Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 97 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

a —$___—_--— —- ~— pretty joke to stay here like three fools, while | | stretch out from the cave, when, at ‘* A cat couldn’t get out o’ that cave, except | tally unconscious of where he was or what he they make off in some other direction.” by the way they went in. I know it, all over. They might, p’raps, crawl through the hole | use for a chimney, but that comes out jist atop o’ that rock, and you kin keep your eye on it. They’d be wuss off, to come out thar, than by the nat’ral entrance—kase it’s further from their horses, and it’s just as exposed.” The hunter turned to crawl back to his place, remarking: ‘‘Keep yer eyes skinned, young man—lI can’t abide to lose the game, after it’s fairly holed.” CHAPTER VI. OLD HICKORY’S STRATEGY. ANOTHER long and weary watch now began, Hunger, thirst, but most of all, impatience, tor- mented the besieging trio. The sun mounted higher and higher, until it stood at its meridian. he ranger was thoroughly convinced that the man who came out in the morning had seen some cause for suspicion, or they certainly would have been out again, to attend to their animals, | if not to procure food for themselves, It now became his fear that they would remain in the cave until evening, and then effect their escape —which he would have no power to prevent unless if were by the three closing u around the mouth of the cavern, so close as to be aware of the slightest movement, and thus to grasp their prey in the dark. He now regretted that he had not brought a larger force with him, the idea having struck him that if he could leave a sufficient force in the front, he himself might creep, by a wide circuit, quite to the base of the rocks, crawl along to a position over the chimney of the cave, through which, come to think well of it, he might take aim at one of the skulkers, fo thus drive the other to a by the door where he could be easily shot down. He thought of this so favorably that at last he crept to Brutus, and laid the plan before him; asking him if he and King would be certain to do justice to the ras- cal in front, or to both, if they should suddenly emerge, while he was making his way to the rear. The negro’s face glistened with satisfac- tion at the proposition; he was getting tiredand uneasy—and change seemed desirable. Old Hickory then proceeded toward Caleb, and made his intention known to him, after which he began to back out carefully down the little ee across the top of which they were ranged. ardly had he taken two backward when a little flash of fire and wreath of blue smoke suddenly burst from the entrance of the cave, and, simultaneously with the report of a eun, Caleb clapped his hand to his shoulder, and gave a slight shudder, but no sound. The next instant all was silence—not a person was to be seen-—one of the men in the cave had evidently fired from under shelter at the bush which had alarmed him, to ascertain whether his suspicions were correct or not. That was the moment which proved Caleb King, if not as much of a woodsman, as much of a hero, as the ranger. He seemed to know by intuition what was intended, and, although severely wounded, never stirred or moaned, after that first clap- ping of his hand to the wound. ; “Phat’s glorious!” whispered Old Hickory, fired by his conduct intq enthusiasm. ‘ Don’t stir! keep quiet if you kin! We’ll have ’em now. es! we'll have ’em! When they find that nothin’ moves, they’ll ventur’ out purty soon, and ther’s still two of us, which is enough, But I hope yer ain’t seriously hurt, young man,” ends “Pm bleeding pretty fast, I’m afraid,” mur- mured Caleb, but he kept on his knees, although growing very white. Presently he sunk a little forward, but not enough to stir the bushes, and the ranger saw that he had fainted. ‘“*T can’t reach him 'to stop the bleedin’ with- out thur diskiverin’ thar’s somethin’ in the wind. If he dies I can’t help it,” muttered he, gritting his teeth; ‘‘it’ll be one more murder to their ac- count—but ef I don’t wipe it out afore dark this day, Old Hickory 'll give up that he ain’t wuth a b’arskin any longer.” Here he noticed the negro, who was terribly excited, fairly writhing upon his knees in the anxiety he felt about the young master; but at a motion from the hunter, he forced himself into his old quietude, and fixed his glaring eyes up- on the den with an expression which boded ill for its inmates. r Fifteen minutes, which seemed at least twice that length of time, crept on, and the patience of the besiegers was about to be rewarded, for | —————————— The Outlaw Brothers. already they saw a hand, Sropbeagpi ns | a rifle, hat mo- ment, Caleb, reviving from his swoon, but to- was doing, staggered to his feet, and fell down again. The besieged evidently saw him, for the arm was ap Sag drawn in—as quickly did the ranger jerk the young man out of the bushes, behind the safer barricade of the fallen tree. | He then motioned to Brutus also to come into the shelter of the log, who did so. One great advantage remained to the outsiders, which was, that the enemy being ignorant of their po- sition and numbers, would not know how to conduct an attack; but then, the besieged had this advantage—oue man could defend their stronghold against a hundred, if he had some one to load guns for him; or even, for that mat- ter, with a knife. For a short time, while Brutus held watch of the cave, Old Hickory busied himself attending to King, who sadly needed some assistance, Tearing the shirt from his wounded shoulder, he baniaced the wound as well as he was able stopping the bleeding with lint hastily scra ed from the victim’s cambric handkerchief. Then he poured a little whisky from his canteen down the patient’s throat, and left him to rest and re- cover himself as best he might on the grass. Brutus, with one eye pityingly bent on his young master, and one sternly on the strong- hold of the enemy, was a picture worth seeing. The day was a fine one, calm and bright as the preceding evening had been stormy. The ran- er only wished there had beena ‘right smart reeze” to cover some of the movements he wished to make—but not a leaf stirred; the sun was already beginning to decline. ‘See hyer, I can’t stand this no longer. I’m going to get a peep at ’em from the chimney— they won’t show their heads ag’in, now, be sure —they’ll wait till dark, You’ve got two rifles, darkey, and I reckon you’ll know how to use ’em in case them rascals shows afore I get back.” ‘Don’t need to tell dis chile what to do with "em weepings, if he only cotch de chance, Oh, Lordy, if dey would only come out.” ** But they won’t—they know better. If they ’ve got fodder, thar’s no reason why they should n’t stay thara week or a month—’cept by smok- in’, which would be too dangerous for the gal. Wal, look sharp now.” The negro grunted an assent, and the ranger, slipping down into the long grass, where a slight eminence shielded him from sight, crawled along on his hands and knees, until Brutus lost sight of him entirely. He drew his own and his mas- _ ter’s weapon to his hand, and turned himself to watch the cavern. In the mean time King had portially revived, and attempted to get into a cneeling posture beside the servant, but the pain in his shoulder was so severe that he sunk back again, The negro was absorbed watching the en- trance, while Caleb was too much taken up with the intense anxiety of the present to take heed of those last words. Moment after mo- ment glided away in suspense—nothing was to be seen or heard, betokening life in that little hollow, except the movement of the tethered horses, as they nipped the grass, in a circle about their stake. After tedious waiting, Brutus finally saw something stirring along the brow of the rock which rose fifteen or eighteen feet above the cave. The next moment the tall form of the ranger arose to its’ full hight, and he be- gan to pick his way to a lower rock which he bad pointed out as containing the chimney, or opening into the cave. ‘he negro watched him with breathless in- terest. Getting down on his hands and knees, Old Hickory crept along the rock, carrying his rifle carefully, until he seemed to have gained the desired spot, for he paused and began to bring his weapon to an aim. ‘‘ Now’s the time,” thought Brutus, ‘fur me to wing ’em, as dey break cover,” and he, too, brought his rifle so as to command the door. Just then another little wreath of blue smoke curled up out of the chimney: Brutus saw the smoke, but heard no noise, for the thick walls of the cave shut in the “crack” of the rifle. The ranger jumped very suddenly to his feet— so suddenly, and with such a queer gesture, that the negro, whose sense of the ridiculous was, at times, troublesome, burst into a low, gurgling ‘Hi! hil hi!” “Oh, golly, massa, ’s afeard it’s all up now with O)’ Hickory. Dey’s done gone and shoot at him tru’ de chimney.” “That's laughing matter, is it?” ‘Yer oughter see him jump—reckon ye'd larf, too, Massa King. Howsomever, I didn’t mean to larf—I don’t feei a bit like larfin’, only i a ieee ame eee han« F a — 9 -_- -—-—-——_—-—,, — ooo sometimes it jes’ takes me like de wind catches a tree an’ shakes it, Oh, Lordy, I never feel less like larfin in my born ory A He’s cuttin’ back, Massa King—he’s cuttin’ back—so I guess he ain’t sewerely used up, like you are.” Again poor Caleb tried to raise himself; but: the effort caused his wound to bleed afresh, and presently he had swooned entirely away again. **Dis am abominable,” groaned Brutus, wit- nessing the catastrophe, but not daring to dro his rifle in thisemergency. ‘‘ Massa King wi die, sartain sure. Dis am demos’ misablum day ole Brutus eber knew, yet—and he’s lived a good many.” In ashort time the ranger, who had disap- peared from the face of the cliff, was seen wrig- ‘ling through the grass on his way back ‘to his rst cover. ‘It beats natur’!” he broke forth as soon as he came alongside the negro, ‘how them imps keep watch. They’ve been too quick for us, so far. lIexpect, as I leaned forrad to look down the chimney, that I cast a shadder, which they no sooner sees than they up and fire at it, just to see what’s the matter. “Twas altogether the narrerest escape I’ve had lately. Do you see my cap? The took the ha’r off, and a little off my head, too, I reckon. Of course, thar is no use comin’ at ’em in that direction, arter this, Hallo! King’s gone off the handle .7 has he? I tell you, now, that young man w die, if he ain’t got out o’ this.” ‘We can’t give up till we get de young mis- sus, sar.” ‘‘ Of course not. Who speaks of givin’ up? But suthin’s got to be done, and that right quic It’s three o’clock now, and more. 1 reckoned wrong for once in my life, that I didn’t brin more help. Yer see, I wanted the glory o trappin’ them vermin. I tell you what it is boy, you’ll have to go back to the settlemen and return fore dark. What you’ve got to do is this. Get that young man back to the square’ whar he can be ’tended to. Yer strong ana willin’—jest take him on yer back, and crawl off till out o’ sight—then sling him over yer shoulder and make for the hosses. When you find them, put him across one—you want t’other —and get a a, bee fast as you can.” ‘**Twon’t be bery fast, massa—dat so. Massa King can’t bear no fast ridin’—have to walk dem hosses,” ‘I'm afeard of it. But he'll sartingly die if he don’t have attention soon. So, off with him —get into the main road as soon as possible. Try and get back afore night, or ’ll have to fin- ish up this business without yer help, And brthg a bit of fodder in yer pockets, if it’s y.” All tnis the hunter uttered, without. aking his eyes from the cave—and not even | when he heard the negro crawling away with his moaning burden, did he look around. ‘inally, as the silence deepened about him Old Hickory felt that he was all alone. In tha wild region it would not have been strange if a passing bear or Indian should have broken up- on his monotony, and placed him between two fires. if such a crisis had arrived, he would not have been daunted. He was made of stern stuff —the day’s tasting and fatigue, following upon a sleepless night of exposure and exertion, had not yet begun to tell upon his iron frame—his eye flashed its blue fire as keenly as ever, His most eager hope was that the brothers would make their appearance while he alone was left to confront them, No such good luck was likely to happen; and as he shifted his weight from one knee to the other, and lay down on his breast to rest him- self, all the time watching and waiting, his mind was busy about the evening’s wark— whether the darkness would allow them to creep up to the cavern’s entrance, and grasp the men as they ventured out, or whether the brothers would get the best of it. He doubted not that one or the other of the two was constantly on guard, and would detect the slightest move- ment, and be fully prepared for an attack. To close about the cave with a number of men, and so starve the marauders into submission by an unceasing siege of days, would have been ; plausible plan, had not the girl been with them to suffer, and, of course, the first to sink under privation. It would not do to starve her, cer- tainly—it would be better, even, to let her cap- tors go. Pondering over all these things, Old Hickory’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted. Much to his astonishment, he saw the gleam of something blue at the opening—the log which guarded it was pushed back, and the girl herself was thrust forward into full view. It did not take the old hunter long to read this strategy. “ Blast thur skulkin’, cowardly souls,” he mut- tered, thur gwine to use the eal fora kiver”’— COMAIELIOCO