Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 183 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

al ——— ee _— _—_ Pat. ‘‘The eyes av her shine like stars ina bright night, an’ whin she spakes, it’s jest the music av the violin, flute an’ bugle tied up the- ther.” ‘¢Have you seen her too, Pat?’ demanded Waterman. ‘Sure an’ didn’t them bla’g’ards have me the morn, ownly I w'udn’t condecind to stay wid thim? They tied me up an’ they bate me, an’ they kicked me, an’ the sorra resave the bit or sup I'll enjoy until I get aven wid thim. Och- one, ochone, an’ who will uphold the proud name of O’Driscoll, whin the last av the race is bate about the head by a lot av bloody-minded haythen like thim over there.” * You paid some of them on this very island,” said Gilbert, *‘and I say that it was a gallant deed, worthy even of the name of O’Driscoll. As i live, aterman, that youngster, with nothmg in his hand but a club, met and whip- ped four of those red knaves yonder, knocking them over like nine-pins, when they chased him from the bank.” ‘Let him fight as well-when they assail us, and we will give a good account of the rascals,” said Waterman. ‘‘ What are they at now? There seems to be some moyement along the shoré which I do not understand.” “They are preparing for an assault, perhaps,” answered theGuide. * There comes the canoe, so get ready your weapons. No, down with them, men, or you make an enemy of me! I will not have that girl injured, and one man can do us no harm.” The canoe pushed out from the bank, with the ** Queen of the Lake ” sitting in the bow, waving in her hand a white flag upon the end of a ram- rod. Inthe stern, bolding the paddle in a firm clasp, and with a cold, haughty look upon his savage face, was the chief known as the Horned Ow}. He evidently knew that the white men a flag, for he had no hesitation in put- ting himself their power. A fearful light came into the of Gilbert, the Guide; his face was terrible, and his hands opened and shut convulsively, as if he longed to be at the throat of the Indian, and restrained himself with mere | “What is the matter with you, Gilbert?” said Waterman. ‘I never saw a man look so fierce as you do now.” Watch me closely,” said Gilbert, in a strangé, hissing whisper, ‘‘and if you see a weapon in my hand tear it from me, for I am not always master of myself. It is horrible to meet man, face to face, and not be able to touch him, or demand of him the secret to know which I would forfeit my life itself.” ferent shot rove — hemp: ner me 2 pe and ‘he sprung out, ho the flag in her hand. Bar came up the bank she gave it to the Indian, who held it carelessly, looking about him with keen and prying eyes, to see what had been done to resist anatcack. They received him behind the strongest part of the barricade and his countenance did not change, although in his secret heart he was deeply enrag2d to see how much they had done to make the place im ky btw to attack from without. aterman saw the face of Morena, the Queen of the Lake, he too was wonderfully im by the resemblance between her and He The same delicate, ——- sweetness about the red lips, white and small teeth, and penciled eyebrows. Gilbert bad told him the truth when be said that she was a living copy of Helen. “T am Morena, Queen of the Lake,” she said. And I am here to speak for Darromed, the Owl, who would sing in the ears of his white brothers.” ‘* Let the Owl speak,” mded Waterman. “* What does he here in the Miami country, away from the home of the W yandots, with weapons in his hands, seeking the blood of the Ameri- cans? Does he not know that the great father Washington is quick to avenge any of his braves who are slain?” ‘‘The Owl does not wear the belt of the Yankee father by the great salt lake,” said Morena, speaking for him. ‘‘ His home is the land of the great white owl and of the moose. He dwells under the shade of the wing of the great English nation, that loves all who fight for its flag, and he wears the belt of a chief. You hear the wind blow through the parted leaves, but can you tell me where the caves) lie froma which the wind comes, or where’ it goes when its duty is done? So it is with the Wyan- dot. Mohawk, Potawatomie or Yankee are all the same to him, and he will hunt the deer upon their land if he likes.” ‘ The chief speaks like a great brave,” said Waterman, “and his speech does not lose any thing, because beautiful lips have spoken it for him im my ears, But my brother is in the wrong when he speaks so lightly of the Great Father, to whom we all bow down. His arms are long and stretch far out over the water to his children on this sidé of the land. His ears are always open, and he can hear the smallest child when it cries for help. This is right and just, and as a great chief should do for bis children. What does the Owl seek in the nest of the le?” ‘The Horned Owl comes with open hands to ’ Ee a A le NR TTT LL — ee cried the chief, harshly, with a suspicious glance at her. ‘*[ will do what I can,” she answered, in the Indian tongue. ‘‘ What are you, that you should teach the Queen of the Lake how and what to speak? Dare to say another word, and I will call down the curse of the spirit upon your head, and your expedition will come to naught.” i - ee Gilbert, the Guide. demand his rights at the hands of the Yengees. | Two men are in the camp who are not friends to the Owl, and he has come to seek them, a long and weary way, because he hates them, and would have their scalps to hang in his wig- wam. I see them as they stand there trying to look fierce in the eyes of a t chief. One of them is called Gilbert, and he is a dog that barks continually at the heels of a great chief, who is tired of hearing so much noise always, The chief seemed to cower before the spirited and would have it cease. The other man stands | girl, and every one saw that she had gained a by his side, and it is a shame to ihe name of the | great ascendancy among the simple-minded Indian that his skin is red, for none but a dog | sava She turned again to Waterman. and coward would make friends with the white ‘Trust me,” she said again. ‘‘ Speak for me, dog whom he follows.” | you two, Gilbert and Owasco.” ‘Tet bim take care what he says,” muttered | ‘‘ Tell her,” said Gilbert. ‘‘She will be true Gilbert. ‘‘I am not the man to endure every | as steel, and poor Helen may need such a pera especially from him.,”’ friend.” ‘*'The Owl hoots,” said Owasco, proudly, in | Waterman drew Morena aside and whispered the Indian tongue, ‘‘ but who dreads the hooting | in her ear the ane Sn of the girl, and she of an owl? I have often seen the back of | nodded, intimating that she understood, “I Darromed, and when for the first time I see his | am going now,” she said. “At early dusk face, he comes with a white flag in his hand, | they will attack you, and you will have to fight because he fears to meet a chiof of the Onon- | hard to beat them off. If you do not succeed, dagas without it. Go; you are a fool.” I will give you my promise that no barm shall A look of fearful passion flashed across the | come to the beautiful woman in the tree.” face of the Owl, and his hand griped convul- ‘‘Noble girl!” said Waterman. “Is if not sively at his hatchet. Gilbert had been secret- | horrible thatsucb a life as this should be wasted ly struggling with himself through this terrible | in the midst of a savage tribe?” meeting, and now his passion seemed suddenly ‘* Not altogether wasted,” she said, quietly. to get the better of him, for with a cry of rage | ‘‘ Those good people who taught me what I know he flung himself upon the Indian and seized him | of civilization and religion also told me that by the throat. Before any one could interfere | the time is not lost which is spent in making the savage was down, pinned to the earth, and | better and purer even the lowest creatures from helpless in the grasp of the Guide, God’s hand. I cannot hope in my generation ‘“Dog, wolf!” screamed Gilbert. ‘‘ At last, | to make my chosen people throw aside their old at last, [ have we in my power. Tell me that | prejudices and customs, but I can at least teach which I seek know, or as the Lord liveth, | them to be less vindictive and less in love with you are a dead man.’ the old Jewish law, ‘An eye for an eye, and a Waterman and Owasco seized Gilbert and | tooth for a tooth.’” ps gr him away from the chief, who rose ‘* You are a Christian, then,” said Waterman, with a snarl like a tiger, and drawing a knife, | completely nonplussed at the woe of her rushed upon the Guide. But Pat O Driscoll, rp ee and the fine feeling she displayed. who had been boiling to take a hand in the | ‘‘ Those good ote who educated you taught ‘‘shindee,” as he called it, suddenly sprung in | you that, too?’ the way, flourishing with a dextrous hand a shillalah, which he had snatched from the ground. With the lightness and activity which can only be emulated by an Irishman, be ‘*T was the more ready to imbibe the doctrine because there flows in my veins a mixture of the white man’s blood. day I may tell Fou more of myself, but not now, for the Owl ganced up to the chief oooling him & tremen- at me suspiciously, and I would not make ous whack upon the edd with the stick, which | him angry at me, for be bas been kind to me.” sent him staggering back. But for this timely ‘““Come away,” said the chief. ‘‘I scent aid, the Guide, pinioned as he was by his two friends, would have suffered at the hands of his enemy. As it was, the Owl turned all his rage upon the Irishman, and made repeated and vicious cuts at him with the knife, which Pat eluded with agility, and repaid by a show- er of skillful blows which astonished the Indian considerably. “Stop!” cried Waterman. ‘‘ Speak to the chief, oe who call yourself Queen of the Lake, and tell him if he oes not be quiet I will shoot him down, even under the flag.” Morena spoke quickly to the chief, who sub- sided instantly, although he still cast angry glances at the woh ol “Tell the chief from me that he must not in- sult my friends, who seem to have some special reason for hating him. Let him go on with what he has to say.” *‘He demands that you give up Owasco and Gilbert, and the Irish boy’to him, to do with as he likes.” , “None of these men are under my orders,” replied Waterman, quietly, ‘‘and I have no wer over them. At the same time I do not iesitate to say that if they were ever so much in my power, [ would not zoe them up. If this is the chief’s demand, the quicker he goes away the better.” ‘You do not know his power,” said the girl, “and I must tell a what you have to en- counter. By nightfall ‘he will have a hundred warriors, for this is the appointed rendezvous, and he has sent out scouts to bring in the strag- glers. You look at me strangely, as at a woman who is a marvel of her kind. That is because the kindness of good friends I have in Canada has taught me’ niuch, which a simple Indian girl could never learn, Why dol fol- low the band of the Owl; why roam the forest alone? These are the questions in your minds even now, but I cannot answer them. My for- tune is bound by an indissoluble tie to this peo- ple, and I cannot leave them, though I have done all I could to prevent bloodshed. One of your party is not here.” “*T do not understand you.” ‘*You do!” replied the girl, promptly. “A beautiful woman was with you when you rested this morning under the shadow of the rocks above the pine forest. I saw you, but you did not see me, nor did the band then know of your presence. What have you done with the lady?” ‘** She is, I hope, safe.” ‘Then she is hidden somewhere. Trust me, white man. I am but a child in years, but I never did a wicked or cruel thingin all my life. lt may be that it will not be in bg ne! power to go to her where she is hidden, and lead her toa lace of safety. Tbe arms of the Wyandots are ong, and they may overpower you to-night, and if they do, what will become of the beauti- ful woman?” ‘‘ Are you speaking the words of the Owl?’ blood in the air, and the eagles of the tribe are gathering. Say to these men that an Indiay never forgets nor forgives, and that the time will come when all here shall repent the insults which have been put upon me,” Morena repeated his words. “Stay, black dog of a Wyandot, stay! If a woma: of the Onondagas called, you would turn back, so listen to the speech of one who has taken scalps. You hold the secret of m friend and brother, and we will live to tear it out of your heart,” cried Owasco. The Owl answered by a look of hatred, but said not a word. Morena followed him into the canoe, and as the light craft was shoved away, she waved them a gesture of farewell. CHAPTER V. A BRAVE DEED—A NEW PERIL. HELEN, while the white men were on the island, _— up ms the gees a sycamore, facing the mig beast, w just struck the weapon from her hand. She snatched up a pistol and placing it close to the ear of the great brute, pulled the + im that narrow space the report sounded like thunder, and the smoke rolled slowly upward toward the opening at the top. She caught up the other pistol, fully expecting an assault, and had offered up a mental prayer for deliver- ance, when she was aware that the bear was ne. Peeping down from the lofty perch, she Geosshe conscious that the brute lay in a beap at the foot of the sycamore, with the blood run- ning in a p stream from his ears. Provi- dence direc that shot, and through the ear of her huge enemy it had passed into the brain, and he lay dead at the bottom of the hollow, choking it up with his huge bulk. A sickening sensation pa over her as she saw the flowing blood, and realized that she had destroyed this giant foe, with the little weapon still smoking in ber hand. She reeled and supported herself against the body of the tree, or she would have fallen headlong down the sbaft, for, woman- like, “pe courage failed after the danger had passed. The f-eling lasted but a moment, and then she was herself again, and was about to descend from her perch and get out of the tree in some way, when, glancing through the Sige ler she saw that a number of Indians had come into the glade. Living in a frontier town, she knew something of Indian costumes, and made out that these were probably Wyandots, They had halted a few yards from the tree, and she counted them and found that they nambered sixty men in all, variously armed, and ing upon the whole 4 very warlike appearance, They stacked their arms in the glade and built fires, evidently intending to pass the ni bt there, unless called away. Some lit fires, others brought fish and venison, and the younger war- riors talked loudly and boastfully together, IOO ecoilm G S Gor