Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 93 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Ce The Boy Miners. 9 pole down into the water, just missed driving it into his crown, but he was an excellent swim- mer, and he relied upon his skill in the perilous feature which this adventure was putting on. “The old thing moves rather heavy!” finally remarked one of the men, in a voice, “Yes,” was the response, “it acts as if the logs were becoming water-soaked. I’ve noticed for the last day or two that it seems to have sunk a few inches,” % I 's'pose maybe it’s carrying a pretty good oad, This remark seemed to contain some hidden meaning which By se ge the fancy of the others, for they all indulged in a quiet laugh. These words, asa matter of course, were over- heard by Inwood, who was puzzled more and more to understand their meaning; but the men did not seem to take up a train of remarks cal- culated to enlighten him. They plied the un- wieldy craft for a few moments longer in si- lence, and then, as one paused to rest a moment, he spoke in this manner to him who was stand- ing nearest: ‘Too bad that a parcel should come down on us at this time.” ‘* Yes; and I’m afraid they’re going to stay.” “We gave the darky a good enough fright to keep him away, but that man doesn’t look as if he could be frightened by any such thing.” ‘‘There’s a youngster, too, I noticed to-day, when I fired at them.” ‘* Very likely they’ll get far enough away not to trouble us any more, It looked to me as though the darky had brought them back to take a look at the lake and island, seeing which, they were satisfied and went back.” **T hope so, for it’s too bad—” At this juncture the man thrust his pole into the water, and applied his strength to it, as a pas ae of which, his words came so muti- lated through his closed teeth as to be unintelli- gible to the intensely interested person on the other side. All at once, Inwood felt his feet touch the bottom, and, turning his head, saw that they were within a hundred yards of the shore. Whether they interidéd anchoring a short dis- tance from the land, or to lie against it, was un- known to him, although he surmised the latter as the depth r i the same, and they still used their poles with the same resolve as at first. If Inwood was right in His conjectures on this point, he saw t he must evacuate his ition to escape being jammed between it and he rock. : Mo carefully along the edge of the raft, he made way around the end, when he be- came aware of another fact which could not fail to give him uneasiness. The moon was rising, and as soon as it came above the wood or moun- tain, could scarcely fail to reveal him; but, as a few moments later they would be along the shore, he conjectured that if the worst came to worst, he could dart into the wood and take his chances of escape. Shortly after, the Enchanted Island lightly touched the shore, and immediately, to the de- light of Inwood, the three men whom he had noticed sprung off and disappeared with rather a remarkablé abruptness—so lar indeed that he believed they intended to return, and he therefore maintained his position until this point was settled. Fifteen or twenty minutes passing away, and bringing no sight nor sound of them, he hesi- tated moment, and then concluded to clamber upon the island and satisfy himself, so far as 2 amg regarding it. Still a vague sense of inger restrained him. It did not seem im- probable that a sentinel was stationed upon this curious piece of workmanship, although if such were the case, he took particular good care to keep quist and unobserved. 0 satisfy himself, Inwood, with his hands drew f twice entirely around the island. This gavé him an accurate idea of its size, and showed him that its base was wood. He saw nothing suspicious, although a dozen men could have been effectually concealed in the dense sngaddenty a whim took uadenly a Ww possession of him to dive beneath it, and examine its construction as he passed along. This plan offered the least danger, and the breadth of the island was such that he could do it with little or no difficulty. Sinking softly downward until he reached the lowest point, he struck rapidly out, and had taken but one stroke beneath the surface, when he came abruptly upward, and as he threw his hands above, felt nothing but the water. The next moment, to his unbounded surprise, he found that he was in the center of the island, which inclosed him on every side. In fact, it was a floating circle, the middle portion being open and full of water. q George felt around until he placed his hand upon a support, when he came to the conclusion that he had advanced another step in the solu- tion of this mystery, but the step had taken him into as blank darkness as had the first move he made, Here was proof that the Enchanted Island, as he had named itfrom his first impression, was the careful work of human hands, although why it should ever have been made was totally unexplainable. In the midst of his meditation on this point, he was not a little startled to ob- serve, by the increasing light of the moon, the figure of a man, undoubtedly a sentinel, who, by the nodding of his head, was either half or wholly asleep. Which was a very fortunate thing for Mr. Inwood, otherwise he could not have failed of discovering himself to him. Sheltered by the shade of the shrubbery, he made as hasty exam- ination as possible of the contour of this interior basin, but could discover nothing more than that it was oblong in shape, and quite even around its edges. It was while engaged in this survey that the man arose and looked down into the water, as if he saw something suspicious. ‘**There’s something there!” he muttered in an audible voice, ‘‘and I’ve heard it more than once. It’s a queer fish I think.” The queer fish, at this juncture, deemed it prudent to sink down and retreat to the outer surface of the lake, which place he reached just in time to see his man standing along shore with a huge pole, as if watching for him to rise, For- tunately, he was so close to the shore as to be in shadow, and feeling his way along, he get reached land, where he waited until his friend’s attention was called in another direction, when he crawled out, somewhat weakened by his long habitation in the water. But the object of his reconnoissance, so far as possible, was obtained, and he set out on his re- turn. He experienced some difficulty in recovering his clothing, but succeeded at last and started rapidly homeward. He was not a little alarmed upon reaching the place to find that neither Jim nor Edwin was there. CHAPTER X. A HUNT, AND HOW IT ENDED. Younea Edwin Inwood had been so long de- ighjten of his hunt, that he determined to improve is time to the utmost. He tag ie chet y Opposite to the one pursu rother end soon found. himself in the midst of the wood which contained their new home, where it was open and easily traveled. It was his wish to secure an antelope, which were quite abundant in this section although almost entirely unknown a little further south, and he walked very carefully, well aware of the acuteness of their hearing. A quarter of a mile or so brought him to a broad, wild ravine, and, looking down this, the first object that met his eye was a group of Mohave Indians seated around a camp-fire. Three sat smoking, and two were engaged in dressing a fine plumpe an- te 9 and pre erie SS for their supper. ey were fully a hundred feet below where the boy stood, and several hundred yards dis- tant. He watched them for some time with interest. Each had around his person or near him, one of those brilliant and wonderfully woven blankets, which have made the Indians of the distant South-west known all over the country. They were painted and daubed up like a lot of childrens’ toy , their coarse blac hair hanging loosely over their shoulders, while its usual stiffness was intensified by the rain- bow-hued stuff smeared among it. It makes a fellow look hideously comical to see his face of all colors, and there was something in the out- landish look of these Mohaves which would have brought a grim smile to the countenance of him who scarcely ever laughed. They never once raised their heads, although Edwin scrutinized them so closely that he was sure they were a portion of the party which had attacked them at the cave, and he recognized the va individual who was so handsomel po eee ed in_ his attempt to shake hands wit Jim Tubbs. This being the case, he entertained much less fear of them than he would had they been strangers. But, recollecting that he had come’out for the purpose of obtaining food, he turned away and wandered off in another direction. While he was asking himself whether it would be prudent to fire his gun in their vicinity or not, a fine, plump young antelope rushed by him with the speed of the wind. Quick as thought his gun was over his shoulder, and, with a frienzied leap, the beautiful creature ropped, and, after a few frantic struggles, lay dea Edwin hurried up to him, and drawing his knife, commenced dressing it and securing the choicest portions for their supper. Absorbed thusin his work, he forgot entirely the proxim- ity of the aborignes. e had about completed his work, when, with lightning-like suddenness a reflection of his peril came over him, and he rose erect and glanced about him. Providentially his first look was directed to- ward the proper point, and he saw at quite a distance two Indians, standing perfectly motion- less, and watching him seemingly with great interest. The moment he raised his head the darted each behind a tree, evidently not throug fear, but witb a far different object. Edwin was a boy with an intelligence and erception beyond his years, and he immediate- y saw his danger, and looked furtively around to learn the best direction in which to retreat. His first thought was to run straight from the red-men, and, observing that the wood was thicker and more broken, he did not hesitate, but started off at once. Casting one glance over his shoulder, he ob- served the two aborigines after him, although neither of them gave utterance to the * yell” which, with the proverbial ‘‘ ugh,” seems to be about the only language which ever emerges from the lips of the North American Indian, if the authority of story writers is to be taken. In a race of this kind, we could not dare risk our reputation in saying that the little fellow was anything like a match for his lithe pursuers, He hadn’t been in training as long as they, and it was impossible that the cowardly Mohaves should not gain upon him with sad certainty. All of which he expected, and he therefore turned all his energies toward finding some lace in which he could conceal himself. Bound- ing over and among the rough and rugged rocks, he turned at ie, angles to the course he had been following, darted a few rods ahead, and then, to his dismay, found himself on the banks of a small, rapid stream. But there was no time for hesitation. He ran along the shore a little way, and then rapidly clim a ‘small tree, dragging his rifle as best he could after him. Here he crouched among the branches, and, panting and trembling, awaited the result. As yet he had not heard asound, but he did not dare hope that his pursuers were off the scent. He had read certain woygderful tales of the miraculous prowess of the ‘‘red-men of the woods,” and had every reason to believe that they were perfect bloodhounds in such matters, or was he mistaken; for he had not been in his elevated position five minutes when, through the interstices of the leaves, he saw one of them walking along the edge of the stream, carefully examining the ground, occasionally pausing and looking about him, and now and then making a curious, gyrating motion, with his hand over his head, which the boy did not understand, but which we suspect was a signal for his com- panion. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Edwin Inwood to load his gun and shoot the Mohave who was stealing so cautiously upon him; but he hesitated. It is no light thing to take a human life, even if it belongs to an Indian, and he did not wish to commit such a deed, unless his own self-preservation demanded it. Whether it did or not wasthe question which the boy considered, and upon which he was hardly able to decide. _ Suppose he did slay the red-man, his compan- ion remained, against whom he could do noth- ing, and who would be sure to visit a cruel pun- ishment upon him, No; he decided that the cy had not yet come for him to do sucha thing. oy the meantime, the Mohave was close at hand. Not once did he raise his head, but walked slowly wre > examining the ground, and looking across the stream as though he ex- ted to seo the fugitive. The heart of the atter gave a throbas he saw him —_ beyond the tree which contained himself; but the tem- porary hope thus awakened was edily dis- lled by observing the red-man hy pe, halt, ook around him as though he failed, for the moment, exactly to comprehend things, and then he raised his head and saw the youngster sai among the branches, The Mohave surveyed him quietly a moment, and then motioned for him to descend. The boy could not refuse, as he was ae og his power, and he obeyed without delay. e cap- tor looked into his face with a curious expres- sion, but still uttered no exclamation or word, S (EI NMUCEL SOKO) ' (ECO)