Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 183 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

Sea —, ——- = . chiefs forever. or fifty were collected Bon the narrow plat- form upon the other side. The river at this point was barely a hundred and thirty feet wide, but ran with bewildering swiftness be- tween its banks, while a heavy float of logs, forty feet wide, had collected in the eddy, close to Owaseo. The Indians did not seem to think of swimming, for they squatted about on the banks, looking carefully along the high shores of the stream, to see if any men were lurking there. All at once their attention seemed to be called to some object upon the face of the rock close to the place where the water touched it. The chief, looking down, caugbt a glimpse of a brown hand waving, and saw at once that the man he had sought was concealed there in a place where he had not thought of looking. From the opposite bank the hiding place was plainly visible, and was simply a hole in the limestone face, some seven or eight feet wide and perhaps ten deep, worn out by the action of water. In this place the chief had hidden Helen, bound hand and foot, and gagged, so that she had heard the stealthy footsteps of the Indian overhead, and could not call out to apprise him of the secret of her hiding-place, which only became visible from above by bending far over the verge of the latform, when the blow of a hatchet would oubtless have settled scores between the two While Owasco roamed up and down the platform, Darromed sat below, witha terrible smile upon his face, his rifle beside him primed and ready, and his hatchet in his hand, waiting to see if the Onondaga dare show him- self. Fortunately for the latter, he did not find out the covert, or his doom was sealed. Darromed made signals to the rascals upon the other shore, and they understood it at length. Close to the river-bank, not five feet from the verge, grew a pine, perhaps a hundred and fifty feet in hight, with a remarkably small trunk for so high a tree. The Indians, who were nearly all Wyandots, quickly set to work with their hatchets to chop this tree down, and in an incredibly short space they had succeeded in their object, and the pine came thundering down across the float, skillfully directed in its course by the Indians, so that it completely bridged the stream to these logs. Owasco n to un- derstand now what all this meant, and he threw forward his rifle, prepared to take a shot at the chief when he should make his appearance. Toe tree had fallen beautifully and lodged hard and fast, but the mighty current was pressing upon it in the center, and it already described the arc of a circle. All at once Darromed bounded from his hid- ing-place upon the logs with a sbrill yell, bear- ing Helen in his arms. But he held her in such a way that it was impossible to shoot at him without danger to her. He knew that, if her friends were lying in wait for her, they were men who could shoot straight and sure, and that he was doomed if either Owasco or Gilbert pulled on him over the deadly barrel of the rifle. But no man, who had any feeling for the poor a he held a prisoner in his arms, would have ared to fire now, no matter how good a marks- a ee aae he advantage, and stopped ro saw van , an with one foot upon the fallen eR and Helen still held up before him as a shield, and shouted in derision. Then, with a bold, free step, he ran out upon the Hehe dn Fins and facing round quickly, with Helen upon bis arm, he called aloud. “Who lies in wait among the rocks for the son of the Thunder! Let him show himself, that =. braves may laugh and send him home to his odge.” Owasco sprung out at once, and stretched out his hand to the chief. ‘‘ Come back, Darromed, if you are not a dog, and fight with me? Who- ever conquers. the white girl shall be bis. Come back, or 1 will shoot.” : “ Shoot, then!” yelled Darromed. ‘ Fool! do you not see that the first shot will plunge the white girl deep into the black water?” The rifle dropped from the uplifted hand of Owasco, and he stood trembling, looking down at his enemy, now free from all danger from him. He could slay Darromed, it is true, but what was he to gain by so doing, and how much to lose? The same ball which sent the Wyandot to his account would plunge into a certain and terrible death the beautiful girl he wished to save. Darromed laughed in horrible glee as the tree bent and swayed, and still kept his place, jeering at Owasco. All the mad passions of the savage seemed aroused, and twice he raised Helen high above his head, as if to cast her into the flood which boiled below. The Onondaga knew that he dared not do that; but he picked up his rifle again just as the | Wyandots discharged a poorly aimed volley, which rattled against the rocks all about him. ‘* Fools!” hissed Darromed, whose fun was cut short by the volley. ‘Do you want Gandelion to come upon you with his braves?’ ‘“Who fears Gandelion?’ cried one of the braves. ‘‘He is not a friend of McKay, the father of the Indians.” Darromed had passed the center of the river when a loud and angry crack was heard, and the log was broken by the force of the current, Gilbert, the Guide. ee | i and the part upon which he stood dropped into the water so suddenly that he was thrown from it, but managed to catch one of the hang- ing branches and drag himself close to the trunk, still clinging to his victim with an eager hand. The log with its living burden, swung swiftly round, and started down the stream be- tween the rocky banks, followed by a cry of rage and despair from the lips of Owasco, who saw at once the terrible peril of Helen. The chief had drawn himself up on the log, which, with its hanging branches, could not turn over clasping the fainting girl by the waist, an casting looks of demoniac fury at the Onondaga as he swept by. Fate seemed to do its worst to Helen since the day when she had left her father at the fort. No sooner had she escaped one danger than another of greater. magnitude stared her in the face. The banks seemed to fly past them as they sped down the angry flood, and Darromed, seeing their danger, cast off the bonds from the hands and feet of his captive, and told ‘her to cling to the log, while he had a chance to look about him. Just as he did this a branch which pointed downward began to scrape upon the bottom of the channel, which was shallow in places, and the log turned slow- ly in the rushing tide, and one ‘nd swung in toward the bank. An Indian ran down with a long lariat in his hand, which he cast with great skill, so that the end fell upon the out- stretched hand of Darromed, who made it secure to a knot in the log. Such, however, was the terrible force of the current, that the powerful savage who held the lariat was being slowly dragged into the water, when half a dozen of his companions ran to bis aid, and together succeeded in checking the onward course of the raft, and then they began to haul it rapidly, toward the shore, while Darromed again seized Helen by the waist and waited. a steps sounded in the ears of Owasco, and the Irishman, the agent and Gilbert came on at a rapid run and joined bim., At the sight which met his gaze Helen’s lover covered his face with his hands in agony. “Look there! look there!” he cried. ‘‘ Will no one aid her? Unhand me, Gilbert! Do you oo, I will let her perish before my very es But the Irishman held him upon one side and Gilbert upon the other, and together suc- ceeded in detaining him, They knew that he must only throw away bis life if he attempted to cross that dark stream, and could give Helen no aid. Meanwhile, with low cries of triumph, tha savages were dragging the log to land, when a loud crack sounded, and the end of the lariat dropped into the water. Unable to stand the strain upon it, it had parted near the center, and the log was again at the mercy of the stream. What could save them now? They were in the midst of the most rapid cur- rent, and below them, scarcely a hundred yards, was a dangerous rapid, full of rocks, which reared their brown heads threateningly in the air. As they held their breath in unutterable hor- ror they saw Darromed rise to his feet upon the log, still clasping Helen’s waist, and brace him- self asif foraspring. At this point an eddy ran in toward the bank, and the log again swung round, so that the end was hardly ten feet from the shore. They saw Darromed make a sudden rush and leap. Starting from such an insecure footing, and holding the weight of the now senseless in his arms, it is no wonder that he did reach the bank The log swept on, and left him floating in the powerful eddy, exerting all his strength to keep himself afloat, when his friends rushed down the bank to his aid. A lariat was thrown, and by its help he was drag- Helen was lifted by nor did he expect it. ged out of the water, an half a dozen strong hands. Darromed busied himself at once in her re- covery, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing her open her eyes slowly and look about her with an expression of wonder and doubt. ‘Where am I?’ she gasped. “I forget what has , but I know that it was horrible. Ab, that face!” ‘* Peace, white maiden,” said the chief. ‘‘ Rest, for you have passed a great danger, from which bom were saved by the strong arm of Darro- med. ‘*Silence!” replied Helen, beginning to com- prehend her position more fully. ‘‘ You it was who brought me into this danger; who have stolen me from my friends, and now refuse to lead me back to them.” ‘*A white woman has a long tongue and knows how to use it,” retorted the chief, coolly. ‘* Among our people, the women listen while the braves speak. You must forget that you are white, for from this day you are the daugh- ter of the Wyandot! You shall live among them all your life, learn their ways, love their sports and games, and be the wife of a chief.” Helen looked at him with an expression of un- utterable horror. ‘‘Livein your tribe I will not, if knives are sharp or water will drown!” she cried, starting to her feet, in anger, and forgetting her weak- ness. “‘I know you, black-hearted chief! murd.- erer of women! Ihave heard renspeak of your evil deeds, until your name isa terror to the children.” ‘‘Wagh! It is good to know that white children tremble at the name of Darromed, They shall tremble more before all is done.” ‘Return me to my people!” “The white girl is a fool, after all,” was the stern respose. ‘‘ Does she think that an Indian gives up the prey which he has grasped? Will the eagle yield the fish he has taken from the hawk to the carrion crow? Darromed will not listen to foolish words. White girl, the doom of your land isspoken. White men have insult- ed and trampled upon the Indian for many years, and now the tribes have dug up the hat- chet and cry aloud for revenge. Ina few suns not a white smoke will rise from the Miami to the Ohio, and the lodge of Darromed will be full of scalps.” ** Bloodthirsty wretch!” ** Let the white girl look to herself. I am not a dog, to hear such words as theseand not grow angry. Wait, while I speak a word with those who have dared to follow the trail of Darro- med.’ He advanced boldly to the bank of the stream, facing the pace upon which he sup- posed his enemies to be concealed. ‘*Let Owasco come out and speak to Dar- romed, chief of the Wyandot!” he shouted. ‘*‘Owasco is here,” and the Onondaga an- swered the summons. ‘‘ What does the wolf- hound of the Wyandot say?’ ‘*'You have followed the trail of a great chief long, but your arms are not strong enough to take the White Flower from the hands of a Wyandot. Ihave chosen her from many for myself, for she is beautiful as Mo- rena, Queen Of the Lake.” . ‘Look, Darromed; dare you come out and Ea like a man?” ‘Yes,’ * Will you fight me now?’ “e No 7? ** A coward Jurks in the skin of a Wyandot. Go; you are a squaw—a dog—a skunk!” With a mad cry, the Wyandot brought his rifle to a level with his breast, and fired. But. a quicker eye than his had been watching him, and another rifle cracked at the same second with his own. Darromed felt a sudden pang, as if a bar of hot iron had been thrust throug his elbow, and his arm stones nerveless to his side. Gilbert had seen that he was finger- ing his rifle nervously during the conversation, and that he would take a pretext for firing at. Owasco, whom he so feared and hated, and therefore the Guide had remained with his ri- fle cocked, watching the scoundrel keenly. At the first motion to raise his weapon, Gilbert’s was at bis shoulder, and he aimed to hit the bone of the right arm between the elbow and wrist. The how] of pain which came back told that he had at least ally succeeded, and the rifle of Darromed , with a ringin sound, upon the hard rock. Owasco started slightly, and put his hand to his shoulder, which had been raked by his enemy’s bullet, inflicting a rather annoying wound, Darromed staggered back and seemed about: to fall; but be recovered and shook his un- wounded hand at the party on the bluff, while his men ran forward and poured in a rattling volley, at which the others disappeared at once behind their rocky year without returning the fire. Darromed shouted some order to his men, and four of them lifting Helen in their arms, turned to carry her away. ** Help me, good friends!” she wailed. ‘ Let some friendly bullet end my misery.” ‘* Trust to us, little ’un!” cried Gilbert. ‘‘We won’t forget you, while we have life.” As he spoke, the whole force of Indians assed over the rock, with the party carryin elen in the rear, while her lover gave a grea cry of agony, as if all hope was gone, CHAPTER XVIL MORENA’S WARNING. THREE weeks had passed since the day when Darromed escaped, carrying with him the beautiful white girl to a hopeless captivity. In the mean time, Wayne had not been idle. In his progress through the country, he had built forts at every available point, until he had at last reached the rapids of the Miami, now known as the Maumee. It was at this place that the Indians had agreed to meet the commissioners of that year; bat stirred up by the English Indian agent, Colonel McKay, they had refused to do so, and made war a ne- cessity. No man could have been better choser for the duty than Anthony Wayne, tle hero of Stony Point, the man of many battles. Yet he did not press the conflict at once, but held out offers of reconciliation to the savages, even to the end. But they had not yet tasted blood sufficiently, and the artful counsels of McKay and such chiefs as Darromed prevailed with the vounger portion of the braves, and they were ot for war. ’ Wayne was in his tent, in his camp above the rapids, looking over <5 Tron. when an order- ly came in and saluted his general. COMME OOO KGS (E@)