Beadle's Dime Library, Vol. II, No. 14 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

= Set ee, ll i ee Me or = eee eee ce = sss a SS SF — 2 eS EL Se ee SSE c= 2 Dee a 602 Se ee eer ee a — a ee = > Sw Ree ee a EE ae a - ee —w=- See Seer ee ae. ek —s — —— — ete Om OE cee —— , 14 The New. York Libr ary. such. There is a good deal of knavish wit about him !” said the baronet, inreply, “ But on with your py not his approach dis- turb you. Thayendanegea is better in_his guard than yourself; look out that he does not become your teacher, though you have had years to his days of practice !” The young men, thus urged and encouraged, again took position in a graceful and earnest style, and were soon actively engaged. Carte, tieree, seconde, prime, thrust and parry, longe and counter, every point of the parade, advancing and retreating, was carried through with a grace and celerity which frequent elicited a word of commendation from the old baronet, who was himself more than an ordi- nary swordsman. At last the impetuosity of John rather threw him off his guard, and missing a beautiful pass of carte over the arm, at his antagonist, who merely swerved his body to one side and let the foil pass him, he lost his balance, and nearly fell forward. Then, as he strove to recover himself, the forte of Thayendanegea’s blade struck under the feeble of his foil, and, with a light turn of the wrist, the weapon was thrown high in the air behind the young Indian, and caught pte descent by Hon Yost, who, with ashout, sried : “Well done, Thayendanegea! Well done, my gh boy !” “How came you to know his name? You never saw him before?” said the baronet. “You haven't been about here for three months before !” “T knows dat, uncle Sir Pill Johnson—I knows dat! I’ve been down mit a lot of dem rascoally St. Regis Indians, and dey got me trunk, and den dey atole my musket gun, and my oe and hatchet, and all but mine shmoke i ” as You mean that you sold them for rum, I think ¥’ said the baronet. “@Gotinhimmel,no! Uncle Sir Pill, I takes mine oat upon de pig pook mit a crosh on him, dat ter tam Injun cot my musket-gun, olt Dunderclap, vot I kill dat last moose vith, datI gine you der hind quarters of in der vin- ter! You remember dat, eh, uncle Sir Pill?” } “Yes, and how much brandy, and tobacco, and powder and lead I gave you in return!” said the baronet, in reply. “Yaw—und if you’ 4 gif me a new rifle- gun, und some eh und lead, und a knife und hatchet, und a planket for der night-time, I'll go und kill you some more moose und teers, for I see blenty of track only a leetle ways pack in der hills!” “Well, tell me how you knew that this oung lad’s name was Thayendanegea, and I'll think about it!” “Well, uncle Sir Pill, you see I’m a fool, und fools know everyding!” “Td be a fool if I believed your answer!” “Then you'd be wiser than you be now, for if you was a fool like me, you’d know what you want to know !” “Come, come, no more fooling with me, Hon Yost. Answer my question !” “Vel, den, uncle Sir Pill, I met dat olt Devil-bug, Aroghyadecka, und he tolt me dat ou had ’dopt a Hoang Indian for son, und dat his name was ‘Thayendanegea—good strong name dat, can’t, break it no more dan a bundle of sticks—dat’s de vay I learn his name!” “ Any fool covld have learned it that way !” said the baronet, with a laugh. “I expected you'd have a tale of mystery to unfold!” “Not apout dat, unele Sir Pill, but f knows more dan one mystery, und I knows enough to keep my mouth shut und my ears open!” “An excellent quality, Hon Yost. I wish that all my surroundings possessed it! What do you think of Thayendanegea? I see that regard him yery intently. Let us hear, or they say a fool’s opinion is worth some- thing, sometimes!” - Fie has de eye of an eagle, de spring of a anther, de strength of an ox, de speed of a eer, de patience of a beaver, de wisdom of a fox, und de heart of a man! He will be a reat chief when you are dead und like de len tree, rotting in de cold ground!’ said Hon Yost, in a tone as serious and earnest. and language and style as lofty, as if he had been an ahipired prophet. ; , “Very complimentary to him!” gaid the baronet, in a pleasant tone, . ie ‘‘Dat’s more dan de truth is to everybody !” said Hon Yost. “What will J be, Hon?” asked John, in a eareless way. . “ Yust what der coot Got bleases, und you » can’t help yourself!” replied the German, “Am tt be a soldier, a priest, or a farmer !’’ “Dat is hard to tell. You're too lazy te bray, und so you won't be a briest; you're too proud to work, so you won't bea farmer ; maybe you'll be a soldier, und if you're toc lazy to run, den you'll make a very coot one!’ * You needn't call him a fool, after that Master John!” said the baronet, laughin “It is my opinion that he is up to your oF and you had better replenish his tobaceo-box, and ask no more questions!” “Und den apout de rifle-gun, und der teers pnd moose dat I shall shoot mit it, uncle Sir ill ?” “ Oh, you shall have them, Hon Yost You are not much of a beggar, and are very goot pay when you can pay !” “Und a couple of plankets, uncle Sir Pill!” “ Two blankets—W hy is not one sufficient ?” “ Yaw, for me; but den I dinks about gittin’ one frau—Dere’s Petsy Vrooman, ger fat gal vot lives on der flats, I dinks her und ime shall coople togedder ’fore long!” “Well, you shall have the two blankets, and a calico dress for her beside, but you must let. me kiss the bride !” “Yaw; but den I shall yust charge a pottle of prandy for de privilege !” he baronet did not reply, but led the way to his store-room, where he kept a vast variety of arms, munitions, and such cheap goods as were needed by the class of Indians, fron- tiersmen, and settlers arouud him. Here he fitted Hon Yost out with the arms which he had solicited, and the blankets and calico p»rniced ; also giving him some snuff and twoucco for his mother, an old gipsy of a wornan whom the baronet had long known. And amused as he ever was by the drolleries of Hon Yost, he plied him pretty well with liquor, and, when he Snety tired of him, sent him Away, Yuith bottle full, telling him to be sure and bring him some venison on the next day, which the German faithfully promised to do. : CHAPTER XXIII. I have gazed, in foreign lands, upon many @ lofty palace—upon many a marble tower— many a gallant looking castle! And at home have seen Art’s choicest works of triumph! Monuments where the architect, the sculptor, the painter, had lavished all their skill! Yet, in the deep, still shadows of the mighty trees of the forest, beneath the broad-spread, ever- een branches of pine, and spruce, and hem- ock, I have seen the shanty of bark, rough outside, but white inside as driven snow, and smooth as marble, impervious to the wind, or rain, or snow, which seemed to me more com- fortable, aye, and prettier than any gaudy paieee, any tinselled boudoir that ever human’ 1 ng stood within. And, upon my couch of spruce or hemlock boughs, or on my. yielding bed of sweet-fern, each giving up their pleasant) fragrance, I have laid my chase-wearied form, and. slept deliciously, Sweeter dreams came to me there than ever blessed me elsewhere. Lulled by the rustle of the leaves, or by some mur- muring waterfall, to slumber, I have reposed in a fearless, happy quiet, which a king might envy. In a dense grove of pines, some tour or five miles north of the trail where he parted with Hon Yost Schuyler, the white-haired Indian stood before a neat, bark shanty. It was situated in a little glen, through whieh rushed @ bright and merry stream, and so hidden oY the rocky sides of the glen, and the thie growth around, that no one could see it until they were close upon it. And before this shanty, for it was now night, a bright and cheertul fire burned, and upon the clipped branches of a birch tree, which stood near the front of the shanty, hung the neatly- dressed and divided quarters of a fine fat buck, Also several partridges, which had been snared by the skillful hand of the In- dian. Within, the heaped-up boughs of spruce and hemlock looked inyitingly,, And in one corner stood the ready gun and hung the tomahawk and knife, all revealed by the light of the camp-fire. The Indian, who, had already broiled .and eaten more than one slice of the fresh and de- licious venison, listened intently for every sound which betokened the approach of Hon life among the Indians, had adopted their habits and eustoms, and was more at home in the woods than ina house. Therefore,‘it wea not to be expected that he would either miss his way, or make much noise in his approach, scarce the rustle of a fallen leaf, or the crack- ing of adry twig being heard when an In- dian, in approaching game or an enemy, moves through the forest. But on this occasion the liquor of Sir William had upset the bowl of caution, and Hon Yost was heard at a con- siderable distance, floundering through the underbrush like a wounded moose, and sing- ing snatches of old Dutch songs, as he came along. - Ugh! Hon Yost has been getting weak on the strong water—lI’ll scare him!” said the old Indian, and he crept steadily off for seve- ral yards in the direction in which the Ger man made such @ noise. Directly, when Hon Yost was within about a hundred yards of the camp-fire, and could just see the glimmering light of the blaze, as it was reflected upon the oo branches of the trees, the shrill, unearthly Pe of @ pan- ther fell upon his ear, close to him «“ Cot in himmel! dere ish a ploody painter, und I forgot to load mine rifle-gun!” eri Hon Yost, almost sobered by the startling event, calculated to frighten even a sober man. Another startling and fearful yell, and a rustle in the bushes close to him, as if the animal was about to spring upon him, finish- ed the business, and Hon Yost, with a yell of terror almost as loud, threw the bottle in hie hand at the spot where he supposed the ani- mal was, and bounded off to gain the cam by # circuitous route, for the panther seem to be’ between him and the fire. The Indian, quickly snatching the bottle from the see Y ran with all speed to the fire, and when Hon Yost got there, the former was seated by the entrance to the shanty, very quietly smoking his Foe “Didn’t you hear dat pig painter, gran- dad?” asked Hon Yost, breathlessly, and all in a tremor, as he came up. “J did not hear a panther!” said the In- dian, quietly. ‘‘Do you think I am a fool, or 8o poor a hunter, that I cannot tell the cry of a panther from that of a man?” “ But this was a painter, by tam! Tousand duyveéls, didn’t I see its eye-palls, yust like two coals of fire |" “You have been drinking the Great Chief's fire-water,” said the Indian, quietly. “ Yaw, und threw a whole pottle of goot prandy at der painter's head |” said Hon Y ost, in a regretful tone. “ Was it better than this ?” said the Indian, roducing the identical bottle, which Hon Fost instantly knew, because it was tied up in an old cotton handkerchief of his. Hon Yost appeared completely nonplused. The old Indian suddenly gave another yell, so natural that the German sprung back full three or four yards. “Got in himmel! Vel, if I am an olt fool und a tam coward skunk, nopoddy put you knows it. Take a trink from the pottle, grandad, and den we'll have some sooper fe “No fire-water can pass my lips!” replied the Indian. ‘“ It makes men weak in the weak in the legs, and weak all over!” “More truth dere den anyding else!” mut tered Hon Yost, and for once he put down the bottle untasted, and cutting off a slice of venison, broiled and ate it, and then went to ‘the brook to quench his thirst. Having supped, he proceeded to unfold his presents to the view of the Indian. First he showed the two blankets to the Indian, and, tossing him one, bade him keep it. Then he gavé him bread, salt, and pepper, also tobacco and pipes. Then he handed him the new rifle, hatchet, knife, and ammunition, saying * “You keep dese, grandad—I’l] take pack old Dunderelap, for vy, I peleeve de old gum knows me, und de coot Got knows dat J know it. In de morning we must have a hunt, for 1 bromise old uncle Sir Pill, to kill him some: teers and moose, for al! dese dings !” ad . ead, “My brother’s promise shall be kept. Be- °* fore the sun is up, I will have game ready for him to carry in. Iam strong now. I have eaten fresh-killed meat, and with a gun in my, hand, and a knife and hatchet in my belt, feel like a man again !” “Dunder, put it makes me feel goot, to ~ hear you talk dat vay!” said Hon Yost. then he took out the handsome piece Yost, who, from having been nearly all bis | of galico which Sir William had given to ~ EON MIEOOOKS (eo) A