Beadle's Dime Library, No. 142 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

_ «ies of the spot, when two 16. could look for papers upon him to discover any- thing of importance, for he might have been a messenger, you know.” ‘* True; what then?” *“*By falling into the honest hands of the White Medicine Chief, the package luckily reaches Major Malcolm.” ** And what then?” ‘You must urge that he leave this bor- der.”’ ‘** But if he will not return?” **Then, for the love of Heaven, make him go to Texas, where, with this money, he can be- come a stock farmer; but here he must not re- main.” ‘*It is a splendid country for settlers, and many rancheros who started on a few thousand dollars are now hoof kings, as we call our big cattle men.” “But the Indians are troublesome here, and—’ ng More settlers coming will soon run them out. ** But the Tigers will increase; for the more settlers the more wealth to them, and here the Malcolms must not remain.” ‘Then you fear the very band which, if bor- der rumor says true, you are an officer of, more than you do Black Kettle’s Soldier Sioux, and the other tribes?’ ‘Yes, for from the Indians the Malcolms have only the dread that other settlers have, while from the Mad Colonel they have far more; but I will say no more, and now I| exact , peur pledge to do as I wish, and urge the major leave, and—”’ ‘“Why do you pause?” ** Are you married?” **T am not,” and the Scout blushed, ** Are you in love?” The Scout turned crimson at this direct at- tack upon the inmost secrets of his heart, and the woman seemed intuitively to read an an- swer, for, before he replied, she continued: “Yes, I see that either Maud Malcolm or Violet Vassar has won your heart, and—” ‘¢ There are other young ladies in the train,” he said, evasively. ‘*True, but they are not Mauds or Violets; one of these girls you love, and I hope, nay be- lieve your love is returned, so go thou away from here with the Malcolms, if—” ‘* Again you pause,” ‘‘If you do not wish a fate werse than death to overtake her you love, and death to come upon” you and Major Malcolm.” ‘*T am not one to be driven by threats.” **T do not threaten; I merely supplicate.” ‘*T have a duty to perform before I go.” ** And that is—” “© 70 kill the Mad Colonel,” ““Ha! why do you hate him?” ‘*A wrong done in the past; but we must part now.” ** And I have your pledge to make the Mal- colms leave?” ** Yes, if possible.” **In one week you will know their decision, so meet me at the Buffalo Spring, near the Buttes, if you do not fear to venture that near the Sat retreat of the Prairie Tigers.” ** Ha! ha! ha! why, 1 know their retreat as well as you do, and once spent a day there; but ‘the Mad Colonel was away, or—” “Or what?” **He would be coyote food now,” was the al- most savage answer. The woman gave a slight shudder; but an- swered, quickly : | **Oh, he is hard to kill; but remember, one week from to-night. **Now good-by, and accept my thanks for your goodness, White Beaver, and remember I i ) _ Owe ay my life. s | owe you mine,” ** We are still not quits, for Iam yet in your debt; come, Whalebone.” The steed trotted out of the ‘shed into the broad glare of the firelight, and leading him into the open air, and declining Fanc Frank’s proffered aid, she sprung into the sad- die and rode away leaving the Scout alene with the dead and his thoughts. A whistle brought ai | to his side, and put- ting him in the shed the Scout rolled his blankets around him and, unmindful of the three Indiai.s Jying near him, and the wolves howling and ‘snarling over the dead outlaw without, he sunk to wg But a few moments after his eyes had closed in slumber one of theathree Indians arose softly, and, knife in hand, began to creep toward the sleeping Scout. CHAPTER XXIX, THE PEATH-SHOT. Tue Black Specter had not been half an hour gone from the cabin in the Ruined Stockade, in which Fancy Frank slept peacefully, unmind- ful of the dead around him, er the bitter memo- horsemen rode up to the inelosure, coming from an opposite direc- tion from tne one that the woman had departed by. FOwntiowaly drawing rein they bent their ears * a —- a ? | | ‘*Come on, you devils, white or red, you will ’ Captain Crimson. to listen for some sound, and the snarling of the wolves was heard, and knqwing that where these prowlers were, human beings would not be near at hand, they rode boldly forward, and coming upon the worrying, fighting pack, caused an instant stampede. Dismounting, one of the horsemen saw that the beasts were feasting off of a human being, and a closer glance showed it to be a white man. Remaining on foot the man walked toward the, row of cabins, his comrade and his horse slowly following. From one to the other of these he went, his rifle in hand, until suddenly he started, for the glimmer of a light caught his eye. The huts had been well built, but near the top of one of the walls Time had touched with decaying finger a heavy log, and through a crevice beamed a ray of light, that reflected upon the foliage of the trees in the background. Motioning for his comrade to await him, the man crept cautiously nearer and nearer, and made a circuit of the cabin, at last coming to the side where a heavy window shutter, not tightly closed, left a space large enough for ob- servation. To this space the man put his eye, but quickly he withdrew it, his rifle took its place, and the flash and report followed, and then came a fall, a half-uttered shriek, a quick, firm tread, and the ringing words: find me at home.” ‘‘A nice way to welcome friends, Powell, when they save you from an Indian’s knife,” and with these words the man strode round to the door, which was instantly thrown open and the hands of White Be ver and the Man o the Lron Face were clasped in warm greeting. ‘*Come in, old pard, and tell me about it; I left the reds for dead and dropped off to sleep, and awoke at your shot, and found a devilish Sioux falling heavily upon me.” ‘‘ An Indian is never dead, Powell, until he is scalped; but I was scouting around, and came here to pass the remainder of the night, and catching a glimpse of your firelight looked in, and, thank God! just in time, as that red-skin was almost over you with his long knife.” ‘** Again [ owe you my life, Lron Face.” ‘* Don’t speak of it; but tell me, are you about to start a graveyard? for there’s a white man outside, serving as a feast for coyotes, and these Indians make four ready for burial.” Fancy Frank wanted to make a clean breast of it, and tell why he had come; but he had he 9am not to betray Black Specter, and said: ‘Tt does look that way; but I was on a scout, and found that fellow outside, and strange enough I discovered this package, which is ad- dressed to Major Malcolm.” The Man of the Lron Face almost rudely seized the express package, and it being — read the letter and saw the contents, after which he said: ‘This is strange indeed; a gambler return ‘conscience money; and the express being robbed, it fell to that rascal’s share; [ am more than glad you killed him, Powell, for the major’s sake, for it may enable him to return East and startin business again, which I shall urge; but the Indians here?’ Fancy Frank wondered at the advice of Iron Face being the same as that of Wildbird, but made no comment about it, and ee the package in his pocket, said, while h.s face flushed at claiming credit for what he did not deserve: ‘*Oh, they came in for a pow-wow, and were more tian gratified; but my bullet must have glanced on that fellow’s skull and only stunned him, and coming to, he had the cunning to re- main quiet and turn the tables upon me, which he would have done had you not ney oa but you have some one with you out- side?’ ‘“'Yes, Red Snake, the Pawnee chief, who has been my pard, since I rescued him, a year ago, from some of Black Kettle’s band, and he’s a noble fellow, Indian though he be.” ‘* Well, call him in, and I guess Ebony will consent to share his shed with your horses, and I will be more than glad to have your and Red Snake’s company, for there is no danger of our being disturbed again to-night, as men seldom come to this old stockade, and then only when led here by some strong motive.” ‘* And yet to-night three white men and four Indians have come here,” said Lron Face. “True, and three of those Indians and one of those white men are dead; I tell you, Tron Face, this ig a fatal spot, as I well knew; but come, callin the Snake, and 1 have some edibles and a flask of the train commissary’s best old rve ? A low call brought Red Snake into the cabin, and the two horses were soon unsaddled, and affiliating kindly with Ebony in the shed, while the two scouts and the Pawnee chief were par- taking of their frugal supper before the fire, the iron mask still hiffling all but the stern mouth and Arm chin of the strange man, whom Fancy Frank gazed apen with almost mysterious awe. TTT LL sss SSS sss eee etter TE SR rm CHAPTER XXX. ‘THE EMIGRANTS’ ELDORADO, AT last at rest! After long days, weeks and months of weary travel by day, and camping by night, the end of the tedious trail has come. After hardships and dangers, hopes and fears, the haven is reached, and the emigrants are centent. Ay, content, though life is just opening to them in theirnew home, and before them lie weeks and months of toil to make their habita- tions comfortable to face the storms and win- ters of that far Western clime. In a lovely and fertile valley they had set- tled, and their new home was called Eldorado City; but why city had been tacked on, none knew, excepting that it sounded better. And the said ‘‘ city” consisted of a black- smith shop, a store, where nearly every neces- sity was kept, from a spool of thread to a jug of ‘‘tiger eye”; a school-house that served & double purpose, for it was to be usedas a church on Sundays, and a huge shanty, that an enter- prising ex-army-sutler had put up and called Social Hall, and where liquors were sold, cards were shuffled, and discussions held each night. One week had the emigrants been in Eldo- rado City, and the town was built, and prom- ised not only to prosper, but to annihilate Can- yon City, that was two miles further up the valley, and the ‘‘ post” of the fort, which was. situated upon the river. The site of Canyon City was at once decided to be not well chosen, and with nearly two hun- dred emigrants settling in the valley below, and more expected, the couple of saloon and store-keepers, with the score or more of herd- ers, trappers, hunters and idlers, living in the shanties there, determined to remove to Eldo- rado City, and as to determine was to do, the reader may understand that our settlers almost immediately had an addition to their town. Stretching ne to the north and west of the settlement were high hills, and to the south and east were rolling prairies, here and there broken by divides and canyons, and scattered here and there through 'the valleys were the squatters’ homes, rapidly going on toward com- etion. With the fort and its hangers-on not far away, the increased population of Canyon City, and the coming in at night of the tired settlers, at least the male portion, for chats over pros- pects and what had been done, it may be sur- mised that Eldorado City became a stirring place after sunset, ere one week had gone by after its springing into existence. ®ver this medley of humanity Major Mal- colm was unanimously looked upon as a kind of leader, or chief, for there was that about him that commanded respect and regard, and his lovely, refined family seemed to be held as pure gold among rough nuggets, and all felt for them a sympathy that some deep misfortune 2 eq have driven them to those far-away wilds. With the aid of the half-dozen negroes, who had been content to follow their master into the wilderness, the major’s house progressed rapidly, for there were two other pairs of will- ing hands to help, as the day after the coming of the train, Tron Face and Fancy Frank ar- rived, and set to work with a will. And, not to be outdone, Captain Loyd Carle- ton came over with his troop, and set the sol- diers to work, stating that he was yet fearful of a dash into the settlement of Black Kettle’s band or the Mad Colonel, and he wished to have his men in hand. The settlers thought the handsome young captain had another motive, in the bright eyes of Maud Malcolm; but they did not say so, al- though they had not forgotten how devoted the officer had been on the march from Dead Man’s Motte to pe eons by And thus the first week passed away in busy work, and the time was up for the meeting of Fancy Frank and the Black Specter as agreed upon, ‘But the Scout had not forgotten lis promise, for he had ridden out of Eldorado City one eve- ning alone, and declining the company of bron Face, had evidently gone on some expedition which he did not desire known. CHAPTER XXXI, THE MAD COLONEL’S PLOT. In the rugged hills, from whose summits a vast expanse of valley, rolling lands, and, far beyond, prairies can be seen, with rivers wind- ing their clear way along, was the retreat of the Prairie Tigers. It was said that no one, excepting an oath- bound meneber of the cruei band, knew their exact retreat, and yet Fancy Frank had told the Black Specter that he had been there, and man of truer word dwelt not on the piains, or elsewhere. Certainly was it said of those unfortunates who fel spincticns to the Tigems, and were taken to theia stronghold, as ia Dante’s In- ferno: ‘“* He who enters here Leaves hope behind,” Ecomichboo «4 J Cor