Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 766 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

3 Dashing’ Charlie, the Rescuer. renegade against my own people,” was the | medicine-chief ina tone intended to be trium- prompt response of Dashing Charlie. ‘** The little brave is a bad Indian,” ** Maybe, but a good pale-face.” Snow Head looked very solemn, and ther turned to the captain and gazed unflinchingly into his eyes, ‘The Snow Head sees the blcod of Sioux braves upon the hand of the pale-face chief,” ‘* You’ve got pretty good eyes to see what you say, chief, though I do not deny having pro- tected my scalp at sundry ‘times, when your warriors have attacked me,” ‘* The white chief and the little brave came to the Sioux village to kill my people, to rob them and to run off our ponies.’ ‘* We came to rescue the white captives you had here, chief,” ‘Well, they will be brought back, and my warriors will return with many scalps, and arms and horses. ‘*The great chief Red Hair is on the trail of the pale-face warriors and they will soon kill them,” ‘*You are’way off the right trail, chief, in that prophecy of yours,” ‘*The white chief does not see what the Snow Head sees, and he believes that he speaks witha crooked tongue,” and the old Indian spoke in anger. ie Pro poe Chief Snow Head, that your braves will come back on the jump, and there will be wailing and weeping in your village, with a remarkable scarcity of waite scalps, which yon all love so well.” ‘* The white chief is a fool,” ‘*Perbaps; but the men who came bere with me were not born in the woods to be scared by an owl, and you chalk down my prophecy that your warriors will get worsted when they rush upon my men, for there are good commanders there, if I bave turned up missing.” The old Indian seemed indignant at the thought of his braveg being worsted, as Captain Emmett predicted, He had been kept well posted of the fight in the village, and that the Rescuers had retreated, leaving their captain and Dashing Charlie in the hands of the Sioux, He had been told that Chief Red Hair had athered all his warriors to follow and throw imself upon the pale-face band and wipe them 7, and he could not believe in defeat to bis side, But the next morning the stronghold was aroused at dawn by wounded warriors coming into camp, and they were singing a requiem for their dead comrades, The story was soon told of bow they had brought the Rescuers to bay, and in what they deemed the moment of triumph, the soldiers had come to their relief, and, after a fierce battle, the Sioux had been forced to fly. The prophecy of Captain Emmett had been CHAPTER XVI, AFTER THE BATTLE. THE retreating Sioux arrived at the strong- hold in squads, First came a band of wounded, and they brought with them a few dead, for the Sioux ‘always take their slain from a field if it can be done. A chorus of wild yells and wails went up at sight of the dead, and the whole stronghold was a scene impossible to describe, Other wounded came in, and then warriors on foot and on horseback, men and ponies utterly worn out, At last the main band came in and took posi-. tion to fight to the last, to defend the strong- hold against their foes, whom they believed to be in pursuit, But hours passed away and there was a feeling of relief as the soldiers did not appear. Scouts were sent out and soon returned with the report that there was not an enemy within many miles, that they only made a show of pur- suit and bad then retreated themselves. Wild yells of delight broke out at this, but they were soon silenced by the wails over the many dead who had never returned, . “The Sioux have not whip the soldiers, as you prophesied, Chief Snow Head, but have in- stead, gotten a severe punishment,” said Captain Emmett, as be surmised the truth, from the war- riors who came to the Medicine Lodge and held an earnest conversation with the aged chief. ‘* The pale-faces have been terribly whipped, they are in full flight and their scalps are at the belts of my young warriors,” answered the phant, ** Charlie?” ** Yes, uncle,” ** What a bealthy old liar this medicine-man is,” said Captain Emmett, “He certainly is,” was Dashing Charlie’s re- ply, while Captain Emmett could not omit retort- ing: ‘** Your braves seem little like victors, chief, and [ have yet to see one of them show a fresh scalp, Old Snow Head looked positively wicked at this and muttered something to himself. ** Uncle?” ‘Yes, Charlie.” ‘*I don’t believe there are any cuss-words in the Indian tongue, but if there are the old chief was using them just now,” Captain Emmett laughed, and then turned bis gaze upon a horseman who was approaching. He was riding rapidly and his horse showed the evidence of having been bard pressed, He sat his horse splendidly and was dressed half as an Indian, half in the costume of a fron- tiersman, A glance was sufficient to show that he was not an Indian, though bis face was hideously dis- figured with war-paint, in yellow, black and red, He rode up near to the ledge and dismounting walked on unto the medicine-tepee, ‘* Tt is the chief Red Hair, uncle,” said Dash- ing Charlie. ‘*T supposed so, and now I can get a look at that red-handed renegade,” and Captain Emmett fixed his eyes upon him with deepest interest, ‘* Now we will know what is to become of us,” added Dashing Charlie, As though not hearing the words, Captain Emmett said: ‘* He is a superbly formed man, walks like a soldier, and it isa pity to see such a person be- come what he is,” The chief meanwhile had walked up the trail to the ledge, where he was met by old Snow Head, who greeted him with the deference due his superior, ‘Let the medicine-chief hear what I have to tell,” said Red Hair sternly, as he sat down upon a rustic seat near the tepee with but a glance at the prisoners, who were tied to a tree near by. He spoke in the Sioux tongue, and Dashing Charlie’s ears were wide open to note what he would say. ‘“* The ears of the Snow Head are open,” was the response of the aged medicine-man, ‘The pale-faces came to attack our village, and they were in num! ers like the trees in the forest. ** We beat them off at last, but not until they had destroyed our village, carried off our prop- erty, run off our ponies and secured the captives that we beld, while many of our warriors fell under their deadly fire, ‘‘ We have retreated to our stronghold here, and I have come to talk with the Snow Head, to hold council with him, as 1 know that he holds for me two prisoners, one the chief of the pale- faces wbo came to fight us, the other the white boy whom we held prisoner for so long a while, and who escaped us,” ‘* Yes, we have them here, for the eyes of the great chief Red Hair rests on them,” ‘**And they shall die, Chief Snow Head, they shall die by the cruelist tortures that you can —— for them,” savagely guid the renegade ** No, they are not to die, for they have been touched by the Sacred White Arrow,” respond- ed the old chief impressively. CHAPTER XVII, THWARTED, THE face of the renegade chief grew black with rage, as he beard tbe words of the old medicine-chief, He had sent his two captives to the strong- hold, for a purpose the reader is aware of, It was not bis intention to kill them, unless he was uvable to force from them the secret of where the mire of Nick Nye was located. He wished them to feel, however, that his in- tention was to torture them to death, and so he bad said what he did, hoping Dashing Charlie knew enough of the Indian tongue to under- stand what he said to the old medicine-man and thus be able to tell bis uncle, What had occurred after the arrival of the risoners at the stronghold, he had not yet eard, He had been too busy arranging his braves against attack, should the soldiers be in heavier force than reported, or be reinforced and follow to the strongbold, At last he bad a short rest, and asking for the prisoners was told that they were at the Medi- cine Lodge of Snow Head, Springing upon bis horse, he had ridden there, to discover them seated under a tree, and bound, w hile the medicine-chief seemed glone to be do- ing duty as their guard, ro bis amazement he was now told by the medicine-chief that the captives were under the protection of the Sacred White Arrow. He could hardly believe bis own ears, Had the medicinb-etiiet dared do this? If not, who else had been so bold as to thwart him in his intentions regarding bis prisoners? Like thunder came his words, as it dawned upon him that the medicine-chief spoke the truth, and he let his hands fall heavily upon the shoulders of the aged Indian: ‘Under the protection of the Sacred White Arrow, you say?” ‘* The Snow Head has spoken,” was the calm rejoinder of the old Indian, ‘Who bas dared do this thing?” came the next question of the chief. ‘*Let the chief Red Hair seek the Singing Dove, for she sent the prisoner pale-faces to the Medicine Lodge,” ‘*Ha! that red-skin girl has dared do this, to defy me? ‘*l remember now she was always kind to the boy. ‘“By the Great Spirit! but I shall destroy the power she holds for this act of defiance of me. The last words were uttered more to himself than to the medicine-chief. Charlie had Jistened to all, and he had mas- tered what was said most thoroughly, and rc- peated to his uncle ina low tone just how the situation stood, ‘* The girl will defy him, for sbe is just the one to do it, and she will be the master in tke end, if he fights her fair,” said Captain Em- mett, ‘* Which he will not do, uncle,” was Charlie’s low rejoinder, Then he added: ‘See, he is to pitch into us now.” As Charlie spoke the renegade chief advanced toward them. He walked straight up to where they sat, bound to a tree, and said with a sneer, address- ing Dashing Charlie: “Well, boy, we meet again?” ‘‘T am sorry to say that we do,” was Charlie’s remark, in return, ‘You played a clever trick on me, boy, in making your escape from my villege.” “I played to win, chief, as I bad no idea of turning Indian to please you.” ‘Yes, and you will te an Indian ere you again join your white friends, mark my words.” ‘*f thought you were going to kill me,” ‘*So I am, if you do not do as I tell you. * But this is your uncle, the fur-trader?” ‘“‘ itis my uncle, Captain Emmett, yes,” ‘“* And my prisoner?” “So it seems, chief,” and Captain Emmett smiled, “My warriors have long tried to kill you, Captain Emmett, and failed,” “That ix because they did not go the right way about it, Renegade Red Heir, for 1am buman like any other man,” — ‘¢ And you are now in my power!” ‘So it seems.” “ You and your Cearly loved nephew!” sc Yes.” ‘‘ Well, | have a certain work for you tedo, and do this well and I will set you free.” ‘* What is it?” ‘*T will tell you later.” & gs my freedom include that of my bor” oO, “Then po power can force me to do aught to save my life and leave him iu Jeopardy,” ‘* You cannot aid him by remaining here,” ‘That may be.” . ‘ree, you can save your life.” ‘*And a prisoner I can suffer, and if need be, die with my brave boy here,” “Well, we may come to terms upon bis free- dom as well as your own.” ‘Tt will be the only way we can come to terms, chief, mark my words on that, for I mean every word I utter,” said Captain Emmett and the renegade felt that he would be as good as his word, and he prcund bis teeth with rage as he remembered that he had been thwarted by the act of the Singing Dove, 7 } 4 2 -