Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 766 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

rs tains, as soon as ible, and fight the coming rescuers right on this ground with my braves. ** And, more, I shall capture Emmett and his nephew alive, for they must not be harmed, for they both know, I feel certain, where this mine ‘If Emmett bas not told the boy, then I can, by threats against his nephew bring him to terms,” **'The very thing.” “I shall therefore capture the man and the boy alive, and once in my power [ feel pretty sure we can get at the secret of the mine, **lf we can do this, then, Sam, we are rich nien, and can give up the life of renegades, fly to a foreign Jand and live in luxury where no one knows us as we are, ** Now, what do you think of my counter-plot against Emmett?” “*It is splendid, chief, and I am with you heart and hand, and life, too, if necessary to sac- rifice it. ** But let me urge you again to lose no time in preparing, for Emmett is no man to fool with, and that boy will urge him on with full speed, so you may look for them coming soon.” ‘You said they would have to send back to bring up the soldier column within supporting distance?” ** Yes, chief.” ‘* Well, we'll expect an attack to-morrow night, bardly sooner, and Ill be ready for them,” “They could get here sooner, chief, if they did not wait for the supporting column to come Pp. “Yes, but they will hardly attack without feeling safe if they are forced to retreat.” ‘* There is no telling what Captain Emmett will do, chief, and the men with him could stand off at bay every brave you have in your village, if forced to do so, until the soldiers came up, “Remember, they are frontiersmen, all of them, and they are armed and mounted splen- ay ** Well, I'll go the rounds and prepare the chiefs for the attack, and then woe be unto Em- mett and his men when they dash in upon the village of the White Sioux Chief,” and Red Huir meant all that he said, for he had abundant con- fidence in himself and in his ‘‘ red soldiers,” as he called his braves, But sooner far than they were expected, into the Sioux village like an avalanche came Cap- tain Emmett and his men, their wild war-cries echoing through the bills as they charged into the Sioux camp, their revolvers making deadly music as they came, CHAPTER VI, THE CAPTIVES. THE Sioux were surprised after all, for the Rescuers had arrived sooner than they were ex- pected. The fact was that ‘‘the boy,” as the Red Scalper called Dashing Charlie Emmett, bad been shrewd enough to ferret out the spy in the band, and but for the flight of the man, his career would have ended then and there, Then Dashing Charlie bad gotten the permis- sion of his uncle to go in pursuit of the fugitive renegade, and so hotly had he pressed him that he eed escaped with bis life, Captain Emmett, too, was a man who was in deadly earnest in all that he undertook, He intended to have no failure of this ex- pedition through avy fault of his. When he knew that the man he had enlisted as a guide was no more than a traitor, a renegade, and that he bad escaped, be was sure that he would make with all speed for the Sioux camp to give the alarm, Of course he would not expect the command to travel like a man flying for his life, and therefore would have hours tbe start of them, But just here he was mistaken, for the captain argued that what ove horse could do another could, If some of his horses broke down under the terri!)la sirain, then others were along, extras, to take their places, If «thers failed, then the men so mounted could fall back with the pack-animals and act asa rescue, but still press on as hard as they could force their broken-down animals to go, **Come, men, if we kill every horse we must get there, for we will find plenty of fresh ponies in the Indian village. **Don’t spare the spur for it is an unwritten law thatthe brute must perish to aid the buman, ** Come, let there be no laggards,” Such were the words of Captain Emmett to his men, avd it inspired them to the greatest ex- ertion, and it won, Ne ee ee They swept into the Indian camp with ir- resistible force, and red-men and white men died on all sides, Horses sunk under brave rescuers, and cries, groans, war-whoops and yells mingled with the rattle of revolvers and rifles, the screaming of women and children, and to add to the scene of terror and horror, the tepees were set on fire and red flames and blinding smoke rolled beavenward like the giant waves of the ocean, But the Rescuers would not be beaten back; they had come to rescue the unfortunate and they would do it or die, They had reached the group of white women and children, whom their red captors were driving off in flight with yells and blows, and they encircled them in grand style and tore them from their cruel foes, But the movements of a band of warriors, all mounted and a bundred in number, at- tracted the attention of the Rescuers several times by their bold dashes, To the surprise of the whites they did not fire showers upon them, but several times came rushing down upon the devoted band until forced to swerve away by the withering fire of the rifles. Just as the captives had been rescued, suddenly the band of mounted warriors, who each time had reinforced their ranks after being forced to retreat, came out of a canyon directly upon the Rescuers, There wasa Sarg cry of alarm given, and a volley of rifle-balls emptied half a dozen Indian saddles, But they never falcered, never fired a shot in return but came on like the wind, At their bead was a tall chief gorgeous in red trappings, a brillant war bonnet of eagle- feathers and mounted upon a splendid blood bay stallion vicious as a tiger. The chief rode splendidly, and in his left band he held a long red lance, near the point of which fluttered a number of scalps, There were scalps from blonde heads and brunettes, and long bair and short hair, and the hideous trophies seemed as a signal flag, or guidon for tke braves to follow, Straight down upon the Rescuers rode the daring band of braves, silent as specters, but for the thundering of their ponies’ hoofs, and without drawing a bow-string or firing a shot, They struck into the very midst of their white foes, there was aa instant recoil, a staggering movement Onward, and away swept the Sioux, while the revolvers rattled after them their bullets. But suddenly a commanding voice rung out; the warriors wheeled and bit back for the first time, and showers of arrows fell among their white foes, emptying a dozen saddles, “It is the Chief Hair that leads them,” cried a voice, and all knew that there was no mistake, for under the war-bonnet of the daring leader was seen the long red hair of the renegade floating in the wind, They had made a bold effort to capture him, the Rescuers bad, but in vain, for he had seemed to bear a charmed life, And when the daring red horsemen, had dis- appeared from sight once more it was. discov- ered that the gallant leader of the Rescuers was missing. ‘* And Dashing Charlie is gone, too!” "Yes, the boy is not to be found,” rung out the cries, And true it was, for in the charge of the Chief Red Hair and his hundred horsemen two cap- tives had been taken, Captain Emmett and his nephew, Dashing Charlie. CHAPTER VIL. DEAD OR ALIVE, THE Rescuers had retreated, carrying with them the Indians’ captives they bad come to take from their cruel captivity. The Sioux village was in ruins, and had been plundered, Many horses and stock had been run off from the corrals and the victors had retreated dogged- ly, after their terrible blow. Behind them were scores of dead red-skins, and many were wounded, besides the ruin, rome of their heavy blows struck in retalia- ion, The Red Hair bad rallied about him his braves and pressed the retreating whites hard. So hard in truth did he press them that he brought them to a stand to beat him off, forced them to come to bay. And but for the coming of the soldiers, first one, then another column, the gallant band of Rescuers would have been wiped out. Then followed a fierce battle, and the Sioux my . ' 4 “ Dashing Charlie, the Rescuer. + f ‘ Ld “2 ~~ Mae | ‘ me ‘ * va? is % “ : , i ‘*s 4. 1s 4 ‘es . . ‘ i mh a, = were forced to fly, beaten at their own game of war. Slowly the soldiers retreated with the band of Rescuers, greatly thinned in number, and, ugly as she panthers robbed of their young, the Sioux returned to their desolate homes, The Rescuers had retreated and fought under anew leader, Doctor Dick Chalmers, the part- ner of Captain Emmett in the fur-trade, and a dashing, splendid fellow, true as steel to friend and foe, It bad cut him to the heart to leave behind him his friend and partner, and the gallant boy Dashing Charlie, whom he had come to love as his own son, It was bitter indeed for him and for the men, all of whom were greatly attached to Captain. Emmett and bis daring young nephew, Were they dead, or were they captives? No one knew, But certain all were that they had been killeé or captured in the desperate rush made in the village by Red Hair and his hundred horse- men, Why had not those mounted braves fired upon them before, the men wondered} No one could answer the question, but alk were well aware that they had fired, and with deadly effect, after their last charge, Then, too, the captain and Dashing Charlie were missed, No one had seen them fall, no one had seen them captured. But they were not in the ranks of the Rescuers after the charge of Red Hair. Doctor Chalmers, who was an ex-army sur- geon, and acted as second in command of the Rescuers, as well as the surgeon, sent for Girerd the guide, when the retreat homeward had begun in earnest, after the big battle, in which the soldiers had so timely arrived to chip in their leaden hail, Girard tha guide was a typical borderman, a perfect scout, and was known as one who had. no fear, ‘‘ Well, Girard, the captain is gone?” said the doctor, sorrowfully. ‘‘- Yes, doctor, anc that splendid boy, too,” ‘¢ Killed, you think?” ‘¢T'm afraid not, Doc.” ‘“ Afraid vot?’ ‘ Yes, sir.” ‘* But why?’ ‘* Well, doctor, you know Indian nature pretty well, and after the Sioux see their village, count their dead and wounded, and know that we have rescued all their captives, I say it will be better fur the captain and Charlie to have been killed.” ‘‘ Heap better. ‘* Sioux heap, big devil all time.” Both the doctor and the guide turned to the one who spoke, It was Pawnee Pete, a Pawnee scout, that was the particular friend of Captain Emmeti and Dashing Charlie, But Pawnee Pete had been wounded in his pursuit of Scalper Sam, and was under Doc- tor Chalmers’s especial charge. ‘¢- You think the Sioux will torture poor Em- mett and the bov, Pawuee Pete?” asked Doc Chalmers, as he was generally called, ‘* Yes; heap kill ’em after have fun,” ‘‘ That is what I fear.” ‘* But they may escape, guide,” **] can see no chance for them under the cir- cumstances, doctor, for the Sioux will act romptly in their case, to avenge the werriors fallen in the fight.” “*T fear you are right, Girard; but 1 hope for the best, knowing what I do of Emmett and Charlie,” ‘‘Oh, they can. escape if any one can; but £ fear they will not be given the chance, sir,” p Well, let us hope for the best; but, Girard?” ‘Yes, doctor?” ** Did the Indian village?” ** No, sir.” “* Nor I,” ‘* Pete have eyes, he see him.” ‘* Ah, Pete, when and where?” ‘He dress like Sioux, bave face painted, and look like Sioux; but Pete know him when see bim, ‘* He there, and heap bad man,” ‘‘You are right; but as we can do nothing now for poor Emmett and Charlie. we must arrange their rescue later, Girard.” “Te they are still alive,” ‘True, and avenge them, if dead,” ‘Yes; take beap Sionx scalps if deid; but Pawnee Pete find out some day,” he said ina tone indicating perfect confidence in himself, you see that traitor, Scalper Sam, in ile 900 + a4’ © . 4 ; ‘ .~ “Gute ~ » “hy \ : ri ‘ ITAL: < fo > hie see "ex ¢ : ;