Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 124 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

e~ gt a ER LT ES ES EN TE EN TE EE ing a heavy sigh, ‘‘all was neat and comfort- able; and now—” ‘« It will beso again, Harper,” replied Barker, interrupting bim, ‘‘ perhaps better. Brown must marry, and tien everything will go well with you.”’ . . “In with you, girls!” eried Roberts, who had now joined the two men, “in with you! Here your territory begins, and Marion may take possession at ‘once. ‘‘ So!” he continued, following them into the house, “so that’s right! Now, come and set things in order here, while we light a fire with- out, and hang over the iron kettk. | There’s no kitchen near the house, I see; and my wife, who can’t stay here long, for in such matters —” “Whew!” cried Barker, laughing, *‘ there he goes again! Here’s spunk, but where shall we make a fire? An awkward place for wood, this; it’s at least fifty paces off. We shall have to go and cut some branches. Is there an ax about?’ **'There’s one in the corner,” replied Harper. “Good! In the meanwhile, do you stay mere,” ‘*No, I will help you bring the wood,” said Roberts. ‘ Harper can make the fire; the wind has blown together enough diy leaves and twigs. The men now went, laughing and talking, to their tasks, while the girls remained alone in the house. They did not change their attitude, but, with their hands clasped together, they gized, silently and earnestly, in each other's eyes, until at last, Marion, unable longer to control her feelings, cast herself upon her friend’s neck, and relieved her sadly-oppressed bosom in a flood of tears. ‘*Marion, what ails you?” cried Ellen, in alarm, ‘‘for mercy’s sake, what is the matter? There is something distresses you. IJ have long seen it, You are not happy.” ‘*No!” sobbed the poor girl, and she wound her arms more closely about her friend, who endeavored to loose them, that she might gaze in the face of the weeper; ‘‘ no—Heaven knows —Iam not happy, and | shall never be!” ‘*But what is the matter? I have never seen you thus before. You shake and tremble! W hat’ 1s it? what is wanting to your happiuess, Marion?’ ‘‘ What is wanting?” cried the preacher's be- trothed, starting wildly and _ convulsively, “what is wanting! Everything—everything in the wide world—contidence, love, hope-—yes, even hope is wanting to me; and uow—now ib is too late—too late—I can not now draw back!” ‘‘Marion, you torture me!” replied her friend, in a timorous whisper, as. she clasped her in her arms; ‘‘ what mean these singular words? Can you not confide in me?” “I can and may,” returned Marion, r solutely, as she brushed, the dark. locks from her brow. ‘‘A few moments are still mine, I am still mistress of myself; in an hour, per- haps, it will be too late, Listen, then, Ellen, and bear what has rendered me wretched until this moment; what, from this moment, will imbitter my whole life.—But what is tae mat- ter? what do you see?” ‘‘ Look there!” cried the young girl, in as- tonishment; ‘isn’t that Mr. Rawson? Good heavens! his borse must have run away with biw. Look how he flies!” ‘Hallo!’ eried Barker and Roberts, who aow fist saw bim from the edge of the wood where they were standing, ‘what the d—l has bappened?’ —. “Tounder and lightning!” exclaimed Har- per, leaping aside—for the foaming, panting beast bad almost run over bim— ‘Rawson, are you mad? What the deuce is the matier?’ Tue latter, however, vouchsafed to neither of the men an answer, or even a look, He leaped from bis horse, rushed through the _ Open gate, which he cast to again, and darted into the house. The maidens started with a ery of terror at his pale aud agitated features, as he locked the door, drew to the iron bolts, tore his rifle from the pegs, cocked it, and raising it to bis cheek, glanced quickly around the chamber, as if resolved to shoot. down the first petson who should approach him, “ Almighty Heaven! Mr, Rawson!” exclaim- ed Elien, in death-like terror—*‘ what would you du? murder your bride!” “* Cotton!’ cried Rawson, hoarsely, when he bad sati-fied himself that uone but women were in the hut, and without bestowing a second glance upon the maidens—‘‘ Cotton!” “Ay, ay!” answered the latter, sunily, from above, “I’m here. But look out below, Assowaum, the Avenger. there!—the Indian’s coming! The d—l! he | was close upon your heels!” | ‘‘Come down! quick!” cried the preacher, while be took several small plugs from the in- terstices between the logs, thus forming loop- holes eitber for observation or defense; ‘‘ come down, we shal] soon have work upon our hands —we have visitors,” The bunter now descended from bis hiding- place, climbing like a cat, by the rude logs that formod the walls of the hut, and Ellen grasped ° Marion’s arm to keep herself from falling, as she beheld the person whom she _most feared of all men on the wide earth, now appear upon the scenu, under circumstances so | singular and mysterious. ‘* What does this mean? For Heaven’s sake, | Mr. Rawson, let us out!” implored Marion, who | now began to fear that she was a prisoner, and in the hands of ruffians. ‘‘ Let me go to my father —what is the meaning of all this?” **'You’ll soon find out, my beauty!” said the hunter, with a laugh of mockery, as he took a second rifle from :bove the chimney —*‘ you'll soon find out, But, fire and fury!” he con- tinued, turning angrily to Ruwson, “ you’ve coaxed me into a fine trup! I was a fool to wait for you here! I might now be sitting quietly in the canoe, and have five good miles between me and yonder knaves,” ‘Stand back there!” cried Rawson, through the crevice, without replying to his comrade’s reproaches; ‘‘stand back, or you are dead men!” and at the same moment he discharged his rifle through the opening, then casting the weapon to the floor, he leaped to the bed, pushed aside the mattresses, and drew out four other loaded rifles. “Wait, you red devil!” he muttered be- tween his set teeth. ‘‘I hope I’ve cured you of playing the spy! Back from the door there!” he now cried, turning rudely to the maidens; “this is no child’s play! Back, if you love your lives!” * But what shall we do with the girls here?” asked Cotton, in.atone of vexation, “Keep them as_ hostages,” preacher; ‘‘ their lives shall be warrant for ours—if we can hold out till dark, we are safe.” ‘*T don’t see how,” muttered the hunter, while he first looked carefully around in all directions, and then loaded the rifle again from a powder flask, which Rawson pointed out to ‘They will light fires around the house \ him, n the evening, or, perhaps, try to set it on | said the fire.” ‘Tho girls will secure us from that danger,” said Rawson with a grim laugh; “ but hallo! here comes old Roberts alone, withgut a rifle— he wants to bave his daughter back again—it can't be, old man!” | The three men, as soon expecting to see the sky fall, as the scene which now passed before their eyes, had observed with astonishment the rapid approach of the preacher, and at first thought with Ellen that his horse had run away. with him; scarcely, however, ‘had tue usually so quiet man disappeared in the house, and before Barker and Roberts, the one with the ax, the other with a lopped branch upon his shoulder, had reached the fence, the tramp of horses’ hoofs was heard anew, and the next moment the Indian rode up, his long black hair fluttering in the wind, his rifle in his right baud, laid obliquely across the horse’s back, aud held close to the beast's peck, that it might not be caught by the thorns and creeping viies; the bridle hung loose in his Jeff bond, and his head was bent almost to his right knee, that he might more distinctly see the tracks of the enemy whom he pursued, “ Assowaum!” cried. the men, in astonish- ment and ajarm, ‘‘ What has happened? What do you want of the preacher? What has he done?” “I want his blood!” said the savage, gnash- ing his teeth, ‘‘his heart’s blood! the heart from his body!” and casting himself from the baek of his foam covered horse, which, un- used to such exertions, stood trembling in every limb, be rushed toward the fence to clamber over it. At this moment the preach- e:’s voice was beard, ashot came from the hut, and Assowaum fell from the topmost bar of the fence, Before the men could recover from their fright, however, he leaped up, darted around the little inclosure, and then glided be- hind a large tree, whence he could cominand the rear of the house, and cut off all chance of | flight toward the river. ' Darker and Harper followed him thither, oe while Roberts advanced to the house, firmly resclved to wrest bis cKild from the hands of the man, whose singular behavior proclaimed but too plainly that he felt conscious of some crime, with which Roberts was unacquaint- ed ‘* Back there!” cried Rawson, calling to him from the bouse—‘* back, if you love life!” “Give up my child!” replied Roberts; “ let the two girls leave Lhe house. I have nothing against you—I swear it! I do not even under- stand the meaning of all this; but you have fired at the Indian—blood hes flowed, and I wish: to take the women from a place where they are in danger—give up my daughter!” ** Back there!” roared the preacher, ina tone of menace, as he raised bis rifle to bis cheek. But Marion cast herself in bis arms and cried in an entreating tone: “For Heaven's sake, Mr. Rawson, would you murder my father?” **Cotton, take away the girl,” cried the preacher, angrily. ‘' Do but hear how the old foo] shakes the door; it’s lucky they didu’t try to break it down altogetber; we might have fared ili. Now to work; the girls must be tied—we can’t have them in our way—and if they’re not silent, gagged too—we have but a few moments to spare, and we must make the most of them.” “ Help! help!” cried the two maidens, as the two men rudely seized and bound them. ** Robber! scoundrel!” exclaimed old Rub- erts, shaking the oaken door with the strength of despair, while Barker rushed up to assist his friend, and Harper himself, notwithstanding his weakness, caught up a newly-lopped branch and’ hastened toward the hut to lend the aid of his feeble arm to the disconsolate father. But before they had clambered over the fence and reached the door, the trembling maidens were bound with strong ropes, and Rawson cried to them in a threatening tone: ‘“‘Tf you open your lips again to call for help, I will take aim at the white-headed old fool, who is shaking at the door, and shoot him down like a dog!” ‘*Mercy! mercy!” said the trembling Marion, in a whisper; “ have mercy!” “Shoot out, Cotton, but wound no one,” cried Rawson, as he stepped with his rifle to a crevice in the rear of the but, hoping from here to get a shot at the Indian, it the Jatter should imprudently expose bimself, But after the first shot Assowaum had divined the inten- tion of the preacher, who knew and feared him as his most bitter enemy, and who wished at all hazards‘to remove him from bis path. Ao- cordingly, when his first ardor bad evaporated, adopting the mode of warfare peculiar te bis people, he hed fled to a cover, from which he could prevent the flight of bis enemy until tbe arrival of the Regulators, who, as’ he well knew, were close upon his heels. To capture Alapaha’s murderer alive and unhurt was now his sole thought—his sole aim. He did not know, indeed, that Brown, to whom he was attached with all the fidelity of his nature, loved Marion, although, perhaps, he suspected it. But, notwithstanding this, nothing could induce him to renounce the pur. pose which he had formed. His wife he would and must avenge, were it to drag down de- struction upon the heads of those most dear to him. A ball from Cotton’s deadly rifle, which tore Barker's hat from bis head, now admomsh-d the men of the danger to which they exposed themselves, in thus braving the fire of an en- emy driven to desperation, and even Roberts restrained his friends trom all further attempts ‘to force the strong and beavy door, since they were not even armed, and therefore could not hope to assail the villains successfully in their stronghold, ‘Leave me alone here!” he said; “he has been kindly received in my house, and he will not now refuse me my only prayer—the sur- render of my child! Go, theretore,’’be added, as he saw that Barker lingered, and cast angry, savage glances toward the bhut—‘‘go—I hope to arrange all peaceably, and get at the mean- ing of this mystery.” With these words, as Barker and Harper left the inclosure, he turned to the open crevice, at which he supposed the preacher was standing, and was about to’ ‘ress him, when the latter called to him in a \w..¢ of scorn: “Spare your breath, my worthy sir—I have preached too often myself to take any pleasure in the foolery. Tocome to a short and con- cise explanation, listen to my words, which are EORNIEOOOKS (E(@)