Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 8 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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

—. ee = Doe NY =) Ba yl F es — eT a onl | TAN Copyrighted in 1877, by BEADLE AND ADAMS. See oe LT ee eee er eo ww VoL I Single _ BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, Price, No.8 o ae Number. No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. 5 Cents. Act a [Copyrighted 1860, by Beadle & Co.] in well-fitting shoes, while the rest of his dress was | ‘‘ And [ was equally surprised to meet your visage such as was in vogue on the frontiers at the time of | when I looked up. Jones, I believe you said was ° which we write. His voice was in that peculiar, un- | your name?” ; certain state, which is sometimes seen when it is | “Exactly—Seth Jones, from New Hampshire. said to be “changing.”” When excited, it made | The Joneses are a numerous family up there— OR, gnds Speyer anc pag inebie.. 4 wae Fa asd Re many of them for comfort—so I mi- ° . . 9°) Th e C aptives of the Frontier, e woodman, w characteristic penetration, | grated. ought be acquainted, perhaps: read the man before him at a glance, Changing “No, Lhave no acquaintanee to my knowledge in his rifle to his left hand, he extended the other, that section.”’ and an athletic man was swinging the instrument, | I declare I don’t know your name.” were offered to the emigrant as are here spread be- burying its glittering blade deep in the heart of the ** Haverland.” fore him, I considered it a Kf to avail myself of mighty kings of the wood. “You're right, as I said, Mr. Have-your-land, or _ them, and I have done so. And now, sir, be equally Alfred Haverland was an American, who, a num- | Haverland, as the case may be. I tell you these are | frank with me, and let me know what induced you ber of years before, had emigrated from the more | dubious times—no disputin’ that, and I was consid- | to visit this perilous region when you had no reason settled provinces in the East, to this then remote | erably s’prised when I heard the ring of an ax down | to suppose that a settlement had yet been com- spot in western New York. Here, in the wilderness, | in these parts.” ' men by the whites. You look to me as if you he had reared a humble home, and, with were an Indian-hunter or scout. his loving partner and a sister, laid the “Wal, perhaps I am. At any rate I foundation for a settlement, True, this have been. I was a scout among the ‘settlement *’ was still small, consisting Green Mountain Boys, under Colonel only of the persons mentioned, and a Allen, and stayed with them till the beautiful blue-eyed maiden, their daugh- Revolution was finished. After that I ter; but Haverland saw that the tide of went down on the farm and worked a emigration was rolling rapidly and sure- while with the old man. Something oc- ly to the west, and, ere many years, that curred in our neighborhood that led me villages and cities would take the place to think it was best for me to leave: I of the wild forest, while the Indians won't say what it was, but I will say it would be driven further on toward the was no crime I committed, I stopped at setting sun, ; the settlement down the river a few The woodman was a splendid specimen days, and then come to the conclusion of “‘nature’s noblemen.” His heavy to take a tramp in these parts.”’ coat lay any a log a short distance _ “TIT am very glad you have come, for away, and his swelling, ponderous chest it isn’t often we get sight of a white was covered only by a close-fitting un- face. I hope you will take the welcome der-garment, with the collar thrown of a backwoodsman, and make your open, showing the glowimg neck and home with us as long a time as you can heaving breast. Substantial pants met —remembering that the longer you stay the strong moccasins which incased his the more welcome you will be.’ feet. A small raccoon-skin cap rested on “I shall probably stay till you git tired the back of his head, re poe his fore- of me, at any rate,” laughed the eccen- head, while his black hair swept around tric Seth Jones. his shoulders. His features were regu- lar, and strongly marked. The brow was rather heavy, the nose of the Ro- man cast, and the eyes of a glittering blackness. So he stood with one foo thrust forward; his muscles, moving and ridging as they were called into play, betrayed their formidable strength. Still the flashing ax sunk deeper and ot ge into the oak’s red heart, until it h gone clean through and met the breach upon the fg Cag side. Then the grand old forest-king began to tot- ter. Haverland peepee back and ran his eyes to the top, as he noticed it yield- ing. Slowly it leaned, increasing each second, until if rushed seemingly for- ward, and Came down to the earth with a thundering crash and rebound. H> stood a moment, his hot breath issuing like steam from his chest, and then moved forward. toward its branches. At that instant his trained ear detected a suspicious sound, and dropping his ax, he caught up his rifle and stood on the defensive. ‘How de do? How de do? Ain't iighhened, I hope; it’s nobody but m Seth Jones, from New Hampshire,” sai the new-comer in a peculiar accent, As the woodman looked up he saw @ curi- ous specimen of the genus homo_before him. He is what is foemed a Yankee, being from New Hampshire; but he was such a person as is rarely met with, and yet which is too often described nowa- days. He. possessed a long, thin Ro- | BY EDWARD 8. ELLIS, ‘Certainly not, m friend; but then, you know, | ‘Haven't,eh? Thought the Joneses were pretty these are times in which it behooves us all to use | generally known through the country. Some re- CHAPTER I caution and prudence; and where one is placed in | markable geniuses have sprung from the family, : , such a remote section as this it would be criminalto | But what under the sun keeps you out in this heath. THE STRANGER. be careless, when more than one life is dependent | en country? What brought you here?” Tue clear ring of an ax was echoing through the | upon me for support and protection.” | “Enterprise, sir; I was tired of the civilized por- arches of a forest, three-quarters of a century ago; “Very true, very true; you’re right there, Mr.—ah! | tion of our country, and when such glorious fields | ‘‘ As you are from the East, probably ha can give information of the state of eeling among the Indians between that section and us. From your remarks, I should infer, however, t nothing very serious threatens.”’ ‘Don't know ‘bout that,"’ replied Seth, shaking his head and looking to the und, y so, my friend?” “I tell you what, you, I heerd orful stories ‘long the way. They say since this war, the darned red-coats have kept the Injins at work, Leastways, it’s pretty sartin they are at work, anyhow,” ‘“‘ Are you sure?” asked the woodman, betraying an anxiety in his speech. sure. There's a little settle- ment down here some miles, (1 have forgot the name,) sot on by the imps and burned all up.” ‘‘Is it possible? Reports have reached me during the past three or four months of the deadly hostility existing between the whites and reds, but I was glad to doubt it. Although I sometimes felt it was wrong,”’ “Twas so; and if you vally that ar’ wife of your bussum, and your little cherubims, (as I allow you've got,) you'd better be makin’ tracks for safer quar- ta Why, how have you stood it so 5° “My conduct toward the Indians has ever been characterized by honesty and good-will upon my part, and they have ever evinced a friendly feeling toward man nose, @ small, twinkling gray eye, me and my helpless ones. I place great with a lithe, muscular frame, and long, Se a Ee ee a nas: reliance upon this state of feeling—in dangrlin r limbs. His feet were incased SETH JONES. fact, my only reliance,”’ COMME DOC! <S.EOn