Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 756 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

f . + - - * is te 2. ‘ : , ote, am, { vO ade “ re ‘ = rad roe 6 Dashing Charlie’s Destiny. Charlie said no more, but tugged hard at the bonds about his wrists, He saw that darkness was settling fast, the rapids were right ahead, the bank some sixty yards away, and the raft seemed doomed. Af last, to his joy, his right hand slipped free of the bonds, though his left was yet secure and bound to his feet, At the same instant there came a warning by the ropes, and be congratulated himself upon having accomplished this much. He saw that the raft was gradually breaking up, for the action of the water tore off log after log, which went dashing on down the current. Thar the two kidnappers had escaped Charlie discerned when be saw a fire flare up in the tim- ber on the right hand of the river, He had hoped that they at least bad been lost, cry from Buck Baldwin, and both men work:d | and was disappointed at the sight he beheld, hard with the poles, But in vain, for they could not steer the raft clear of a rock just abead, and going like a race- horse it was dashed bard upon it, There was a terrific shock, a crashing of logs, and the men and horses were plunged into the sy harlie, in his helpless state, had seized upon a log with his one free hand, and felt it hold fast. He had been forward upon the raft, and this end had been driven far up on the ragged rock that had wrecked them, A part of the raft bad thus bung there, while the Caner torn apart, bad swept on down the rapids. he horses had been freed of their blindfolds also, and were hurled into the swift current be- yond the rocks, when they instinctively struck out for the shore near by. To one of thern had Bricktop clung, and aid- ing himseif all he could he was thus drawn ashore, while Buck Baldwin, a splendid swimmer, also reached the bank, He saw in the gathering gloom the three horses and ran up the bank toward them, ‘** Hello, Bricktop, you are safe?” ** Yes; out where is the boy?” **Drowned sure, for he was bound band and foot.” **Cuss it! that’s too bad, hain’t it?” “{tis; but it were done so sudden, I c’u’dn’t git. to him, and had all I c’u’d do to save my- self, ‘‘But we is safe and so is ther critters, and now ter see ef ther matches is dry, and we kin build a fire, fer we must camp right here fer ther night.” ‘*'You bet we must, pard,” was the answer, and as the matches, wrapped in rubber, were found to be all right, a fire was soon kindled and the wet saddles, traps and clothing spread out a.ound it to dry. CHAPTER XII, A NIGHT OF HORROR, WHEN Dashing Charlie was thrown forward upon the raft, the shock was a severe one, and the spray dashed over him in huge waves, He grasped a log with his only free hand, and held on for life. What became of the others in the blinding spray and darkness he could not see, and he gave himself up for lost. Yet still he clung on like grim death, while the logs surged and tossed wildly about, threatening to break away from the rock and dash on down the rapids, But the bow of the raft had driven on with ' | | | | Se Le ee Se | There glimmered a cheerful camp-fire, and its light revealed the two men hanging out their things to dry, while they were near the warmth which the chilled boy so much needed. Tbe camp-fire showed also that the men had unsaddled their horses and staked them out, and Charlie discerned his own animal among them, Then supper was cooked, and now and then the wind wafted a sniff of broiling bacon and boiling coffee to the nostrils of the hungry boy, who muttered in a tone of almost despair: ‘‘T am starving to death, I do believe.” For a moment hunger made Charlie forget his great peril; but as another large part of the raft went whirling away be was recalled to his dangerous situation most vividly. ‘* ff I only had my other arm free, and could get this rope off my leg, I would swim as best I could to the shore, capture their horses and make for the train, ‘* But this rope holds me like iron,” and be tugged in vain at the rope about his waist, to whizh his left band was too securely bound to free, It would have been a hard swim for the boy, but as the horses and the kidnappers had made the shore, he did not doubt but that he could, Of course if he did not get bis arm free he would not dare attempt the swim, and in the morning the men would discover him there, and he would be again a prisoner, But in this there was a chance for life, while to remain on the rock, bound as he was, should they go away and leave him, supposing that he was drowned, would be his certain death, he knew, ‘* If I only dared risk going on the rest of the raft. ‘* But then it might strike on rocks below, and toat would end me. ‘*What tu doI do not know,” and the brave boy felt despair clutcbing at his heart, True he had it in nis power to call to the men, should they attempt to depart before dawn, and they might rescue him. But what would follow the rescue? That question he could not answer. Thus the night of horror wore away, until at last the faint glimmer of dawn was visible in the east, and the watching, waiting boy saw one of his foes arise from his blankets and throw wood upon the camp-fire, which had al- most burned out, oF AS CHAPTER XIII. A SECRET. THE kidnappers were too glad at their escape from death, to grumble at the discomforts they had to suffer. Their blankets were wet, their provisions also, such force as to hold fast, though half of the | and they had been drenched to the skin, aft part had been torn away, and logs were breaking loose each moment from what re- mained, As soon as he could do so, Charlie managed to work his way further up on thelogs, and at last reacbed the top of the rock, The spray broke over it in torrents, the waters being checked momentarily by the logs, But the rock was some five feet above the cur- rent, and though only a few feet in size, it yet was a shelter from death, though one to afford no protection from the elements, Drenched to the skin, and with darkness around him, the waters surging about him and the spray almost blinding his eyes as it dasbed into his face, the position of the boy was one of greatest peril and horror, He bad eaten nothing since early morning, and his bound hands and feet pained him great- At last he got into a position where he could endeavor to use his right hand in freeing bis left, without danger of being washsd off of the ars which he had to guard against continu- ally. ut the bonds had become so wet he could not untie the knots about bis wrist, and so he tried those upon his ankles, in this, after a long while, he was more suc- cessful, for he managed to free one Jeg of the bonds, and he was so worn out with the effort that he left the rope dangling about the other, Still his feet were free, if one was hampered | | j rye -a@ = But they built a Jarge fire, hung everything before it to dry, cooked supper, and then sat down to smoke and discuss the situation, having dried their tobacco in the fryingpan before get- ting anything to eat. ‘* Pard, I hates ter lose thet kid,” at last said Buck Baldwin, starting the conversation by reference to tbe young prisoner, whom he sup- posed to be at the bottom of the river. ‘““ Yas, it’s bad, but it kinder makes my wound feel better ter feel he went down as he did, tied band and foot, ‘“T tell yer, Buck, he give me a very close call,” ‘Tt are true, Bricktop, thet he did; buf let me teil yer thet we has missed more than you knows,” ** How does yer mean?” ‘‘ Waal, I might as well tell yer ther truth, you bas ter know, I guesses, so as ter help me out in ther game,” ‘* What game?” ‘‘Kin yer keep yer mouth shut when need be?” ‘** Hasn’t I shown it, pard?”’ ‘* Yes, ’cepting when you is drinkin’, and then yer knows it all; but as there hain’t no licker here, and no chance ter gitany, I'll tell yera secret,” ‘* What does yer know?” ‘¢- You knows how avpxious | was ter git a hold on ther boy?” ‘*Cap’n Emmett’s nephew as was drowned ter-nigbt?” a « | v4 ‘§ ‘*Of course.” ‘“* Well, what is yer shooving crooked at now?” ‘* What does yer mean?” ‘* Why don’t yer out with it?” ‘*'You see, pard, it are jist this, thet 1 were most anxious ter git ther boy ecause it were for what he was worth,” ‘Yer told me that afore, and he wasn’t so rich arter all.” ‘* No, but his uncle is.” “Ther cap’n?” a ‘*And he’ll keep what he’s got,” 7) No,” “Why not?” ‘* Because we'll make him divvy.” ‘* How so?” ‘* Yer must understand ther cap’n has a secrets and one thet hain’t much use ter him new.” ‘** What is it?” ‘* He knows whar there is a gold mine,” ‘Yer don’t say so?” ‘* Weal, be does; but as it are right in ther heart o’ ther Injun country he c’u’d’nt git to it without a regiment o’ soldiers at bis back,” 46 I see,” ‘Yer remembers Nick Nye?” ** T does,” ‘* Well, we all know’d thet he had struck it rich,’ ‘* We thought as how he had.” ‘*T know’d it, for Nick told me so,” ‘“‘ Did he tell yer wbar ther dust was?” ‘*No, but I was a-goin’ in pards with him when he come back from Omaha, whar he went ter get a outfit and got inter a row thet cost him his life.” **So I remembers, and he died without tell- ing anyboly whar his find was.” ** No he didn’t.” ** How does yer know?” “I knows that when they jumped’ onter him in Omaha, Cap’n Emmett chipped in and tuck his part, and beat off the gang, ‘* But Nick hed got his death wound and he was took to ther cap’n’s: camp, whar he lived for a week, ‘* Now he were most thankful to the cap’n for chipping in ter save hitn, and for nussin’ bim jist like a brother, and be asked bim ter send word home to his folks. ‘This the cap’n did, for he went East soon arter, and jist come back a short while before he started for this fur-tradin’ expedition.” ‘* And is yer sart’in Nick told him about ther mine?” ‘* Now, pard, Nick were in his mind up to ther last, and were thankful fer all thet Cap’n Em- mett bed done fer bim, so you bet he told him all about it, whar it were located, and jist how ter git thar. ‘*] for one knows thet he were a-askin’ about raisin’ a comp’ny ter go inter ther Injin coun- try, when he come back from fur-tradin’ this trip, and found men wouldn’t go unless he took several hundred along, and he said thet was too many for ther profits, ‘* Now whar was he intendin’ ter go, except thar to Nick Nye’s mine?’ ‘Tt do look thet way, pard.” ‘*It are thet way, and my idee was ter git hold of ther boy and put him ag’in’ ther secret Cap’n Emmett holds,” ** How so?” “ Jist tell him ter give us ther secret, fer we kin go among ther Sioux, and accept a share from us in return for givin’ hitn up ther boy.” ‘* But ef he refused!’ “Why we c’u’d kill the boy, or raise him among the Injuns.” ‘¢ And now we has lost him,” ‘*Yes, but ther cap’n are alive, and we kin kidnap him and force ther secret from him,” ‘* Pard, yer is a dandy,” was the energatic response of Bricktop, at this proposition of his companion. CHAPTER XIV. A NOVEL CHASE, Buck BALDWIN seemed pleased with the com- pliment of bis friend, in his remark that he was a dandy. ' He smiled blandly, with an expression that seemed to show that he was aware of possessing the virtue of being ‘‘a dandy,” whatever that meant, and remarked: ‘Well, I hain’t slow, Pard Bricktop, and I we things without spectacles, now you can et.” ** And yer sees ther chance o’ ropin’ in Cap'n Emmett, now we has lost ther kid?” “Yas, and holdin’ him until he gives us ther i: ~ e u - % ‘ 4 | } ( » Se + | ) EE EN