Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 148 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

i 9 ee _~. -- — -——— i =. ae See -—*~ ge +o en eet . ° ee ee es —— i SE . . - we gee eee — 20 They they were suddenly brought to a ha sound of footsteps. They came to a sudden halt and in nyt oe rm silence listened. They could hear the soft pat- ter of feet, evidently approaching. ‘*That’s a wolt’s pit-a-pat,” whispered Jabez. ‘“*Hark! I hear other footfalls,” exclaimed North in an undertone. moved on until near eae eee t by the % The maidens drew nearer each other and with bated breath listened and watched. The massive tread of human feet can now be distinctly heard, but that soft patter can be heard preceding it. This, however, soon passes them, and in the vicinity of the sound they can now see a dull speck of fire floating along through the darkness, and behind this they can see the dark, colossal fi of a man stalking c@ through the black, pathless wilderness like a shadowy giant. ‘“By Jupiter! exclaimed North in a low whisper, ‘‘that is the very figure and guiding of fire that Malagua told me was the pirit of the Wilderness,’ Hellice and Margery shuddered and crept closer to the captain’s side, while Jabez Mug- gins uttered, through sheer recklessness, a low whistle of rise, Captain North nudged bim sharply for his blunder, but it was too late. ‘The whistle had been heard. That dull speck of fire ceased to move, and the shadowy giant came to a halt and stood in an attitude of in- tense listening. *Whewt! whewt!” again whistled the reck- less Muggins. ‘Hullo, Jabez, is that you?” came a voice from the giant’s lips. ‘“‘Bet your moccasins on it, my dear old pard,” replied Muggins; “so jist waltz this = and give us a wag of your paw.” he giant’s footsteps were now heard ap- a pang and as he drew nearer them, our riends saw that his proportions grew less and Jess until he dwi down to the size of a well-proportioned man. The party had all seen him before, and recognized him as One- Armed Alf, the Giant Scout. ‘‘ You’re the last man I expected to meet, lon he said, “‘and pray, who are those with ou Jabez Muggins introduced each of his friends, and when cordial greetings had been exchanged all around, Margery Bliss inquired: “Alf, can you tell me any thing of my friends?” ‘‘T ean; they are all safe at Point Michigan.” ‘Thank God!” cried the maidens, ina breath. “* War you ins’arch of us Alf?’ asked Muggins. ‘“*T was,” responded the scout, ‘‘ though, at the time you gave your signal call I was trail- ing a red-skin whom I have reason to think now is trying to cut you off from safety.” ‘But what was the meaning of that dull — of fire just ahead of you?” asked Captain orth. ‘* It was a bit of horus attached to my dog's tail,’”’ replied the scout; ‘‘ you see, I trust to the dog to tollow the trail, and in the dark- ness, all I have to do is to follow after that speck of fire.” ‘* And the dog’s tail,” added Muggins; ‘‘ but, what’s the tickle now, ole pard?’ ‘*Do you know what became of St. John?” the scout asked. Jabez told him all about the flight of the captain and his being pursued by the English. ‘And have heard nothing from Darcy Mayfield?” ** Nothing, Alf.” ‘*Poor fellow!” sighed the scout, sadly. ‘I presume he perished in the flames that night at my cabin.” ‘ Yas, I’m afeard so,” replied Jabez; ‘‘ but, do you know what became of your nigger sarvint?” “Nothing,” replied the scout, indulging in a low, silent laugh, which seemed to puzzle Cap- tain North and the maidens as to its meaning. ‘‘Nor nothing of the Spirit of the Woods?” ‘* Nothing.” This time Jabez Muggins laughed a strange, peculiar laugh. | : ‘* Well, my friends,” said One-Armed Alf, changing the subject, ‘‘it stands us in hand to be moving from here. The Indians are swarm- ing thick through the woods. And I would suggest for our greater safety, that we keep due west until we reach the lake, thence by water to Poiut Michigan.” ‘‘Thunder! these gals can’t swim, pard,” replied Jabez, in a jocular tone. , ‘*[ have a couple of canoes concealed not far from where we will touch the lake.” **Oh!—well, heave ahead, One Arm, and we're the folks that’ll prance behind.” Without further words the Giant Scout took the lead, and the littlé party was once more under way. | In the course of an hour’s journeying a dim twilight appeared through the trees before, and ina Sew minutes more the broad waters of Lake Michigan more unfolded to their view. The scout bad no difficulty in finding one of his canves, which he at once launched and pad- died around to where he had left his friends, whom he immediately took aboard. Then he pushed out from shore into the lake. One-Armed Alf. ee A dense fringe of wild rice-piants win out several rods into the water, shut them o from the open lake, and it was with some diffi- culty that they made their way through these. But, at length, the obstruction was passed, and the boat floated out into the broad, glimmering waters. The moon was shining and threw its dazzling | luster over the lake, while it tipped the foliage of the dark belt of trees along the shore with a sheen of frosted silver. The change from the dark, somber woods, and incessant toiling through thicket and brier, to the moonlit waters and gently gliding boat, was a pleasant one to the poor, weary fugitives; but they were not calculated to enjoy it long unmolested by fears of dangers. They had been upon the lake scarcely ten minutes when the scout’s dog, which had been allowed a place in the stern of the canoe, set up a low, uneasy whining, which his master readily interpreted as a warning of danger. Quickly the scout swept the surrounding waters, and to bis dismay, discovered a canoe filled with Indians, pulling along within the shadow of the rice plants toward them. ‘There are Indians after us,” be said, appa- rently unmoved by the discovery, ‘‘ and we will have to pull for the shelter of the reeds in order to elude them.” ' Amid the whistiing of savage bullets the ca- noe was at once driven back into the tall rice- plants; then standing half-erect, the man bur- ried the canoe forward by pulling at the reeds vine telaceaen ie proceeded d nd S manner y eeper a deeper into the labyrinths of the tangled, miniature forest, until they finally struck a path cut out by the otter through the reeds. into this narrow thoroughfare the scout turned his canoe, and was enabled to journey on al- most noiselessly. For fully an hour the canoe crept hither and thither through the woods, until all but the old scout himself had become bewildered. At length they paused and listened, but all was silent save the piping of insects on the beach hard by, and the gentle Sgn. - of the reeds by the fairy fingers of the night wind, So the canoe was pushed silently on, and in a few minutes debouched into a little opening or glade in that wilderness of reeds where the moonlight fell unobstructed. Here the scout paused with the intention of remaining until all dangers had passed; and so he ran his canoe close along the south margin of the glade, where the reeds, courting the open light of the opening, had grown taller and inclined inward so as to afford an admirable shelter while our friends could still command a view of the open- ing. ‘* Here, I think, the cunning knaves will not find us,” said the scout, in hopes of allaying the fears of the maidens, who were now sob- bing in each other’s arms with hopeless d ir. ‘“We have struggled against fate so long, Alf,” said Hellice, ‘‘ without reward, that it seems as though we were doomed to die before we reach Point Michigan.” ‘‘Ah, me, Hellice,” said the kind-hearted scout, sympatheticully, ‘‘ Il know you have had a hard journey of it, but now that you are nearly through, keep up a little longer and trust to God.” ‘‘How far do you think we are from the Point, friend scout?’ asked Captain North. ‘* Not over four leagues, I dare say. But, what now, Sultan, my good dog—what now?” The animal had suddenly thrust his muzzle upward and began sniffing the air, as if he de- tected the presence of danger, and when he set Pj a low, plaintive whine, his master knew that l was notright. So he enjoined the strictest silence upon his companions, and bent his head and listened. Somewhere within that wilderness of reeds he could hear a faint 5 resem sound, as though something was crawling threugh them. The sound grew plainer and plainer each moment. lt appeared to be approaching, and was, with- out a doubt, a canoe making its way through the reeds. “Tt may bean Indian canoe, and if so, it is going to pass near, if not directly across this opening. In either case, however, let the strictest silence prevail, for, if we are passed unobserved, we will have no difficulty there- after. Down, Sultan, down!” The dog had started suddenly up, as though he had detected new danyers; and upon listen- ing, our friends discovered that a second canoe was approaching. ) The discovery made the scout very uneasy. Should both canoes enter the glade, and the occupants discover their presence, it might result fatally to them; for the fugitives were in no condition to fight, not one of them possess- , friends,” cautioned the scout; **they are coming.” He had scarcely spoken, when the reeds on the opposite side of the glade, were seen to part in two places, and the sharp prows of two canoes glide out almost side by side into the moonlit ** Look sharp | opening. | | Each canoe contained but a single occupant, and each of these appeared to be entirely igno- rant of the other’s presence, until they had en- tered the glade, for they dropped thelr paddles, turned in their canoes and glared at each other, with wild surprise and amazement written upon each face. And it was then that our friends started with a sudden exclamation of surprise, for they saw that one of those occu- pants was Captain Philip St. John, the other, a powerful Ojibway warrior! CHAPTER XXXL THE SPIRIT OF THE WOODS. A cry of joy and terror escaped Hellice Ar- vine’s lips at sight of her young lover, Philip St. John, and the danger that menaced him at the moment; but her 0 was too late to stop the movements of the Ojibway, who arose to his feet and with a wild yell sprung out into St. John’s canoe, Then the two grappled in a deadly embrace and a fearful struggle CrEne, For a moment the canoe rocked violently upon the water, but, at length, the combatants lost their balance and fell overboard. A wild, piercing scream now escaped Hel- lice’s lips, and she sunk down, almost uncon- scious, a: Wane feet. ‘*Go, Sultan, go!” suddenly commanded the scout, touching his dog n the back. Swift as a lightning’s almost, the faith- ful dog shot from the canoe out into the water. Fora moment he was lost from view beneath the waves, but, when he arose to the surface again, he struck out to where the two foes were struggling. The dog, knowing the true foe by instinct immediately seized the red-skin by the nape of the neck, burying his fangs deep ip the muscles and tendons. The savage seemed paralyzed by the gripe of this unknown foe, and he relinquished his hold = the captain at once. The latter was, him- self, entirely ignorant from whence his un- e assistance had come; but when he suddenly heard his name called by a familiar voice—the voice of One-Armed Alf—all became plain to him. It was the scout’s dog that had seized the red-skin, and he proceeded to assist the noble beast to dispatch the foe. But his help was not needed. Sultan understood his work too well, and with a few vigorous shakes the neck of the savage was disjointed, and '.e sunk down, lifeless, in the water. Then the dog returned to his master, followed by Captain St. John, who was soon taken alenietl the fugitive craft. One-Armed Alf was not entirely forgetful of their dangers during the few moments of joy and congratulation that followed Philip’s es- cape, e well realized that the noise of the recent conflict would not escape the ears of the other savages, whom he knew to be in the vi- cinity, and draw them in that direction. So he enjoined silence upon them, and again turned attention to their surrounding dangers, He listened, but all was silent, and when several moments bad elapsed and no sound of approach- ing enemies broke the silence, he to St. Jobn and said: ‘‘] presume, captain, you have passed through the flint mills since we last parted.” ‘‘T have, most assuredly. 1 was taken a pri- soner twice—once by the Indians and once by the British. The first time | was liberated t my dear friend, Jabez Muggins here, nig must admit has played the double role of whis- ky-trader and spy to a demonstration. The last time my sein, was owing to the fleetness of (¢eneral Brock’s horse, which I managed to mount in the very heart of the encampment, and which I turned loose when I reached the lake, a mile north of here.” ‘Whoop tee doodle!” exclaimed Jabez Mug- gins, ‘‘if you ar’n’t got the grit, Cap, I never see’d a polar-b’ar that bad.” ‘Thanks for the compliment, Jabez,” replied the captain. ‘‘I owe you a debt of gratitude that I hope I will be able to pay you some day. And | must say that you bave been such a skillful actor in your parts of the dramas of which I bave been a supernumerary, that I am half-inclined to believe you are the Spirit of the Woods.”’ ‘Oh, Jupiter, Cap!” exclaimed the trader, and he exchanged glances with One-Armed Alf, ‘sich a thing is horribly onpossible.” ‘‘ Harkee, friends, barkee!” suddenly ex- Claimed the Giant Scout, in a low, husky tone; ‘“vonder sits danger upon the margin of the ing a weapon, unless it was Captain North, who | opening.” still carried his saber. The moments that followed were moments of extreme anxiety and uncertainty. The dull, raking rustling of the two canoes among the reeds could still be heard approaching; and at lengto, the surface of the water became ruffled by little waves chasing each other out from the opposite side of tue opening. He pointed across the glade, where all saw an Indian warrior seated in a small bark canoe, his head bent in the attitude of listening. He was an Indian whose evil, malignant features once seen would never be forgotten. ‘‘ Friends,” said One-Armed Alf, and _ his voice sounded still buskier than ever, “I have seen that Indian before.” JOO com (G “S (E@)