Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 756 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

But, he could not thus interfere with the plans of the others, and felt compelled to go on. Every man in the train felt for him, and then too all of them had become greatly attached to the brave lad, and were anxious to save bim if they could, But the trail had been lost, and by Girard the guide, and Pawnee Pete, and the delay and search had ‘resulted in no discovery regarding Charlie’s fate, so they had to push on with the train. All along the way the men saw that Captain Emmett was sorely troubled. His thoughts were constantly with the boy won- deri ing over his unknown fate, and plotting just how he could rescue bim, if alive, and if dead find his destroyers and avenge him. ‘“T will raise a body of men upon my return, and go into the Indian country, for I know that the commandants of the forts will co- operate with me with soldiers, and give me a strong support,” he said to Doctor Chalmers, his part- ner, one might as they sat in camp. ‘Tt will be hazardous, Emmett, yet it will be about all you can do to learn the fate of poor Charlie, and I will accompany you on the expe- dition as surgeon, for lam pretty sure you will need one.” ‘You area true friend, Doc, and I will ac- ene. your services as they are intended, and la ens 1 feel that the boy is not dead, and if I am right, them he is a captive in the Indian vil- lages,” “Sure, for where else could he be, if a cap- tive?” ‘The borses of his two captors were shod, and Pawnee Pete and Girard both knew they were white men; but Indians might have shod horses lately captured, and I lean to the belief that Charlie fell into the bands of Sioux scouts,” ** As I do.” ‘'The band was near, but not strong enough to attack us, so they did not show up, and their scouts caught Charlie, ‘At least, that is my idea,” ‘¢ And mine, and they hid their trail ty sim- ply knifing their horses in the river and letting the stream carry the bodies, while the men, with Charlie, landed, and on foot left no trail.” ‘*T guess you are right there, Doc, for how else could they have covered up their trail from Pete and Girard?” “Tf I am right, then the Fs pat to look for Charlie is among the Sioux villages,” ‘“* Correct you are, and there | shallsearch for him, and with force enough to capture him if he isthere, and they will not give him up with- outa fight, ” ‘** And he will not be the only white captive you find among them,” ‘*No, I believe you, for there have been many captives taken by them, and I know that the renegades of our own race, who have allied themselves witb the Indians, are the unes who plot these captures, as several prisoners have been given up on the payment of ransoms, and this is not Indian work, you may be cer- tain.” “Tf we could capture a white renegade, Em- mett, I would be for showing him no more mercy than I would a snake.” ‘“As I would; but do you know I have an- other motive for wishing to penetrate the In- dian country?” ‘* Another than the rescue of Charlie?” “* Yea,” ‘** What is it?” “Well, I am hardly at liberty to tell you now; but we will talk it all over before we gu on the expedition, ‘You remember I once protected and cared for a white renegade who got into a row in Omaha?” ‘Yes, and whom you nursed most tenderly up to the time of his death,” “That is the man, and he told mea secret, made a confession to me, which 1 am anxious to prove the truth of, and will some day— Ah! who is this?” ‘* A courier to see you, Captain,” said a guard, coming ferward accompanied by a strange horseman. CHAPTER XX. THE COURIER, THE man who had come up with the evard was heavily-bearded, long-haired, and dressed petra in buckskin, from moccasins to hunting. $s And the working of the buckskin with beads and quills, showed that it had been done by In- dian b ands, He wore a slouch bat, and pinned in it upon 4 Sl Dashing ¢ Charlie’ s Destiny. one side was a bunch of eagle-feathers, while about bis neck were necklaces of bears’ claws and eagle bones, His eyes were small, piercing anfl cunning; and he had the look of one half white, half In- dian in his nature, He was splendidly mounted, but rode an In- dian saddle and bridle, and though armed with a pair of revolvers and a rifle, carried in addi- tion a scalping-knife and bow and arrows, ‘* He rode up to my post, sir, and when I chal- lenged him, said be was a courier and wished to see you,” explained the guard, “Al right, Simpson, see that his horse is cared for,” and turning to the courier, Captain Emmett continued: ‘‘ Well, my friend, you are w elcome, and we can bunt up some supper for you,’ ‘*T thanks yer, cap’n, but I had supper back on the trail; but I'll take a pipeful o’ terbacco with yer,” was the answer. “* Cer tainly; here is my pouch, so help your- self, and then tell me what I ean do for you.” The man helped himself to the tobacco by tak- ing a pipeful and putting the well-filled pouch absentmindedly into his pocket, Then he said: ‘* You see yer can’t help me, fer I bascome ter help you. * ‘‘Ah! and are youa scout from one of the forts?” “*T is not.” ‘‘A man who wants a placein the train, and you have followed our trail to get it?” ‘*T is not.” “Then what is it, my friend?” ‘*T wants ter save you.’ ‘* How, may I ask?” “T has risked my life to come here ter do it,” ‘Tt is very kind of you, and I shall not forget your services, when I know what they are,’ ** You is goin’ to ther upper country ter trade fer furs with ther tame Injuns that hangs about ther river forts,” sé Yeas. ” * Yer'll git thar iin a week’s time.” ** We expect to.” ‘* Weal, pelts is prime jist now and awful plentiful, so yer’ll git ‘em cheap and make a for- tin in yer one expedisb.” 4 Abt you are a trapper and have pelts to sell? ‘** Not adzactly, though I does trap, and I sells what furs I gits my hand onter.’ ** And you have no pelts now for sale?” **T hasn’t.” ** And you are not from the forts?” ‘*T is not.” ‘And yet you have come away up here into the Indian country alone?” ‘“ Well I hev come here, as yer see, and I are alone.” ‘¢- You told the guard that you were a courier,” said Captain Emmett with some impatience, while Doe Chalmers laughed, as be saw that the stranger was ‘' beating about the bush ” for some reason, or was simply a border crank, “T told ther guard right—I is a courier—pard, yer looks in a good humor, maybe yere would obleege me with a pipeful o’ terbacco,” Captain Emmett laughed now, as Doc Chal- mers hauded over his pouch, silk and embroider- ed, a gift from a fair lady friend in the Rast, The stranger filled bis pipe, and then the pouch disappeared as Captain Emmett’s bad, in some mysteriously located receptacle called a pocket. ‘See here, my friend, 1 did not give you the pouch,” cr ied Doe Chalmers quickly. oe Didn’ t yer?” “+ No,” ‘‘ Waal, now I thought yer did; but ‘I'll give it back to ye of course,” and very deliberately did the stranger empty the contents of the pretty pouch into his own buckskin tobacco bag and hand over the souvenir with the remark: ‘‘Thet rag may be pretty, but yer can’t smoke it, and it’s terbacco 1 wants,” Sol see, and having supplied yourself with a month’s rations for your Indian meerschaum you ought to feel satisfied,” said the doctor, while Captain Emmett now enjoyed the laugh on him, ‘* T is satisfied, pard.” ‘And I will be when I know why you came ar and call yourself a courier?” the captain sai ‘*T am a courier.” ‘* And why are you here?” ** Ter see you.” ** Do you know me?” ** T does,” ** Who am I?” re Cap'n Emmett ther fur-trader.” ** Yes,” 9 ‘* And yer is called ‘ Old Kentuck’ also.” ** Yes; but where have you met me before! ” ‘*{ never did.” ‘Then how is it that you know me and come to see me at the risk of your life?” “*Pard, thet is jist what 1 hev come ter tell yer,” was the mysterious answer of the strange man, and he knocked the ashes out of his pipe as he spoke and put on the air of one who bad something of importance to communicate, CHAPTER XXI. THE COURIER'S STORY. THE manner of the stranger impressed both Captain Emmett and Doctor Chalmers, He had suddenly changed to one who bad something to say which he felt would be list- ened to by the one he had come to see, ‘* Well, my friend, let me hear what it is you have to say?” said Captain Emmett, ‘* This gent is your pard?” ‘* Yes, my partner in the expedition and my friend,” ‘* What 1 bas ter say kin be said afore him?” “* Yee.” ‘‘T bas something ter say that may hit yer hard, cap’n.” ‘‘ Out with it,” was the decided response. ‘* Has yer lost anything from ther train since yer started?” ‘*T have lost some good men in an Indian fight we had,” ‘** Nothing else?” ‘*'We have lost none of our stock, if that is what you mean.” ‘** How about a leetle boy?” ‘Hal my nephew ” ** That’s him.” ‘* W hat can you tell me of the brave boy?” ** All yer wants ter know,” ‘** He is alive?” ‘** Yas, and peert asa Injun pony.” “Thank God for that!” ** Yer lost him?’ ‘He was kidnapped from the train,” ** When?” ‘* Some three weeks ago.” ** Who tuk him?” **1 do not know,” ‘* Wobar was it?” ** Back on the trail one day, as I said, three weeks ago,” ‘* Didn’t yer trail him?” ** ‘Yes, to the river, and there lost his trail,” “Who does yer think captured him?’ ‘* My opinion is that Indians did it,” ‘*'Waal, yer is partly wrong, and a leetle right.” 2 ‘ eo me all you know about him.” be war kidnapped by two squaw- ° ~ men, i ‘*Ab! and then?” ‘* Was taken to ther Sioux village.” ** And he is there now?” ** Yes, pard.” 6 Which village?” ‘* Never mind that part of 1t,” “Under what chief did the two squaw-men serve?” ‘¢That would be tellin’,” ‘* Well, what do you intend to tell me?” ‘‘T am a bunter and trapper, and as I done ther Sioux a big sarvice, warnin’ them when ther Pawnees were a-comin’ ter attack ’em, they is all friendly to me,” ‘‘ In other words, you confess yourself to be a squaw-man, a rene ade from your own race, living among the Indians, who are our bitter ‘* Pard Cap'n, yer is away off ther trail thar,” ‘* What are you, then?” “Tis & Man who has had misfortin’, and went out inter ther wilderness ter dwell, ‘I has my own camp and are alone, but I visits ther Injun villages, and, as I said. afore, they is all friendly with me on account of ther sarvice I done ’erm.” ‘** But I hain’t no squaw-man, nor be I a rene- gade, for I would be the fu’st one to warn ther whites ef ther Injuns was goin’ to makea raid on ’em,” ‘‘T am glad to know this at least, if it is true.” ‘* It’s true as Gospil, cap’n,” ‘* And about my nephew?” ‘““Waal, yer see ther Injuns were a-raidin’ round on yer trail, and they come upon yer nephew and captered him.” ‘The Indians did?” Sure.” ‘* Do Indians ride horses with iron shoes?” —_—_—— * Men who have married Indian wives, an the villages of the red-skins.—THE AUTHOR, baigbi =