Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1036 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

_ . * We will he com ’ ¢€ 6 ea + ee eee i figure ~ 5 ome in the doorway. But it was not | sual face of the -Notch To their surprise, it was the form | to Travis’ Death of a young Indian, whose gauc spoke the insignia of a chiet. ewas a Sioux, painted and plumed for the war-path. He was a tall, powerful fellow, with a broad, evil face, upon which rested a malicious, sinister smile; and his small black eyes seemed half-closed, as if dazzled by the light of the fire that was roar- oan the hearth. , e stood directly in the doorway, with his auuscular arms folded over his massive chest, in token of friendship and peace. There was some- ae imposing in his powerful, handsome form, and his fearless, easy attitude, and for a moment our friends regarded him with a look of mingled surprise and admiration. n the hand of Omaha was seen to steal slowly toward his girdle, and a cloud of scorn and es ek to settle upon his dusky face. Then his = were seen to part, and with all the disdain and insult which he could throw into his faye he asked: Ugh! what does young Sleepy-Eyes, the dog of a Sioux, want here?” ‘“‘Scalps!” was the prompt and laconic reply of the haughty chief, as a grim smile swept over his broad, sensual face. The hands of our young friends quickly flew to their belts; but, despite this hostile manifes- tation, young Sleepy-Lyes never moved a mus- cle, but seemed to be totally oblivious to the movement. Omaha’s native vindictiveness was beginning to rise to a point almost beyond restraint. ‘* Let the friends of Omaha,” he said, address- ing his friends, ‘‘ look upon Sleepy-Eyes, the maurderer of their friends, and say whether he pg wll stand there and defiantly tell us he is here £ or scalps.” Still Sleepy-Eyes never moved a muscle, but utained his silent, disdainful attitude. To our white friends it now became evident hat Onaaha was the object of his contempt, and ibat ke was waiting the address of an enemy gere worthy of his august recognition. red Travis addressed him in the Sioux dialect, .£ whien he was master. * “What does the young Sioux chief seek here slone?” he asked. Youmg a -Eyes drew himself up to his full hight. His breast swelled out, and, with a plight toss of the Piumed head, which indicated is recognition of young Travis, he replied: ‘*These woods are the hunting-grounds of the Sioux. He has a right to go where his will dic- tates. What do the young pale-faces seek here on our hunting-ground?” “Shelter from the storm was the object that brought us to this cabin,” replied Fred, eva- head-dress be- eS . ‘* But you carry arms,” said the chief, glane- ing at their rifles leaning against the wall; “and a dog of an Omaha keeps you company.’ A fierce, revengeful light shot from the eyes of Omaha. His fingers tightened upon the haft of his tomahawk, and but for the look which Fred gave him he would have struck the chief _ ee a ee ee ee | down. He had learned forbearance of. the white man; and, turning on his heel with a coutemptuous smile, walked away. But of all this the young chief seemed totally uncon- scious, showing with what contempt an Indian ards an enemy of his own race, Omaha,” said Travis, ‘‘is our friend and bb de. ‘“‘ But why do the young white braves wander so far from the lodges of their fathers?” ‘‘Go ask the waters of Okibogi and Spirit lakes. Listen to the winds whispering to the forest-leaves of what they saw when the Sioux and Dacotals were there, Our fathers are dead, and their wigwams are in ashes.” ‘‘Then the children of .the white braves have come to avenge their death ?’ said Sleepy-Eyes. “We have not harmed the hair of a Sioux’s head,” replied Travis. ‘‘ We have come to as- certain whether the Sioux carried any of our friends away into captivity.” ‘*Go then toour village and see,” returned Sleepy-Eyes, and there was an undercurrent in his tone and looks which our friends did not fail to understan -Death-No was altogether forgotten by the whites. They si he at once Omaha had mistaken Sleepy-Eyes—who had entered by some secret passage—for the young Scalp- Hunter. But ib seemed 1 a little strange to them Sleepy-Eyes should appear so inate next Seek lees it was a vail to conceal his The storm without was growing fiercer each moment, Drops of rain, mingled with hail, had to fall in a sullen and continuous roar upon the roof. . Perhaps,” said young Travis, determined to show the chief no favors, ‘“‘ you can tell us whether you have any of our friends captives, “And if I refuse, what then?” asked the to detain you a pris- - ner until you give us the desired information, Searnful smile cguvulsed the bronzed, sen. «al oF tae 2 Le. P Se Tet ae a on Ba re = rs, = x ty re ys ‘ ™ ete = Da ee a, 2 —_ 4 a +? - 2 4 1 _ | _ 3 of % Ses te a* | his eyes, the crack of a ould we find any of our bs ; a ‘ : ‘ * a . r - . ~ A? 4 tye Fs 8 " —— : Tose, % eS het name, sem. ; tole wf Seyd Sac. . rey > hades 7 — ‘ 5 roar of the storm, The New > — - -_-—--—--- +--+ —————— from the passage. Then what was our young GEE. SADEBRY young chief. He madenoreply | hawk rose and fell with remarks, but stepped to one side from | friends’ surprise to see a second Indian appear | in the doorway, from the shadows of the adja- cent room. A dark suspicion rushed suddenly across our young friends’ minds, and that suspicion was Vol, L Se ee fame deadly precision. upvum the hea:is of the savage foe. The tide of battle turned in a moment. ‘“* Death Notch! Death-Notch!” burst in ae. cents of terror from the lips of the savages, — and the few that were alive and able, fled from soon verified when they saw this second savage | step aside and a,third one appear, followed by a fourth, fifth, and so on, until ten grim and hideous Indian warriors stood before them, tomahawk in hand. the hut, and sought safety under cover of the nightand storm. The conflict was ended. Six of the ten savages lay dead and dying. Threée of the Avengers were seriously wounded, and but for the cramped position in which the sav- | ages were compelled to fight with their toma- Fred now knew the cause of the chief’s inso- | lence, and realized what a terrible blunder they | had committed. Without a doubt the cunning Sioux had en- | hawks, some of the Avengers would have un- doubtedly been slain. In a minute, almost, after the confliot, most of its terrors were forgotten by the Young Avengers, in the startling realization »f their sconced themselves in the dark loft, or adjacent | peing in the presence of the terrible Deati i-Notch, 1 room, before they had entered the cabin, and | hew 0 had burst in during the conflict ad rout yet with such cunning and caution that not the | ed the savages. least sign of their presence had been discovered | by the keen, watchful eyes of Omaha. An indiscriminate massacre now seemed im- minent. | that the young The young men had laid aside most of | their weapons, and one movement toward their | recovery would be the signal for the Indians to strike. In the breast pocket of his hunting- shirt, however, Fred Travis carried a small pistol, and in order to get hold of it without awakening suspicion, he calmly folded his arms | _ of his mask. across his breast, permitting his hand to slip into his pocket as he did so. At the same instant the same thought seemed to have inspired his companions, and instead of manifesting a fear corresponding with their danger, they assumed an attitude of ease and » indifference. There were several moments of silence, during which time the two lines of enemies stood eying each other, the savages with faces aglow with fiendish triumph; the whites with faces that wore the calmness of brave men when their lives stand in imminent peril. Sleepy-Eyes was the first to break the silence. He spoke to Fred Travis, who stood directly in front of him. | i | Not a little surprised were our friends to se¢ scalp-Hunter was cZ/ abouf and wore a regular hunteg-garb of buck-skin. His head-gear, however, was quite a novelty. It was a steel cap, not altogether unlike the morion worn by the wartiors of the middie ages. To this cap was attackzd a beaver which entirely concealed the face. But masses of long, rippling black hair fell down hig back, and black, fiery eyes gleamed through tt«, boles medium = Fred Travis’ mind at once reverted }o the youthful horseman he had seen thut day jn the forest—the same whom Omaha liad seid was Death-Notch, and whom he had said was a female. The being before him szemed larger | than the horseman; but then he was dressed ’ differently. And there was that same wealth of raven tresses, regal head and swelling chest. But were they one and the same person? Our young friends seeing that he offered | them no violence—in fact, had proven a friend ‘* Will the young pale-face still say he will | keep Sleepy-Eyes a prisoner? Or does his bravery | grow weak at the sight of my warriors?’ Fred felt as keenly the retort of the chief as he did the peril of his situation; but with cred- itable promptness he replied: ‘*T care not to idle words with Sleepy-Eyes, in the most dangerous moment of their jives—~ supposed at once that he was some eccentrie being, more daring than wise. Fred Travis was the first to speak. ‘* Your coming was very opportune.” “Glad to hear it,” said the stranger, in a tone that was soft and musical as a woman’s. then you were pressing the red devils closely, my young friends.” ‘Pardon me, but may I ask who you are?” The masked avenger made no reply, but rais- but if he has come here to quarrel with us, he | ing aloft his tomahawk, he struck the wall twice will never leave here alive with his warriors.” A low, silent and mocking laugh escaped the savage’s lips, and but for this s ight confusion they ay have heard the click of Fred’s pistol- ] in his bosom; but to his threat, the chief retorted: Bs Sleepy-Eyes quarrels not with an inferior ‘* But he will sealp innocent women and chil- dren, like a sneaking coward,” replied Fred, indignantly. _The youth saw what was comin —that a conflict was inevitable—and he resolvec | | ' | | with its keen edge, and chipped out a small notch thereon. | , ‘*Do you undersene that?” he asked. “Tt is the death-notch of the young Scalp Hunter.” ‘“‘ As such I am known,” replied the avenger, “though I hope I am not as terrible a crea to you as Iam reputed to be to the whites. The whites are my own race and friends; but the | Sioux—curse them!—I am mad with hatred and vengeance toward them!” The young Scalp-Hunter did not remove his to resent in words, at. least, the insults of the | mask, but passed his hand over it occasionally, subtle savage. speaks now like a weak squaw—with a crooked tongue.” . These were the last words the contemptuous | was not a single doubt. efore | foe of the savages was no more than they had chief ever uttered, There was a flash ea and he fell dead with a bullet-hole through his forehead. ‘Then arose a savage yell, mingled with the battle-cry of the Young Avengers, and the to see that no part of his face was e xposed, “ Ugh!” i ig a the chief. ‘‘The pale-face | But, despite this eccentricity, the Young Aveng, ers became decidedly easy over the true char- “But acter of Death-Notch. That he was young thera — That he was a dead] anticipated, and those fabulous stories of his colossal size were proven to be ** moons] | A ery of pain from one of the Avengers drew the attention of his cOmpanions from Death. next instant the two lines seemed to dissolve | Notch, and they at once proceeded to ascertain into one. Knivesand pistols leaped from their | the extent of each one’s injiry, and dress the concealments, and tomahawks flashed in the light of the wounds as well as their surzical skill would ad- fire as they rose and fell through | mit. In this they were assisted by the youn the air; and high above the roar of the storm | Scalp-Hunter, who showed that he had a aie without rung the cries of the combatants, the ) capable of the tepderest of human svinpa ties, shrieks of the dying and the clash of steel. —_—_—---—_ CHAPTER VII. THE CONFLICT AND ITS RESULT. Tr was a fearful moment there, within the deserted hut. Stung to fury by the death of their chief, the savages. pressed hard upon the Young Avengers. But the latter were trained, strong and skillful, and while they managed to ward off the bioweee the savages, they cance every shot and th count, Some pple ame fou t hand to hand, but, with ak tocda: | | ’ hawk in his hand, Omaha struck right and left with terrible precision. It seemed impossible that Lt cotild fight so bard and long, and none of them fall, but for several minutes the conflict seemed about equal, None had fallen, yet several were wounded on both sides, for ee Bock was getting wet and slippery with Suddenly, above the din of the conflict and a wild voice was heard with- out demanding admittance to the cabin, each shout being accompanied by a heavy blow upon | ‘he wounded being cared for, the remove lifeless savages from the cabin; and while thus engaged, the crack of a rifle was suddenly heard without. A bullet whizzed into the room through the open door, and Death- Notch was heard to utter a low, quick gasp, ‘and was seen to stagger and sink to his knees. The door was instantly closed and barred by Omaha, while Fred Travis sprung to Death. Notch’s assistance, exclaiming: ' : ‘My God, young friend, are you shot?” ‘* Not bad,” was the ne reply of the yo Scalp-Hunter, as he arose to his feet. “ aide however, receive quite a blow from an ounce ball of lead; but there was insufficient powder behind it to do its work. See there.” As he ke, he drew from the bosom of his hunting-shirt a battered bullet, and handed it to Fred for inspection, There was no trick about it. It was a genuine leaden ball, still warm with the heat of the powder and the frio-- tion of the concussion. with no little amie and wonder, wer was the Scalp-Hunter enabled to the anger of a leaden ball? It looked a little thecabin door. But this lasted only for a mo- | strange. ment. The door yielded, and a figure rushed e then most ns of the day, a Colt’s revolver. m the. latter weapon report after report he mh, *< , oe . Tiel “ss ad Death-Notch saw that our friends were pu: incident by an evasive remark. | Ly a short time the, excitement had , ap J rags Baten nt - - Ry. ay Sab OPT, =a - xe i: + . ° — | < * * e,” ‘ "ar . ‘ » - . . - — Bmw ~~ 5 . « il “= Pk a . ; a ee (<p > + ~ the figure of aman. In one hand he held a | zled, and at once drew their attention from the ) in the other one of the d SL. ee =~ ¥ _ Pa 4 oe” * Sos ~ ~ -