Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 756 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

a) —_ ” —— ~~ f ow : ) - / hp! F x x sin ‘e Dashing’ Charlie’s Destiny. **T got ther braves ter hide ther raft, thinkin’ it might come in use some day, and now it’s jist what we needs.” ‘‘Sure: but how is yer ter git it?” ‘‘Thar is a bar puts down below the island, and we kin go along that to ther hidin’-place of ther raft, git aboard and sail down ther stream so slick; them as follows us won’t know how we got away.” ‘*]1’m with yer, pard,” was the eager answer of Bricktop, and they rode into the stream, Buck Baldwin leading the way, But as their spirits arose at their chance of throwing all pursuit off their trail, Dashing Charlie’s went down, for he began to realize that when tracked to the river, as he knew that pur- suit would follow his absence, even Girard, the guide, and Pawnee Pete could not discover where the trail of his kidnappers left the stream, and the presence of a raft hidden among “the willows they would never suspect, he was cer- tain. That he made a brave beginning the reader has already seen, as he shot one of the men, and would have gotten the drop upon the other had | he been a little further off from him, out of | reach of hisaim, — But Buck Baldwin dealt him a blow that fell- | | | ed bim from the saddle, and, with the agility of | a cat, sprung upon him. | Half-dazed by the blow, Charlie could offer but very slight resistance, and soon realized that he was bound securely, his hands being tied be- hind bim. Then Buck Baldwin raised him to his saddle, made the lariat of Charlie’s horse fast to bis own, and, turning to his wounded comrade, said: | ‘‘ We has got him dead ter rights, Bricktop, | and if you hain’t badly hurted, we will be all right.” cg Well, I thought he had kilt me at first, but I cvuess it hain’t so bad arter all, though the bullet did tear ther flesh up considerable, ‘‘ Jest see what yer kin do to help me, and then we'll be goin’on our way, as they might come ter look fer ther boy from ther train.” Buck Baldwin examined the wound his com- rade had received at Charlie’s hands, the boy CHAPTER X, THE VOYAGERS. THE two kidnappers and their prisoner rode into the stream, Buck Baldwin leading, Leaviog the direct ford across, they held on to the willow island, This had originally been a sand-bar, which had caught driftwood, then soil, and was form- ing into what would become in time firm land, t bad a few scattering willows growing upon it, and from either bank appeared to be wholly under water, which was not, however, the case. Baldwin led the way to the lower point of the island, the horses being breast deep at times, and now and then having to swim. ** Does I?” He skirted the edge of the island and came to **- Yes, you do, for I have never harmed yoy, | a clump of willows, where, as he had said, was and you have no right to capture me as you | a raft of logs. have.” . * It was some twenty feet long by twelve in ‘¢ Well, we knows our biz, and we has done it. | depth, and had been pinned together by cross- *“We has got you dead ter rights, and you } logs, and securely bound at the corners with goes with us.” leatber reins, lariats, and other things which the looking] quietly on, while Bricktop kept say- ing: ‘‘ Go slow, pard, go slow, for it’s a bad one.” The bullet bad cut its way, or rather tore its way, through the shoulder, making an ugly wound, but not breaking the bone. It had passed out, and as the bone was not in- jured, Bricktop seemed quite jubilant, and said: ‘‘ Yer meant well, leetle man, but yer didn’t quite make ther riffle.” ‘*T wish it had killed you, for you deserve it,” ‘was Charlie’s prompt response, “ Where?” troopers could spare for the purpose, ‘Tt will hold the three horses and us easy,” with us.” said Bricktop. ‘““Tf my uncle and the men don’t overtake ‘*Oh yes, for it held the whole gang o’ troop- you.” ersand their horses: but we mus’n’t ride out o’ | : ** We has not yet decided whar, but yer goes ther water in case them fellers comes arter us here, for if they seen our tracks here it would give it away that we hed a boat.” ‘*How will we git ther horses onter ther ‘*That’s a reminder we had better light out, so we'll take the hint. “Come, Buck, we must be a-gittin’, for ther boy knows what ter expect, and we does too ef the folks from ther train catches us,” thing?” They were now ready for the retreat, and | Wekin doit easy, and this kid hev got ter Buck Baldwin’ led the way, Dashing Charlie’s | help. horse in lead and following. ‘“Ef he makes a break ter git away he’ll die, Brioging up the rear was Bricktop, growling | sart’in‘as lead will kill. with pain from his wound, and threatening ‘Il not help you in the slightest way, so put Charlie with all sorts of evils. that in your pipe and smoke it,” said Charlie, At length they reached the river and here | bluntly. they halted. ** Waal yer will, or [ll make yer,” “Say, pard, we’d better throw ’em off here.” ‘‘T do not fear your killing me, for you did ‘Throw what off, Baldwin?” asked Bricktop. | not capture me to do that, and you cannot drive ‘‘Them as will come from the train arter us.” | me against my will.” “ Yer think they will?” ‘Don’t fight with ther kid, Buck, for we is Don’t yer know Cap’n Emmett hain’t ther | losin’ time, and yer fergits thet Cap’n Emmett man not ter hunt for ther boy.” hev got Girard as guide and thet Injun Pawnee ‘Well, bow kin we throw ’em off the scent?” | Pete too, and they hain’t ter be fooled with, so ‘** 1'll tell yer, for J guesses I is about the only | jet us git away frum here,” man as knows ther racket.” ‘* All right, Bricktop, we'll do it, for you is ‘* What racket?” right. ‘Does yer see thet sandbar yonder?” and ‘* Now, sonny, as yer won’t help us we'll fix yer Buck Baldwin pointed to a small willow island | so yer can’t help yerself,” and Buck Baldwin at growing up the stream. once bound Charlie’s feet together also and laid SV OS,!” him upon the raft. There were two long poles on the raft, and they were to be used in guiding it down the stream, The horses were then forced to jump upon it and were securely hoppled and tied together, after which the two men poled out of the little basin, not having touched foot on the land to leave a track. Once free of the willows the raft} was caught by the current and borne swiftly down the stream, The horses had been blindfolded, to prevent their being frightened, and were then unhoppled, so as to be able to swim if a wreck occurred. But Charlie was left bound bands and feet, and could not but feel that he would be the sufferer if plunged into the river. But he would not beg for his release, and so sat up on the raft, really evjoying the strangely exciting and novel voyage. With his wounded shoulder Bricktop could not be of much service with a pole, so stood for- ward to watch for breakers abead, while Buck Baldwin baving made the long pole fast to the rear of the raft, used it to steer by. Down the stream the yoyagers went, at times gaining a speed that was alarming, where there ‘‘ Well, in among them willows thar is a raft o’ logs that will hold our three horses and our- selves easy.” ‘* Yor don’t mean it, pard?” 1 does.” ‘* How did it git thar?” ‘“Yer see buffalo Bill were a-guidin’ some cavalry through the country, and they got cor- raled by Sioux about six miles above here. ‘*They was only ten in number, and thar was a hundred or more Injuns who was a-goin’ ter git ther sogers’ scalps, they concluded, ‘‘But darned ef Buffalo Bill didn’t set ther men ter work with a couple 0’ axes they hed along and made a couple o’rafts thet would bold ’em all, horses ter boot.” ’ “ He did fer a fact, and they jist got onter ther rafts at night and floated down ther river while the Sioux was a-preparin’ ter wipe ’em ut, ‘They landed about here with one of ther rafts, and t/other ran upon thet willow island, and got canght, so they had ter swim ashore, ‘*] was with the Sioux and we found ’em gone and the next day ther secret come out of how they levanted. rrr TTT TT rT , I. et ebr¥4Ay ~~ s , \ me ; “nal - ah, ni » “ _ 7 - ail i P ov e , ee - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | was a shoal, and causing Bricktop to say, as the raft undulated so as to make the horses very unsteady: ‘““Great goodness! how she wobbles, Pard | Buck.” ‘Yas, it hain’t jist pleasant sailin’: but ef ther sogers with Buffalo Bill c’u’d stand it I guesses we kin,” ‘* Yas, I guesses so; but how far down ther river be you goin’? : ‘*Some thirty mile or more, I’m thinkin’, fer if hain’t takin’ us outo’ our way, and Cap’n Emmett will bev the river banks s’arched for inany a mile up and down, ter see whar our trail leaves ther water.” ‘** Yer is correct, for he will doit; but if they follows our trail they has got ter swim fer it.” ** Yas, thet are so: but we will hold on until night, and then tie up, for we will be some fiftesn mile down ther river at sunset, and I hev no idee o’ running this river in the dark.” ** Nor me, pard,” ‘“*Tbhar is a shoal below thet forms rapids, but jist whar I doesn’t know, yet I don’t want ter git inter ’em without knowin’ jist whar we is ter come out.” ‘You bet that’s so,” for we wants ter know the end afore we gits there.” ‘* Pll tell you what the end will be,” spoke up Charlie, who was watching the scenery and en- joying the situation in spite of bis being a prisoner, , ** What will be ther end, kid?” growled Brick- op. ‘* The rope end for both of you,” and Charlie laugbed, while his captors swore at bim, not relisbing the joke at their expense. CHAPTER XI. THE RAPIDS. In spite of their watchfulness, and dread of running into the rapids by night, just that did happen to the kidnappers. The sun was near the borizon, and Buck Bald- win had just said to bis comrade that it would be well to look out for a camping-place, when they swept around a bend in the river, and the rapids were in full view, not balf a mile below them, Baldwin uttered a cry of alarm, and called to Bricktop to come quickly to his aid. The latter responded promptly, and they tried to turn the craft shoreward, but in vain. The water there was very deep, and the pole would not touch bottom, while it was too slender to do much service as a rudder, In vain they strove, for the raft would not go toward one shore or the other, and its speed con- stantly increased as it neared the rapids, The latter were visible plainly now, bere and there rocks rising above the waters, and all a mass of foam. ‘*Great Lord! Pard, we can’t never make it!” cried Bricktop in alarm. ** It do look dubious, but, exceptin’ whar ther leetle rock islands be, they “re ther stream is deep, so we kin git through, | hopes and guess- es,” answered Bald win. ‘* Don’t you think you should unbind me so I can save myself if we do strike, and the raft goes to pieces?” asked Dashing Charlie, calmly. ‘“No, for we both swims well, and. kin save yer, and we don’t intend ter give yer no chance ter git away,” Baldwin answered. ‘‘ No, we doesn’t, you bet! for I hain’t fergot this wound yer give me,” growled Bricktop. ‘All right; if I drown, you go with me, and that will be some satisfaction,” was Charlie’s cool remark, though his heart almost sunk with- in him at the threatened danger. There seemed an almost certainty of death for the brave boy, and never in his life before had it seemed so near to bim, His memory flew back over his past life, the ones so dear to him in his Kentucky home, and a & moment he bitterly regretted having left ere, The sun had disappeared now, and the banks were high and heavily timbered, causing the river to be cast in shadow, The rapids were Just ahead, their roar reach- ing the ears of the voyagers upon the raft, and cansing the horses to become very uneasy. By giant efforts with the poles the two men were gradually nearing the right bank, but it seemed very doubtful whether they would reach it or not. ‘* Will you please let me go?” asked Charlie as he saw the increasing danger. ‘No, for if we strikes, we saves you,” ‘But will you not need all your strength to save yourselves?” “No, we'll git ashore, and you too,” r Poe 4 %4 * ’ b 4 ° . Tee re ae 2 : . 4 _ FF | é _ | i ’ » aN a ~ 4 - ——_