Beadle's Dime Library, No. 13 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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The New York Library. mutive foot and daintily turned ankle, had new meaning for Pathaway. He recalled the occasion of the dressing of the wounded arm, and the vague, and then almost improbable suspicion that had floated dimly and distantly across the horizon of his mind, yet with suf- ficient vividness to give him a strange thrill For a moment he forgot everything but the one absorbing conviction that Indian Joe had forced upon him. “ He’s a tender plant—a delicate half-breed, I allow, but certainly, Joe, you have started an improbable conjecture,” he said, presently. ** Pale-face wise, but he no deceive Joe. He feel all the time, boy, woman; white man’s heart tell him boy, woman; but he no want to believe what it say ; so he go on like one in dream, now satisfied, now not; now no care, now care much.” Joe’s penetrating eyes looked at Pathaway as if to read the 5 ein page of his heart. In truth, the gray hunter was visibly agitated, and Carlota and the banditti of Trapper Val- ley were swept from his consciousness. Had Joe indeed made a disclosure? If the person in question were indeed a woman, what was her history, and why was she wandering like s damsel errant in the Northern wilds? * Her eyes were like soft star-beams gleaming At midnight on the sleeping water ; Her face was ever on me beaming, I loved the wandering trapper’s daughter. Oh, the trapper’s daughter!” The voice of Andrew Jeanjean was lifted mournfully upon the night air, and borne away over bush and brake and waving grass. at that instant Nick overtook them. “‘That’s rather good music,” he said, “ but it hasn’t power to soothe the savage breast hereabouts. Andrew, lad, don’t sing no more at present, for there are heathen ears that may ketch the sound, and we've wore our skulps so long that we should be loth to part with ’em for a song; though a good many things has been sold for a song, I’ve heerd.” Then to Sebastian : “Are you ’sleep, Sparrer-Legs? How’s that p’ieon gash o’ your’n? ‘Tisn’t a good thing to get cold in. Have knowed a con- Jemned diffikilty to come of a smaller cut nor that. Are ye comfortable, little ’un ?” Pathaway’s handsome face turned wonder- ingly, admiringly upon Nick Whiffles. He thought he knew, now, the meaning of all his eare of Sebastian; his womanly tenderness of nim; his constant solicitude for his safety ; his thousand attentions; his countless artifices to shield him from distrust; his unfailing, never-tiring kindness ; his gentle delicacy ; his immeasurable friendship. Here was a mystery! And into this mystery Pathawa passed with all his being. He no longer felt indifference respecting the dangers that sur- rounded them. Here was an object thrown upon his care that gave an interest to flight and defence. The romance of woman was apor the wilderness. The charm of her in. nocence, hopelessness, and beauty gave new ‘neentive to effort, and converted the wide- stretching North imto an arena where laneee might be broken and gallant deeds performed. Already he was conscious of that enchantment that ever waits upon the presence, and lives in the voice and smiles of thet softer sex to which all men, sooner or later, yield homage. He felt his manhood revive, and began to take an active interest in their nocturnal flight. ‘By this time they had reached a spot where the cul-de-sac, or blind alley, leading to the basin which had received the name of Black Rock, on account of the towering masses of dark rock that hemmed it in. Nick Whif®es had reason to remember the place; he had not only lost traps there in an unexplainable manner, but had witnessed, in addition, that terrible drama described in the first chapter of our tale. Pathaway observed that Sebastian shivered the moment his shadow fell within the narrow portal. Nick was at the lad’s side in an in stant, speaking, in a low voice, words of en- couragement. “Under ordinary carcumstances, this spot would be safe,” said Nick, presently, “ but as things is, we can’t rely entirely on its security ; for the red heathen are leagued with our ene- mies, and we may expect to hear from ’em afore the world is much older. Howsomnever, three good rifles in practiced hands, is a mor- tal terror to the nat'ral varmints of the sile; so be lively, lad, and don’t be cast down with misgivin’s or the pain of your little diffi- kilty.” “I’m not afraid, uncle Nick,” replied Se- bastian. ‘Not a bit on’t! nota bit on’t! Should like to hear somebody say that you're afeard, or that you're capable o’ bein’ x oooh in any manner,” answered Nick, heartily. A low, disdainful laugh came from the di- rection of Indian Joe ms ven when the trapper looked at him sharply, he appeared as sullen and absent as ever. ** Ingin boys git big enough to skulp when they’re about ‘leven year old!” theca Nick, contracting his brow till there was a vertical wrinkle on the line of, and parallel with his nose. Whether Joe understood this remark as having ae application to himself, is problem- atical. smile lingered an instant on the pe lips of Sebastian, but which suddenly aded as they emerged from the winding alley into the basin. CHAPTER XXIV. BLACK RUN. The irregalar rampart of rock that gave name to the spot, towered around the parties in dim and shadowy outline, resembling a rough and gigantic wall built by some extinct race of giants, the uniformity of which work was marred by the busy and wasting touch of Time. The dark stream upon which Nick had be- atowed the appellation of Black Run, lay be- fore them like a surface of ebony. Sebastian pressed closely to Nicholas ; there was # perceptible wildness in his manner, while his face was strikingly pallid, consider- ing the mixture of his blood. The gray hun- ter purposely placed himself near the youth, and observing — of his besetting weakness apon him, remarked to the trapper : “ Our young friend has the chills again.” ‘* Not the chills, not the chills,” said Nick, but the animosity of his wound. It gives him a deal o’ pain, but bein’ of Ingin natur, in part, leastwise, he’s too proud to complain. You’ve no idee how much torment he can stan’! I rally b’lieve that he could have a double tooth distracted by a Selkirk doctor ’thont wincin’; and that’s sayin’ a good ’eal for his fortitude, for the teeth of the Whiffleses come mighty hard. They tried to pull one for me, the doctors did, but they airned their money, by gracious! Arter they’d broke sev’ral instruments and made my mouth a gorge o’ blood, I told ’em, ‘Hold on,’ sez I, and they’s right glad to leave go. “* Bring a lariat,’ sez I. The lariat was brung. “« Put a runnin’ noose round the grinder,’ sez I, and they did it. ‘““* Make t’other eend fast to a tree,’ sez I. and they ‘beyed the order. When this was done, taking a pistol in each hand, I sez to ‘em: ‘Seize me by the heels!’ sez I, and b the heels they seized me. ‘ Now pull,’ sez lI, ‘and the fust man as lets go afore the tooth’s out, I'll shoot!’ sez I. Then there was some pullin’ and taggin’ for "bout fifteen minutes or a and the parspiration rolled off ’em like rain from the ruff of a house in a shower. It hurt like p’ison! I thought to gracious every bone in my systum was comin’ out; but I'd had the jumpin’ toothache goin’ on two months and was worked up to a desprit pitch. ‘ What’s the use,’ thought I, ‘of havin’ bones if there’s to be a consarned diffikilty in ’em all the time? Might’s well have no bones, as to have rotten ones. Some animiles,’ J reason- ed, ‘don’t have no bones. There’s snakes, for instance, don’t have none to brag on, and they squirm about and git over the ground like lightnin’; and I’m equal to a snake, anyday.’ And with that I menaced’em with my wee- pons, and the grinder came out spiteful, with a noise as loud as the crack of a rifle.” Nick paused, then added, rye ws | his head : “I'll never have no more pulled, for it shocked my skileton terrible; and took out a good bit o’ the narvous systum; for the grinders, you know, are set right into the narvous systum.” Pathaway was not backward to perceive the tact of the trapper in leading his mind from the youth, and to divert the thoughts of the iatter to a subject more agreeable than that which manifestly disturbed him. “Does your wound indeed give vou so much pain ?” Pathaway asked, in a voice modula more softly than usual ; for since the strange declaratien of Indian Joe, he had felt a strong desire to hear Sebastian converse. His tones, always clear and low, were now to him more melodious, and he listened to them with rapt attention. : “ You distress yourself on my account too much,” he said, with a strong attempt at cheerfulness. ‘“ Uncle Nick, ‘a believe, has spoiled me by too much petting. If he had subjected me to more hardship, been less careful of my comfort, and more desirous of my ee as a hunter, my person would have been seasoned to the hardships of the life to which I was born.” ‘“‘ Nonsense!’ interrupted Nick, “I know what you're capable of better nor you do. You can travel, and suffer, and starve with the best of us, on a pinch; and not on pinch, neither, but at the shortest notice.” “Can he trap?” Pathaway inquired, me- chanically. “"’Twould do you good to see him trap !” answered Nick, with unction. He’ll put that foot o’ his’n on the spring of a trap in a way you don’t think of. Click! and down it goes, and his fingers work into the jaws of the tra break ’em down, and fix the trencher surpris- in’! He knows jest where to place the thing, too, and how to conceal it in tie grass. 'Twould ‘’stonish ye to see the fur the lad’s ketched, fust and last. He follers up the streais as if by instine’ and not by larnin’.” “He’s a good shot, doubtless ?” continued the hunter, interested in the honest zeal of the trapper. “ He shoots beyend everythin’! Set up a mark of some bigness a little ways off for that boy to hit, and you'll see p’ints o’ character that you don’t mistrust. He had a small rifle of his own—a nice one, that I paid a hundred dollars for if I paid a cent, but ’twas stole from him when his hoss was stole. I told you that some thievish critter took his animile, didn’t I? I's sorry for the loss, ‘cause it come of a good breed, and in size was about of a muchness with Sparrer-Legs.” Sebastian, who had been walking unsteadi- ly, tottered, and would have fallen had it not been for the friendly interposition of Patha- way, who caught him in his arms, and in the haste of doing so, grasped him by his wound- ed arm. The pain produced by the action probably served to recover him; deep flush came to his cheeks, but no exclamation of suf- fering passed his lips. While the gray hunter supported him, Nick ran to the stream and brought water in his cap, which grateful liquid he sprinkled upon his face. he hunter, holding the hand of the injure1 metnber ‘n his, felt something warm upon his own, and perceived with alarm that it was stained with crimson drops. His sudden Pp had loosened the bandages and s the bleeding afresh. Nicholas detected the cir- cumstance at the same time, and appeared for a moment embarrassed. But it was for an in- stant, only, that he was nonplussed ; bringing from some mysterious pocket a yellow bandan- na of long service, by no means above suspicion in the matter of cleanliness, he bound it about Sebastian’s arm outside the sleeve of his frock. Pathaway expressed dissatisfaction at this impromptu surgery, but was gravely assured that he had acted according to universal cus- tom in the Northwest. Sebastian was uncon- scious but a few seconds, and glanced timid] at Nick when he recovered, as if fearful of being ecnsured for his weakness. “ Forgive me, uncle Nick !” he murmured. “ Not a tall!” answered Nick. “You are angry!” said the lad, much troubled. “I have gone beyond your pa- tience.”’ “The Lord love ye, no! It’s that con- demned diffikilty that makes you so shaky in the j'ints.” The trapper looked at the rocks and re- membered the torches that had once flashed across their rough sides and gleamed down on . the water. His countenance grew serious. “ Necessity,” he said, addressing Sebastian, “brings us here; but it’s a necessity that shan't last long if I can help it. I under- stan’ you obsarve, what natur is, and how some folks feel under sartin carcumstances. This is but a temporary hidin’-place; a spot where we stop to breathe, as ’twere, and where we'll leave the hoases, preha We're hunt- ed, and it’s needful that 1 should watch the inemy Seven-Plumes, the chief of the Black- feet, is a renowned warrior that has an on- pleasant hankerin’ for my hair; and if there’s a varmint cunning enough to lift it, he’s the one, though I shall throw as many diffikilties in his way as possible; for a man'll part with e‘enamost anythin’ else more cheerfuller uur comicbook SO