Beadle's Dime Library, No. 13 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

set at the carmp-door and see Shagbark erop the tender grass, or give his beels an airin’ when his snerrits are up.” We must remark here. vassant, that “ Misfortin ” and “ Smuggl r” were two hon- eat dogs—the steadfast friends and companions ofthe ‘trapper—while “Shagbark” was the name of a favorite horse—an animal tried in a thousand ‘tramps across the prairies. “They are, no doubt, faithful creatures, but not quite equal to the mountaineer Nicholas, to whom I owe such a debt of gratitude—” “None o’ that, little un. I'll make a con- demned diffikilty atween us one 0’ these days, if you don’t stop pratin’ about gratitude and sith like. ‘Do you spose a rough feller like me ever did more nor his duty? \Did you evér'see an individooal that ever did more nor his daty? Did lever? Did ‘an —e ever ?” The trapper glanced skyward, sighed, and eapped the climax by adding : “O Heaven! no!’ “Bless your honest old soul!” exclaimed the boy, taking one of the trapper’s large brown hanks in his. “Hambug!—for you are a humbug, and I shall call you so as Jong’s you’re with me. I don’t take it kind of ye to call me old. Dol look as if there was an ‘old soul’ in this body ? The Lord love you, no! If ‘twas a thousand year old, there’d never be a wrinkle in it; for the Master of life, in givin’ me a small intel- leét, balanced the account by a hopeful heart: and ¢heerful disposition. I never see no trou- ble'ahead, and don’t borrer none to make my- self miser’ble with ; thlough some of my family did nothin’ but borrer trouble, and died ’thout payin’ it. But see! the dogs have missed ye ; Sthuggler’s settin’ on the brow of the hae with his nose in the air, while Misfortin is slowly ecreepin’ down the slope. Go back, Humbug, and I'll jine ye presently.” But you have not told me what you saw.” “Four redskins, with a captive white man —a free trapper, I should say. He was nigh about'as dirty as an Ingitt himself; but he'll be "purified, as *twere, by fire, afore long, I al- low,” replied Nicholas, Se eit “* But go a up with the dogs, and I’ll toller ye ar- ter Pve looked at my traps.” “Traps! You are not going to look at traps, Uncle Nicholas ; you’re going to follow that party of Indians—I see it in your eyes. You ity the prisoner. But if you should be killed—if you should be killed, Nicholas—a sad’ day it wotild' be to Sebastian De'aunay! What a terrible thing it would be to be left in the sich iteléde “Witlkerndds without a friend!” “My dear lad, you forgit the dogs,” said the trapper, witha half smile, looking down be- nighantly upon the youth. “I’m glad, for the’sake o’ their féclin’s, that they didn’t hear ye mike that remark. Why, Smuggler would eat his own tail 'with vexation ; and Misfortin would be more onreconciled than ever to bein’ a dog. Go up, I say, lad; don’t be obstinate. You want to make me cross-grained and ill- tempered, don’t ye?” “You are brave, Nicholas, and it touches your feelings to see a fellow-ereature in dai ger. I know well enough that you are abou to expose yourself; you will risk your life for the captive trapper. Don’t shake your head ; I'm as sure of it as’ if I saw you on the trail. I’m goin’ with you.” What for ? To hinder my movements ; te make meé too late to be of sarviee ; to git your selfinto diffikilty ? I thank Me little un ; but I say, No! The man wiio follers a trail must go fast ; be must pass like a shadow from p’int to p’int, and as softly as shadows go.” “Iwill obey you. But promise me,” added the wete with more earnestness, “that you will be-very careful, and not deprive me of my only protec! or.” “I promise! Rashness and imprudenee would be injustice to you. I won’t run no risks if Tecan helpit. Dll be wise asa eo ye and dangérous ‘as I ean. Call up the dogs, and don’t let ’em foller me.” The youth turned reluctantly away; and, calling the dogs, ‘with affected cheerfulness, slowly ascended foward the plateau; while Nicholas, after looking at him a few seconds, rapidly descended to the valley. he eun was sinking to the verge of the horizon, and twilight mists were already purl- ing in’opor mountain-pass and defile. Having reached the fresh trail, he madé'a momentary halt; ‘éxamined his rifle and equipments, tight- ened his belt, and resimed his way like a man who has made up his mind. That he was ac- quainted with that region, was obvious from Pathaway. the manner in which he noted the landmarks, “] know nigh about where’ll they'll go,” he said, speaking to himself. ‘“ Bein’ mounted, they'll be obleeged to foller the windin’s of the valley ; but I’ll make shorter work on’t.” The mountaineer no longer threaded the in- tricacies of the valley, but made a straight course across mountain-spur, meadow, and ra- vine. For two hours he held his way over a country rough and rugged, and imaccessible to inexperienced feet. Considerably ex ‘austed, he reached the goal of his wishes. It was a spot lying between two mountains, watered by a small tributary of the southern branch of the Sasketchewan. On the eastern side was e narrow pass, half masked by rocks and bushes. leading tothe Sasketchewan prairies, and the favorite hunting-grounds of the Blackfeet. Two horsemen could not ride abreast throuch this gate in the mountains. Through this in- ter-mountain ‘pocket, the trapper Nicholas caleulated that the braves weuld be obliged to pass with their prisoner, on their way to the villages of their people. It was here, near the water, that he resolved to station himself. and wait the appearance of the parties, who would come from the South, eross the stream, water their horees, make a short halt, perbaps, and leave the spot by the eastern pass. Acting under these impressions, Nicholas soon found a place of concealment behind a large moes covered boulder, poised on a rounded point upon another beneath it. Hedges of mesquit and swamps of wormwood grew in the soil aroun’ it. The night grew dark ; it curtained the moun- tain-rangessombrely. The dingle seemed like a deserted temple ; the passes and defiles were mystic aisles ; the erargy cliffs, dim and time- worn walls; the arching, starless sky, the dome. The instinots of the hunter proved wonder- fully correct. The sound of hoofs was pres- ently heard by Nicholas—muffled and distant at first; clearer and nearer anon. The scenes and incidents of the wilderness do not affect the tried nerves of adepts in wooderaft as they do the noviee, fresh and effeminate from the haunts of civilized men. He -heard these signs of the approaching savages with equable ulse. Under certain circumstances, coolness is bravery; it enables one to grasp every ad- vantage, and turn it to account. The warriors entered the dingle, and ap- i the stream; while their dusky out- ines looked like unsubstantial shadows re- flected faintly upon the eve. They crossed the water—the very movement that the trapper had eounted upon, and which brought them very near his place of concealment. After a few words of conversation in their own tongue, the Indians dismounted and held their horses by the bridles while they drank, The animal that bore the prisoner, frightened by some ob- ject, suddenly backed, until he stood to his girth in the mesquit and wild wormwood grow- ing around the boulder behind which Nicholas was hidden. The warrior with the seven lumes, who was the leader of the party, gave ittle attention to this cireumstanee—the es- cape of the captive in that direction seeming wholly impracticable, as no one, however dar- ing, could urge his horse up that rocky and nearly perpendicular ascent. .To the trapper, this was.a propitious moment. Providence, apparently, favored his intentions. The spec- tral shapes of the braves remained motionless by the stream. Nicholas emerged ay from the shelter of the boulder, drew his sharp-edged hunting-knife, and prepared to execute his bold purpose. But how should he announee his presence to the prisoner? A start, an exclamation, might betray him. He hissed like a serpent. The captive turned his head slightly; and Nicholas availed himself of the moment. “ Trapper,” he whispered, “a friend is near. Be quiet.” | These words, low as they were, reached the ears of the prisoner. He raised his head sud- denly, and gazed around him like a man re- viving from a trance. “ }ineh !’’ added Nicholas, arising from the mesquit near the horse's flanks. The captive perceived this unexpected apparition, but con- «rolled any emotions which % unheralded ap- pearance exeited. The Northern trapper is taught to be quick in his instincts by ht dan- gers that continually surround him. Nieholas cut the thongs that bound him toe the herse— then his knife pase quickly between his wrists: he was free! His deliverer silentl placed a brace of pistols in his hands. ~All | / ’ 3 this took place with a rapidity and adroitness that the clumsy inhabitants of cities cannot well conceive of. With a novice, such a feat would have loomed up a stern impossibility ; but training and skill smoothed down ther ged surfaces of seeming impracticabilities. Nicholas glided behind the boulder, and the captive trapper, slipping noiselessly from. his horse, followed him. Instantly the war-cry of the Blackfeet rang through the dingle. “ Now, stranger, for a scramble among the rocks! Keep close to me, and I'll warrant we'll give the red heathen the slip. Fire when you have a chance, but don’t waste your lead.” Nicholas sprang up the rocks like a moun- tain-oat. “My limbs are summat cramped, but you needu’t be afeard but I can use ‘em to good advantage,” replied the other, hurriedly. The Blackfeet were now pursuing them whooping and yelling with disappointment ; but the fugitives had the advantage of the first start, and, being used to the vicissitudes and perils of the mountains, felt littte apprehension for the result. Several shots were fired after them ; but they fell short, and pee their foree on the rocks and bushes. In ten min- utes, they had gained the top of the ascent; and, after breathing a moment, Nicholas led the way along the more accessible part of the country. CHAPTER IIl. THE MIMIC OITY. Nicholas was curious to see the face of his companion, but the darkacss prevented him from scanning his features ; and it was not till the moon came up, an hour la er, that he was able to satisfy himself in this respect. A clo- ser view confirmed his previous impressions : he was of the wandering, free-trajper type, tinetured with Indian manners—addicted to most of the habits of that race, doubtiess— with free-and-easy notions of life, and a hearty contempt for those outside of his ealling. The countenance that he presented to Nicholas, } lighted by the first ravs of the ascending | moon, was by no means caleulated to invite friendship and secure confidence. The brow was low, and contracted into a perpetual frown. His eyes were sunken, heavy, and dull in expression; while the nose was broad and flat, and the mouth beneath wide, with » eainivorous air about it. The chin was short —the neck large—the shoulders broad. His garments were of the poorer sort, well worn, tattered, and greasy. His hair has already been nepeibaied as being in a rauk state of na- ture—long, and matted over his forehead. In addition to this, the trapper was squint-eyed. Nicholas internally concluded that his last adventure had not made an important acqui- sition to the number of his friends ; in short, he was not inclined to be pleased with him. His manner of talking was abrupt, short, and jerking—giving one the impression that his words and sentences were discharged from a catapult or battery. He had a peculiar way, too, of grunting between his sentences, that ee eee ee was not charming. The hurry of the flight and the darkness had caused Nicholas to deviate from his intend- ed course. He now found himself on a con- siderable eminence, surrounded by seenery that was really wild and picturesque. Cast- ing his eyes eastward, he beheld what appear- ed to be the ruins of a eer city. This ap- eeoncy was produced by far-stretching and iigh-piled masses of rocks, that, shaped them- selves iato dark walls, tottering towers, and broken columns. This mimic city covered the sides and summit of a mountain, and at last, with its grand and gigantic scenery, Was lost to view in a deep and dark valley. Ia all his wanderings, the trapper had never beheld a sight more worthy of attention. He was contemplating it with a rapt sort of won- der, when he was addressed by his companion : “Terbaccer, eh? Chaw, stranger ?” Nicolas turned, and met the heavy eyes of the questioner. * You want some o’ the weed, I allow, and I'm most allers able to ’eommodate in that line, though I’m not powerful fond on’t my- self. Mister, I should say you'd been ina con- demned little diffikilty !” answered Nicholas. “Diffikilty, eh? ‘Tisn’t the fust time, stranger ; reckon ’twon’t be the last. ‘Speet COA MINCE OKOKO) (E@)