Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 766 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

7 ee : —_——- —m—— emu" —"_ ee LL and had a voice like a bugle when commanding his red braves in battle, or when aroused to anger, And it was to the tepee of the Red Hair that the fugitive horseman bad made his way at such mad speed, CHAPTER IV. THE TWO RENEGADES. ‘‘So there is danger abead, you say, Pard Sam?’ was the quiet remark of the renegade chief, when he had heard the warning of the fugitive horseman, ‘* There is indeed, and you have little time to prepare for it, chief, though I rode my horse down to give you warning.” ‘** And I supposed you were in Texas!” and the chief was still calm, almost indifferent, it seem- ed, ‘* As T was until a few weeks ago; but having completed the business I went there on I re- turned, and justin time to learn of this attack upon you,” ‘“*So you completed your Texas work, eh, Sam?” the chief said with a show of consider- able interest. ‘* Yes, but of that I can tell you at another time, chief, for now Linform you of your danger, and I advise you to be prepared for it,” ‘* Many you said, were coming to attack me?” “Captain Emmett the fur-trader, and a bun- dred bordermen, with a column stronger in numbers, marching out from the three forts to support him.” »@ ‘* Ah! that looks bad indeed; but how far are they away?” ‘*‘The advance under Emmett is foilowing but a few hours behind me, and should be here to-morrow early in the day.” ‘*Time enough to prepare for them, tbough I shall put my warriors on guard to-night; but now tell me how you are here when I supposed you were away down in Texas, upon the busi- ness matter that was to be of mutual benefit to both of us?” ‘“‘If you must hear that first, Chief Red Hair, in the face of my warning of danger, and that you have no time to lose, I will tell you that the one you sent me to find for you is dead,” ‘* Dead! dead! Good God! she is dead?’ and the words fell from the lips of the man in a tone of horror, in which also was mingled deepest anguish as though he had been hit hard by the news he bad heard, ** Yes, she died two months ago,” ‘* Tell me, did her husband die as I had heard, one year ago?” ‘Yes; he was killed by the Comanches, it was said,’ and the man called the Red Scalper laughed in a knowing way. ‘*And did she die of grief for his loss?” and there was a sneer in the voice of the chief as he asked the question, ‘* It may be, for she mourned his death deeply, it was said, and faded away.” ‘*Ah me! what memories crowd upon me now that I learn that she is dead, the one being in all this world that I loved, the one whom [ was robbed of by one whose name you spoke a few minutes ago,” ‘¢ Who was it?” ‘*The fur-trader, Emmett.” ‘* Ah! be was your rival, then?” « Yes,” ‘‘Though not a successful one, as she married another man,” ‘‘ That I never did, never can account for; but he robbed me of ber, and then lost her himself, it seems. ** He is coming this way now to attack me, to rob me of life, to capture and hang Chief Rea Hair, the Monster, for bis crimes, ‘* Well, I loved her far more than I did life, but he shall not rob me of it as-hedid of thatone being in all the wide world to me, ** Dead, you said she was, Sam?” ‘** Yes, I arrived too late to see her alive, for she had just died; but I went to ber funera),” ** Ah! you know her grave, then?” éé Yes,” “Some day I will have you guide me to it: but not now, not for a long time yet.” ‘** Will you now let me tell you of what I have discovered?” ‘*In Texas?” ** No, in Omaha,” _ “* Let me first b ar your story of the business in Texas,” and the man’s face, which had be- come strangely softened and sad since he heard of the death of a woman whom he bad loved, seemed to ignore all danger and wish to dwell alone upon the story of the death of the one who had 80 won his heart. ——— —— EE eS eS i a SS ee ee a rr ee :ti—ests—tstsi‘“<ue Se OO ** Well, I went, as you directed me, chief, on the searcn for the woman, armed with the in- structions you had giveu me for finding her, ‘*T learned that after the loss of ber child, whom she had always regarded as drowned, while others believed that it had been captured by Comanches, her husband and berself moved to another home, far from the scene of their misfortune, ‘*They established there a new home, and then came the second blow upon the woman, her busband’s death at the hands of the Co- manches, or at least it was so believed.” ‘* Yes, but we know better, Sam,” ‘¢ Yes, chief.” ** And then?” ‘*] found that her health had failed, under this double shock, and she soon after followed her husband. ‘“*Knowing then that my further delay was useless, I decided to return to you at once.” ‘‘You did perfectly right, Scalper Sam; but now tell me of this discovery vou bave made of an attack upon my village by Captain Emmett avd his men,” As though glad to get the chief’s attention at last, the Red Scalper went on tw tell his story. CHAPTER V., SCALPER SAM’S STORY. THE Chief Red Hair, renegad., outcast that he was, and his hand stained with crimes, showed that he at last had a heart where the one he loved was concerned, for he flinched under the news of ber death, and though he listened to Scaiper Sam's story, his face showed that he was overwhelmed with a deep grief, which his own danger could not drive away. He sat with bis face in the shadow, and only now and then turned toward his companion as some remark was made, upon which he asked a question, or seemed more deeply interested, ‘* You see, pard, I got back to Omaha to find out that there was something going wrong and I determined, instead of coming straight on bere to stop and ferret it out. “IT got on the trail very quickly, and know- ing that a movement was up against you I bit upon a plan to circumvent the plot, ‘* You know I am a pretty good penman?” ‘* Yes, I believe your first crime was a forgery which sent you to prison.” ‘Don’t recall the past, at least in my case, chief, ‘*AsITam a good penman, and [I knew the writing of several officers in Texas, I went to my room in the tavern in Omaha and wrote myself some letters.” ** Vi bat for?’ ‘Some letters of introduction they were, saying that [ wasa faithful and skiliful scout, and going to the Northwest I could be recom- mended most highly should I be needed at the forts. ‘*These letters 1 took to Colonel Sibley, and he told me that he had the full number of scouts, but gave me a line to Captain Emmett, who was fitting outa secret expedition to at- tack Red Hair the renegade’s village of Sioux.” ** Ah, [ see! pray go on, for your story inter- ests me, Sam,” ‘* Of course not a soul knew me, and my plan was to play my game well until I could desert and come on and give you warning.” ‘That was right,” ‘*The discovery 1 made was that Captain Emmett, the fur-trader had enlisted one hun- dred picked men, to come here and secure wiiisé captives in the Sioux village and capture yu and ajl other white men living here among the Indians as their allies,” ** We renegades, in fact?’ sneered the cbief. ‘* It’s a barsh word, but that is about the size of it, chief,” ** And then?” ‘Of course, if not warned of his coming, a hundred such men as he was, could do a great deal of damage, but when supported by three columns Of soldiers, not marching to the at- tack, but coming out from the forts to protect him, the result would be most disastrous, I thought. ‘‘ Recognizing one of your spies in Omaha I sent him at once here with the news.” ‘‘ He did not come,” ‘‘No, for he was suspected, headed off and killed,” ‘* Indeed !” ‘*‘ Yes, and by the one who suspected me,” ‘Captain Emmett?” “No, but Charlie Emmett, his daredevil nephew, whom they call Dashing Charlie, ‘ He is but a boy, but, ob, such a boy! “* He followed his uncle’s trail from Kentucky, . - \ feo ‘site eee a a — — CC LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL eel neem ners where he lived, out to the fur country, and though be passed through dangers uvtold he lived to thwart my plans, ‘**T tell you, chief, he is a little wonder.” “You are telling meof a boy whom I know but too well, Sam, for he was brought to me a prisoner, captured on bis way to overtake his uncle, soon after your departure on your mission to Texas, ‘*T took a fancy to the boy and treated him well, for I bad another purpose in view and did not wish to barm bim,” ** And be escaped?” ‘* He did, indeed, for he followed me when I went with my braves to ambush Captain Em- mett’s fur tra.n on its return and capture the outfit.” ** You failed?’ **Oh, yes, the boy followed my trail until near where he could act for himself, and be headed his uvcle« ff, told of my plot and where we ex- pected to surprise we were utterly wiped out, I barely escaping with mv life. ‘* Yes, Sam, I know the boy full well.” ‘* Well, chief, he suspected me, though why, I could not tell, and he played the innocent on me splendidly, for be saw me meet two Sioux braves in the timber, and I dispatched them to you. ‘* This he told his unele that night in camp, and my luck alone saved me, for suspicious of the boy I crept near to zee what be was telling, and only a few words were needed to let me know that I’d be hanged by morning if [ did not skip. Pi did git, and git lively, and yet that boy was after me along with a Pawnee Indian Pard, and out of those I sent to-warn you of danger I am the only one who reached you. ‘* Now you have heard my story, chief.” ** Yes, and I owe it to you, Sam, that our vil- lage is not surprised.” CHAPTER VI. THE ATTACK, THE Chief Red Hair sat in silence for some minutes, after hearing the Red Scalper’s story, while the latter moved about anxiously, as he could not understand why an alarm was not at once sounded through the Indian villages. At last Red Hair said: ‘Sam, 1 told you that Captain Emmett and myself were rivals inlove?” ss Yes,” ‘‘He kept me from marrying the woman whom you now tell me is dead, and then she be- came the wife of another. ‘*T became desperate and, well, I went to the devil, or became a very devil myself, ‘Tam now what lam, avd I owe it to this same man Emmett, or at least I think I do, which amounts to about the same thing. ‘“ Now let me ask you if you remember Nick Nye?” ‘Yes, a renegade who turned miner,” ‘*‘A miner who bad turved renegade, rather, to prevent the Sioux from killing bim,” ‘*T remember him,” ‘* Weil he struck it rich and went to Omaha, got into a quarrel, was befriended by Emmett yet died of a wound be received in the row. ‘‘To Emmett, who took him to his cabin, he made aconfession of his find, and gave the par- ticulars of how to find his mine up here in these mountains.” ‘*T understand,” ‘‘Now Emmett conld not get the support of the Government to go gold-hunting, so he put up tha plea of rescuing prisor ers in the bands of the Sioux, and to capture me, and thus the army comes to protect him.” ‘I begin to see what you are after, chief,” ** He is coming here to drive my village away, hold his position and work that mine of ‘Nick Nye’s, and if he can kill or capture me and rescue the white prisoners I hold, well and good,” ‘*T believe you are right, cbief,” ‘‘T know tbat I am, and | shall counter-plot against Lim.” ‘‘T am with you, chief.” “lam glad to have your aid, Sam, for with the death of my pards, or lieutenants, Nick Nye, Limber Joe, and otbers, 1 am in need of good mea,” ‘* You have but to command me, chief.” ‘* Well, I shall first make you next to myself in rank, for you deserve it for the waring you bring. “Though not well known here among the Sioux, having lived so little among them, I will show the chiefs that you are deserving of the po- sition { give you.” ‘* Thank you, chief.” ‘*My plan is to get the camp into the moun- i) 2? ‘ a ' dq AS Tz re ‘ " % < d : . a v / Y « ¥ ; a | CcomicndooKs.com Pr | ° _ = wie } i“ } | . pi att DN a= 7 |