Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 137 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 bined with the many elements that go to make up one of those odd, humorous, and jovial fel- lows often met with on the border and in the wilderness. A dimple lurked at each corner of his mouth that seemed ready, at the least pro- vocation, to give way toa hearty laugh. is- chief cropped out on every feature, and the whole was slightly tinged with an expression bordering on the comical, to which a prominent | Roman nose gave additional strength. The youth was dressed in buckskin pants and overshirt, which were ornamented around the knees, up the seams, and around the shoulders with a fringe of the same material. His feet were incased in leather moccasins, and his head covered with a three-corfered hat, which he wore cocked back jauntily upon his head. He was armed with a rifle, a brac2 of pistols, anda hunting-knife. A powder-horn and bullet- pouch hung at his side by means of a strap am) over his shoulder and across his breast. pon the breech of his rifle was cut in rude characters the name— “Happy Harry.” The dog crouched. at the youth’s feet was a 5 oh mastiff of the St. Bernard breed, consider- ably larger in stad respect than his master, and possessed of prodigious strength. For fully an hour the youth sat amusing him- self with the birds that sported around him; but, sows tired of this, he arose and saun- tered away leisurely through the woods, his dog following at his heels. forest seemed to deepen around him, and the gloom to thicken. ‘‘Great hornits, Belshazzar,” the lad sud- denly exclaimed, addressing his dumb com- panion, ‘‘this here woods are gittin’ to be a regler black wilderness; it is, for a sublime fact. Sin wouldn’t breed here worth a cent, so we needn’t look fur sinners, Don’t s’pose there’s a red-skin within ten miles of us. But, keep up spirits, Shazzar; we'll soon reach St. Clair’s min’ shores, where the huge leviathan one ey not and the green-headed frog warbles is duleet lay to the luglubrious mud-tortle. We've had a tramp to-day all for nothin’, but then, as we’re eternally and always on the go, wharfore’s the di.erence? But come, Belshaz- zar: let’s amble along, my mtn and mebby we'll find somethin’ yet to take the melancholy out of your downcast spirits.” So saying, Happy Harry turned and resumed his journey through the woods, whistling a sprigny air—apparently totally oblivious to the terrible fact that death and danger stalked abroad in all the dark woods bordering on the Northern lakes—that thered-man prowled upon every hand in search of enemies, with a mur- derous intent in his heart—a murderous look upon hisdusky brow. He glided ey, through the undergrowth and along the tangled mazes of the dense, dark thicket with the ease and familiarity of one whose life had been spent in threading the by ways of the wilderness, At the same time, however, he manifested none of that habitual precaution of the born frontiers- man in his movements. Indifference to un- known dangers was one of the youth’s modes of guarding against that danger. His careless movements were noi, however, unpremeditated ; nothing within range escaped his keen, hawk-like eyes. He searched every bush and thicket as he advanced, and allowed nothing to give him undue excitement. He was thoroughly learned in the lore of the woods. He knew every voice of the wilderness, and could interpret the mean- ing of every sound, even to the rustle of a bush. He was a natural student of nature; nothing escaped his eyes and ears; and from the most insignificant thing he could always pick a grain of knowledge. As the lad moved on his attention was sud- denly attracted by a low growl of his canine friend. He whistling, but never slack- ened his pace in the least. For all he knew the d ad warned him of danger; it was a rt of his tactics to avert it by a seeming egard of things around him. But, as he continued to advance, Belshazzar manifested greater uneasiness, and he finally concluded it was best not to be too incautious. “What is it, Bell? what do you see?—hear? smell?” he said, moprias and turning to his dog. [he dog uttered a low bark, and plunging on ahead, disappeared from sight. In a few moments, however, he came bounding back to his master’s side in no little excitement. ‘‘Hoppin’ hornits! what’s up, Bels q And munificent Moses! thar’s Sisiod on your snozzle, thar is, for an awful fact.” To be certain, however, the boy examined the dog’s nose more closely, and, true enough, found a slight stain of upon it. As there was no scratch or abrasion from which the blood could have oozed, the lad was satis- fied it had been put there during the momen- tary absence of the animal. What did it im- ply? Surely something was wrong, and the youth set out to investigate the matter. H sent the dog on ahead. The animal led him into a dark, dismal thicket, then stopped and began sniffing and whining in a icious weighted down with some green boughs cut from a neighboring bush. Happy Harry uttered a low whistle of sur- prise as he scrutinized the pile of dry leaves, that resembled a newly-made grave in its pro- ortions. Then he glanced carefully around im, through the thicket, into the tree-tops, as though he felt sure some one was watching him. But not a sign of life was visible any- where. The dog continued his sniffing around the mound of leaves, now and then jumping back as at affright, and uttering a low whining bark. ‘*Hoppin’ hornits, ‘Shazzar! what do you mean? What you treed thar, pup? a serpent? a sick bear? or a red-skin? Which are it? | Speak right out.” s he advanced the | | ‘about ‘‘ Bow-wow!’ barked the dog, scratching at the heap. ““Great hoppin’ hornits!” burst from his lips, as a human groan broke suddenly upon his ears. Then he gazed around him as if to see from whence came the sound. But all was silence and shadows. The presence of death could not bave thrown more gloom around tbe youth than thatstrangecry. His eyes finally became fixed upon the heap’ of leaves before him. He spoke to his dog. The sagacious animal seemed to comprehend his very thoughts, and bounding forward, he thrust his muzzle into the brown heap. In an instant he withdrew it, and from the depths of the frail covering he drew forth a human hand! It wasa swall brown hand with taper- ing fingers and a wrist encircled a a hoop of gold—a woman’s hand beyond a doubt—a hand that was still warm and aquiver with life! CHAPTER II. WHAT HARRY FOUND UNDER THE LEAVES. Happy HARRY was completely dumfounded, and it was fully a minute before he could get his thoughts to work. And then, but for the presence of blood on the little dusky hand, lying so limp and yet so graceful on the pile of leaves before him, he would have believed that there was some movement on foot to entrap bim. But a low moan of agony, which could not have been otherwise than the true expression of ea dispelled all feelings from his breast save deep- est sympathy and kindness, and advancing to the leafy mound, he bent over it, and began carefully raking the leaves away. He soon came to the form to which the hand belonged. It was that of an Indian girl. She was wrap- ped in a blanket, and, to all outward appear: ances was dead. ‘Here, Bell,” the lad said to his dog, “‘ take hold and carry this gal out of these graveyard shadders.” He gathered the four corners of the blanket together and placed them in the mouth of his dog. The powerful mastiff lifted the form of the maiden as easily as though she were a child. He carried her out of the thicket and some dis- tance through the woods, when a grassy plot was pointed out. to him by his master whereon to deposit his burden, which he did with almost human tenderness. Harry saw that the maiden was still bleeding rofusely from an ugly wound upon the head, he was totally insensible, but her wild, inco- herent mutterings gave evidence of returning consciousness, ‘“‘ Hoppin’ hornits!” exclaimed the boy, in apparent perplexity, “here 1 am in a con- founded predickamint. I’ve got an elephantee on my hands, 1 have fora mortal fact. And what the horned gallinippers am I goin’ to do with the kritter? Anéd, what’s more, how came she here in this banged-up condition? She’s an Ottawa, and’s got a ’tarnal ugly jolt on the cerrebellum; but switched if she ar’n’t the prettiest little Ingin squaw I ever seen. She’sa royal diadem of a beauty. She’s jist exquisite, and I’m goin’ to do the fair thing by her, Iam for a generous fact.” The maiden could not have been over sixteen years of age, and for an Indian was decidedly protty, her face wearing a childlike simplicity. er neck and arms were loaded with costly ‘ade gh and a wreath of flowers girded her row. But these, as was also ber black hair, were covered with blood that oozed from the deep gash on her head. examined the nature and extent of her injuries, which he decided must have been in- flicted by the blow of a club or some heavy, blunt weapon. But who could be so heartless and cowardly as to strike a helpless girl down, he could not conceive, unless it was some resent- ful wretch of her own tribe whose love she had doubtless spurned, and who had resolved she should not favor another. The young borderman took the blanket from Tae fru. and running back to a little stream he had recently crossed, dipped it into the water and returned to the en. He wrung some of thé cool liquid from the blanket upon her head and temples. He bathed her brow and washed the blood from her face and hands with all care and tenderness. Then he stanched the flow of blood with some lint from susp manner around some old dead leaves that had | the blanket, and bound up the wound with a been recently raked into a long heap and strip of her calico frock. Long Beard, the Giant Spy: Under these kind ministrations she appeared to recover rapidly. She finally opened her eyes, gazed around her, uttered a startled cry, and again appeared to sink into unconscious- ness, Harry saw, however, that she had fully recovered her senses and was only affecting insensibility, doubtless through fear of him. ‘See here now,” he burst out, in an expos- tulating manner, ‘“‘ you needn’t play that on me, Becky—I mean Lily-of-the-valley. Ive done the fair thing by you—me and the pup bas—and now, if you could appreciate it, and condescend to open them black eyes and ad- dress us kindly, we’d be superbly tickled. Oh, git out now! you needn’t try to look through yer half-open peepers. We're not fools, and by the horned gal inippers, we'll up and leave you here if you don’t recognize us as friends. Confound it! you’re jest. like all the girls. You'd die ruther than do what I want ye to, That’s feminine perversity out and out; it is, for a scandalous fact.” The maiden did not understand a word he said, or else was determined not to stir from her simulated insensible state; and after wait ing a sufficient time for her to make up her mind in regard to the matter, be turned, called his dog and started away. It was not his in. tention to desert her entirely, for, as soon as he was out of sight, he slipped back and tcok tag behind a tree where he could watcb er. No sooner was the sly, terrified young gir] assured that she was alone, than her eyes opened and glanced quickly around, Then she arose to a sitting posture and felt of her head and the bandage upon it; then she attempted to rise to her feet, but failed. ‘““You’re purty weak yit, Lily-of-the-val- ley,” suddenly broke upon her ears, and Hap- py Harry stepped from his covert, with a mis- chievous smile upon his face; ** you’d better rest uiet an hour or so and youn’ll git stronger. Phar’s a monstrous big leak on your bead, and the best part of the gal’s leaked away.” The maiden’s eyes sought the ground, and a look of petulancy overspread her face. She made no reply to Harry’s remarks. ‘Girl, have you gota tongue?” the lad asked, a little curtly. ‘It'd be a sublime satisfaction for me to know, it would, for an honest fact.” He repeated the question in the Ottawa dia- lect. The maiden looked up. She touched her head, and in a feeble tone, said: “The young pale-face has saved Eeleelah’s life.” ‘I’m slightly conscious of havin’ done a lit- tle for you by way of keepin’ you from the land of your forefathers; but bow did you git burt, Keleelah?” She shook her head, which act Harry accepted as a refusal to answer bim. ‘‘ Wal, it’s all right,” he moralized; ‘‘ them as has their sekrets can stick to’em. It makes no odds to me. It’s a monstrous queer world this is, for an embellished fact.” A low igi, from his dog started him, and turning, he saw a man approaching at a lei- surely pace. He was an entire stranger to the boy; moreover, he was dressed and painted as an Indian; but Harry was ‘too well versed in the movements of an Indian not to see that the new-comer was a white man in disguise. He was a young man, with a rather bandsome face, a rakish air, and a dark-gray eye, that was not altogether pleasing to the critical mind of the young border-boy. But, concealing his dislike, he exclaimed, in a frank, open tone: ‘Hullo, here! Howdy, stranger?” ‘‘No reason to complain, sir,” responded the stranger, glancing at the youtb, then at his dog; “but how’s this—that ornery-lookin’ big cur bite?” “Sottly, gently, respectfully, stranger, speak of that dog,” replied Harry, waving the man back. ‘‘That pup is sagacious—he’s sensitive, and all creation couldn’t stop him if he took a notion to masticate you. Hoppin’ hornits! that little critter bas fainted away ag’in; she bas, for a bitter fact.” It was the girl of whom he now spoke. She had fallen prostrate in a swoon, and now lay like one dead, ‘* Hullo! what you got there? A sick Ingin ar’n’t it?” asked the stranger, as his eye fe upon the maiden’s form. “Sick? why, sick’s no name for it. Some cowardly devil has nigh about bu’sted her head open, stranger. Thar’s an awful gash on It, and I’m afeard the poor poung thing will not see her way through. I found her out here in a thicket, covered with old leaves, But 1m goin’ to do my best for her, for she’s the purti- est Ingin 1 ever sot my eyes on. But, looky “poe rene, ae are you trigged out like a oody Ottawa , “TI find it convenient to one’s scalp in this outlandish country,” responded the man. ** Well, who be you?” ** Abel Doyle; and you?”’ “I’m a royal young sap-sucker—a descendant of the children of Adam, and am called Happy “Ay! the Wild Boy of the Woods?” “ Yes, or any other man.” © nicboo (E <S . (ee)