Beadle's Dime Library No. 147 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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As they got miles away they heard the firing broughton by the few warriors left to deceive the soldiers, and then came the cheers of the men as they charged upon a foe, that they soon found had fled, and even those who had laid several of their comrades low, could nowhere be found in the fastnesses of the hills. With night upon them and no trail visible, the soldiers, with bitter denunciations, were compelled to camp; for the exact spot of tle ren- e chief’s retreat was not even known to uckskin Mose, an individual who was maaan to know every foot of land between the Missouri and Arkansas rivers. The rest, food and water having greatly ben- efited the ponies of the Indians, they held on through the night, until the renegade chief saw that the fair captives were utterly prostrated with fatigue, and then he came to a halt, and made them a comfortable png on into which nce of rest. Bui at dawn, after a frugal repast, they were again in the saddle, and once having gained the wild regions where the Indians held their re- treat, both Edna and Esther were in almost de- spair, for they saw that to take them by force would be next to impossible, even with treble the numbers the garrison and settlement could send to their succor. ‘“‘ Here, ladies, is your home for the present, and you will have every attention shown you at can be shown in my wild retreat in the s. ‘Though you may not see your guards, I warn you that their eyes are upon you, so for your own sake keepnear this cabin, and what you need this person will supply you with.” The renegade pointed as he spoke to a woman who stood near the humble little cabiu that had been assigned to them. It was the same dark-faced, handsome woman, who, in her specter-like disguise, had led Ser- geant Sylvester into the Indian ci With a bow the renegade walked away, an Indian warrior having taken the two tired horses of the maidens, and with despair at their hearts, when they ag ate into the merciless face of the woman, the two wretched captives threw themselves down upon the velvety grass and burst into tears, for life then held for them no hope. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE LOST TRAIL. Wits the first gray of dawn in the east, Colonel Eldred had every man under his com- aad up and ready for the start. through the night he had been utterly wretched, for the clever ruse of the renegade, he had discov as soon as the troopers had charged the hill and found the enemy gone. d of having halted to make a fight, for the hills were believed to be one of the retreats of the red band, he had simply sipped to gain a rest for his horses, and hold his foes in check, until night came on to hide his retreat. One solitary Indian, a Dog Soldier Souk, had | been found by the troopers, wounded, and un- able to fly, on account of a shot in the foot, He defended himself well, but been over- powered and taken alive, and then an effort was made to force him to lead on after his comrades. All entreaties he refused, and then Buckskin Mose tried threats. “ yer tell us, Injun, ther trail yer devilish brothers tuk, Ill be yer friend, an’ yer pard, while ther kernul here, will give yer a dozen ies.” “No, me no English. “Then I’ scalp Me) alive ef yer don’t, and kill ig inch by inch.” | ns e no tell.” ‘T’ll scalp yer durned greasy head, I say if yer don’t.” - The Indian smiled sadly but shook his head. ‘‘ Does yer mean it?” and Buckskin Mose took hold of the scalp-lock, as the brave red-skin lay wounded upon the ground, ‘** No be bad Injun,” was the firm reply. All around, anxiously awaiting the re- sult, for darkness was now almost upon them, and Colonel Eldred said gag & “If you do not lead us on the trail of your comrades, I will have you killed.” ; ‘Trail over hill yonder,” replied the Indian. ‘* True; but when it is dark, a coyote cannot find it,” said The Hercules, at same time ste forward and pl a revolver at the Sond ofthe warrior, who mabe flinched, thet red-skin are too much fer me, tell,” auswered the warrior in b Gold Spur, the Gentleman from Texas. and I’d not hurt him, [ll sw’ar,” muttered Buckskin Mose, turning away. ‘** Well I will, if he refuses to tell; quick, red- skin, will you lead us on the trail?” ‘* No lead pale-face on red-man trail.” “Then you shall die,” and the revolver was cocked and pressed against the brawny breast over the heart. The Indian never flinched; but from his lips broke in wild accents his defiant death-song, to be suddenly ended by the smothered repert of the revolver, and a whoop of hatred, as, wounded though he was, he bounded to his feet, and then fell back dead. “Good God! Hale, why did you do that cruel act?’ cried Riley Rockwell, turning angrily upon The Hercules, who stood upright, the smoking revolver in his hand, and a sinister smile upon his lips. ‘It were a coward act, ef it were done ag’in’ an Injun, and Pod does w’ar shoulder-straps,” said Buckskin Mose, indignantly, and The Her- cules turned savagely upon him, when Colonel Eldred, who had walked away a few paces, suddenly confronted him. ‘Lieutenant Hale, did you deliberately kill that Indian?” The Hercules had intended to first brave out his act, but seeing that not one present but cen- sured the merciless deed, the cruel smile upon his nee changed, and he replied: ‘** No, Colonel Eldred, my finger unwittingly touched the trigger.” ‘‘ As an officer and gentleman, sir, I am com- pelled to take your word; but be careful in fu- ture, when your nerve cannot be depended up- on, how you fool with dangerous weapons.” The face of The Hercules flushed with anger, but he made no reply, and turned away even unheeding the remark of Buckskin Mose: ‘* Thet were ther durndest lie I ever heered, ef Hercules Hale did say so.” With darkness upon them the troopers had but one thing to do, and they sought rest; but, though many a stalwart form was wrapped in his blanket in apparent sleep, had their faces been scanned closely the eyes would have been discovered to be wide open, for their thoughts were with the captive maidens and the events the morrow must bring, for to hunt the White Jackal in his den all knew was no light work. After a sleepless night, in which the ter rt of the time had been spent in council with is Officers, the colonel and wretched father called the men up, and the start on the trail began. But though it seemed plain enough, leading through the hills for a mile, it suddenly broke off at a canyon, and no trace of it could be found. In vain was it that Buckskin Mose used every artifice known to bordermen to discover the missing trail; nowhere could it be found. It stopped in the canyon, and, though half a dozen paths led out of it, not one was there a trace upon of a large force having gone by it, ““T tell yer, kernul, thet feller has traveled over rivers, and with muffied hoofs, and it are just a question which one o’ these trails he hev tuk and how far it are ter whar ther critters hev left the’r tracks ag’in,” said Buckskin Mose, going up and joining Colonel Eldred, where he s with Major Gregory and Captain Rock- well, conversing earnestly together. “Well, Mose, what are we to do about it?” asked the colonel. ‘‘Send a man, who knows a trail when he sees it, up each outlet from this canyon, and let him continue on until he finds whar ther critters hev hed thar hoofs unmuffied; then let him come back hell-ter-split and tell ther news. I, fer one, will take ther leetle glen leadin’ to the south’ard,.” “Do so, and pick yor men for the other paths; but who is that, Mose?” All eyes were turned in the direction indi- cated, and saw The Hercules approaching with a man whom no one seemed to know. As he drew nearer it was seen that he had long white hair and beard, and his parchment- like skin was seamed with wrinkles as though he had‘nearly reached four-score years. His gait’was slow, but firm, and that he was a borderman was evident from his dress of buckskin and dressed skins of wild beasts. A fox-skin cap with the bushy tail hanging down his back, a rifle, old and worn, and a pair of serviceable revolvers and horn-handled knife, completed his attire and accouterments. As he ee every eye was upon him, and The Hercules said in explanation: ‘Colonel Eldred, I met this man up the can- yon and he desires to speak with you, sir.” ‘Are you the commandant?’ asked the stranger, his voice busky and tremulous. ‘Yes: and you are—’ “The Hermit of the Republican,” was the calm reply.’ ‘**Tudeed! I have long heard of you, Sir, as dwelling alone on the Republican, and I am at this time P ark rae glad to meet you,” said the colonel. ‘IT have come, sir, to lead you on the trail of the White Jackal, for he has gone on to his re- treat, and in his power are two fair captives, whom doubtless you seek.” nae 7 saw them then?” . ‘Yes, they passed near me to-day; I am ready to ead: you to the Jackal’s lair.’ i The announcement caused universal satisfac- aces excepting with Buckskin Mose, who mut- ered: ‘I doesn’t take stock in thet ole sinner, an’ I intend ter keep my optics on him, an’ ef thar comes a shot frum a bush on ther trail, ther Repub won’t hev no Hermit nary more.” ith this threat Mose went to the fort, and the command moved off on the trail, led by the old Hermit. CHAPTER XXVIIL THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR. TRUE to his determination Buckskin Mose kept close to the old Hermit, ever watching him with the eye of an eagle, and waiting for the first sign of treachery to there end his life, for the scout had heard that the red-skins never in- terfered with the aged and solitary hunter, and feared that he might at heart be a renegade and was leading them all into a trap. A few miles from where they had camped, the broad trail of the Indian band came in view and the Hermit followed it on foot, and ata pace one would not suspect of a manof his years. At last they came to a valley through which wound a rapid stream, and across this the trail led, while beyond were the fastnessesof the hills where the Hermit said was the retreat of the White Jackal and those of the Indian tribes who followed his lead. Crossing the stream, considerably in advance of the command, the Hermit and Buckskin Mose halted at the foot of a steep hill, which in several places was intersected with canyons. Here the Indian trail divided into tracks go- in all directions, and the Hermit suggested to the scout that they should search for the well- known hoof-marks of the ponies ridden by the two maidens, This Buckskin Mose readily we es to, and the two began the search, the scout bearing to the right, some distance from the Hermit. Presently bis quick eye detected the tracks of the army-shod animals that he knew Edna and Esther were mounted upon, and he called to his companion. But no answer came, and he walked quickly to the spot where he had last seen him. A small stick, to which was fastened a piece of paper, caught his eye, and seizing it, he handed it to Colonel Eldred, who just then rode up with Riley Rockwell. | ‘Ther Hermit has got, kernul, but hes left yer this keerd.” “The Hermit gone! why, surely a man of his years cannot be far away,” cried the colonel. “He might be durned near, and we not find him in this pesky place.” ‘*Rockwell, call the men to the front, and I will have search for him.” ‘* Perhaps he may tell yer whar he are in thet per, kernul, for thar is writin’ marks onto it, sees, yet not knowin’ readin’ I can’t git ther figgers down adzactly.” e colonel eagerly glanced at the card, and read, written in a bold hand: ° pune led Colonel Eldred to the retreat of the White Jackal and his band, nothing more can be done by THE HERMIT OF THE REPUBLICAN.” ‘“Well, this is remarkable; what do you make of it, gentlemen?’ and Colonel Eldred turned to the major and several other officers who just then rode up and learned of what had occu : ‘‘T know not what to say, sir; he certain] has led us to the right place, for here the trai! breaks,” answered the major. ‘Yes, this is the very spot for the retreat of the outlaw,” remarked Captain Rockwell. “To you notice nothing peculiar in this hand- writing, Colonel Eldred?” asked The Hercules, who was examining the card criti ; ‘No, and yet it has a familiar look, I must say, Hale.” ‘It is the same, sir, as that in which the re- ward for your scalp was offered, and the Texas Ranger poem,” was the significant reply of The Hercules. Z v Ey the Lord Harry! you are right, Hale; the Hermit, then, is none other than The Gen- tleman from Texas, according to your ideas?” “True, Colonel Eldred, and the White Jackal himself is one of his numerous disguises.” All started at the bold assertion of The Her- cules, for it fell like a thunderbolt upon them. But Captain Rockwell asked: ‘Why did he, if he was, as you say, the White Jackal in disguise, bring us right to his own retreat?” “He is a man of deep plots, captain, and may, at this moment, have the entire command almost at his mercy,” replied The Hercules, and his words created an immediate stir, which was increased:when Colonel Eldred, acting wholly on a standpoint of safety for his men, ordered the command to fall back from the immediate vicinity and go into camp. | Hardt had. this order been given, and the officers been summoned to the colonel’s presence for a council of war, when Buckskin Mose re- ported a party of horsemen in sight. | Gomicbooks (e :