Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 137 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

es Long Beard, the Giant Spy. : BI common sense, he might be thoughtful enough to give the Americans some information that would be of interest to them. Harry acted as thoughtless and simple before the general as was consistent with his purpose and nature. the English, although it was difficult for him to throw the look into his unusually intellectual face that should necessarily correspond with his rambling talk. He was confined in an ambulance and a guard placed over him. He was not bound, as it was thought that the presence of the guard was all that would be necessary to keep him in his place. The watch took his position in the for- ward part of the prison-vehicle. He sat down upon the driver’s seat with his gun at his side. Harry occupied the rear end of the carriage, and soon after he was placed therein, he began whistling sharply as if calling a dog. **Shut up that noise or Vii sla you,” vocif- erated his angelic guard. But Harry had ac- complished his purpose—he had called up Bel- shazzar, who came bounding from the woods oe the side of the vehicle in which he was con- ned, ‘Let him in, Englisher; poor ole Bell’s tired,” said Harry to his guard. ‘ He’s my friend; he’s a bully ole dog, he is for a fact.” ‘Let him stay where he is,” growled the amiable guard, and Harry had to obey. The dog laid down under the carriage, where he remained the long night through. The night wore away, and by dawn the next morning the army was astir. Dinwiddie was still unconscious, and the author of his ills had begun to contemplate an effort at escape when a man appeared in camp, the sight of whom drove all hope from the breast of the youth. The man was the notorious renegade and traitor, Bill Mucklewee! Bill Mucklewee was conducted to General Brock’s quarters, where he was closeted for some time with the commandant. When he ap- peared again the general was with him. He ran his eyes over the camp where they happened to espy the face and form of Harry. iucklo- ‘wee started back as if with terror, exclaiming: ‘Great Jehoviah! I'll be dashed to thunder!” “What ails you, Mucklewee?” asked the general. ‘** Ails me? Why, don’t you see that boy? that’s him—that imp of all that’s mean, and cun- nin’, and sneakin’, and devilish!” ** What do you know about him?” ‘Well, jist listen! dash my picters to thun- der! What do J know about him? Why, he’s the worst enemy the English have got to con- tend with. He’s a reg’lar American spy. It was him—that very little imp of cussedness, that took your dispatches from Major Crafton; and it war him that led the party that captered the brig-of-war Scout, off the Pliadees islands.” ‘What? is the Scout captured?” asked the general, with a sudden start, for aboard the brig was a large amount of supplies for his army. ‘**Captured? yes! and that boy right there done it-—-that very dashed, insignificant little pup of a boy right before your eyes.” ** Well, who is this mighty little fellow that’s whipping the English navy” asked Brock, sar- castically. “Happy Harry, the dashed brat’s called— Here arry, the Wild Boy of the Woods.” . ay if this is the case, he has been play- ing a part with my, confidence,” said Brock; ‘Jet him be arrested.” Harry, who was standing near with a grim, defiant smile upon his boyish face, eyed Muckle- wee with alook that fairly caused the villain to wince. Belshazzar, squatted upon his haunches, and poster Ne almost as high as his young mas- ter, regarded the renegade with a look that told he had not forgotten he was an enemy to his master. When the two men started toward tho lad for the purpose of seizing him, the dog showed bis teeth and growled. ** Look out, thar, sojers!” Mucklewee shouted ; ** you want to watch that durned dog. A man’s not a bite for the dashed brute; stand aside and Vll put a bullet through him; I owe him a grudge anyhow.” The soldiers parted on either side between the dog and renegade, who took up his old flint-lock musket to examine its priming. saw that a critical moment was at hand for him and his dumb companion, and not anu instant was to be lost. Turning, he threw his slender form upon the dog’s back, locked his arms around his neck and his legs around his body, then he spoke a single word to the ani- mal, and like a dart he shot away through the camp, carrying his young master with apparent ea So sudden and une ted had this movement been that the dog with his human burden was fifty yards away before a man anon Then Mucklewee up with his musket and blazed away at the boy and dog, but the piece hanging fire, he mi his mark and wounded a valuable horse, whose terrific plunging and cavorting stampeded half the horses in oop. And now arose a tumult, equal almost to that of batitle: The cries of the songs, the commands of the officers, and the plunging and thundering about of the animals—all created a general confusion It was his only recourse to outwit | that drew attention from the youth for the time being. But, as soon as quiet had been re- stored, a number of mounted troops started in pursuit of the Wild Boy. | Having passed the pickets in safety, Harry gained the woods beyond without a scratch, and when assured that be was free from im- mediate danger, he dismounted trom his dog’s back, ‘* Well done, ole dog; well done,” said Harry, patting Belshazzar upon the head; ‘ your name should go down to pcesterity like your namesake of Bible fame, of whom Parson Lotts used to spout so much. It’s well that you are a big dog, and that I’m a ‘little, in- significant pup,’ as ole Muckleweed called me, We two together make one purty good man— I furnish the thinkin’ apparatus and you the bone and muscle; I git us both into trouble and you git us out,” The dog was warm and panting with bis re- cent violent exercise, and as they bad halted near a little stream that crept along under the leaves and grass like a guilty thing, both master and dog slaked their thirst, and then moved on through the woods. ‘Yes, by the hoppin’ hornits,” the lad mused as he moved on; “I understand a thing or two now, I do, fora fact. Ole Tecumseh is goin’ to give ole England a boost in this war, and yit Kngland don’t want to let on that she’s anything to do with the savages, oh, no! She’s a mighty civilized country, and don’t want it known as the gineral said, that she’s hirin’ savage barba- rians to butcher and scalp Yankees and burn and tear up hob, Oh, Lord, no; they don’t for a fact! But J’ll see bout that. 1! puta flea in General Hull’s deaf ear, and then when that little paper in my moccasin is brought out and discomboborated, [’ll bet somebody’s calcula- tions ‘ll be sp’ilt. And, great hornits! that darned ole Muckleweed, how I’d like to be his final settlement, and I willbe yit if he don’t keep entirely out of 5) way. Everybody thinks because I’m a boy I’ve no feelin’. Every- body has a lesson to learn me, and if they don’t uit foolin’ [ll learn some of them how to shoot; I will, for a bloody fact. But, speakin’ of shootin’ reminds me of the fact that I’m here in the wilderness without even a knife. I never even got to try my rifle that Cap Rankin give me; but no difference, [ll have another. By hornits! I know where I'll get one—at ole Davy’s! His cabin is right on our way. Poor, dear ole Davy, he’s been a fathertome. For three years I roosted under his roof, and many things have I learnt from him. We'll strike his palace *bout night, and I reckon we'll be glad of it, too, for we’ve not a bite to eat nor nothin’ to procure it with. Yes, ole Davy Dar- rett’salways got a lotof extra guns, and I'll bet I git an outfit there; I will, for a fact.” The youth quickened his pace and hurried on south. Mile after mile was traversed. The sun crossed the line and sunk slowly westward, and just asthe evening shadows were gather- ing he hove in sight of the cabin of Davy Dar- rett, the trapper. The building stood alone in the great wilder- ness on the bank of a little purling stream. A light smoke was curling from the ee —a nbge pile of stone, sticks and mortar. No other sign of life was visible about the place, but Harry pushed boldly on and approaching the door rapped sharply upon it. ** Come in!” bawled out a voice. It did not sound exactly like that of Davy Darrett’s, but whose else could it have been? It bad been some time since he had heard Davy’s voice, and thought he might have been mistaken in its sounding unnatural, so he opened the door and entered. His dog sprung in ahead of him. The instant the youth was inside some one standing behind the door banged it shut, and placed himself between it and Harry; while a second person appearing from behind a curtain of blankets suspended from the ceiling to the floor, confronted him with a devilish, triumph- ant leer upon his face. - This man was the notorious Bill Mucklewee, and the man at Harry’s back was a soldier of the king. ain had the Wild Boy fallen into a trap of ae enemy from which there seemed no es- cape CHAPTER XXVIII. THE CABIN CONFLICT. Harry glanced around the room, an inward terror ip possession of him for a moment. A fire was burning on the great stone hearth, and some meat was broiling on a heap of coals. To him it was evident that the men had taken possession of the cabin and were helping them- selves. But, where was old Davy? As he asked himself the question his eyes caught sight of a little pool of blood upon the floor. He also saw a track of blood Jeading from the 1 across the floor into one corner where there was a heap of straw and biankets used by the old trapper as a bed. There was a suspicious look about this heap, and as he eyed it closely the blood was almost frozen in his veins by sight of a bloody, moccasined foot protruding from rr LL LLL LO the pile of blankets. It told a fearful tale; it was Davy’s foot without adoubt! Those human fiends had murdered the old trapper and con- cealed his body there in the corner. ‘You needn’t stare around here, you dashed young rascal, tryin’ to come innocence on me,” burst from Mucklewee’s lips. “It’s me—the veritable ole Billy Mucklewee. You needn’t think that you and that durned, ornery, big dog of yourn can outwit, outrun, outfight ole Billy. o, sir-ee; ['d an ijee you'd cut out this wey) and so { took wings and let out, too. You and your little elephant of a pup ’ll not slip me again, Youre caged, my son, and you might as well drap your feathers.” ‘* Murderer!” hissed the youth, with all the loatbing scorn that he could throw into the words, ‘‘ you ought to be quartered and fed ta the wolves! You have murdered Davy Dar. reit, a harmless old trapper.” . Involuntarily the murderer glanced toward the heap in the corner around which Belshazzar was sniffing inguisitively. *‘ Nobody ’ll miss him,” replied the wretch, seeing that the boy’ had discovered his bloody crime; “and to cut matters short and end this talk, fll tumble that old dog over by him,” and he drew a pistol and cocked it, But, before he could fire, Happy Harry sprung behind the villain, and jumping on his back, clas his arms around his neck so tightly that he was choked to the floor. ‘*' Take ’em, Bell!” cried the lad, and the next instant the dog sprung upon the soldier, “Into ’em, Harry!—sick ’em, Belshazzar— give ’em goss—rack it to ’em, the bloody hel- yons! oop! hurrah, for here’s ole Davy ood as a dozen dead men yit! Lap it to ’em oys, and I'll lend a helpin’ hand—hburrah for ‘ Hail Columbus!’ ” Covered with blood and suffering with a number of severe wounds, old Davy Darrett had sprung from the heap in the corner and hastened to assist his young friend and Bel- shazzar, Harry clung to Bill’s neck like a monkey to a limb, and the old reprobate failing to dislodge him by rolling upon him, drew his second pistol, and was about to fire back over his shoulders into the boy’s face when Davy carne to the rescue. He struck the pistol from the villain’s hand, and then dealt him a furious kick in the ribs that doubled him up like a twisted limb. With a howling imprecation Mucklewee strove to spring to his feet, but before he could rise the trapper snatched up the villain’s pistol and shot him dead! Then over the fallen body, Davy Darrett ex- tended his hand, saying: “‘Shake,. Harry, shake! God bless blessed little soul; shake, I say!” **Great hornits, Dave! I sree. you were dead,” replied the Jad, extending his hand. ‘*T war mortal nigh it, and thought I’d play” . m like you are in the habit of doing; but, ry, for God’s sake don’t let that dog chaw that Englisher any more! ‘The man’s deader’n ues now. Call him off, Harry, call him off. Harry called his dog away from the really dead soldier; then, white almost as a sheet, he turned to Davy and said: ‘‘This is awful, awful business, Davy. I almost makes me sick at heart to th mek become hunters of men, and butcher and kill one sige ** You're entirely too tender-hearted, Harry, my boy,” replied Davy. ‘I don’t see how you get along as well as you do, But then you'll git over this by’m’by. It’s natural for a young- ster to have a soft heart. I like to see a soft, kind and gentle heart when the right time comes, but then I want to see it stiffen and brace up when courage and firmness is wanted, You've that kind of a beart, boy; I know you. Brave are you when bravery ’s required; gen- tleand kind when gentleness and kindness is wanted. You must git over feeling bad about these two villains unless you’re eard their death will make times dull.” *“Tve had it lively for the past week, friend Davy,” Harry announced, ‘‘and [ must say that’ that dead wretch lving there has been the cause of a good share of itall. But, Davy, do you know a regular ole war with England is goin’ on now?” “That tells meso,” and he pointed to tho dead soldier. ‘*And do you know that a big army of rev- coats have crossed the frontier and are marct.- ing down this way?’ ‘Didn’t know that, Harry.” your ‘It’s true, it is, for a startlin’ fact; I compre with ’em last night by their earnest reques! «u- forced witha loaded musket. They’l! be her - aways about to-morrow noon, and may bo sooner, for I left them fellows at camp.” ‘* Jewhillikins! you don’t say, Harry?” ‘I do, for a downright fact, Davy. I come by to tell you.” ‘**Come by? whar ye goin’?” “To general head-quarters of the America» army in the North-west, which is at Detrajt. 1 have a message, and the whole plans of the English general’s proposed campaign, which I Gomicboo CS Ld . ere? (C com