Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 97 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

- } . —— eee ———_— ee ——t— of the windows, that tho eyes of all involunta- | | sex, with a savage expression of face, and gar- rily followed his. What they saw there caused all to spring to their feet. The faceofa woman was asian against the glass—a white, young face, with dripping locks blowing about it; the next instant it vanished, the wet branches of the trees swept against the panes, while a pierc- | ing shrick rune hirh above the tempest. Lhe blue overcoat was the first to reach and throw open the door. The light of the door, streaming out, betrayed the form of a huge ne- gro, who had apparently just come up in front of the house, and who was turning his head in all directions, as if endeavoring to follow up the imploring cry. [lis bare arms, his wild, exceed face, like that of an animal which is being hunted to death, his enormous size, his glowing eyes, made a figure so unlooked-for and terrific, in the midst of the darkness and storm, that all, except Colonel Smith, were appalled. He seized his rifle which, like the others, he had placed in a corner, and sprung out. ‘What is it, for God’s sake, Brutus? Has any thing happened to her ?” ‘*She’s done gone, sah. They’s caught her, I’s afraid.” sé Hark !? Again that sharp shriek rung over all other sounds, prolonged, desperate. It sounded fur- ther away now, down the road, and by a flash of lightning the party had a glim of three persons running along the road. lonel Smith dashed after them, followed by the negro and Old Hickory. Half a dozen others joined in the pursuit, but these three soon distanced them, and after a time, losing all trace of their leaders, the others returned the tavern, wet, won- dering, and dispirited, sitting about the fire to mk rege m and looking as if they had seen ghosts, ‘That beats all I ever saw,” remarked one, ‘aking a little more corn-juice to raise his spir- its. ‘*It couldu’t ’a’ been no young female out such a nightas this—and that nigger was the devil bisself, for | saw his horns.” , ‘* So did I, plain,” asseverated another. ‘We all saw’ em,” added a third, “ plain as [ see that fire this minute. It’s my opinion t’was a scaly trick of Old Nick to get hold of us fellers; and I’m right sorry Hickory was led away by it.” **Let Old Hickory alone,” said the first speak- er; ‘he'll take care of himself. He’s an honest man, and needn’t fear even Satan himself. Now, if it was I, with this here pack o’ cards in my pocket, there might be more reason,” ‘* Well, I wish he’d come back, anyhow.” But back neither he nor the blue overcoat came that night. Itrequired an extra quantity of old Bourbon to compose the travelers to sleep; and after they had stretched themselves about the fire on their extemporized beds, a Jouder outbreak of the tempest would cause them to start and mutter in their sleep, CHAPTER II. THE HARPES AND THEIR CAPTIVE. Anout four months previous to the night with which our story opens, a young man who had been riding all day through the boundless forest, stopped, a little after sunset, before a log-house w ich stood near the narrow bridle- path. It was a pleasant, pure ovenibe, and the lace, though solitary, had no partifularly bad ae about it. The traveler threw a sharp glance in at the Wp door, which betrayed a group of women and children, In those days it was only the most ordinary prudence for People to go well armed when abroad from i ome; and to look twice before they confided themselves to the hospitality of strangers; though the warm-hearted friendship of the bet- ter class of settlers was given to all who asked it. Yet Kentucky, like every other border State, was overrun with another and worse class, who, pe, from eastern justice, or too lazy to make an_ honest living, sought refuge in the woods, whose coverts hid them from pursuit, and whose plentiful’ game furnished them a living without much exertion. One glance would have told that the traveler was from the New England States; his air of intelligence, as well as his dress, which was not of the Kentucky style, together with a certain shrewd brightness of the eye, proclaimed the fact. Looking forward along the darkening path, which promised no end, and again into the cabin, swarming with the inmates, who now began to cluster about the door, he finally called out: ‘Hallo the house! Will you tell me, ma’am, how far it isto the next tavern?” ** Don’t know of none in these parts,” was the answer of one of the three women who block- The Outlaw Brotners. 3 -__-_-_ooeoOe i —_ — ee ee ee ee - e aded the entrance—a wretched specimen of her | hands and downcast eyes. She was a young ments neither neat or becoming. ‘Treckon you'll ride till you get tired, if it’s taverns vou’re after,” added the second, with a smirk, as if she took pleasure in the ability to disconcert the stranrer. ‘Then I shall have to ask you for food and shelter to-night,” said he, pleasantly. ‘I’ve been going ail day, with nothing to eat but what I brous ht in my knapsack, and myself and horse are both tired. Will you accommodate me?” The three women exchanged a glance. <A pe- culiar smile crept over their faces; after a mo- ment’s hesitation, the first one spoke again: ‘We sometimes takes people who can pay their way.” ‘Oh, as to tha*,” said the young man, laugh- ing, as he leaped from his horse, ‘*I shall feel it a favor to be allowed to pay well for every thing. If you'll get me some supper, Pll water my horse at the spring there, and then bring him around to the back of the house, and let him graze awhile before I tie him up. Haven't you any men-folks about?” he continued, with some curiosity. ** My husband’s off on a hunt, and won’t be back for a week or more,” said the woman first mentioned, ‘* These ere’s husbands is gone, too, and they and they’re young’uns is stayin’ with me, ’cos we feel more safe under one roof. It’s a lonesome country for women-folks to live in when the men’s gone.” “What do you fear? Wild beasts or Indians?” ‘* Well, we reckon the Injunsthe most trouble- some, kase we can keep the b’ars out, but the Injuns can burn us up In our beds.” alf a dozen children, like their mother, dirty- looking and wild, crowded around the traveler as he took his horse to the spring. To get rid of them, for they were not clean enough to make close companionship desirable, he threw them a handful of pennies, It was some time before he was ready to enter the house, First, he cared for his animal, then he bathed his face and hands in water from the spring, and wiped them on a towel which he took from his knapsack, rightly guessing that wash-bowls and towels were luxu- ries foreign to the cabin. Having combed out his long, light hair to his satisfaction, he took he baggage and entered the general room, which, a little to his surprise, had an addition of a kitchen in the rear—two rooms being a fuller supply than settlers usually possessed. An inviting odor of fried ham and eggs and coffee already came from this rear apartment, in which the women were to be heard moving about. There were no signs of poverty about the place; he had found quite a serviceable log- stable behind the house, with two really fine horses in it; and now, as he took a seat on the door-sill, and glanced about the room, he saw two or three excellent saddles, a handsome har- ness, and all kinds of hunting gear depending from pegs in the wall. There were a couple of beds, on home-made bedsteads; and a very large blue chest, which stood between them, at the end of the apartment. Under the beds was a confused heap of boxes, harnesses, boots, and household *‘ trash,” put there to be ‘Sout of the | dren and sat down with them. way.” One little circumstance struck the trav- eler as queer. for numbers; and, although he was tired, and thinking of supper, it floated dreamily throuch his brain that there was an wnusual and un- reasonable number of portmunteaus, saddie- bas 8, and knapsacks among the stowed-cway rubbish. He gave it no particular thought at the time, but afterward he recalled it very viv- idly. Two of the largest boys were tossing up the pennies he had given them, beginning a life of prospective gambling by playing “‘ heads and tails.” The other children had stampeded to the kitchen, attracted thither by the strong smell, which almost caused the traveler to forget how very dirty were the women who prepared the viands, Presently one of these appeared, and es guest “‘come into the other room and sit by. The table was set for four; it was too small to accommodate the younger members of the fam- ily, who were sent out into the yard to await their turn. The young man found the food not only more various in kind, but more neatly served up than he had dared to expect. Ham, fried chicken, milk, coffee and wild-honey graced the board. But for the first moment or two, he noticed nothing of this; his attention was completely absorbed by another inmate of the cabin, whom he had not previously seen. Eve. now she did not look at him, but stood by the aking-kettle on the hearth, with folded — _ een 8 Being a Yankee, he had a head | but it was the back door, not the front one. girl, no better dressed than the others, except that her linsey-woolsey gown was clean and fitted her figure; but she appeared so totally dis- tinct from the others in features and expression, that she seemed to have te ed into this abode from some better sphere. out sixteen years of age, with a clear skin, smooth, plentiful hair neatly braided, and the form of a Hebe, it scarcely needed her modest, grave expression to make the traveler think ber very pretty. He was twice asked by the hostess if he took ‘lasses in his coffee, before he withdrew his eyes to answer that he did not. His interest was not unmarked by the woman, who, as she passed him the cracked cup, spoke sharply to the girl: ‘“‘What be you standin’ thar like a fool fur, Peggy? Hand up the cakes, if thur brown enough,” ‘* Who is it?” the traveler was impelled to ask, curiosity or surprise overcoming prudence, ‘*Your daughter, ma’am?” ‘Yes, my darter; and an idle, good-for- nothin’ girl she is, ” As the woman said this, the girl flashed a a eee at the guest; her cheeks, already flushed with the heat of the fire on that June tes grew red as roses; she stooped, and busied herself removing the corn-cakes from the bottom of the kettle. ** Of course it will do for her mother to say that,” answered the young man, striving to do away with the effect of this rude remark, ‘ but I wouldn’t like to see any, one else ven to say so in Fai! presence,” ‘La, Pm not so partik’ler. H mever, Peg’s well enough when she’s a mind to work; but she’s powerful shiftless,” The young man’s eyes meeting the young girl’s at that moment, as she was placing the cakes on the table, both smiled. The vixen who resided over the coffee-pot did not observe this; ut it established a magnetic telegraph between the two, which placed them in silent correspon- dence. While the others ate, Peggy baked cakes for them; but she did it with a regal air, like a princess serving under protest. ‘What a magnificent woman she would make, under favorable circumstances,” specu- lated the traveler, as he varied his corn-cakes and honey with glances at the fair attendant. ‘* | feel like stealing her from these harsh peo- ple, and giving her to some one who can appre- ciate her. It’s a shame, really, the way woman drives her around.” Although angry with the hostess for her harsb- ness to the girl, he knew better than to show it, and continued to make himself as entertaining as possible in paymnche for the trouble he was iving. He told several amusing anecdotes of is travels, and gave the latest news from the East, with such spirit and good-humor, that the three shrews laughed and listened with many admiring glances at ‘“ the peart young felier,” His efforts to amuse were not s0 entirely for their pleasure as they imagined; he saw the kindling color, and the long, fixed look of an- other listener. Darkness crept over them before they aban- doned the table. Peggy lighted a thin yellow dip, and stuck it ina wooden holder, As the others left the meal, she called the eager chil- The traveler resumed his seat in the door; Presently he pulled the pieces of a flute from his pocket, and putting it together, began to a ee play. At first he made the woods resound with merry dancing-tunes, until the three women declared themselves ready to dance a jig: some gradually, the character of the music change to soft and melancholy airs, which are so inde- scribably touching upon the flute, with twilight and the whispering forest about one. Even the children hudiled about, sitting on their knees till they fell asleep and tumbled over; their mothers sat wrapped in pleased wonder, and Peggy, who knew not that the tallow dip re- vealed her face, was weeping fast and silently. There was a softer we Ney em on the tace of the girl’s mother than he had thought her capa- ble of; but when he ceased to play, it went away again, and she bustled about as coarse- ly as ever, hustling the children off to bed, and scolding Peg for not having her dishes washed, Our New Englander was a keen observer, and it began to imprcss itself upon him, that this isolated cabin in the backwoods had an un- canny air, as if it really were not the home of an innocent family of settlers’ wives and chil- dren. He began to feel as if the husbands of such wives must be bad men, and to be glad they were away from home during his visit. He Sj (ECO) AACE OOK) (E(@)