Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 137 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

ey Tg a Long Beard, the Giant Spy. L9 ment, and entering the camp, heaped every combustible article in it upon the smouldering fire. Quilts, blankets, feather-beds and cloth- ing, plundered from Long Beard’s cabin, were pi in one promiscuous heap upon the red coals. A huge volume of dense smoke at once began to roll up among the ,trees, and scatter in the wind over the island. The fetid, stifling smell of burning wool and feathers filled the air. It reached the keen olfactory nerves of the red-skins, and brought them flying back to camp to find their stolen chattels and goods all aflame, and the incendiary gone. Search was at once instituted for him, but of course in vain. Believing that he had done all the mischief he possibly could to the red-skins, Happy Harry resolved to quifi the island and strike out for the brig. So he crept around to where the enemy had beached their canoes, and selecting the lightest one embarked therein. The island near- est to the one just left laid off to the south, and so he made for that withall his might. It was out of his course, itis true, but he wished to get in behind the nearest island, and endeavor to keep it between him and the enemy. He soon reached the island, and passed around it, as he believed, unobserved: but, to his surprise and horror, he suddenly discovered the savages in a six-oared barge coming round the island from the other direction directly toward him. The youth was almost horror-stricken. He scarcely knew what he could do, and, for a mo- ment, held the paddle motionless. But no time was to be lost. The savages were not over forty rods away, and were skimming along at a rapid pace. In his flurry and excitement, Harry laid down his paddle and took up his rifle, but a second thought convinced him that to fire upon the red-skins would only add new dangers to his already perilous state. So he laid the rifle et taking up the paddle again pulled for the lake. CHAPTER XXTII. WILLIAM MUCKLEWEE TAKES A BATH, MEANWHILE where were Eeleelah and Tempy? and had the princess been true to her promise to Harry? e had shown what she could do as an enemy and rival, now let us see what she could do as a friend. Eeleelah was skillful in the use of the paddle, and sent the canoe gliding swiftly through the water. She labored with all her strength to put an island between them and her red friends, and when she had finally accomplished this suc- cessfully, she permitted the canoe to come toa stand that she might gain a moment’s rest. Her address and demeanor had assumed a different phase toward Tempy. The cold, relentless look of a jealous captor had vanished. Her speech was softer, and tempered with the kindness of a friend and protector. Her whole soul seemed set upon the accomplishment of the mission in- trusted to pr Hh Happy Harry. Her wild eyes roamed restlessly around like those of a star- tled fawn. She was ever on the alert for dan- ger, or rather that which would defeat her es- ee to the brig-of-war. suming the paddle, she pushed cautiously around the island, and was nearing the eastern side, when she suddenly discovered a succes- sion of waves circling outward from behind the island. She felt satisfied that they were made by some moving object, and fearing it might be made by a party of her friends in pare she turned the canoe in toward the islan Along the shore at this point grew a frin of dense, wild rice plants. It w out in the water, and was in places five feet high, making an admirable place of concealment; and into this miniature wilderness the princess drove her canoe. When unable to use the paddle on account of the stalks, she pulled the canoe for- ward by means of the plants, but so carefully replacs: every stalk that the boat left no trail, and when some ten feet in from the open water they came to a halt, e plants with their loaded heads hung over and around them so densely that they were completely screened from view on sides, They were blended with the shadows, and at the same time could command a partial view of the open lake, looking throuyh the sieve-like openings among the stalks. Both of the fugitives listened with bated breath for the approach of the unknown boa but not a sound save tho wave-like rustle o the reeds could be heard for some length of time. Finally, however, they beard a crash- ing sound among the plants before them—a sound like that which their own canoe made when they entered the rice thicket. Eeleelah’s eyes started wildly; she listened with all the intensity of her soul, her hand raised as if to invoke silence, her lips parted as if to speak, and her whole form bent slight- ly forward and trembling with the intensity = anxiety, like one of the graceful reeds around er. ‘““ What is it, Eeleelah?’ asked Tempy, in a r. ‘Danger! danger!” returned the princess, The noise grew louder, which m it evident that the canoe wee Seep ; : Eeleelah gazed wildly around her, not know- \ : ing what to do to avert discovery. The canoe was creeping closer and closer—now so close pee they could make out that it contained red- ins, With dilated eyes and quivering lips the girls sat motionless, watching and listening. And still the boat creeps on—now so close that they can hear a sudden exclamation from the lips of a warrior, who has discovered some- thing! Eeleelah’s heart almost ceased to beat. She realized the situation more fully than Tempy did. She listened—she heard an exclamation | pass from lip to lip of those in the approaching | canoe. There must have been fourof tbe war- riors—there were four, for the canoe suddenly crashed past them so close that the plants wav- ing above their heads were disturbed. But or we enough every warrjor’s head was turned—he was looking soutbward and regard- ing a dense column of smoke rising from the | enter of the grove in which their camp was ocated, They seemed to know what it implied, and in the moment of excitement forgot the ob- ject of their search and passed on, leaving the maidens behind them. Eeleelah drew a long breath of relief, and Tempy unfolded her hands that had been clasped over her heart to still its wild throb- bing. . The princess waited till the sound of the re- treating canoe had died away, then she stood up in the boat and gazed around over the wil- derness of rice plants, No sign of life was vis- ible, unless the smoke ascending from the island south might have been considered such. Tempy saw it, and asked: ‘* 'W hat does it mean, Eeleelah?’ “T do not know. Something is burning. The Wild Boy of the Woods is there yet. He may have set fire to the things taken from your as er’s wanes S ae ‘empy sighed s , regre y. Eeleelah began vulling the canoe along through the swamps, age gradually out- ward toward the open lake. They were nearly out of the thicket when the boat touched against something in the water possessed of life. A pair of human hands reached out and seized the gunwales of the canoe. A man in the water, almost to his waist, peered up into their faces with a half-sinister leer. He was a person past forty, with a rough, bearded face, and dressed ina hunter’s garb. He carried no weapons ex- cept a brace of pistols, the muzzles of which just reached the water. It was tue notorious traitor, Bill Mucklewee. ““Gee-glory to heavins!” he exclaimed, as he drew the boat closer to him. ‘‘Il’m dashed glad you’ve come along, little folks. I’ve been standin’ here a month, if I’ve stood a second Ihave, by crackey. I jist escaped four dashed pdasan? ngins, They’d ’a’ salted me right down if they had beheld me—say, can’t I ride with you, leetle darlin’? I’m dashed near dead —drowned—dissolved, and I know you would not refuse an ole man,” The maidens both regarded this a speci- men of humanity with distrust. counten- ance was enough to provoke suspicion in the keen-sighted princess); He was an _ entire stranger to the girls, and his presence there led them to believe that he was in league with the Engliss and Indians, and had been sta- tioned there for the express purpose of watch- ing for them. Before they could express « rmission or refusal to his desire, he threw imself into the canoe with an ease that was remarkable for a man of his age. The maidens were dumfounded by his bold- ness, and sat regarding him with silent amaze- ment. ‘“‘Thanks for your generosity, gals,” he said, with that same leering expression bordering on the ue and comical; *“‘now, where in mercy’s name will you take me to?” We're going to the brig-of-war on the lake,” said toe a ‘What? holy pokers! that English brig-of- war? Dash it to thunder, are you allies of Great Britain? If you be, Pll get out of this boat if I drown,” ‘The brig is English, but has been captured recently by the Americans.” ‘Oh, exquisite de-light! it was, eh? Now I breathe easier—a dashed sight superber. I don’t like the English. The royal hounds “They my grandfather at the battle of Bunker ‘How came you to be here, stranger?” asked mpy. i How?” drawled the man, somewhat sur- prised by the question; ‘‘why, 1 tock a boat and come down here to ruminate among the Pliadees—heard it war a dashed superb place for an ole man. A million Injuns by actual ce let me take that paddle and do that work. ’m stronger and tougher and a dashed sight uglier than you be. [ll jist push this boat across this water like a streak of lightnin’ across the heavins. Tll do the paddle a psy sight superber than you ever dreampt of. Eeleelah gave him the paddle and changed seats with him. He took his position, and with a grand flourish of the blade sent the craft out into the open lake, and then turned it upon the maiden’s course ! “The big boat is this way,” said Eeleelah, pointing toward the east. “Yes, I know it is; but we'd better go around this way, for thar’s a dashed lot of Ingins ’round that way,” and the man paddled on. Keleelah glanced toward Tempy, her eyes flashing with a terrible fire, then she turned to Muckleweo again, and reaching carefully forward, lifted beth his pistols from his girdle. So vigorously was the villain working, and se quick and easily had the movement of the rin- cess been, that he failed to detect the theft until Eeleelah rose ‘to her feet and cried: ‘* Stop, pale-face!” Mucklewee, Who sat with his back to both of the girls,*turned his head and glanced over his shoulder, to. behold two pistols pointed full at his head. The princess held one, and Tem- py the other, and the look that flashed in the ‘eyes of the girls, convinced him that the were as determined in their intention as their ; nerves were steady. He started as though a knife had been thrust into his back, and throwing up his arm as if to protect his face, cried out: ‘Oh, Lord, dash it! don’t! don’t!” and he felt for his pistols. **Get out, or you will die,” Eeleelah said, met yet with a terrible earnestness, ‘* Why, little un, dash it, what do you mean? Be keerful with ’em ’ere things— they’re p’isenous.” **Get out or die,” repeated the princess. ‘‘ You lied to us; you are our enemy, and we know how to shoot. If one miss, the other will not. Get out, for you will die if you stay here,” “Oh!” groaned the astonished renegade, and he laid down the paddle and squirmed about as if in agony. He was completely outdone. He saw that the princess was a dangerous person to trifle with, and he was rot in a position to seize and disarm her before Tempy, no less re- solute and determined in her looks, could fire, In fact, to save his life, he could see no way of es- cape but to obey the princess’s command; so he threw one foot over the side of the boat, and as. soon as it touched the water, he said, pleading)ly : ‘‘Great mortal Redeemer! girls, don’t solicit me to drown myself. The lake here is a mile deep if it’s an inch, and I can’t swim a lick. Dash it, ifa feller can’t ener mercy from a. ri who on earth 711 he turn to for consola- on‘ ‘** Get ont—one minute more and I will fire,” said the relentless Eeleelah. The man threw both feet over the side of the boat, and holding on to the gunwale, began lew- ering himself slowly into the water. ‘* Don’t you see I'm goin’ clear under?” he ex- claimed, as be susk inch by inch; “ gals, thar’s no bottom here, This lake’s ten miles deep if it’s an ineh. But, ob, Lord! never mind, you dashed, relentless creatures! Ill haunt you— you'll see my poor, ole face starin’ aE from these cold depths at you all your lives. it, ’'m sure to drown; I tell you this lake’s twenty miles deep if it’s an inch—oogh! oogh!” While thus expostulating upon bis apparent fears of drowning, a wicked fire of resentment burned 2 yg pad eyes, Eeleelah, how- ever, saw it, and divining bis purpose to upset the canoe, she ie) fim arply over ‘the knuckles with her pistol, causing him to howl with rage and release his ho d at once, Like a leaden weight he sunk from view, and before be could rise to the surface again, the princess took up the paddle and sent the craft fying over the waters. When several rods away they glanced back and saw the redoubtable Bill Mucklewee pop u to the surface, spouting water like a wound whale. As soon as the worthy villain could get his eyes and lungs cleared of the water, he glanced around him, and when he saw the maidens fleeing over the lake several rods awa he began cursing and shouting at the top of h voice: A grim smile lit up the face of Eeleelah, while Tempy regarded the whole with a minr gled feeling of fear and delight. The princess plied the paddle vigorously, and soon they had passed the island and were speed- ing away toward the brig-of-war. The last count, gals, big as it may seem, got after me | glimpse they had of Mucklewee, he was stand- the very second I landed, and so I had to | swamp it. Lord! if I’ve been there a minute, I’ve been there a month, a roostin’ post for | lizzards, frogs, serpents, and even a shark a. mile long come up the other day and acted as | though he wanted to sun hisself; but I squirt- ' ed some amber into bis eyes, and then you'd ort to see him hump hisself away from me. But, see here, little dusky-face queen, s’pese ing in the water to his chin, shaking his fist threateningly toward them, and no doubt hiss- ing forth vile imprecations. ; y, Eeleelah, you are as true and brave a friend as you were a cold and cruel enemy,” Tempy finally said, when their proximity to the brig assured them of safety. ‘When Eeleelah promises to be a friend, she can keep her word. She is no coward like the Gomilchbooks (¢ (<oy ’ ~