Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 137 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

Long Beard, the Giant Spy. 1'7 deadly conflict. The ground was torn up; there was blood upon the leaves and bushes, and fragments of clothing strewn about. ‘There, gineral, there is the very spot where Belshazzar had his skrimmage, and trom looks of things they both made the fur fly. Great Hoppin! hornite! I’ll bet it was lively ’bout the time they spun through that thicket whar ye ean see some slices of Injin and clumps of fur stickin’ on the bushes. Bell makes a nasty figzht—chaws away without any regard for jugular veins and sich machinery. He’s a lee- tle rude and barbarous-like in sich things. He’s never had a thorough trainin’ on the mode of civilized warfare, therefore he has no choice *bout doin’ up a death for a red-skin. It’s my opinion, however, that we'll not find your daughter here, for I think the red varmints have earried her away.” Long Beard groaned in spirit. ‘Oh, my poor child! why does God punish me so?” he exclaimed, pressing his throbbing temples. «You may feel very thankful that the British didn’t get her, gineral. The Indians are ornery bald-faced varmints, but they do most always treat young white gals kindly in their way— especially sich angels as your Temple is. But thar’s no telling what them red-mouthed foreigners ’d do.” “*T would rather see her die than fall into Kirby Kale’s power,” groaned the father. ‘You know that feller, don’t you, Big Beard? you fear his power, don’t you?’ ‘** He is a Nemesis to me, Harry.” ‘* A—what?” ‘*A curse that pursues me, haunts me—the fiend incarnate that made me an exile—a re- cluse—a hunted wretch!” ‘*Oh, great hornits, Big Beard!” exclaimed Harry, sympathetically; ‘“‘you and me have met off and on nighly two years. We’ve been like the needle to the pole to’rd each other— right there; and I’m awful sorry to hear this. But, I always pat ge you'd trouble on your mind; and, gineral, if Ki by Kale is the cause of that trouble, I can eradicate it as effectually as though Kale had never been born. [I'll en- gage to hoist his hair afore two more moons; I will for a polished fact.” ** Do not stain your hands with human blood, Harry, however vile it may be, unless in self- deten e or in a just cause.” ““Why, wouldn’t it be in a just cause to stop Kale’s respiration? Ar’n’t he in_ battle-array against our country? Don’t he fly the rag of England? while I throw to the breeze the stars and stripes of ole Hail Columbia Yankee Doodle! Tm an erican patriot, gineral—me and Bel- shazzar are, and for the cause of our kentry we'll fight till the cows come home. No, no, ginera!l; { don’t see as it would be wrong for me to put Kirby Kale on the list of royal dead, and henceforth I shall keep an eye open for that foreign Johnny jump-up. But then, we must look further for your Temple—not give up till we know she is gone.” ‘Yes; let us look further. We may find her dead,” said the white-bearded man, sadly. They moved on, searching every step of ground for some evidence of the girl’s fate. Carefully they approached the cabin and en- tered it. It had been plundered of everything worth carrying away, and an attempt had been made to fire the building. They also found that the giant’s sail-boat was gone, which left no doubt in their minds but that the enemy had all disappeared from the vicinity, carrying the captive with them. ppy Harry climbed to the top of the tallest tree on the island, and from this point he could command a tolerable view of the whole group of islands that dotted the lake. The first thing that caught his eyes was a thin column of white smoke rising above the tree-tops on an island a mile or more north of them. ‘‘ [ see a smoke, gineral,” he exclaimed, ‘over there on the furthest island.” ‘Indeed! what does it imply?” “Well, it’s not the smoke of a recent camp- fire, that’s plain to be seen. The red varmints that got ye gal might have spent the night there and left a smoldering camp-fire, or e Kirby Kale, after turnin’ tail on the ‘Scout,’ might have dropped in there to wait for day- light. Dll bet it’s one or t’other, and maybe both. If they are there yit, they will be apt to stay there till night; they'll not venture out as long as the brig, now an American fish, swims around in this vicinity. So V’ll keepa watch here, and if I see any change in the color and yolume of that smoke about noon or after, Pll know the fire’s been replenished, and then as soon as convenient, Pll figure off in that direction. And now, gineral, ld suggest, in order to throw them varmints off their guard, if they are watchin’ the ‘ Scout,’ that you re- turn to the boat and run south eight or ten leagues, and return durin’ the night. That'll give me more chances to figure.” ‘Harry, my brave boy, I will do as you sug: t. Ihave implicit faith in you and your owledze of frontier life and skill in circum- ventin the enemy, therefore I will go at once to the brig.” **Good-by, gineral.” i “‘ Good-by, and may God bless you.” The giant turned and moved away, leaving the brave little fellow and his faithful dog alone upon the island. CHAPTER XX. THE JEALOUS PRINCESS. WE will now go back and look after Tempy, whom we left on the island, with no one but Harry’s faithful dog to keep her company. It was with no little reluctance that she consent- ed to remain behind, but.she knew that both | Harry and Lieutenant Reeder acted in the _best of faith in leaving her there; so the peer- less little maiden was concealed in a clump of branching oaks, Belshazzar at ber side. She soon made friendship with the dog by kind words and gentle caresses. He crouched at her feet as if assuming the guardianship of her safety. Tempy sat down upon the gnarled root of the oak and leaned her head against the tree. She was tired—almost exhausted. The day’s journey and the night’s perils had been more than her feeble strength could withstand with- out wearing upon her. Her physical strength was not equal to her courage. Moreover, she was laboring under a terrible suspense—she was troubled about the fate of her father and sister. Nor was this al) that weighed upon her. The face of Captain Rankin, pale and wan, yet handsome in_ its manly beauty, haunted her young heart like the vision of a dream, and some aching, longing desire filled her breast. She wept over the fate of her friends, but when her thoughts reverted to the young captain, she choked down emotions that she had never before experienced. Young as she was, love had fettered her innocent, guile- less heart, though she was scarcely aware of the fact. She sat thinking, taking no note of time, nor dreaming of danger, until the dog at her feet started with a low growl, She listened with bated breath. She heard a faint rustle of the bushes near. The dog growled again. ‘* Pale-face, pale-face!” suddenly called a soft, feminine voice, evidently that of an Indian, speaking English, Tempy’s heart ceased almost to beat, and it was some moments before she could recover suf- ficient to reply. ‘“' Who calls?” she finally made out to ask. ‘‘ Me—your friend Keleelah, the Indian girl, the princess of the Ottawas.” ‘“ What seeks Eeleelah?’ returned Tempy, with an air of relief. ‘Ter white sister.” sf “‘Then come nearer, and tell me why you seek me.” ; i But your dog growls fierce—he bite Helee- ah.’ Tempy spoke to Belshazzar, and he at once became quiet, when, with that characteristic precaution of her race, the Indian maiden crept softly and shyly toward Tempy. As she came nearer, the white girl asked; | ‘How did the princess know I was here?’ She spoke familiarly of the Indian girl, for she was not unknown at the island home. ‘*T saw you come here in the boat of the Long Knives. i followed you.” ‘* Ah! then it was your boat we saw follow- ing us like a tiny speck on the water? But why have you followed me here?” “ Why does the bird seek its mate in the woods? ‘*‘ Because it loves the one it seeks, I would think.” ‘That is why Eeleelah is here.” ‘*Then I am the one sought?’ ‘No, it is the master of that dog,” inter- rupted the princess; “but I would rather find you now than him,” and her voice lowered to a strange whisper. ‘ **T welcome my red sister; I am in trouble. The English have robbed my home.” ‘* That is not as bad as to rob one’s heart.” Tempy was surprised at this reply. She knew there was a hidden meaning in the words, but she could not imagine what it could be. “I do not understand you, Eeleelah,” she said. ** My white sister’s ton is crooked, like all ild Boy’s. Why is the pale-faces but the that dog here?” ‘His master left him to protect me.” ‘“Then the Wild Boy loves you?” ‘*T am sure I do not know. ‘““My white sister knows—she bas won his heart—stole it away from Eeleelah,” and her voice was tinged with bitter sadness. Tempy now divined what the gir] was aiming at—that a feeling of jealousy rankled in her young heart like a poisoned shaft. “*Keleelah is mistaken,” she said. ‘‘I do not love the white boy. I never met him till since the night set in.” “That is long enough to learn to_love. Three suns ago a bad white man strnck Eelee- lah down in the woods because she would not love him. He covered her with leaves and brush where the shadows were deep, thought the eye of the Great Spirit would not find ber there. But he sent the Wild Boy that way, and his dog scented the blood where Ee- leelah fell, and led his master to where she lay with a cloud on her brain. But he soon drove it away as the sun in his eyes shone down inio Keleelah’s beart and made her love bim. And now her white sister would steal that love away.” ‘**i would not, Eeleelah, stand between ycu and the Wild Boy of the Woods.” ‘** But do you not wait his coming bere?” ‘1 do,” replied Tempy. ‘You will never see him here,” the princess said. Then she began murmuring, as it to her- self, growing louder and londer until she broke into a plaintive chant. This she kept up for several moments, to the surprise and terror of Tempy. Whenshe had ceased, footsteps were heard approaching through the undergrowth, Belshazzar started up and growled fiercely. Tempy shrunk back and turned to flee, but Palpalan seized her by the arm and held her ast. e ‘* What do you mean, Eeleelah?” the maiden cried; ‘‘ release me!” Eeleelah made no answer. The crashing in the undergrowth came nearer; friends of the rincess were approaching. Belshazzar dashed orward and became engaged in a terrible en- counter with a savage. Others came on and seized the now terrified Tempy. They were all Ottawas, friends of the jealous Eeleelah, Tempy shrieked for help, but no friendly ear save that of Belshazzar heard her. Already the dog had seized an Ottawa by the throat, and together they rolled upon the eartb. The con- test would have been of short duration between the animal and warrior had not others come to the assistance of their dying friend. Two of them threw themselves upon the dog, and in deadly contest whirled and crashed through the undergrowth in rapid evolutions. The struggle had lasted for some moments when the do managed to elude the grasp of his enemies an esca in the darkness, as if conscious of his apie to cope with such overwhelmivg num- rs Tempy was carried away across the island. Stopping at the cabin, the savages plundered it of everything that would be of use to them. Then they fired the building and burried to their boats, expecting to be far away ere the blazing cabin lit up the surrounding gloom. To their disappointment, however, the ys went out, and surmising that it bad been extinguished by ene- mies who were upon the island, they pushed westward among the islands, Tempy sat in the boat, weeping bitterly. So suddenly had tbe blow fallen upon her that she could scarcely realize the terrible truth. To Eeleelah she attributed all her trouble. The girl’s jealousy bad made her treacherous and merciless, She would listen to no reason nor truth from the lips of the innocent gir). The Indians were all young warriors, and seemed not only willing but anxious to obey the mandates of the fair princess. By ber direction they paddled along through the islands, and finally landed upon one of the lergest of the group—tor what purpose we shall see. CHAPTER XXI. WHO SHOT HARRY? Ir required but a few minutes for the sav- ages to effect a landing, remove their boot and fair little captive ashore and beach the boat. This done, they advanced to the in- terior of the island, and selectipg a little open- ing in the dense woods, went into camp. Out ot the bed-clothing taken from Ten:py’s home, a kind of a lodge was constructed for the cap- tive, and Eeleelah, with every sense sharpened by her burning jealousy, constituted herself watch over the prisoner’s apartment. In the beart of the forest, where no breath of air stirred, gnats and musketoes and insect-life of annoying nature, gathered in swarms and harassed the warriors until it became nece to strike a fire or smudge to drive the peste ferous insects away. Surrounded on all sides, as they were, by dense vegetation, the warriors had no fear of the light betraying them, The vsual precautions, however, were not neglectec, Guards were posted at peints where encmies were most likely to approach, and after a short deliberation over their pipes, most of the band stretched themselves upon the ground and slept. The sentinels were relieved at intervals, so that each performed his sbare of duty end received his share of rest. There was but one in the arty whose eyes were not closed that night— eleelah, the princess. Ske would not be re- lieved of ber watcb cver Tempy, but sat the whole night tbhreugh, bolt upright, a living statue of patience end unyielding dete: mination watching her captive rival as she tossed an moaned in a troubled sleep. Thus the night wore oway. With the first streaks of dawn every savage was astir. By permission of her relentless guard, Tempy was conducted down to the wa- ter’s edge, where she made a thorough ablutior, _ roved quite refreshing to both mind an While bere alone, she said to Heleelah: ae are you going to do with me, Eelee- Gomicbdoo (C S co