Beadle's Dime Library, No. 13 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

favorite at the Valley, else he would not have been tricked out so bravely. “JT spoke only for your good. I care not to urge you to return to those lawless men ; but you are too young to go on the war-pa‘h, and your tribe may be distant,” added Pathaway presently. “Can hunt, fish, take care hisself, Joe can. No need mind ’bout Joe.” “How long since you left your people ?” asked Gelber 4 CaM es “Two, three, four moons ago. White squaw give me clothes. Plenty to eat; no work; oe no like work. Let squaw do work.” The young Indian touched his horse with his hand and quickened his movements, 80 that the hunter was obliged to put his own into a gallop to keep pace with him. In a short time they rode up to Nick Whiffles’ hut. Nick stood in the door, rifle in hand. His pleasure and astonishment were about equal. or I’d about give ye up, by gracious!” he exclaimed. “ "Took a tramp arter ye last night and was jest startin’ ag’in. Reckoned you’d turn up; told Sebastian so, but he wouldn't hear to it, as ‘twere, and nothin’ would pacify him. Consarned funny boy, he is! And not funny, neither, but peculiar constituted. He didn’t sleep a wink last night, but jest set by the fire and eg Os goin’ to the door every five minutes to look and listen. Been on the war-path, I allow? Come back with two hosses and a prisoner. Well, you’re welcome, anyway. What's been the diffikilty ” Sebastian came out while Nick was making these observations; his first impulse, obvi- ously, was to run and seize Pathaway’s hand, but he checked it, and stopped in an attitude indicative of surprise and joy. The hunter hastened to greet him. “What kind o’ baggage you got here?” asked Nick, eyeing the a ian sharply. Joe had not dismounted; he was looking earnestly at Sebastian. “This dark-skinned youth has been my guide from Trapper Valley,” replied Patha- way. rf Trapper Valley!” exclaimed Sebastian, clasping his hands, recoiling, and fixing his _ attention upon the guide. The hunter observed the start and sudden change of attitude. “So you have been in the Valley and got back alive ?” said Nick; “ and that’s ’stonish- in’. Ingin boy”—to Joe—* hop down and let me see what you look like.” The boy did not honor this mandate with the least attention; but immediately, in obe- dience to a sign from Pathaway, sprang light- ly to the ground. “A right nice-’pearin’ boy ; though I must say, there’s a slight tetch of dandyism about him, and uses more paint nor is needful on common occasions. Trot round a little, vo : ater, and let me see your paces,” added N ick, eyeing the boy in his own whimsical manner, who, during this address, was staring at Se bastian In fact, a duel of eyes was persist: ently going on between the half-breed and oe. “So you’ve been to the Valley?” said Nick, abruptly changing the subject. “Jest turn out the beasts, and let me hear all about it. My own animile is yender, and they'll soon make friends, I allow. No danger their runnin’ off. That’s it! throw the bridles and saddles down there. Now, sir, what have you seen and heerd ?” Sebastian pointed at Pathaway’s hunting- frock with something like a ery of terror; Nick, following the direction of the lad’s fin- er, observed that there were several perfora- ions in it, which had the appearance of hay- ing been made by a sharp instrument. . “A diffikilty, I swear to gracious!” cried Nick. “TI am, and allers was, right about the matter o’ diffikilties. Every man must have ’em; they will come; you ean’t keep ‘em off. Yas, they begin the very minute the crown of one’s head touches the atmosphere. The fust breath is drawed with diffikilty, as well as the last. Then comes teethin’, and who pin’-cough, and measles—mumps, scarlet fever, and vaccination. Then there’s the very- lord—which is sometimes worse nor the very devil—not to mention cuts, and bumps, and lickin’s at school. Speakin’ o’ bumps, reminds me that I allers a pesky dispersition to tumble down when I’s a little un. I's a fust- rate climber, but that was all the worse for me for the furder I got up. the furder I had The New ‘York Library. | to fall. There’s wasn’t a pair o’ stairs in the house that I hadn’t gone down rattlety-ban ‘fore I’s ‘leven months old. Neighbors are to think we was l’arnin’ to play the bass- drum—there was sich a continooal thumpin’ and clatterin’ about the premises. And sich a voice as I had when i’s two year old! It was so developed by p’ison diffikilties, that it had the power aud vollum of a bassoon played by a critter as had no regard for the human race. You'd oughter heerd me arter fallin’ from an aay or a gum-spruce! Wasn’t it music, by mighty! Sebastian, don't gape at that Ingin so; Ingin, don’t gape at Sebas- tian. Have knowed boys to fall down in fits by starin’ at each other in that way. -You've broke the thread of my remarks by your ill manners. Your huntin’-frock is a good ’eal hacked up, Pathaway.” Nick paused, and kept glancing from the two boys to the hunter in a somewhat anxious fashion. “To tell you all in a few words, I encoun- tered the fellow Hendricks yesterday. We had words; he was insolent—I knocked him down.” “I’m glad of that, by gracious !|’’ interposed Nick. ‘“ You'd oughter Knocked him arter he vas down.” Sebastian was leaning forward, listening in- “<a to this graphic account. “We arranged a meeting to take vlace at sunset, on the very spot where we then stood, which was a beautiful level, covered with wav: ing grass. We met; 1 was the victor; my adversary stood disarmed before me.” Up to this point, the Indian boy had shown little interest ; he now looked steadily at Path- away: “ Hendricks was at my merey, when a wo- man interposed to save him.” “ Carlota! Carléta!’ muttered Portneuf, who had joined them a moment before ; for — conversation took place outside of the ut. * Yes, it was the girl Carlota; and, before I was aware of danger, I was surrounded by the outlaws of Trapper Valley.” * Wicked woman!” exclaimed Sebastian. The young Indian darted an angry glance at him. “T was a prisoner,” returned Pathaway ; “and, after going a short distance, was mount- ed and mek, bee to Trapper Valley by its eastern, and to us unknown, entranee.” “ What did you see ?” inquired Nick. “Only a few smoke-colored huts standing not far from Trapper Trace, which is to the Valley like a little rill emptying into a lake All the mysteries of the place were not re vealed to me. They kept from me the knowledge of their most secret lurking- places.” “No doubt,” said Nick. “I allow them lurkin’-places is not fur from the spot where we found Portneuf.” “Twas placed under the guidance of Jack Wiley, with the promise of a short shrift and a sure cord in the morning. He slept; I overpowered and bound him. I left the hut and was hastening away, when I met—” ‘“‘ Who did you meet ?” eried Sebastian, im- patiently. The young Indian regarded the lad with a lowering brow. “ Carlota, the female outlaw,” added Patha- way. 2 What did she say? what did she do?” asked Sebastian, whose interest in the narra- tion increased. “T did not quite comprehend her nature. I was savage with her at first; but she taught me a different lesson.” Joe's eyes glistened like fire. “The woman was not all dead in Carlota. she had already planned my escape; and I came near marring the whole by my impetu- ositiy.” “Was this—this Carléta—this leader of mountain outlaws—this masculine woman— was she, I say, handsome ?” demanded Sebas- tian Delaunay. The boy Jos did not take his fixed gaze from Pathaway: there might have been both curiosity and eagerness in the glitter of his black ves. “ ewer thought seriously of that,” said Pathaway, smiling; “ but now, as [ recall her features, one by one, I pronounce her pretty, To speak more intelligibly, she has a certain wild beauty that many of our sex could not dare with impunity. She is brilliant and dashing ; and there are tnose easily dazzled by such qualities.” Then to Joe: “ What think you, boy? Is your mustress hand- some ?” The glittering eyes suddenly sought the ground, rested there & short time, then re- turned, inquiringly, to piage 4s, ‘To them that like her, she handsome; te them that no like her, no handsome.” Joe shot another eye-bolt at Sebastian, “ What do you care whether she’s handsome or t’otherwise, littleun? You a’n’t old ’nough to go courtin’ yet; and if you was, I wouldn’t never give my consent for you to marry a fe- male captain of pirates. No honest gal would keep sich company. Oh Lord, no!” ’ A little stream of humor purled from Nick’s eyes. y «The long and short on’t was,” he added, “she give ye a guide and a hoss to ride; and so here ye are, safe and sound. Now I’ll wa- ger Smuggler agin a common pup, that you made a p'ison diffikilty in the gal’s breast; and not diffikilty neither, but a commotion in her bussom ; and not her bussom exactly, but her heart—which is a muskle condemned apt to git out o’ kilter.” Sebastian smiled, and Indian Joe changed his position uneasily. ‘The girl is wanting neither im sense nor beauty,” remarked Pathaway ; “ and I am not the man to believe that I make a conquest in every quarter where I may receive a favor. She is surely a wonderful creature, both in conversation and spirit; and her language is sufficient evidence that she has not always as- sociated with such characters.” “ T did’nt see her but one or two time,” said Portneuf; “but I s’all say, that I think she look at me kind. She has—what you call him ?—eourage—le grand courage. I have been waitin’ and waitin’, but you have not speak of my child cne time—nevare, nevare |” The Frenchman displayed much emotion. “ Believe me, my friend, it was because | had nothing to say. I would gladly have re- lieved your paternal anxiety had it been in my. wer. 1 bring no news of Ninon.” e voice of Andrew Jeanjean came plaint- ively from the hut; he was singing: ** Oh, the trapper’s daughter— Oh, the trapper’s daughter !” “Our camp-fire must rise somewhere else . to-morrow night,” said Nick, thoughtfully. Smuggler came out and barked, while the horses (just turned loose), which had strayed a short distance from the camp, erected their heads and ears, and evinced signs of fear. Pathaway looked beyond them, and beheld the mysterious grizzly bear. CHAPTER XXI. INDIAN JOE AT CAMP. A curious party assembled at the rao:ning meal. Individually, they were sn galeey uD- like, yet each manifested a noticeable interest in the other. Nick was uneasy, though con- tinually striving to appear cheerful, endeay- oring to inspirit the rest by his humorous sal- lies and unique stories. Pathaway was seri- ous, Portneuf sad, Sebastian timid and at times agitated, Indian Joe inquisitive with his eyes, taciturn with his lips, while the face of Andrew Jeanjean wore its usual mild and un- meaning expression. Each was watchful of the other without wishing to have the fact erceived. Sebastian, unquestionably, shrank rom the presence of Joo—his frequent flushes and evident perturbation being a source of an- noyance and anxiety to Nick. ‘' It’s them mean chills ag’in,” he said im an aside voice to Pathaway, but which was au- dible to all present ; “and not the chills, nei- ther, but the hot stage of the disorder.” The gray hunter hinted that he had not be- fore referred to this particular intermittent as affecting the lad, but had alluded to whoop- ing-cough and measles as the active agents of his infirmities. “ You misunderstood me, colonel !”—Nick often addressed Pathaway by this title—“ you sartinly did.” He shook his head gravely, as if he knew he was doomed to be misinterpreted gener ally. x I think I know as weli’s another what ails him. It’s ager—ager in ite most voilent and chromatic form, "Tisn’t the kind they have in the clearin’s, but ager run wild in the Nor’- west. I seed a whole tribe of Lagins shook to bits with it some twenty odd yea: ago. Fust. they shook off an arm or a leg, then the arms and legs kept righ: on shakin’ on their own responsibility, as ’twere. It was a stirrin’ spettakle, I tell ye! I paseed over the ground Eomichbooks ~