Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 137 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

ome ee oe -_— - where his sweet-cider, old Tood Fipps, stood waitin’ for him, a-wavin’ of a big yaller henker- chief and shoutin’ ditties to him, like an Ottawa lngin. “Ha! ha! ha! Long Beard, it didn’t take long to run out the full length of that string, when out popped the plug and in rushed the water | like all sixty. Up jumped Captain Phin Blume with a yoop, and then you’d ort to ’a’ see’d him tip-toe it, flip and flirt. ‘** Hornits! hornits! yelled 1; runnin’ down to the river bank, ready to split with laffability. ‘Damnation!’ was all I could hear from the captain’s hps, the wicked ole sinner; but the next instant he raised his wings, and out he sailed into the water, and now began the fun. The sp'ilin’ of bis clothes wa’n’t nowhar—it wa’n’t, for a fact. He couldn’t swim a lick, and of ail the flounderin’ and flummixin’ about I ever seed, he done it. Why, he kicked water forty feet high, and the river war all afoam. But he couldn’t keep that up long; he war growin’ feebler and feebler all the time, and I see’d he war goin’ under, and so I sent Bel- shazzar, here, out after him. Theole pup pad- dled up to him, and takin’ him by tke collar, yanked him across the river and Jaid him gently at the feet of his sweet pumpkin pie. Great hoppin’ hornits, but if be wasn’t in a plight! It'd ’a’ made a dog laff to ’a’ seen bia awed if Belshazzar didn’t laugh his way when he swam over to me. I never see’d a dog tickled like he war. He’d jist wag his head sometimes thinkin’ it war his tail, he war so full of dog-laff and besides himself. But, you bet, Blume had to resume his buckskin and homespun for awhile. It ruinated his store clothes, and then the best of it was that naughty ole duck of hissen went square back on him—sacked him on the spot, and called him ole Blume, and ’cused him of bein’ drunk. Broken-hearted and ruinated, he become desperit. He swore venge- ance against me, took up his old blunderbuss, and struck boldly out in search of me, The last I hearn of him he war tryin’ to climb the North Pole to look over the country for a small boy and a big dog.” ong Beard could not repress an outburst of free, hearty laughter. The look of the boy’s face, the mischievous sparkle of his big, blue eyes, his whimsical expressions, and the comic gestures that accompanied them, were sufficient to have provoked any one to laughter. At length, however, the attention of the cg borderman was attracted by a moving ight off toward the west. He knew it was along the shore. He called Happy Harry’s at- tention to it, and after defining their geographi- cal location, asked: ‘“Have you ever seen anything suspicious along this part of the coast, et **Haven’t, Big Beard; in fact, J haven’t been this fur south along the lake for over a year; I haven’t, for a historical fact. But I’ve been easin’ myself down this way for several days. But, Big Beard, if that is anything you’d like to look into, Belshazzar and me can higer it out to a demonstration; we can, for a gospel fact. Dut there, the light’s gone.” ** Yes, I see it ; nevertheless, I believe I will ut ashore and reconnoiter a little along there. *|l touch the coast a mile below where the light disappeared.” Descending to the cabin, tho giant at once changed the course of the boat toward the rsoirby herp in less than an hour they had ef- f asafe landing. They now turned their faces northward, and, preceded by Belshazzar, followed along the coast for some distance. Further progress was finally disputed by a long, narrow bay cutting out apron ty into the woods. This bay was skirted by a wall of rock rising almost perpendicular from the water’s edge, and ng from five to a hundred feet in hight. Its facade was covered with small bushes that grew out of holes and fissures, and a festoonery of vines that trailed their graceful length in the water. é moon was now in the zenith. The dull, hazy mist that h over lake and woodland at the beginning of ht had disappeared. The two scouts were enabled to see all the northern side of the bay quite distinctly, and while they stood regarding the ied shore now rendered grandly picturesque in the mellow moonlight, they made a discovery that caused them no lit- tle curiosity. Midway between the lake and the other extremity of the bay was a narrow rift or passage in the rocky wall sloping down to the water’s edge, and a little to the right of this passage was moored a canoe, half of whose length was concealed under the overhanging vines, A ee turned to Harry and said: ‘* This is about the point where we saw that | escape. light.” | he yout and I should not wonder if the man or ie t owns that canoe knows all about the gat. ‘“T propose to know something more about the matter, Harry. I am going w pass around to the other side and approach that canoe b way of that rift you can see near it: then will explore the immediate vicinity for some Long Beard, the Giant Spy. | | there was a cavern leading back into that bill: and if so, rest assured it is used for no good purpose. If I find nothing, or no one, [ will charter the canoe and cut straight across to you. But, while lam gone, Harry, I want you to stand right here and keep a close watch—see if any one boards that canoe while I am going around. If such a thing should happen, don't fire, even if the occupant is a savage, but watch him closely and make out all you can concern- ing him.” “If it’s an Ingin, govenir, I’d like to make him out a pass for the brimstone diggin’s, I would, fora veritable fact.” ‘Do not raise an alarm, Harry, unless it is absolutely necessary. And I will tell you why I am so anxious to find out the meaning of that light: you, of course, bave heard that a band of lake pirates have been operating along the coast in both the United States and Can- ada. Their head-quarters have defied the vigi- lance of the shrewdest detectives, and now a heavy reward is offered by the country for information that will lead to the capture of the freebooters. I have no desire to obtain that reward, but IT am anxious to have the band broken up; and I'll tell you why; for the past week, off and on, a strange, phratieal-looking little sail-boat has been dogging me about over the lake in a rather suspicious manner. It has also been seen off the Islands, and I have fears for the safety of my friends there. Should they find. out what treasures I have there my home would be desolated. Now you know, Harry, why Iam s0 interested in this move- ment.’ “Yes, yes, gineral,” replied the youth, “and when one knows what he wants he can go ahead with half the trouble, he can for a square fact. Go ahead, Big Beard, and Ill keep a close watch on that boat from here,” The giant turned and moved away with noiseless footsteps, while Happy Harry sat down under the wide, branching boughs of an oak to await and watch. Belshazzar took his usual position at the feet of his young master. Alone, and with the strictest silence imposed upon , Harry very i Non fell into a train of reflections, from which he started at length, exclaiming half indignantly to himeelf: ‘** Blast it, it’s a nuisance to have to be a boy, for thar never war a boy but what war under- rated. Everybody thinks he can do anything better than | can, and it’s jist because [ma boy. Now, why didn’t he let me and Bell go round thar? But then Long Beard is a capi- tal feller. And, gracious hornits, how sober! Asmile on his face is like a burst of sunshine through a black, dismal cloud, But I’m afraid he'll git hisself into trouble jist because he didn’t let me and Bell go rowad thar.” Thus he ed some ten or fifteen minutes when he plainly saw Long Beard emerge from by narrow defile and pause at the water’s e. or full a minute the giant stood and scru- tinized the surrounding rocks and bay. He listened intently. He saw and he heard noth. ing, and feeling satisfied that no enemy was near, he stepped into the canoe that lay at his feet, and, seating himself, took up the paddle. But scarcely had he done so when Harry, who was watching on the opposite side of the bay, saw a light under the bank flash through the vines that ially concealed the prow of the boat, and the next instant the canoe, with Long Beard in it was drawn suddenly under the bank, and disappeared entirely from view. % Oh, great ornits! he’s caught, he is, by heavens!” cried Happy Harry, starting to his feet as the stunning “clash of a pistol, mingled with a cry of agony and the sound of a deadly struggle, rolled out in clearly-heard intonations from the depths of the great cavern! CHAPTER VIL IN THE FREEBOOTERS’ DEN. fn making the circuit of the bay, Long Beard had seen no signs of the presence of enemies, nor was he aware of the presence of danger until he had seated himself in the canoe. The flash of a light, and the suddenness with which the boat was drawn through the screen of vines and age, were the very first intimations be had of the trap he was in. He was thrown almost from the seat by the violent start of the craft, but recovering himself he endeavored to escape; but his enemies, seeing the intention, pave the canoe a sudden jerk that again threw im off his balance, The boat was dragged and pushed through shallow backwater along a narrow cavern until it reached dry ground, Here again Long Beard ersayed to effect his e had drawn one of his pistols, which red at a cloaked figure rushing upon him * Yes, I believe it is, govenir,” replied the | with a lantern in one hand and an upraised club in the other. The foe whirled half round and staggering, fell with a groan; but the next moment a dozen men surrounded the bearded giant and demanded his surrender. One voice directed the movements of the men and sent a shudder to the heart of the border- man, yet it steeled his nerves, and he fought with the desperation of a madman. His face clew to that light. I shouldn’t wonder at all if ' grew livid with the terrible emotion surging “ within him; his teeth became set, his eyes glared with a deadly fire; the cords stood out upon his brow and neck, and his breast rose and fell as though by the palpitations of an internal yol- cano. The foe closed in around him, He clinched his huge fist and beat them down. They ral- lied and renewed the attack, rendered furious by his terrible blows, The sound of the struggle brought others to the scene of con- ict. A dozen were now upon him, but he fought them al), His strength seemed superhuman. His majestic form towered grandly above his adversaries. In the dim wavering light of two lanterns, his venerable beard rendered hina an oblect that should have appealed to the wickedest heart, To and fro across the cavern the combatants surged. The giant kept a space clear around him for awhile, but his enemies, growing more desperate under his smarting blows, crowded closer upon him; they finally made a charge— sg ee him around the waist, by the arms, y the legs, until he was completely loaded down ‘and unable to move, Then a cowardly wretch seized him by his white beard and jerked him to the ground. This ended the struggle. Before he could regain his feet the united strength of a dozen men was concentrated upon him and made hima prisoner. He was then securely bound, and conducted through the narrow windings of the cavern into a commo- dious apartment. Here he was seated upon a poe chair that had been hewn out of a stalag- mite. The prisoner now had an opportunity to look around him. The room was lighted with three or fcur lanterns suspended from the jagged ceiling. The place bore strong evidence of huv- ing been occupied by man for a number of years, This satisfied the captive that Le was in the den of the lake pirates. Not less than forty or fifty men were presh ¢ to and fro across the cavern before adi rund the prisoner. All of them were heavily orn cd, and the most singular thing of all was, their weapons were of English patterns and of rcccut manufacture. The fant studied considerably over this mat- ter. It gave rise toa sudden thought—if these men into whose power he had fallen were the lake pirates, they had been armed and equipped by, and were in the employ of the British Gov- ernment. Taking into consideration the rumors of war with England, he thought it possible and altogether probable that he was right and that the party had been placed there to accom- plish some particular work of destruction the moment the order was given. There was a military bearing ahout all the men, and but for the absence of uniforms, he would haye sworn it was a party of royal troops. Some of them wore breeches of buck- skin, made after the style of the border; others she them made of woolen and cotton mate- al. The leader of the band—he whose voice had sent a shudder to Long Beard’s soul—was a man of nearly fifty years. He had a fine mar- tial figure and features regular in contour, but not handsome. A heavy grizzled beard cov- ered a face marked with a life of dissipation. is eyes were of a dark-gray color, sharp and keen, but cold and cruel. Sternness of char- acter was written upon every feature of the man’s face, He was dressed in a citizen’s suit, but wore a sword at his side. His movements were as easy, his step as elastic as those ofa youth of twenty. Time had made little inroad upon the physical man, Long Beard knew the man, and feared him. Of all others in the wide world, he was the last rson the giant borderman expected to meet, ut, concealing his inward emotions, he ap- peared not to know him. “You are doubtless surprised, big stranger, at the existence of such a place, or else you would have been more careful in your recon- noissance,” this enemy finally said, approaching Long Beard. But, singular as it may seem, this man did not recognize the giant, else he bh aso affecting ignorance of the recogni- on. ‘“No one knows when he will step into an ant: hill,” was Long Beard’s response, spoken in a tone of bitter sarcasm, ‘‘Nor of the stings of the ants,” replied the commandant. ‘You threaten me; well, you can afford to do so, now that I am powerless.” > Yes, you are powerless as a spy.” “Upon whom?’ ‘Know you not that our country bas mrce war on England?’ the man asked, witha fu:t) e glance at the prisoner. ‘You mean to say your country bas mice | war upon mine,” was Long Beard’s arswer. “We are not British subjects.” ** Nor American.” “No; we are Neutrals.” ‘* Ready to pick up the spoils of war,” ** As you please.” ‘Tam no partisan. I am silent.” ‘“Why, then, were you here?” . *‘ Following the bent of my inclination,” Gomilecbooks.c (0)