Beadle's Dime Library, No. 149 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

The Border Rifles. @ impossible to grant him this claim, as the territo belonged to the Indians, and, moreover, a tribe had built a village there since time immemorial. The Commissioner had kept this argument to the last, feeling’ convinced that the captain could find no answer, and would be compelled to change, or, at least, modify his plans. He was mistaken; the worthy Commissioner was not so well acquainted with his friend's character as he might fancy. The latter, not at all affected by the triumphant gesture with which the Commissioner concluded his speech, oat drew from another pocket a second slip of tanned deer-hide, which he handed his friend, without saying a word. The latter took it with an inquiring glance, but the captain merely nodded to him to look at it. The Commissioner unrolled it with marked hesi- tation; from the old soldier’s behavior he suspected that this document contained a peremptory answer. In fact, he had scarcely looked at it, ere he threw it on the table with a violent movement of ill- humor, This slip of deer-skin contained the sale of the val- ley and the surrounding territory made by Itsichai- che, or Monkey-face, one of the princi sachems of the Snake Pawnees, in his name and that of the other chiefs of the nation, in exchange for fifty mus- kets, fourteen dozen scalping-knives, sixty pounds of gunpowder, sixty pounds of bullets, two barrels of whisky, and twenty-three complete militia uni- forms. Each of the chiefs had placed his hieroglyphic at the foot of the deed, beneath that of Monkey-face. We will say at once that this deed was false, and the captain in the affair was the perfect dupe of Monkey-face. » This chief, who had been expelled from the tribe of Snake Pawnees for various causes, as we shall re- veal at the proper moment, had forged the deed, first to rob the captain, and next to avenge himself on his countrymen; for he knew perfectly well that if the captain received authority from his govern- ment he would seize the valley, whatever the. conse- qussens of this spoliation might be. The only con- ition the captain made was that the red-skin should act as his guide, which he consented to do without any hesitation. When the deed of sale was laid before him, the Commissioner was forced to confess himself beaten, and nolens volens granted the authority so obstinately solicited 4 the oo When the documents were duly registered, signed and sealed, the captain began his prepara- tions for departure without further delay. Mrs. Watts loved her husband too well to offer any objections to the execution of his plans. Brought up herself on a clearing at no great distance from the Indian border, she become familiari with the savages, whom the habit of constantly seeing caused her no longer to fear them; besides, she cared little where she lived, so long as she had her husband by her side. Quite c as regarded his wife, the captain there- fore set to work with all that feverish activity which distinguished him. America is a land of prodigies; it is, perhaps, the only country in the world where it is possible to find between — and the morrow the men and things indispensable for carrying out the maddest and most eccentric projects. The captain did not deceive himself in the slightest as to the probable consequences of the resolution he had formed; hence he wished, as far as was possible, to guard against any eventualities, and insure the security of the persons who would accompany him to his claim, the first among these being his wife and children. His selection, however, did not take him long; among his co many wished for nothing better than to follow him, at the head of them being an old sergeant of the name of Walter Bothrel, who had served under him for more than fifteen years, and who, at the first news of his chief's retirement, went to him and said that as his captain was leaving the service, he did not care to remain in it, and the only favor he asked was leave to accompany him wher- ever he went. Bothrel’s offer was gladly accepted by the captain, for he knew the value of the sergeant, who was a sort of bull-dog for fidelity, a man of tried courage, and one on whom he could entirely count. To the sergeant Captain Watt intrusted the dut of oe. e detachment of hunters he intend to take with him, in order to defend the colony, if the red-skins took it into their heads to attack it. Bothrel carried out his instructions with the in- telligent consciousness he displayed in all matters, and he soon found in the captain's own compan thirty resolute and devoted men, only too glad to fol- low the fortunes of their ex-chief, and attach them- selves to him. On his side, the captain had engaged some fifteen workmen of every description, smiths, ‘n- ters, etc., who signed an und to serve him five years, after which they would become tenants at asmall rental of farms the captain would give them, and which would become their own property on the expiration of a further term of years, All pe peagnensons being at length terminated, the colonists, amounting to fifty men, and about a dozen females, at length set out for the claim in the middle of geen with them a —_ line of wag- s _ ere , moges pe ore description, and a ge herd of cattle, to. provision th colony, as well as for breeding : rel purposes. Monkey-face acted as guide, as had been arranged. To do the Indian the justice due him, we will say fhat he conscientiously performed thé duty he under- took; and that du a journey of nearly three months across a desert infested by wild beasts and traversed in every direction by Indian hordes, he managed to save those he led from the majority of the dangers that menaced them at each step. CHAPTER VIL MONKEY-FACE. We have seen in what summary manner the 4 tain seized on the territory conceded to him. e will now how he established himself there, and the precaution he took not to be disturbed by the In he had se bru tally dispossessed, and who, he judged from his knowledge of their vindic- tive character, would probably not yet consider -——~ <= WA hs IV VEY pee vy wa ay "8 ewe wm eZ ew themselves beaten, but might begin at any moment the attempt to take a and terrible ven- geance for the insults put upon them. The fight with the Indians had been rude and ob- stinate, but, thanks to Monkey-face, who revealed to the captain the weakest points of the village, and especially the superiority of the American fire-arms, the Indians were at length compelled to take to flight, and abandon aJl they possessed to the con- querors. It was a wretched booty, consisting only of ani- mal-skins, and a few vessels made of coarse clay. The captain, no sooner master of the place, began his work, and laid the foundation stone of the new colony ; for he understood the necessity of protect- ing himself as quickly as possible against a coup-de- main, The site of the village was completely freed from the ruins that incumbered it; the laborers then be- gan leveling the ground, and digging a ditch six yards wide, and four deep, which was connected on one side by means of a drain with the affluent of the Missouri, on the other with the river itself; be- hind this ditch, and on the wall formed of the earth dug out of it, a line of stakes was planted, twelve feet high, and fastened together by iron bands, al- most invisible interstices being lef a rifle barrel could be thrust and discharged under covert. In this intrenchment a gate was made large enough for a wagon to pass, and which com- municated with the exterior by a drawbridge, which was pulled up at sunset, These preliminary precautions taken, an extent of about four thousand square yards was thus sur- rounded by water, and defended by palisades on all sides, excepting on the face turned to the Missouri, for the width and depth of that river offered a suf- ficient guarantee of security. : It was in the free space to which we have just al- luded, that the cap began building the houses and offices for the colony. At the outset these buildings.were to be made of wood, as is usually the case in all clearings, that is to say, of trees with the bark left on them; and there was n0 k of wood, for the forest was scarce a hundred yards from the colony. The works were pushed on with such activity, that two months after the captain’s arrival at the spot all the buildings were finished, and the interior arrangements almost completed. In the center of the colony, onan elevation made for the purpose, a 2 gen of octagonal tower, about seventy feet in high , was erected, of which the roof was flat, and which was divided into stories, At the bottom were the kitchen and offices, while the upper rooms were allotted to the members of the family, that is to. say, the captain and his my the two nursemaids, young and hearty Kentuckians, with rosy and plump cheeks, called Betsy and Emma; Mistress aret, the cook,a respectable matron entering on her ninth luster, though she only confessed to five-and-thirty, and still had some retense to beauty, and, lastly Sergeant Bothrel, This tower was closed with a stout iron-lined door, and in the center was a wicket to reconnoiter visi- tors. About ten aig from the tower, and communica- ting with it by a subterraneous passage, were the log bute of the hunters, the workmen, the neatherds, and laborers. After these, again came the stables and’ cow- houses, In addition, scattered here and there, were large barns and granaries intended the receive the produce “eput all these different buildings ranged u ese eren were ar sO as to be isolated, and so far from each other, that in the event of fire, the loss of one building need not ab- solutely entail that of the rest; several wells were also dug at distances, so asto have abun- dance of water, without the necessity of fetching it from the river, In a word, we may say that the captain, as an old experienced soldier, accustomed to all the tricks of border warfare, had taken the minutest precau- tions to avoid not merely an attack, but a surprise. Three months had ela since the settlement of the Americans; this valley, hitherto uncultivated, and covered with forests, was now in great pest plowed up clearings effected on a scale removed the forest more than a mile from the colony; all offered the image of prosperity and comfort at a spot where, soshortly before, the care- lessness of the red-skins allowed nature to produce at liberty the small stock of fodder needed for their Inside the colony, all offered the most lively and busy sight; while outside, the cattle’‘pastured under the care of mounted and well-armed herds, and the trees fell beneath the blows of the axmen; in- side, all the work-shops were in full activity, long columns of smoke rose from the forges, the noise o hammers was mingled with the whirring of the saw; on the river bank, enormous piles of planks stood near others com of fire-wood; several boats were tied up, and from time to time the shots of the hunters could be heard, who were carrying out a battue in the woods in order to stock the colony with deer-meat, It was about four in the afternoon, and the ca tain, mounted on a magnificent black horse, with four white stockings, was ambling across a freshly- cleared prairie. A smile of quiet satisfaction played over the old soldier’s stern face at the sight of the prodigious change his wild and feverish activity had effected in so short atime on this unknown corner of earth, which must, however, in no remote future, acquire a great commercial importance, owing to its posi- tion: he was approac the colony, when a man, hitherto hidden bebind a pile of roots and bushes heaped up to dry, suddenly appeared at his side. The captain repressed as of er on perceiv- this man, in whom he Monkey-face. e will say here a few words about this man, who is destined to play a rather important part in the course of our narrative. Itsichaiche was a man of forty, tall, and well ie: portioned; he had a crafty face, lit up by two little gimlet eyes; his vulture-beaked nose, his wide meuth, with its thin and retiring lips, gave hima cunning and ugly look, which, in spite of the cau- tious and cat-like obsequiousness of his manner, and the calculated gentleness of his voice, inspired those through which » -— whom accident brought in contact with him with an impulsive repugnance which nothing could over- come, Contrary to the usual state of things the habit of seeing him, instead of diminishing, and causing this Ere y feeling to disappear, only enceeeaell it. e had mate gener ee | and ‘honestly performed his contract in leading the Americans, without any obstacle, to the spot they wished to reach; but since that period, he had remained with them, an had, so to speak, foisted himself on the colony, when he came and went as he pleased, and no one paid any attention to his actions. ' At times, without saying anything, he would disap- pear for several days, then suddenly return, and it was impossible to obtain any information from him as to where he had been and what he had been doing during his absence. Still, there was one person to whom the Indian's gloomy face constantly caused a vague terror, and who had been unable to overcome the repulsion with which he inspired her, although she co give no explanation of the feeling; this person was . Watt. Maternal love produces clearsightedness; the young lady adored her children, and when at times the red-skin by chance let a careless glance fall on the innocent creatures, the poor mother shivered in all her limbs, and she hastily withdrew from the sight of the man the two beings who were all in all to her. At times she tried to make her husband share her fears, but to all her remarks the captain merely re- plied by a significant shrug of his shoulders, suppos- ing that with time this feeling would wear off and disappear. Still, as Mrs. Watt constantly returned to the charge with the obstinacy and perseverance of a person whose ideas are bape | formed and cannot change, the captain, who had no cause or pl usible reason to defend, against the wife he loved and respected, a man for whom he did not profess the slightest esteem, at length promised to get rid of him. As, moreover, the Indian had been absent from the colony for several days, he determined im- mediately on his return to ask for an explanation of his mysterious conduct, and if the other did not re- ply ina plain and satisfactory manner, to tell him that he would not have him any longer about the settlement, and the sooner he took himself off the better for all parties. Such was the state of the captain's feelings toward Monkey-face, when accident brought him across his path at the moment he the least expected him. On seeing the Indian, the captain checked his horse. “Is my father visiting the valley?” the Pawnee asked. * Yes,”’ was the answer. “Oh!” the Indian went on as he looked around him, ‘‘all has greatly changed since the beasts of the Long-knives of the West have been peacefully on the territories of which they dispos- sessed the Snake Pawnees.” The Indian uttered these words in a sad and mel- ancholy voice, which caused the captain some men- tal qnatety “Is that a regret you are giving vent to, chief?’ he asked him. “If so, it seems to me very unsuit- able from your lips, since it was you who sold me the territory I occupy.” “That is true,” the Indian said with a shake of his head, ‘‘Monkey-face has no right to complain, for it was he who sold to the pale-faces of the West the Pees where his fathers repose, and where he and brothers so often hunted the elk and the jaguar.’” “Hum, chief, I find you very sad to-day; what is the matter with you? did you, on waking this morn- ing find stmt lying on your left side?” he said, uding to one of the most accredited superstitions among the Indians. ““No,” he continued, “the sleep of Monkey-face was exempt from e omens, nothing arrived to alter the calmness of his mind.” “T congratulate you, chief.” “My father will give tobacco to his son, in order that he may smoke the calumiet of friendship on his return?” - Perhaps so, but first I have a question to ask of ou ? “My father can speak, his son's ears are open.” “It is now a long time, chief,” the captain con- tinued, “since we have been established here.” “Yes, the fourth moon is beginning.” » _‘*Since our arrival, you have left us a great many times without warning us.” “Why should I do so? air and _~~ do not belong to the ; ale-faces, I suppose; the Pawnee warrior is at liberty to go where he thinks proper; he was a renowned chief in his tribe.” ‘All that may be true, chief, and Ido not care about it; but what ldo care about is the safety of my fa and the men who accompanied me here.” ‘ Well,” the red-skin said, “in what way can Monkey-face injure that safety?” ‘*T will tell you, chief; listen to me attentively, for what you have to hear is serious.” “Monkey-face is only a poor Indian,” the red-skin answered, ironically; “the Great Spirit bas not ven him the clear and subtle mind of the pale- aces, still he will to understand my father. “You are not so s 4p: as you choose to wo ee at this moment, chief; I am certain you will ect- ly understand me, if you only take the trouble.” “The chief will try.” The captain repressed a movement of impatience. “We are not here in one of the great cities of the American Union, where the law protects the citizens and guarantees their safety: we are, on the con- trary, on the red-ekin territory, far from any other protection than our own; we have no help to expect m any one, and are surrounded by vigilant ene- mies w a favorable moment to attack us and massacre us if they can; it is therefore our duty to watch over our own safety with the utmcst vigil- ance, for the et imprudence would gravely compromise us, ou understand me, chief?” “Yes, my father spoken well; his head is erayi his wisdom is great = watch,” the captain must therefore care continued, ‘‘the movements of all the persons who nearly or remotely to the colony; and when their movements appear to me suspicious, to ask those explanations which bave no right to re- fuse me. Now, I am compelled to confess to you, chief, with extreme regret, that the life you have cboo com cS (Ele)