Beadle's Dime Library, No. 142 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

LS ———— eo 6 Captain Crimson. ay oe in the timber, and then beheld, by the lights, the rapid movements made for a de- nee haven the emigrants had so for- y reached. Once in the timber, Captain Crimson hastily arranged the train for resistance, the wagons formed in a circle, taking im an acre, in which the cattle were corraled, and the women and children safely taken to a small interior fort, around which their tents were pitched, while the men ag boys Me tng henge _ four parties and assigned to the icades of logs at each side of the motte. With ax and ‘spade these barricades were strengthened, and then Captain Crimson went around with Major Malcolm, and Dick Harwood and Ross Elliott, the latter two being appointed aides, while Henry Maverick was made second in command. ‘“*And you will leave us?” asked the major, turning to the masked scout after they had visited all the defenses and the camp, and — nounced all im readiness to meet the Mad Colonel, atid the Indians, too, should they also attack. ‘* Ves, I desire guide, Fancy Frank, and rescue him if possible,” answered Captain Crimson, ‘**T would be glad to see the guide out of their fiendish hands, but fear you runa great risk for a maw who is a stranger to you.” .»“ Heis nota rto me, Major Malcolm, for Lowe to him: my life,” .respo the Man of the Lron Face, impressively. + tual ‘* Indeed! I understood you to say that you had never met him.” } mye : .“ Thave met him, though at the time I was unconscious, and I owe him my life, and it shall be freely riskediin his'aid.” = =) > “Lanrglad to know he has so faira chance of escape, for I believe: you will be successfu and sincerely do I hope so, for Fancy Frank: roy me deeply attached to, as in’ fact we all “He is one of Nature’s noblemen, Major Mal- colm,and a man who does not know what fear ‘** Reared in luxury, he entered thearmy from love of adventure. "A sad experience has been his indeed, and he has turned his’ back upon civilizationto roam these prairies; brooding over misfortunes he has known, ‘but carrying ‘his sorrows With a smiling lip, though the bitterest hatred and most revengeful feelings are ever in his heart.” | a A ' : _“ And you-tod, sir, seem to have: turned — back upon society and sought a home here among savages,” said Major “Malcolm, gaz- ing earnestly upon the masked face before him. ‘True, sir, as you have done, but from far diferent, motives, as: Il am prompted by the same feeling that governs the man known as White Beaver— Ah! who have-we here?” The man turned quickly, and like a flash his revolver was in his d, as suddenly two dark . a ten paces e. HM vawe bow Drawing a weapon, too, the major also tt stent oe eA eg pee Fm anteditenains chenk ¥ coned to that, for their rifles were pointed directly at the» of epeerer so) . eli ogee (> uv PATR OF “PARDS.?) |. | 0 omtaras rym Tel xt hapten rete The remark came from the lips of: one of the suddenl two men who had | y appeared before “That depe who and what you are,” was the quiet response of the Man of the tron ‘Who and what we is, } urd? Waal, as we is ther wisitors, I guesses as how) we’d better ex- lain. We is tenderfeet from ther pararer, In- or ; as suits our jun hunter te bounet Hed, au? we is on ther shoot 4 d o’ mine yo lace sheet mae yma | ’ as how he’s goti.a new-fangl -iron thet kin jist throw out sixteen aot i a iste yrrwseee ee ~ te clean through, an’ ther man as says he hain’t has ter fight me.” tes ae of ene ae * he is you are Skeleton Sam,” said Captain Crimson. ‘TL are that twin, pard; I are Sam Ledbetter from ole Vermount, but Skeleton Sam out here on ther pararer, and me an’ Pete here is twins, for whar you find one of us, t/other is within range; now who mou’t — be, pard?” ‘*Come, and you shall know; and allow me to say that you are welcome, for we need all such good men as b her are, since just now we ere in trouble,” and the Man of the Iron Face led the way toward a fire of logs, which burned brightly up from within a sereen of. brush, w eleton Sam said, as they went along: ‘* We was out on ther perarer an’ kind o’ cal- kilated you wasn’t happy, when we seen: ther band o’ ther mad co and ther Injuns, an’ discover the fate of your , as yer was white, clean through, we jist sneaked in ter lend yer a hand, but yer’d better have yer men keep the’r eyes wider —_ for we came in atween ’em, jist ter see ef they were at Report th d pard ‘Re says that you and your can go where a snake can, friend Sam; but here we are, and we'll decide upon some plau to outwit this Mad Colonel and his Indian allies. This gentleman is Major Malcolm, the captain of the emigrant train, and l—” ‘You needn’t ter interdoose yerself, fer I knows yer by thet iron face; you is chained lightnin’ turned loose on ther pararer, and the boys says as how yer’d fight ther devil and his first cousin, jist for fun. You knows him, pard?” and Skeleton Sam turned to his part- ner, who had not before this spoken, but’ who now answered: ‘* Yas, we has all heerd o’ Captain Crimson, ther Man with ther Iron Face, an’ he are d thunder, as yer say, Sam, or ther boys is wretched liars; I is glad ter meet yer, Iron Face, so put it thar,” and Rattling Rifle held forth his hand, which was warmly grasped, while Skeleton Sam chipped-in with: | “An? gi’n me ther grasp o’ honest flesh, Lron Face, for I likes a squar’ man; as you is said ter be, an’ my opinion o’ a man’s clothin’ has hed another set-back, for I thought it tuek buckskin ter make ther man out heur, until Faney Frank, ther medicine-chief, changed my tune, for:though he rigs out as fine asa belle at a ball, Lhasseen him do more hard fightin’ in a’ minute than a regiment kin do in a day, and thersLord knows you is tagged out as fine as ther queen’s fiddler.” That the two ‘‘ pards” were characters, there was no doubt, but as daring scouts, successful Indian~fighters, and trailers far above the average, were known from Omaha to Denver, and Jron Face,-as he was often called, con- sidered it)a lucky circumstance that they had ypened — thesceneasthey did. — , keleton Sam was an elongated specimen of the genus homo, several inches over six feet in hight, and made up of skin and bone, but as wiry as a snake, and as strong as a giant. is face was cadaverous, but so stamped with frank honesty and fearlessness that it was not hemely, while his eyes were as keen as an e’s. ressed in buckskin, from moccasins to head- ear, and armed with a heavy old-fashioned ouble-barreled gun, one barrel rifled; the other used for buckshot at close quarters, and with three pistols and a knife in his belt, he was an odd-looking genius indeed, while his “twin pard,” as hecalled Rattling Rifle, was his exact posite, being short, stout, and w a blanket suit. and coon-skin cap, while his Win- chester: repeating-rifle and silver-mounted re- volvers proved he thought more of his weapons than he did of his personal appearance A round, pleasant face, and with a n twinkle in his blue eyes, he yet had very to say, — to Sam, who did most of the talking at all times. | , aw 3 With undisguised admiration the two men gazed upon the Man of the Lron Face, for the past year strange stories had been told of the sounadetauiyt are yn n wreaking oe , upon vengeance the Prairie Tigers and the Indian band of the Dog Soldier Sioux chief, Black Kettle, who was also a marauder. Whether he had suffered some deep wrong from the Ti and Dog Soldiers none knew, but it was surmised that he had, and certain it was that he had caused them to dread him as death itself, .for ae ) ‘never safe, in camp, or on the march, from ‘his unerr ‘Tifle, and their every effort to overtake his fleet steed had been as unavailing as had their shots to wound pias enciltad they believed he bore a ‘* You is glad ter see us, pard; so is we to see you, for we lias heerd o’ you, an’ we'll chip in an’ help: yer in this fight,” Skeleton Sam de- clared. ‘‘T thank you, my friends; but. Major Mal- colm is the one you are to aid, for he has com- mand of the train, and you can render him ees service, for his Buide, Fancy Frank, the edicine Chief, is a prisoner to the Indians.” ‘‘ What! hes that red varmint, Black Kittle, got Fancy Frank?’ cried Skeleton Sam, in anger. ‘ ** He has,” **Oh, Lordy! this are too bad, for he'll him an’ then roast him! Ab, my twin , what will we do, for 'tain’t in our natur’ to see Fancy Frank cleaned out.” “No, Sam, ther ite Beaver mustn’t hev his checks called in ef we kin save bim,” an- swered Rattling Rifle. “Ef we kin save him! Oh! we is able, an’ don’t you forgit it, pard, for Lisa whole team an’ & ter let, an’ will chaw ’em up! Oh! I’m a pararer fire lookin’ fer dry 80 let’s strike ther trail an’ reskoo White beaver. ‘‘ Hold on, my friends, for I have already de- termined to do that, as I owe Fancy Frank a debt of gratitude I wish to repay. YOu remain here to aid the major with your good advice, | [=n preeeeeereeee and, major, I would advise that you be gov- erned by what Sam and Pete say, for they know just what to do.” “*T will, Mr.—Mr.— I declare Ido not know your name, sir,” said the major, hesitatingly. ‘“*Men call me on the plains, sir, Captain Crimson. Perhaps that name will do as well as any other,” was the quiet response, ‘* It is a suitable one, at all events, sir. Well, Captain Crimson, I will follow your advice, for ou have shown yourself capable of giving shel st; [have about eighty men and boys in th train, able to bear arms, and with the aid of these two gentlemen here—” ‘* Hold on, pard, don’t yer sling thet talk at us, for we is squar’ clean through, an’ no gent’- men; no, we is plain Sam and Pete, you bet, an’ you'll find us on hand when yer needs us, but we isn’t gent’men now, I reckon,” put in Skeleton Sam. ‘“Well, PH trust you fully, my friends, be you what you may, but, are you off, Captain. Crimson?’ ‘** Yes, major; Whirlwind, as I call my horse, has had a rest, and I will go. on the bunt for ‘tig guide, and hope to rejoin you soon with im. Good-evening,” and lron Face strode away into the interior of the motte, where his splendid horse was quietly feeding. Saddling him, and then looking to his arms Iron Face was about to mount, when he started suddenly, at a light touch upon his arm. ‘*Ha! itis you? Miss Maleolm, I believe,” he said, quickly, withdrawing the hand from the revolver butt it had involuntarily fallen upon. ‘‘ Yes, Captain Crimson, for so others call you, it seems,” she answered. ‘Tf you like not the name, lady, call me [ron Face,” he said, in a tone the maiden could not ‘That is as impenetrable as the other, sir: but I will not seek to penetrate your secret or your name, for, be you who and what you may, you deserve all our gratitude for the service you have rendered us to-day,” she said, warmly. ‘*And how can I serve you now, Miss, Mal- colm/” he asked, calmly. ‘* By telling me the truth: is the scout, Fancy Frank, dead?’ ‘** No; at least I think not, for the Indians would not put him to death until they return to their village.” ‘* Ts there no hope for his rescue?” =. “Itis upon that duty I am now going, Miss Maleolm.” ‘God bless you, sir, for those words! Pardon me if I show a deeper interest in the scout than perhaps I should, but he has ever been kind tof me, and I would not know that he died at the bands of cruel savages, without one effort of his friends to save him,” . ‘‘] will do all in my power, Miss Malcolm, for his sake, and for yours, and hope soon to. bring good news. i ut you — —— —_— is | ife is hourly in ; Miss Malcolm,, but I rein in Fate, and feel I am not doom to die until I accomplish that which I have. sworn to do.” | The last few words were spoken in a low, earnest tone, and Maud Malcolm felt that the man before her was set upon the keeping ‘of some vow of vengeance, which death one ee im. Ori | e word more, Captain Crimson: is there danger of our being massacred here, for, if I _ hear aright, the Indian band of Black Kettle will saa gm us with that chief men ca the Mad Colonel?” ‘Your father is an able commander, Miss Malcolm, and he has brave men under him, and an almost appocenataepes so that the Mad Colonel and Black K oe dare not charge upon him; every eye : n that they donot accom by strategy , what they cannot by arms. See, yonder in the distance, where you went into camp at sunset, the Mad Colonel is now encam - And te en ‘* Are lying upon the prairie, a few hundred yards distant, and encifcling this motte, and keeping watch.” § ‘And yet you intend to ride forth?” ‘‘Oh, shall break through their lines with- out serene and some miles distant one awaits = ones — — at once to the fort for 00 me our ; : be off, Parewell. y aid; but, now, I must success attend you, sir,” and Maud held er hand, which Iron Face warmly , and, throwing himself lightly into the saddle, he rode from the shadow of the timber out upon the open prairie. The maiden s watching the dark forms of horse and rider, until they disappeared from sight; but some impulse to remain still held ber to the spot, and, with the emigrant guards, she still stood gazing out into the impenetrable gloom, awaiting, she knew not what. Then, suddenly, an exclamation burst from half a dozen lips, and far out on the plain came bright flashes in rapid succession, and to the listening ears was wafted the crack of fire- arms. The next moment Skeleton Sam and Rattling: forth JOOKS (E() EOmic 4