a sacrifice, to be whipped instead of a crippled comrade, both had been punisbed, and Charlie had “ gotten even,” by aw joke upon the master soon afterward. To escape further punishment he bad run away frou: home, and all search for him had proven unavailing, and the greatest anxiety was felt regarding him until a letter came from St, Louis stating that he bad struck out for himself in life, and was following upon his ancle’s trail toward the Wild West. Weeks went by, and then came this letter from the uncle.. It was dated upon the march into the wilds west of the Missouri, and had been sent back by a trapper they had met on their way, to be mailed in Omaha, The letter was as follows: ‘**OF course Charlie’s letter from St. Louis, told you of his reasons for leaving home; but let me tell you that I have drawn from him his whole'story, and I wish to say right here the boy is a hero, a | wonder for his years. “That you would track him knew, so he went to St. Louis instead, riding by night, sleeping by day, to avoid meeting any one. * Arriving in St. Louis he found I had left, so he sold the fine horse I had given him, bought a com- plete prairie outfit, paid his way on the steamboat and started for Omaha. “Thad left with my wagon-train before his ar- rival; but this did not daunt him in the least, for he hired a guide to follow my trail, bought a splen- did pony. and started on to overtake me, “The guide was a traitor, and let a pard into his intention of robbing the boy, believing he had a large amount of money. ‘His pard was to follow on their trail, and at night they were to kill Charlie “That was their game, and yet, boy though he was, he outwitted them, kllea one of the men, wounded the other, made him a prisoner and came on alone on the trail of my wezon-train. * They were chased by Indiaus, but Charlie would not set his prisoner frec, and balting at a river to fire upon the pursuing red-skins, was deserted by the man, who rode on with the horses after the train, **Of course he supposed Charlie would be taken and killed. ‘*But the brave boy hid, the red-skins went on after the trail of the horses, and as the prisoner came into our camp and told the crooked story, I set out with a party of my men on the tack track. ‘*We defeated the Indians after a hot fight, and — Charlie at bay ona hilltop, fighting for his ife. ‘It is needless to say that I was proud of the boy, and the men named him * Dashing Charlie,’ and ‘The Boy Scalper,’ names that will cling to him to his dying day. for he had not only killed his man, but his red-skios, too. ‘*Upon our return to camp we tried Limber Joe, the traitor guide, and of course border justice was visited upon him with promptness and dispatch. * We have welcomed Charlie as one of us# and he goes with me into the wilderness, exposed of course to greatest dangers, yet hopeful that all will come well in the end, “T know not whenTean write again; but do not fret about us, for Charlie can take care of himself, and I can do as much for myself.” Such was the letter from borderland, and it told of a boy then far away from home exposed to dangers that were enough to make the stout- est heart quail, CHAPTER ILI. THE KIDNAPPERS, Two men were enca:nped in the outskirts of Omaba, at a time wheaoa that now bandsome and prosperous city was a mere frontier post, made up of the army, settlers, traders, Indians and the worst characters to be found upon the border, from the Canada line to Mexico, The men procured an old army tent, a few cooking utensils, blankets and a few other things readily movable, Two horses were staked out near, and good animals they were, while their saddles and bri- dles hung on trees growing upon the banks of a small stream where the men had pitched their tent. The appearance of the individuals in question to Louisville he | | | | | | | Dashing Charlie’s Destiny. was not indicative of honesty and goodness of purpose, They were rough-looking, unkempt fellows, types of the worse class of bordermen, appa- rently ready for any deviltry that might bring gold to their hands. They had finished their supper, and having lighted their pipes were seated in silence, ap- parently busy with their meditations, ‘‘See here, Bricktop,” said one, suddenly breaking the silence, and addressing his com- panion by the name which bis fiery red hair had gotten for him: ‘* We has been pards a long time, and we knows pretty well what weis, and is not, and works for one another’s interest, don’t we?” ** We does, Buck Baldwin, we does,” ** Well, now I tells you I wants you to go ia with me in this little game.” **Tt’s a boy, Buck, or I’d say yes at once.” ‘It’s a boy, yes, and the pephew o’ Cap’n Emmett, whom we both has come to hate, as you know,” ‘* Yes, he hain’t a man I loves,” ‘* Well, be bas gone off on this fur-trading trip, and the boy, as you heard him say, was to follow and overtake him,” és Yes,” ‘** Limber Joe goes as his guide, and you know what he is,” "2 do.” ** And if Barney don’t go with ’em he’ll follow, mark my words, for Limber Joe and him never parts far or long.” ‘* That’s so,” ‘* My idea is that Limber Joe knows that the boy carries lots o’ money, and he’ll just snake it in,” ‘* Killing the boy.” ‘* Maybe, and maybe not; but he and Barney will get the gold and the boy’s outfit, mark my words, ‘* Now we can follow on their trail, and they won’t suspect nothing, so we can just rope them in and save the boy,” ** Save him?” “Yes; we kin kidnap him, take him up to the Sioux village, and then go on after the train of Cap’n Emmett and tell bim how Limber Joe turned traitor guide to his nephew, and we rescued him from them and carried him to the Sioux village, where he will be safe until bis re- turn, ‘*He knows you and me is about the only white men the Sioux is friendly with and won’t kill at sigbt, and so the boy will be safe with us amoung them, and when be comes back with bis train we can meet him on their trail and give him up to him,” **I see, Buck, but he'll ask why we didn’t bring the boy right on with us after his train.” ** We'll tell bim the Sicux would not let us do that, and want pay for the boy, you see, ‘* Then when they comes back with the train we'll be on band with a band of Sioux and am- bush ’em, wiping all out and getting the fortune of furs they will bave along. ‘** Does yer see my game, pard?” ‘**T does; but s’pose thet Limber Joe hev kilt ther boy?” ‘We'll jist git his outfit and theirs for our- selves, for we’ll wipe Joe and Barney out, and then we can goon after the train and tell ther same tale, for the boy wouldn’t be alive to carry out our little game, though if he is, after we have gotten the fur train, we can let ther folks at home know about this boy and get a reward for rescuing him. ‘*Now is youin this game with me, Brick- top?” ‘“*T is, Pard Buck,” “Well, Limber Joe and the boy started this morning to Overtake the train, and Barney left about noon,” ‘* You knows this?” ‘** T does; for I has had my eyes wide open,” “Then we starts at dawn, Buck, and plays yer game out to ther finish,” said Bricktop, earnestly, for he had been won over by the hope of we which the plot of Buck Baldwin had in- spired. "And so the two precious villains, plotting to kill for gold and to kidnap Charlie Emmett, the boy hero who had come from away down in Kentucky, and was following on the trail of bis uncle into the wilds of the border, set to work to arrange for an early start upon the track of their victim, ARSE CHAPTER III. WHAT THE TRAIL REVEALED, *ParpD, I read it all,” said Buck Baldwin, the second evening following the start upon the trail of Charlie Emmett and his guide, ‘Yer reads it thet thar has been somebody kilt right here?” ‘* Yas, fer thet grave says so.” ‘*Graves talk,” was the laconic response, and the two stood gazing down upon a new-made mound that couid not be mistaken as other than the last resting-place of a human being, They bad turned off the broad trail left by the wagons of the fur-traders, and were standing in what had been the first camp of Charlie Em- mett and bis guide, ‘“‘ Well, what does yer read, Buck?” asked Bricktop. ‘‘T reads that ther boy is in thet grave, and that Limber Joe and Barney heving kilt him, has dusted fer other parts.” ‘* It do seem so,” ** Sure, and we will follow their trail the first thing come morning?” ‘* That’s our go,” ‘** And we'll rope’emin and git all they got from ther boy and has themselves.” sé Yes,” ‘* And that means three horses, weapons for three and et ceteras and so forth, not to speak of the dust,” ** You is right. ** And then?” ‘We kin leave our belongings somewhar, corral our horses and go on arter ther train ter say what we intends ter about ther boy,” ‘* Yes; but, pard?” ** Well?” ‘** Let us just see who be in thet grave,” ‘* Why does yer want ter distarb a grave?” ‘‘T want to know who occupies it, that is all,” ‘“T never distarbs a grave, though I does make ’em,” “Pll see who it covers,” was the remark of Bricktop, and he set to work to throw out the earth from the grave. It was a tedious task, but at last it was ac- complished; wood was thrown upon the fire and by the brightening blaze tke form resting in tke last long sleep of death was reached. ‘‘Pard Bricktop, it are Barney,” cried Buck Baldwin, ** Sure.” ‘* And he was shot.” ‘¢ There is the wound tbat kilt him.” * What does if mean?” ' ‘*Tt means that Limber Joe wanted all for himself and so kilt his pard.” ‘* Maybe the boy kilt him.” ** And if so?’ ‘* We must find out what followed, for we is on this trail to win.” The grave was filled in again, supper was gotten and disposed of, the fire went down and the two men went to sleep, At daybreak they were up and the trail of those whom they were tracking was at once taken up. They were excellent trailers and tracked their intended victim from the camp to the trail, then to another wg ‘* Here was where Barney camped, and alone, ‘*T told you he was a-trackin’ Limber Joe to be on hand when wanted,” said Baldwin, ‘* Well, be were there, and will stay there,” ‘*Sure: but now tbe frail leads on after the wagon train, you sees,” ** So it does,” ‘* And alovg they went at arapid pace until they came to wherea large trail led into the one they were following. ‘* Indians,” ‘*Sure, Bricktop,” ** And Limber Joe and the boy were a-bustling here, as the tracks shows.” ** Yes, the three horses were put to it, who- ever was a-riding ’em.” Soon they went until tieycame toa deep, swiftly-flowing stream, with high banks on the other shore, ‘* Brick top.” ** Yes, Buck.” “They halted over on the bigh hill yonder and held the red-skins off,” ‘* Yes, the signs show it.” ‘But the reds crossed and the others had to light out.” ‘* We'll soon know itall,” was the response aud they too crossed the river. Arriving upon the other shore, and a recon- noissance showing that there was no foe near, they separated and began to “ read signs,” as it were, After an hour they met again at the spot where they had staked out their horses, ‘* Well, Bricktop?” | ‘* There has been a big fight here,” “Ves, atween ther red-skins and Limber Joe.” ** More than bim.” o a mes _* \ A rn a gn Raggy ee = . —~ i ee — — ae 5 - ' ‘ ",, * zs . 4 ) = ~~ 2 A | 7 vy —