Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 85 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

—_——- <= oo -—_- 12 It would be impossible to depict the interest that shone in the face of the trapper and his wife at this avowal. . The wife now turned toward her husband, and said: “Don’t you remember, ten years ago, when ou came home one day, and told me what a autiful baby you had seen, and that it had the same name as myself?’ ‘“* What else?” asked the hunter, whose mem- ory AA ae Malan not equal to that of his bet- ter half. * ere was it I see’d her?” “In Santa Fe. She was in a child’s carriage in the street, and as she was about the same age as our Alfrita, and was a beautiful child, you took particular notice of her.” Buck’s eyes now sparkled. It had all come back to him. ‘*'Yes, [remember it. Shoot me! what a fool I was that I didn’t think of it before! Yas, I remember it well; but I don’t know what other name she had, or who she belonged to.” ** You can find them, 1 suppose.” “If hunting to the ends of the yarth will do it, I shall,” was the determined reply of the a ag e wife now went to Alfrina per she is no longer Bess), and endeavored to follow up the questions she had begun with, and by which she had succeeded in partly awaking her train of remembrance. ‘* Do you remember who called you Alfrina?’ ain the little head was bent, and a look of perp exity settled upon her countenance for full ve minutes. Then she raised her gaze, and with inexpressible tenderness, repeated the sin- gle word: _ Mother !” ‘*Where? When?’ were the eager queries, which followed this pe The girl tried as hard as before to think, but her mind wandered; it was a fruitless effort ‘‘T cannot tell. I can sometimes see a beauti- ful house, with brothers and sisters all around me; but then it is all gone again. Oh! I cannot think; I have tried hard often before.” “That’s so,” assented Buck. ‘‘ lve pumped and questioned her till she wasn’t able to stand at. t the gal alone till after dinner.” A good, old-fashioned meal was prepared, and the family gathered around it. There was some disappointment at the absence of Kit, but, as he could hardly be looked for until nightfall, there was no anxiety about him. He was old enough and skilled enough to take care of him- self in the woods, and was not unfrequently ab- sent for several days at a time. Just as night was closing in, Kit returned. He was a argo strapping, rosy-cheeked boy, cheerful and ull of spirits, and as rollicking and jovial as his sisters, running over with joy at the return of his father. Kit was laden down with game, for he was a worthy son of such a hunter as Buck Buckram. . After the congratulations were over, Kit ave an account of the hunt upon which he had n gerd. All his game had been bagged during the afternoon. ‘What were you doing this morning?’ in- quired his mother. ‘‘ Helping a poor family get off to Santa Fe. aney wanted a little help at starting: that’s al ‘“You didn’t allow them to go alone?” de- manded the mother, in amazement, while the eyes of the father seconded the question. -“QOh, no! There were two friends—hunters —that agreed to see them into Santa Fe. They were in a great hurry to get off, as they were afraid that the wife’s husband would get back and stop her. He must have been a great hus- band, I think.” Further inquiry elicited the fact that Kit had helped off the wife and children of Velasquies, the half-breed, she having been persuaded by several friends to go to Santa Fe to escape his brutality. - On the morrow Buck Buckram bade his family and Alfrina good-by. for a time, while he went to Santa Fe to endeavor to gain traces of her friends. He expected to be back in the course of a week, although, as a matter of course, he had gone upon a very uncertain undertak- ing. Littla Bess, as we may call her for a time immediately became a favorite with those left behind. Kit had a number of traps in the sur- rounding woods, which he set, and although game was quite scarce, he occasionally met with success. Little Bess was taken with him on his rounds, for the purpose of ifistructing her in the profession; but it was found that she knew as much as he did, if not more. She had been taught trapping among the Indians, and Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. had a such skill and met with such suc- cess, that the Apaches called her Bache Tana- mas, the Female Trapper. She set their traps, and on the succeeding morning, each of them contained a_ beaver, while there was not one in the others. Singular as it may seem, this operation was repeated night after night in succession, until it came to be believed that she had some secret by which she attracted the timid and sagacious animals. In the meantime, Buck Buckram was prose- cuting his inquiries with a perseverance and vigor that. could scarcely fail of success. After reaching Santa Fe, he was at loss, for a time, as to the course to pursue. e was now able to recall distinctly the circumstance to which his wife referred. When his eldest daughter was just beginning to walk, he was passing leisurely through the streets of Santa Fe, when he met a small Mexi- can child’s carriage, in charge of a female servant, and a girl seated within of such re- markable beauty, that he paused and gazed at it in admiration. He inquired its name, and asked the privilege of kissing it. Both requests were granted, and he placed his baled beard and scarred face against the peachy lips of the infant. He learned that its name was Alfrina, but the latter name escaped him or was forgot- ten; and, as it was, he never would have re- called the other, had it not been the same as his wife’s, and had she not first mentioned it. As the best that could be done, he sought out the family of Velasquies, and made inquiries of the half-breed’s wife. She could tell him noth- ing, except that her husband had brought her there, when an infant, and had never revealed a word regarding her. She then asked in such a terrified manner whether he knew anything regarding her hus- band, that he told her he had seen him killed in an affray. The relief with which this sad tid- ings was received by his wife, was touching and strange, and satisfied the trapper that, had she known the full circumstances, she would have looked upon him in no other light than that of benefactor. He had turned to leave, when she called him back. ‘‘T once heard him speak of a wealthy Mexi- can named Jarilla, who had done him some injury, and he said that he had made himself equal with him. He never referred to it after- ward, but I sometimes imagined that it was his child that he brought to our house.” * “ Like enough,” was the comment of Buck, as he walked away. He repeated the name over and over to him- self, to see if there was anything familiar about it; but he could not remember ever to haye heard it before. However, he clung to the fancy that he was on the right track, and deter- mined to make search for a family of that name. : ; Here, again, he was puzzled, for diligent in- quiry failed to reveal any one of that name. But good-fortune came to him in a shape which he least expected. A half-hour after- ward he encountered Kit Carson in the street. The latter individual had just been appointed Indian agent, and was in Ne 1 pete? The two old friends shook ds, and had quite a chat. | “ What are you doing now, Buck?’ asked Carson. The particulars of little Bess’s history was quickly related, and he said at the conclusion: “Jist now P’m looking for a man named Jarilla; and ef anyone can put me on the track, I think you’re the man.” — The Indian agent bent his head a few minutes in thought, and then looked up with a bright look so characteristic of him. ‘*T know him.” “Where is he?” ‘He has a hacienda not far from my home in Taos. He is one of the wealthiest Mexicans in the country, and one of the best men I ever knowed.” Pie: ‘“‘ Are you well acquainted with him?” “Not jist now; but I knowed him well ten ears ago. Yes, Buck, you’re on the right track!” exclaimed Kit, in considerable excite- ment, and with no little pleasure. Buck asked him to explain. “Ten years ago he came to me, and wanted me to hunt a child of his, that he thought had been carried away by a party of Apaches that had been through the country near his hacienda some time before. He offered me ten thousand dollars if I would bring her back.” **Did you undertake it?” “Yes: I followed the Apaches for over two hundred miles, but there was a mistake made. Va cn They hadn’t taken her, and I came back no wiser than I went. Hepaid me a thousand dol- lars, and looked more lke a heart-broken man than anybody I had ever seen,” ‘Of course he was mistaken, for she was stole by a scamp of a half-breed, of the name of Vel- uies. ae The dog! And he was one of the most act- ive men in the search. Jarilla never suspected him, although I knew the half-breed had a grudge against bis employer, because he detect- ed him in and prevented his cheating a man that he was trading horses with, Queer that I didn’t have my eyes opened.” Satisfied that he was now upon the right trail, Buck bade Kit Carson good-by, and mounting his mustang, made all haste to Taos. He knew very well where the residence of Carson was, and after some inquiry, he was directed to the hacienda of Senor Jarilla. It was just at nighlfall that Buck rode into the lané or road leading to the house, and gave his animal in charge to a servant who was wait- ing. The trapper had little respect for and fear of rank, and hé asked at once to see Senor Jarilla, ‘*Your name, please,” inquired the servant, with t obsequiousness. “Oh git out! Nevermind myname! I want to see him mighty quick, or Pll bu’st the door oor. said in English and still is was oor English and still poo Spanish. The ends understood him, ane ever, and a few minutes later Buck Buckr was ushered into the presence of a middle-ag gentlerhan, with very gray hair hair, who show- ed the gentleman in every movement, and in the: expression of his face. e inquired after the trapper’s health, offered him wine, and made him perfectly at home, be- fore he gave him time to hint at his errand. Buck was a little puzzled to decide how to in- troduce the matter, but he concluded to do it. without any citcumlocution, and in the most di- rect manner possible. We will not attempt to describe the A which followed, when Senora Jarilla was called into the room, and the astounding truth made known to her. We leave it to the imagination of the reader. Two days later, ‘‘ Little Bess,’”—Alfrina Ja- rilla—bade her friends good-by, and mounted on the mustang in front of Buck Buckram, rode: to Taos, and then to the hacienda.of Senor Ja- rilla, where she was placed in the arms of her parent, who were nearly beside themselves: th joy. During the interview, Buck Buckram stepped away unobserved. A few weeks later, he and his family removed to Santa Fe. They had been here but a short time, when Senor Jarilla called upon him, and insisted that he should take the ten thousand dollars which had been offered ten years before, for the re- covery of his daughter. The old trapper resolutely refused to take one cent, although he was urged in the strong- est Manner. ‘““You will then accept a present from Al- Oa re a DRE ‘* Wal, I s’pose so,” was the he ing answer, as he muspected this was a sabbertuae to get round the same thing. ' The present consisted of a handsome residence in Santa Fe, furnished in admirable style, a magnificent horse to Buck and one to his son, anda splendid wardrobe to the wife and chil- dr en, The old trapper attempted to resist, but in vain. : The friendship between Kit Buckram and Senorita Alfrina grew with their years until it. ripened into love, and the father was as proud when the two were united as though his daugh- ter had married the emperor of Mexico. THE END. The Sunnyside Library. Hae eS hit ee 3 ParapisE Lost. By John Milton ....«.-.. --- 10¢. 4 Tue LADY OF THE Lake. Sir Walter Scott... 10c. 5 Lucite. By Owen Meredith .. ._.. 10e, 6 UNDINE, OR THE Warer-Sprrit. From the German of Friederich De La Motte Fouque... 10c, For sale by all newsdealers, or sent, postage paid, on receipt of twelve cents for simgle numbers, double numbers twenty-four cents. ADAMS, VICTOR & CO., Publishers, 98 William street, N. Y. EComilcbooks-com