Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 137 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

20 English soldiers that skulk behind walls and in holes when they fight.” ‘‘T will never forget my red sister’s kindness in saving me.” “You owe me nothing. I ry gh ou loved the Wild Boy of the Woods, and I led you into trouble. It was my duty to lead you out, and to your—” **Oh, Eeleelah!” suddenly cried Tempy, as they neared the brig, her eyes sparkling with manifest joy, ‘‘I see my dear papa on board the brig! That is he with the long, white beard!” ‘IT am glad my white sister will soon be safe and happy with her friends,” declared the princess. In ten minutes more they ran alongside the brig, and were taken aboard amid the wildest shouts of joy. The reunion of Tempy and her friends was most joyous, and among the first to greet her return was Captain Rankin, who, pale and weak, was out walking about on deck. But in the midst of the joyous meeting, a man suddenly cried out: ** A boat! a boat.” ‘‘ Whereaway?” questioned Long Beard. * Just rounding the island—with one or two occupants. It is bearing this way wi Sp es, and there comes another boat in pursuit of he first. Look, friend Long Beard.” Long Beard took the glass belonging to the brig, and scanned the two boats gay “SAY; by heavens!” burst from _ his lips, *“* Happy Harry is in the first boat, and he is being pursued by a number of savages in a six- oared barge. Boys, now is the time to try your hands at the guns. Be quick or Harry will be overtaken!” The men flew to one of the brig’s heavy guns with the alacrity of old gunners, and in a mo- ment later a cloud of smoke ‘puffed from the vessel’s side,and a thunderous boom rolled across the waters of Lake St. Clair. CHAPTER XXIV. A LUCKY SHOT, Happy Harry struggled as he never did be- fore to escape the pursuing savages. There was no dodging them on the open water, as he could easily have done in the forest. Two miles or more separated him from the brig, and with the enemy buta short distance behind, he felt certain that nothing but the intervention of rio aaa could save him from being cap- tured, He was at home on the water, as well as on the land, and handled the paddle with all skill, but the pursuers had the advantage of him. They were in a six-oared barge that onged to the brig-of-war—the same one in which Kirby Kale and a portion of the vessel's crew had escaped the trap set for them by the Americans. The c became one of fearful interest to both pursuers and pursued. The savages, ever and anon, uttered wild terrific whoops calcu- lated to strike terror to the fugitive’s heart and paralyze his efforts. Belshazzar stood up in the rear of his master’s boat, and barked fiercely at the pursuing foe. ow and then Harry glanced back over his shoulder to note the proximity of his pursuers, and when he saw how rapidly the distance between them was lessen- ing, his hope deserted him. But his courage never flinched, and he pressed on with all his might and main. uddenly he hears a voice yell out: . **Stop! stop! you little wretch, or we will riddle you with bullets,” It was the voice of Kirby Kale, but the youth AL no attention to the peremptory demand. e kept boldly on—his exertions redoubled by the discovery that the villain Kale was one of his pursuers. . e enemy could have slain Harry, but they seemed so confident of capturing him alive that Kale forbid firing upon him. had use for we boy, hence his desire that he be taken ve, They finally ran clear of all the islands and stood out in plain view of the little war-vessel. But by this time the enemy were within a few rods of the young borderman, and Kale was screeching at the top of his lungs for him to stop and surrender, accompanying his demand with a threat. But this did not scare him at all. He pushed on until he saw that further efforts were useless, when he dropped his paddle, and rising to his feet, faced the enemy. The next instant the prow of the swift-mov- ing barge struck the canoe aft with a crash, splitting it almostin two, Both Happy Harry and his dog were precipitated into the water —both sinking from view. The dog soon ros> to the surface and struck out for safety, un- molested by the savages, who were on the alert forthe Sepa of Harry. But, to their wonder and surprise, the youth did not appear. The moments wore away into minutes—the extreme limits for buman endurance beneath the water had expired, and still no boy arose to the surface, The disappointed victors searched the waters far and near, sus ing an attempt to escape by of cree ar er water and rising some dis- tance away, but nowhere cou!d they see a sign of the boy. Aside from the waves {circling out from the boat, the sea was still and the least object was visible for many rods around. Kale thought it impossible for Harry to have swum beneath the water beyond range of his vision; but to make certain of this, they began moving slowly outward in a circle, searching the water around them carefully. For half an bour they kept this up. Kale shook his head in a puzzled manner, e could not exactly understand the mystery of the lad’s disappearance. Even if he had been drowned, the body should have risen to the surface at least three times before sinking for the last time. The sudden scream of a cannon-ball, followed by the sullen boom of the gun, startled them. They glanced away toward the brig and saw a cloud of smoke rising from her deck. ‘* By heavens!” cried Kale, “ they’ve opened fire on us from the brig, and it seems there is some one aboard of her who can handle a gun. We've got to get out of this and let that boy go, lf he has gone to the bottom of the lake, the probability is that the dispatches he got from the Englis spy are with him. And then, come to think, he’d be a fool to be packing them around with him, if he has any idea of their value to the American people. But we had better return and help search for the maidens, Eeleelah and the white girl.” ‘*Hooh! Mucky-wee-lee come!” suddenly ex- claimed an Ottawa chiet. All looked away behind them, and to their surprise, discovered the invincible Billy Muck- lewee coming around the island directly to- ward them in a small canoe. The man seemed to be exerting his utmost strength with the paddle, for the canoe fairly leaped through the water. The paddle rose and fell like the win- nowing of a bird’s wing. The water parted in great rolls on either side of the prow of the boat, while a line of frothy ripples marked the course behind for several rods. . “‘ Something’s wrong, red-skins,” said Kirby e; ‘whenever you see Bill Mucklewee in a hurry, you may knuw something’s up.” They rode leisurely along toward him, and in a few minutes they came to, together. ‘““What’s the matter, Bill? questioned the officer, “ are you running away? “Whew!” puffed the renegade, mopping the perspiration from his face with his sleeve — ‘‘ gi’me—breath, gol—dash—it—thunderation, gi’me breath!” he panted. ** What ails you, man?” asked Kale again. ‘*Whew—dash it! what are you fellers pad- dlin’ round here—for, like a passel of nincom- poops—whew! I found them gals, and if Id a’ had help they’d ’a’ been in our possession now. But the dashed on hussies yanked out a small shootin’ iron each, and thrustin’ the p’izen thing under my nose, solicited me to va- cate my position in their eanoe; and, gentle- men, I vacated in a dashed hurry. You may think me a coward by doin’ so, but if you bave been married, you know it is nothin’ but bra- vado that’d ’a’ kept me in the boat. I have been married, gentlemen, and I'll say right here that my wife has been married three times since we divorced, and every mother’s boy of ’em sleeps ’neath the daisies to-day. So ou see, I know something ’bout female nacher. hen a woman draws a pistol or a broom on ou, and observes something ’bout your retir- ng from her presence, you might as well retire. It’s no use whinin’; an argyment in the shape of a pisto] in a desperit woman’s hand is con- clusive, ’specially if she has the opposite side of the question. ash take a woman, anyhow. They’re the most necessary torture and bother that war ever inflicted on mankind. Any man ’d be a dashed sight better off if he’d never seen a woman, and yet the dashed fools will be drawn toward the dod-dashed critters lile as if they were a load stone. As for me, gi’me a catamount, or gi’me death.” ‘* Well, where are those girls now?” questioned e, ‘*T dare say they’re aboard yonder brig-—both of the dashed critters, red and white—wild-cat and painter.” Kirby Kale uttered a fearful oath, ‘* A pretty set of fools we’re getting to be,” he growled, savagely, ‘‘to Jet a boy have de- feated us fora week right along. All this trou- ble—the loss of yon brig, and the escape of these captives are directly owing to that boy. And here we sit like a parcel of fools under the very muzzle of our own cannon in the hands of our enemy, both boy and girl lost.” ‘‘ What boy you talkin’ bout bein’ lost, cap’n?” asked Mucklewee, a queer lirht flashing in his wicked eyes; ‘‘do ou mean that dashed young Ha te Mos: we ran afoul of him awhile ago and smashed his canoe; he sprung out into the water and sunk, and to save our souls we can’t find him dead or alive.” ; ‘Ho! ho! haw!” roared Mucklewee, slapping his knee and shaking his head in a paroxysm of merriment; ‘‘ oh-ho, Lord dash it! if that ar’n’t the best thing that I ever see’d sence the mule kicked Mrs. Mucklevwree into the middle of the followin’ week, Can’t find that boy? Ho, ho, ho; dash my old picters if that ar’n’t the dee- lightfullestest joke out! Why, Kirby Eale! Long Beard, the Giant Spy. that boy’s within arm’s ritch of you this holy, sanctified minute. Just look over under the edge of your flaring old barge, and you’ll see that owdacious young dare-devil cozily tucked away under there!” Captain Kale leaned over the edge of the boat and peered under its flaring side: and, to bis wonder and surprise, beheld the object of his late search concealed there within half an arm’s reach of bim. In an instant the whole truth flashed through his mind; when the boy rose to the surface he came up directly under the projecting side of the cance unseen, and had been there, clinging on like a barnacle, while He savages were paddling around in search of iim, ‘*Oh-ho! my young imp!” hissed Kale, ‘ your cunning and deviltry are worthy of a better cause; but, young man, ycu—” He did not finish the sentence, for a cannon- ball from the brig came skimming along the sur- face of the lake and struck the barge a little forward, cutting its end squarely off, and sbiv- ering the canoe in which Mucklewee was stand- wel Mag oe ip One savage was killed outright, and all others in the boats were instantly plunged into the cold water. No attention was given to Happy Harry, the author of their troubles, but, side by sice, all battled the element that threatened their very existence. CHAPTER XXV. THE GIANT’S STORY. Happy Harry experienced no difficulty in keeping afloat upon the waves. He seemed as familiar with the waves as with the intricate mazes of the woods, He turned upon bis back and ei gs to move along as easily as if pro- pelle the volition of his will rather than by physical exertion. ucklewee shouted and spouted as though he were drowning. He called for help at the top of his lungs. rite Maple ‘hed at oe his clear, A hag voice pealing forth his enjoy- ment of the other’s predicament, “Ob, great Lord dash it!” the strugglin renegade blubbered, “‘if I only ecuid get hol of that young boy-devil I’d stain these waters with his blood—I’d squash him to thunder,” ‘**Here I be,” cried Harry, as he shot past the struggling villain, and kicked a sheet of water into his face, causing him to gasp for breath, The man uttered a fearful oath as soon as he got his breath. It was all ke could do toward avenging the insult. He had enough to do— in fact, more than he could suc y accom- plish, to keep above water. Happy Harry, however, never considering the possibility of the failure of his strength be- fore he could reach land, amused himself among his struggling enemies ina manner that reminded one of the sparrow fighting the hawks, He glided to and fro among them, now dousing a red-skin’s head under water, pulling his scalp-lock, or throwing himself upon a broad, upturned back. Kirby Kale came in for a share of the youth- ful Leander’s persecutions, Harry took e po sition in front of the English captain and kicked the water into a perfect foam around him, enveloping the captain’s head in a torrent. Kale dared not open bis mouth for fear of be- ing strangled; he dare not attempt to seize the youth for fear he would have more than he could manage, and so he could do nothing but turn aside. Thus matters lasted for some time when a succession of waves began rolling over the swimmers. They came down from the north- east, Harry glanced along the surface of tke water, and to his joy and surprise saw the brig “Scout,” bearing down upon them. On board he could distinguish the tall form and He TG whiskers of his giant friend, Long eard., The youth threw up his hand and shouted. A moment later he saw a boat lowered and six armed men, under Lieutenant Philip Reeder, put out toward him. Kale saw the enemy ap- roaching but neither he nor Mucklewee at- mpted to get away. Captivity to them was better than tate: ‘‘Great_hoppin’ hornits, lieutenant!” ex- claimed Harry as the boat approached, “ you are jist in time to help us folks out of this pre- dicament. I Jike cool, moist atmosphere, bui there’s too much dampness here for me. lars friend Mucklewee who seems to be enjoying it hugely, and thar’s Cap Kale and a few ved Johnny-jump-ups that are playin’ around like a school of whales; they are, for a sober fact.” The boat advanced and picked Harry np amid shouts of joy from the lips of the soldiers. Then Kirby e, Mucklewee and the savages Abst also picked up when the boat headed for e brig. Kale was sullen and morose, as were the In- dians also. Mucklewee was cross as a sick bear. His tongue clashed almost incessantly, and he . exhausted bis vocabulary of anathemas upon the head of Happy Harry, ever and anon rounding off a peroration with a crack of his huge fist in the palm of his other hand. Birds’ feathers droop when they git wet, don’t they, Huckleweed?’ replied , with * ag ae eg Gg PO TT ~ EGOomicboo (G0)