Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 94 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

Po : to Ge. - ¢ “ They’re fools!” “Who? Midnight an’ the Eagle?” “Yes. But what brought ’em hyar?”’ ‘‘The same thing that brought me, I suspect —the prettiest face that ever left old 8 Conestoga.” “A white gal?” ‘Yes; but come on. walk. I’m tired; jest got in. I rode all fay without stopping. Am I on the right trail? Is the girl in the camp?” How eagerly Midnight Jack leaned forward I’ll tell the story as we | uly na. | ; Midnight Jack. ** Every soul in an Indian town must be ‘pres- ent at a sun-dance—captives and all?” said Mid- night. ‘* Thet’s the rule,” was the Eagle’s answer. ‘* Tanglefoot will hev the boy out to-morrer, and. onless—” ** Unless what, Rube?’ **T don’t want to think of it.” ‘Keep nothing back. You fear that Dora ;/ was the cause of Feel-the-Sky’s death—that there is a rivalry here for her.” “Thet’s it, Midnight,” said Rube. to catch the answer that fell from the lips of the | don’t know who gave the Indian his death dig. st raed man over whose head tower of feathers! But it was so incoherent that it tormented him. ‘‘Am I never to find you, Dora?” he said. ‘‘ Does another man hunt Se for your pretty face? If so let him stand clear of Midnight Jack.” That the dumpy man was Old Tanglefoot the road-agent was certain. His companion was straight and well-built, and was attired as many Indians were, in acavalry jacket and blue panta- loons. The name Golden George was not unfamiliar to Midnight Jack. It told him that another foe had risen against him in the very heart of the Sioux camp. He did not follow the twain; but saw them disappear. ‘Tm afraid we'll have ‘two men to shoot to- morrow!” he muttered, between clenched teeth. “Well, let it come. Midnight Jack will wade through blood to his sister.’ Thinking of his companion, he resolved to re- ~ turn to their lodge, and hastened from the un- comfortable spot. The Indians on every side were rapidly seek- ing their wigwams again,full of the scene which they had just witnessed. All at once Midnight Jack noticed a figure standing statue-like at the side of a lodge just ahead. The starlight fell full upon him, and the road-agent saw that his face was turned away. ‘* Now, Golden, ’ll turn the tables!” said Mid- night, and the next moment with the tread of | the panther he had glided over the well-trodden ground to the person’s side. The heavy “navy ” was clutched in the road- agent’s hand, and before the imperiled person was aware of his presence, the muzzle of the pistol was thrust against the back of his head. ‘* There’s death at your brain, Golden George!” whispered Midnight Jack, as his left hand drop- on the startled man’s shoulder and pre- vented him from turning round. ‘“ One word of warning and [ll burst your brain-pan. You area man of your word—so am I. Swear to leave this Indian town immediately—nor to in- terfere with me here—or by the gold of Ophir! Tl kill you now where westand. No cringing! Swear! or the bullet!” The man attacked never turned his head; but his eyes flashed hate and murder, and he said through clenched teeth: ‘Curse you, Midnight Jack, I swear.” ‘‘ Now, go! Don’t stop to tell me that I'm in a tight lace, It’s the tightest I was ever in, but rit get out. Keep your word, Golden George.” With the last word the revolver and hand were Sch a and Golden George moved off without a reply. | wasttt iuistakgeta Midnight Jack mur- mured, looking after the retreating figure. ‘It’s only a question of time. One of us will have to kill the other, some day. Now, Tanglefoot, look out for number one.” Then he added after a pause: “The boy! I had almost forgotten him. I wonder if understood my words? Tangle- foot intends toserve him like the wolf serves the weak fawn. When did that villain spare a cap- tive Bone : es, When, Midnight?” The road-agent faked. Rube Rattler stood before him, and the next instant the two friends met again. CHAPTER X. THE SUN-DANOCE. THE fearless adventurers walked silently to their lodge and entered. There, standing in the gloom, they talked in low whispers. — Rube had made an important \ discovery. The dead Indian had been Dora’s captor; this he had learned by following the three young bucks from the square, but beyond this he had not been able to proceed far. Still, he was inclined to the opinion that the girl yet remained in the village. —__ a crest | Ef we did, we might see suthin’ what we can't see, now. As it is, we’ve got to wait.” “Yes,” grated Midnight Jack; ‘‘we must, in 9 ———. ious to discover his murderer, and by noon the terrible sun-dance opened. The entire population of Red Cloud’s town _thronged about the square, in the center of which the pole of torture stood. » Midnight Jack and Rube stood shoulder to shoulder not far from the spot where Tangle- | pered eh when an op | self. all probability, go through the sun-dance to- | morrow. But there’s one who won’t trouble us.” ‘Golden George?” ‘* Golden has departed.” ‘Left the camp entirely?” ‘Yes. I know him; he keeps his word invio- late. We have but Tanglefoot to deal with,” ‘*‘ He’s the only one.” ‘‘And now I’d rather harbor the thought of facing twenty Sioux than him, to-morrow.” ‘*’m not goin’ to cross the river till I come to it,” with a smile which his companion could not see. A minute later the two friends had fallen back upon their scanty pallets, and soon nothing but the regular breathings of the sleepers was heard in the gloom. They did not see the burly figure that crawl- ed from the rear of their lodge, and some dis- tance away rose erect like a man. It walked hurriedly through one of the nar- row Indian streets and entered a commodious lodge which bore a resemblance to the tepees of the chiefs. ‘* Boy?” said the man in a low tone, ‘ Go- pher, ar’ ye still with me?” * Yes,” came a boyish voice from the darkest corner of the tepee. **Good!”’ ‘* What was the commotion about? Won't you tell me?” ‘Two Injuns fell afoul o’ each other—that was all; and one got a knife in his heart,” laugh- ed the burly man. ‘* You will see more than a | sun-dance to-morrow, boy.” If Tanglefoot could have seen the expression that came to the little trapper’s face as he utter- ed the last sentence, his snaky eyes would have shone with unwonted light. ‘*More than the sun-dance?” muttered the boy. ‘* What can he mean?’ As Tanglefoot parted the buffalo-skin cur- tains to let fresh air into the close tepee, without _deigning to explain his dark sentence, Gopher _Gid resolved that he would not humor him by seeking an explanation when the new day was so near, turned over, and went to sleep. ‘“More than the sun-dance—yes, a devilish sight more!” said Tanglefoot, with inward glee that seemed to do him good, ‘Tl treat the Injuns to a sight afore another sun-down that'll fill ’em with joy, an’ make up fur the loss of my cargo.” The first flush of dawn that stole up the val- ley of the Cheyenne found Red Cloud’s village astir. The gaunt and hungry natives—for their three-days’ fasting had rendered them lean and savage-eyed—crept from their tepees, or rose from their beds in the open air, and at once began to exercise their vocal powers to the dis- comfort of many ears. The inveterate drums were brought forth to swell the bedlamic din; but the little Sioux’s trumpet no longer joined in the tumult. Mouseskin, not to be outdone by his people, made an early ‘ghpoerigees but without his bu- gle. He looked ill at ease—his scanty habili- ments still bore traces of that combat which had cost one Sioux warrior his life; and the suspicious observer would have noticed that the urchin had tried to remove the evidences of that affair. Happily for Mouseskin he was not suspected, and, chagrined by the loss of the trumpet, he moved here and there almost unnoticed. As Setting Sun had promised, the mystery surrounding Feel-the-Sky’s death was first taken up; but the red detectives found them- selves at fault from the first, and soon gave over the hunt. ‘*] kin put my hands on the killer,” said Tan- glefoot to himself, ‘an’ before night I’m goin’ to unmask ’im out thar on thesquar’. Midnight, yer end hez come, and you'll never knock in an- other whisky-keg, my gentle Screamin’ Eagle!” Feel-the-Sky’s cowardice displayed at Cus- ter’s last fight did not render Setting Sun anx- ment. SS .........999—9—9.99990—»—0— 8 °>;bVj_j(" a SS foot and Gopher Gid, seated on Indian ponies, watched the scene, The twain saw that the boy’s feet were bound W | together under the belly of the little beast which és Te he bestrode, and they noticed, too, that the ani- mal’s head was entirely bridleless. ‘‘ He’s fixed Gopher to stay with him!” whis- portunity offered it- ‘* The little chap takes it coolly, just as if he sat in the middle of a United States regi- He’s getting interested in the proceed- ings. He has forgotten we are all here.” Then the speaker’s eyes wandered through the savage crowds that were visible on every side. But the only white face that greeted him was Gopher Gid’s, Old TE ar the gin-smug- rler, was arrayed in full Indian dress, one side of 1is face painted blue and striped with white, ~~ sonar colored yellow and striped with slack, This discoloring rendered his face perfectly hideous, and his expression was not softened by his ever-restless eyes. Timon Moss had earned the insignia of savage rank that he wore—won it in that bloody bat- tle on the Rosebud, where the best and bravest of our little regular army fell. The ceremony of the sun-dance opened at that moment when the god of day reached the meri- dian. The heat was almost unbearable; the scorching beams came down upon the naked backs of the Indians with terrible force, and there was no shady shelter at hand. At a given signal six young bucks sprung into the open space and seized the ropes that dangled from the top of the pole. Gopher Gid noticed that blood was streaming in profusion from knife-cuts on their backs and breasts. Several were accompanied by friends or assistants, who assisted in passing the thongs into the gashes under the tough sinews, and out again, where they were knotted to the main ropes, so that they would not slip out. Then the self-torturers were left to themselves, and the dance began to the uproar of the Indian drums and whistles, and the yells of the excited spectators. Ever and anon the young braves would throw themselves back from the thongs as if they sought to tear the hardened sinews out, and these displays of endurance were re- ceived with cries of delight from every side. For several hours this disgusting ceremony proceeded, Gopher Gid took notice of every- thing that passed around him; he watched the show of endurance in the ring until he turned his face away with a shudder. At last a cry announced that one of the actors had broken through the flesh and fallen to the ground; there he lay like one dead, under the broiling heat of the sun. Another fainted from sheer exhaus- tion, and was released amid the plaudits of hig friends, but the remaining four promised to eclipse Rain-in-the-Face’s famous dance, “'Thar’s my chance!” ejaculated Rube Rat- tler as one of the self-torturers was borne from the scene of his terrible ordeal. ‘‘ We've got to do suthin’ to keep our reputation up. The do hev been eyein’ us fur hours, sayin’, ‘ Why don | you fellars show yer grit? Keep an eye on Tan- | 8 } | | | | | lefoot. Ef they'll let us alone, I’ll beat Rain- in-the-Face’s time all holler!” Before Midnight Jack could restrain his com- panion he was bounding toward the pole, in his 1and a bloody knife which, with a well coun- terfeited Indian yell, he had drawn from _be- neath the old cavalry jacket that loosely fitted his lank body. Wild a 5 greeted Rube when he was recognized by the Indians as one of the visit- ing Teton Sioux, and in the presence of all he thrust one of the bloody wooden skewers be- neath the garment and made it fast there. His yells revived the fainting four 9p half dead from their torture ropes, and he franti- cally threw himself back as if in proud conscious- ness of his strong sinews. Old Tanglefoot’s eyes flashed when he recog- nized the new man at the sun-dance, “Ts the keg-breaker, crazy?’ he murmured. ‘Why, he needn’t make a-showin’ of his grit. Bless my blossoms! if he’d do thet if he knowed thet Timon Moss was so near!” On, on went that mad sun-dance, and the sun crept westward as if reluctantly. One by one the Indians of the first lot retired vietorious from the horrible ring and others took their places, but the Red Jingo still held out. IOO <€oim S (E iGO