Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1036 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

cy - out from his should t4 EE) TT RL A GAN TT LO ee ee ee 2 en eee te —— EE oe —— ee oe - ——s - —— — —»-- - — — 2 - mee The New York Library. z Vol, I, oe —_—— —- —— — + t strikes mo justunder the skulp that a roasted | utes, both combatants kicking, striking and | drown worth a cent, and has now come to dog turkey wouldn’t go bad, or a hump 0’ rich, | | i ' y venison, if turkey warn’t on the bill o’ | are. What say ye, larks?” — ‘“Wehave to depend on ovr rifles for food,” | said one of the Avengers, ‘‘and we can’t work | without it.” ‘That's the right cackle,” replied the old hun- | ter, “so I'll go out and snatch in an old gobbler, | er alump 0’ Map and you ’uns can strike a fire to knock the stiffness outen it. “Perhaps one of us had better accompany ou?’ said young Harriott. “Oh, the deuce, no,” replied the hunter, sling- fig his rifle over his shoulder and strolling off into the woods, humming to himself “ the old hedgehog.” Old Shadow was a true type of the woods, a born Indian-fighter and hunter. He had one fault, however; he was never still, but where others seemed to succeed by silence and precau- tion, he seemed to excel by his recklessness and — habits, or, in other words, mere acci- ent. : After leaving the Avengers, he pushed on quite rapidly a mile or more from camp before he began looking for signs of game. At length he came to a little creek whose shores he care- fully examined. He saw turkey tracks in abundance where they had gone down to the water’s edge to drink. Seating himself under cover of some bushes where he could command a fair view of the sur- rounding, he took from his pocket a. small, hol- low bone which he placed to his lips and pro- duced a succession of sounds in exact imitation of the hen-turkey’s call. Then he listened, but heard nothing. He repeated the call, and, almost instantly, there came to his ears the far- off gobble, gobbie of a turke But the old hunter shook his head doubtfully, and after a moment had elapsed he uttered the eall again. in he was answered. | * Durn my ole riggin’,” he exclaimed to him- self; ‘‘that’s not ginuwine, or my hearin’ and experience don’t amount to shucks. No, siree, bob-tail, that’s not a turkey’s gobble. It’s a blarsted red-skin’s gabble, and it’s hard tellin’ what the lopin’ varlet is arter. He may be tryin’ to git me into trubble, and he may take my call or the ginuwine article. Ili try it in.” | e repeated his call. It was answered imme- diately, and the sound seemed to be nearer than before. ‘No, it’s not a turkey’s answer,” he mused; so ‘far as the imitation’s consarned, it’ll do, but if my head’s level thar’s too long an interval be- tween each gobble. If it’s a red he’s coming up the crick, and I propose to set him up, if he comes nosin’’round me; fur [m ee as a buzzart, and when [m hungry Ol hader knows his temper isn’t assweet and mild as an angel’s—oh, no—‘ and the possum he grinned ’>— but, h’ar see here, old fool, keep still if ye want Ingin The old hunter having thus enjoined silence upon himself, stole from his covert, crept down to the water’s brink where he carefully ensconc- ed himself upon some drooping foliage. Here he awaited the transpiration of events. The sound of footsteps in the water soon caught his practiced ears. He glanced down the stream and saw a savage wading up the creck. He was stepping with all the caution he could muster, with eyes and ears on the alert. Old Shadow chuckled and rubbed his hands with glee in anticipation of a fight with an In- dian, which he relished more keenly than a leg of roasted turkey. The cunning savagé came on, but the old hun- ter could form no idea what he meant by his stealthy movements. He was surely not trying to steal upon a turkey. ** No, siree!” Old Shadow gear? exclaimed to himself; ‘‘the varlet means deviltry. I can see it in his snaky eye—he’s arter scalps—ah!” Just at this juncture the red-skin stopped within three steps of him, and craning his neck, uttered the shrill gobble of the male turkey. ‘“‘Now fur the tug,” thought Old Shadow, and he at once gave utterance to the “cluck, nse oe " or! : 6 hen turkey. es et en he saw the savage turn, parting the foliage, peored into his very face. ‘‘Mornin’, Mister Red-skin,” was the cool, laconic salutation of the old hunter. The Indian uttered an indignant “‘ Ugh!” and asped ie tomahawk, but, before he could cast it, Old Shadow’s long muscular arm shot er and his bony fist was between the red-skin’s eyes. Like a en weight, the savage fell full length in the water. Before he could regain his feet, the old hunter fallowed up the advantage alread aetved by - his adversary by the pot ock and * duc ” his head under water. Although he was partly stunned by the blow —EEE oe ee ee | | | that f | savage made a desperate ef- | kno floundering about until they were completely enveloped in ashower of flying water and spray. They fought in silence, neither showing a fear of the other by uttering a sound that could be heard fifty yards away. The strength of the savage, however, soon began to grow feebler. This Old Shadow no- ticed more readily than the savage did himself. The old hunter had managed to keep the upper side, and the red-skin’s head under water most of the time. Strangulation was telling fast upon the warrior. No weapons were used. Al- though the old hunter had plenty of chances to do so, he wished to test his physical powers in conflict with a savage, who, he saw, possessed not only the advantage of size, but age—he be- ing in the very prime of manhood. And the savage seeing the inferiority of his foe’s long, lank form and wrinkled face, would show no humiliation to him, though he were in his death-throes, by begging for mercy or call- ing for help, even were it near. Such is the pride of an Indian’s spirit. This struggle lasted but a few moments longer. Victory crowned the old hunter. The savage ceased to struggle, his muscles relaxed, and he sunk down, limp and lifeless, at the scout’s feet in the water. “Thar now, whew!” ejaculated the hunter, with an air of relief; ‘‘ durn yer lop-sided mug, I guess ye won't go soon ag’in, disturbin’ of one’s prospect for a square meal. By flunky! if I’d had a fair break- fast o’ juicy venison to leant ag’inst, ['d bu’sted yer snoot the fust dip I ave ye, ye red, rovin’ varlet. Guess I won’t dirty my knife with yer filthy skulp—leave it for the buzzards to do, and— * The possum he grinned at the ole hedgehog, At the ole—’ But, see here, Ole Shader, thar’s danger 0’ makin’ a fool o’ yerself, and if yer want a tur- key, let that eternal, everlastin’ ole hedgehog one. us chastising himself, Old Shadow waded from the stream, and procuring his rifle, pro- ceeded a short distance down the creek. Here he again concealed himself near the water’s edge, and producing his bone, began calling for turkeys. A “ginuine gobble” was soon the result of his calis; and presently a large, fine gobbler, with arched neck, inflated wattles and trailing wings, came strutting proudly, yet cautiously, into view from the woods an'the opposite side of the creek. It stopped within easy gunshot of Old Sha- dow, and the next instant his rifle had cracked, and the deceived bird was flopping about in his death-throes. Old Shadow sprang from his ambush and was in the act of stepping into the stream to wade across after the turkey, when he involuntarily started back, with sudden surprise. But it lasted only for a moment. The cause of it was the presence of the body of his late savage foe, floating on the surface of the water before him. But without giving the lifeless form a second pishec; and being er to secure his game, e stepped into the water and began wading across. But at this instant there was a quick plash in the water, then the old scout felt his legs seized by the arms of the supposed dead Indian, and his feet jerked suddenly from under him. Then began another terrible struggle in the creek, bué this time the savage had the advantage. CHAPTER X XI, VAMOSING THE RANCHTE, It was night—night within the robbers’ hid- den ranche. Lights were burning on the rough deal table around which fifteen men were sit- ting, wearing their numbered masks. No bot- tles nor cards ornamented their table. Matters of graver importance were before them. _ ‘Well, what news have ip for us to-night, Ten?’ asked Pirate Paul of hi spy. ‘‘ Nothing more than that we’re in a fair way to get our necks haltered,” was the spy’s* cool “How? how?” asked a dozen voices. ‘t Well, sirs, there’s a spy watching our move- ments—in fact, knows exactly where our ranche is—was in it but a few nights ago.” The robbers started violently, and a ery of surprise burst from their lips. “Do you know who that spy is?’ asked one. “Yes. It is a woman.” “A woman!” burst from the lips of the as- tonished outlaws. eee sa Ros ee mg ae gory. eard her te veen Gray Scott Shirely was her husband.” Another exclamation of nag toe mingled with suppressed laughter, burst from the lips of the x ed villains. : ‘‘How’s that, captain?’ asked one; “didn’t you were a married man.” Piet Zo “Nor T either,” replied the outlaw chief, gobblin’ round these diggin’s | bers the maiden he my footsteps with her baby face and blue eyes. It appears that the traitor, El Pardou, was a friend of the Gregories, and he has put ber on our track. But now, in order to save eur necks and ranche, we have got to do two or three things. The settlers think we are on a fur trading expedition—so we are. Now we want to trig up, @ la Indian, as they would say in fashionable circles, capture Sylveen Gray and that Martha Gregory, as she calls herself. We will then carry them to the Indian village. There I will compel Sylveen to wed me, and Miss Martha I will give to Red Elk, for I have romised to take the red idiot a white wife. lartha will suit bim I know, if he keeps his eyes out of reach of her finger nails. Devilish curious I never recognized her before.” ‘* When had we better make the Indian move you ore captain?” asked the spy. ‘‘This blessed night. It won’t do to delay the matter; for if that woman is my old flame, she may let the cat out and have the whole vil- lage upon us. So let us begin our toilet at once,” There was a general stir among the robbers and for the next hour they were busily enga in donning their Indian costume, which they always kept ready for such emergencies. Those that had long hair had it cut close to the skull, with the exception of the indispensable scal lock, and then painted a dirty red. Their h and faces were also given a good coat of paint, which was declarative of their being on the war-path. When the toilet was completed and they had thered around their table to drink a parting umper, one could not have told—not knowing —but. that they were Indians. From long asso- ciation with the red-men, they had learned their language, habits and movements to per- fection, and it is not likely their disguise would be penetrated. t length, when al] were dressed and armed for the de re, Pirate Paul said: ‘“* Now, boys, let us lean out for tall timber.” The lights were extinguished, and the next instant the grim, shadowy forms of the pirates were filing away through the black, echoless chambers of their hidden ranche. CHAPTER XXII. SYLVEEN’S MISTAKE, Two days following Sylveen Gray’s last in- terview with Ralph St. Leger, she and Martha Gregory were strolling leisurely along the river, near the lovers’ old trysting-place, engaged in conversation. Sylveen seemed sad at heart, and her emo- tions did not escape the notice of Miss Gregory. ‘*You seem sad at heart of late, Sylveen,” she said; “why is it, dear? Has your lover de- serted you?” | ‘‘No, Martha: T have deserted him.” “You don’t say! Why, Sylveen?’ and Miss Gregory turned pale. “‘ Have you fallen in love with Scott Shirely ?” **No; but you remember what you told me about this ring, do you not?’ ‘Yes; I told you it was a charm against prairie pirates.” “Exactly ; and*so I became anxious to try it wpon Ralph St. Leger, whom Shirely had told me was Pirate Paul. I met him at our old meeting-place, under this very tree. He saw the ring. He staried and stared at it as though it had been a ghost, then made some excited inguiries in regard to it, What Shire- ly had said about him, and what you had said about the ring, led me to accuse him of being Pirate Paul; then, turning, I fled from his pres- ence. But, oh, Martha! my poor heart is poe: ; 8 ing. Ican not give Ralph up, though Death-Notch himself!” “No, you shall not give him up, Sylveen,” ex- claimed Martha. ‘‘ There is some terrible mis take in this ring matter. Although I know not what occupation Ralph St. Leger follows, I know, beyond a doubt, he is not Pirate Paul nor one of his gang.” Ss ‘But he acted as you said a robber would, when he saw the ring.” “That may all be, Sylveen; but, it’s a mis- take I had not calculated upon. Ralph may have known something of that ring long before it came into possession of him who gave it to me, But, rest assured, Ralph is not a robber.” ‘“Oh, Heaven! then 1 have committed an un- pardonable error I fear. I may never see Ralph Sey 2? ; eecT will do-all I can t0 bring abouba meeting | and reconciliation,” said Martha; ‘but, Syl- | veen, has Scott Shirely pressed his suit for your hand lately?” ‘He has asked me to be his wife repeatedly. 3 one. But I do not love him. Ilove Ralp Still uncle Hatch is anxious that I should marry him—insists upon it, and says I will have to choose between him and poverty. I donot know what to do, Martha.” ; “Tell Scott Shirely to look at that ring the next time you see him. Ask him if he remem- ve it to, in Quebec, scarce- ly a and a hal = atacnal the St. Lawrence, ov dead, agd whether or not he a r ne ete —— ae - ny