Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 183 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

* aoe “You cannot leave the tribe,” he cried, sternly. ‘ You belon to the tribe, and who | bar of a populay tune. It was answered from the bank, and they heard voices, and a dozen al ° would go back to the fathers and say, we left | men, wearing the green coats of the Kentuck the queen in the wood below the A flood of angry red rushed in an instant to the cheek of the maiden, and throwing her hand back, she unslung by one quick motion the car- iami, be- «cause she parted from us in anger? You must stay.” | | 1angers, leaped down upon the beach from hid- ing-places in the banks. ‘Who comes there?” cried a firm, manly voice. “Clinton Waterman and party, from De- fiance,” replied Merritt. ‘“‘Is the wagon bine which hung at her back, and pointed it at | ready?” the breast of the chief, who started back in con- fusion and alarm. ‘Do you dare to stop me?” she cried. ‘* Mo- rena, the Queen of the Lake, will walk the woods alone, and no man shall dictate to her.” The chief made a motion to advance again, but the flash in the beautiful eyes of Morena warned him to desist. ‘Lay the weight of a finger on me if you daré, chief of the Wyandots. women of your tribe, who bend humbly when ou bid them bow the knee; neither have you he power to control me. I will not stay here af I like to go, and there is no power which you ean wield which will force me to do it.” I am not like the | The ringing defiance in her tones awed the | ehief, and he stood staring blankly at her, his ecopper-colored face turning to a dirty white in is wrath. She stood with one foot a little advanced, her — lip curling defiantly, her eyes flashing , and ee te her attitude betraying a sublime defiance. e hand was on the lock of her weapon, and the chief knew better tuan to ware too far, and he began to temporize. ts hy is the queen wroth at the chief?’ he Can she blame him because he would keep her in the tribe?” *““T must come and go as I will,” replied Mo- rena, mots *Do you agree to that?” “Yes,” replied Darromed, sullenly, “‘ but you shall not speak to the prisoner. It is spoken, and I will not change my words at your bid- ding. Come around me, warriors of the W yan- a and let us sweep these white dogs into the ver. The raft pushed out from the bank, and in silence and gloom moved toward the island. CHAPTER VIL. RUNNING THE RIVER GANTLET. pure found nothing but an empty barricade, a few broken weapons scattered here and there, but the bateau was goné. In the darkness, di- pha after it became certain that the Guide and Owasco would not return, they had pushed a the bateau, guided only by a single paddle, which dropped noiselessly into the water in the hands of a skilled voyageur. Clinton Water- lay in the bow, his head upon his hands, given up completely to despair, and it is no ame to his manhood to say that the tears trickied through his fingers. He felt that he had lost the better half of bis life. Helen Carlyon was the daughter of a mp fe in the army of Wayne, at present far the rear, hurry & up troops, He had an . upon the Ohio, but had taken his daugh- er with him into the disturbed territory, @ause he had no time to take her to the settle- ment, and he felt that she would be safer with ar my. When scarcely twenty miles separated him ag the army, there came an express from ayne, ordering him back to Fort Defiance, one of a chain they had been building in the In- bys ort inton Waterman, the Indian t; and the betrothed of Helen, undertook to convey her safely to the camp of Wayne. News of a rising among the Indians had come to them from time to time, but those they had et had acted in a friendly manner, and they c Apes etely deceived, until Gilbert warned 1em Of their danger. 3 “You must git up, Mr. Waterman,” said the Ms eur who was steering. ‘I know how d it is to lose a friend like that, but you are not alone in sorrow. Many another man has suffered by the hell-hounds whom the English are inciting to deeds of blood, but we live on after it, hoping for revenge. Be a man, and help ts down the rapids, for I'd sooner go down than trust myself on shore, for I doubt the chief has lined the banks with Injins.” “You are right, Merritt,” said Waterman, raising his head. “TI will no longer give my- self up to despair, but will live to avenge my- self upon the infamous wretches who have ro bed me of my darling. You shal] have no rea- son to complain of me from this bour, for I swear death to all who bear the name of Wy- andot.” The river shoaled rapidly from this point and was full of rocks protruding from the wa- ter and making their downward course very dangerous. Asif to aid them when such aid was useless, the moon struggled out from the thick clouds which had up to this time shrouded = bag shed a brilliant light upon the scene, h ey saw the overhanging banks, the rocky hts, and the water boiling down amid the but under the practiced hand of Merritt, — lided safely on. The roar sounded louder and louder in their ears, and Merritt, by a quick motion of Lis hand, whirled the bateau to an eddy close to the bank, and whistled the ‘* All right,” said the man who acted as spokesman. “Get ashore as quickly as you can, for my boys say that the red niggers are out to-night. Which is Clinton Waterman? I give you good-day, and hope you have not suf- fered any inconvenience in your passage from Defiance. ‘The worst,” replied the young captain. ‘Whom have I the honor of addressing?” “Lieutenant John Mack, of the ‘ Kentucky Rangers.’ I am happy to meet an officer of such reputation, as my friends Rodgers and Payne both speak in high terms of you. I have never had the honor of meeting you before.” ‘‘Thank you, Lieutenant Mack. But this is not a time for compliments. There are many Indians in the immediate vicinity, and they may take it into their heads to assail us in crossing the portage.” “Right, sir. Bring up that wagon, Bixby, and be careful that you make no noise. Take hold here, the rest of you, and drag this bateau out of the water. There is no time to lose.” John Mack was a man of middle age, strongly built, with a quiet determination in his face which was an index of the man’s character, and he was already beginning to make himself known by his deeds all along the border, from Detroit co Niagara. The Americans main- tained at this point a dilapidated fort, to store wagons with which goods and bateaus were transported across the portage to the river be- low the upper rapids. When it came up, the men ranged themselves upon each side of the heavy bateau and raisin it wow | from the ground with all it contained, pushed it upon the wagon and secured it in its place. The road over which they passed was through a marshy und along the bank, It was made of round laid side vs side upon the soft earth—a rough causeway for an inva- lid to pass over in a heavy wagon. The party divided, and marched in two sec- tions, behind and before the wagon. Water- man and Mack marched side by side in front. ‘* What did you mean by saying that you had trouble coming down, sir?” asked the latter. **T underst that you were to bring down Carlyon’s daughter to the army, and all the oungsters are on the qui vive to see her, for ber reputation for wonderful beauty bas gone before her. Lucky fellow! You are ahead of them there, if all tales are true,” ‘* Hush, for Heaven’s sake!” said Waterman, stifling a sob. ‘‘ Ycu do not know the terrible calamity I have to tell you, and it is almost be- tin he ah, aely ey othe Rag I did start to bring Helen wea with me, but never shall those who love her look upon. her dear face again. I will try to relate the sad story, but I am afraid I shal pink down in the attempt.” ‘*Don’t try it then,” said the young soldier, “You have only to say, ‘She is gone,’ and there will be ehed ae 2 in every fort from Cincinnati to Detroit, for we love her father well, Ne comrade’s children are dear to us for his sake,” ‘You speak so kindly that you give me strength to explain,” said Waterman, and mus- tering courage he told all the sad story, from the first meeting with the Guide in the forest to the escape of the bateau. He told the hero- ism of the Guide and how he fell into the stream, locked in the embrace of Darromed, and was not seen in—of the burning tree, in which the girl he loved so well was hidden, and the fiery death she met. A bitter execration. from the lips of Mack ended the tale. ** And so she is gone, poor girl,” he murmur- ed, ‘I can’t think of it without a buzzing in my head and a fire in my heart, The loveliest girl in the North-west driven to her death by those red hounds, whom may Heaven blast for- ever! And that brave Guide, the best scout in this section, gone, too. Gilbert the Guide, a man of many sorrows, whom we all loved so well. Where was Owasco all this time?” ‘‘ He went ashore, to apprise us of the attack, and did so.” ‘*Do you think he is gone, too?” **T fear so.” “There it is, then; the two best men for tracking Indians to be found anywhere sent to their long home in a single night. Don’t ot any more about it, for it makes my blood boil. Those two men have stood by me in battle many a time, and never failed me yet, and now that they should end like this! I’d make the country round about the Miami too hot for the W yandots, if [ could have my way.” “ Look out!” cried a man who had been sent ahead to scout. “ a ‘Tree, boys!” yelled Mack, assuming the trained Indian fighter in an instant. ‘ Hur- ray! Give it to them if they show their ugly heads.” Detaching the horses ickly, they waited, partly underiéover of the huge wegen, with the ng er 4 hight behind them, for the coming of the Indians. They could only come in one way, and that was by the ‘‘corduroy road,” over which the wagon had passed, for the swamp was full of water, and it was as much as a man’s life was worth to attempt its passage. On they came, knowing nothing of the acces- sion of strength which the force of Waterman bad received, looking like demons in the moon- light, until the sharp crack of a dozen rifles told them that they had no common foe to deal with. The wagon filled up the entire width of the road, and there was a deep black pool on each side, so that the rangers were as secure as in a fortress. One volley was enough, and the red-skins faded away as suddenly as if they had sunk into the earth, and in two minutes after the first assault, the enemy were gone, with the exception of two or three who lay stark and stiff upon the logs of the ‘bridge, where they had dropped under the deadly wea- pons of the rangers, Some of the more hot- headed of the men would have pursued, but were called back by Mack. ‘* Want to get into an ambush, you chaps?” said hein an angry tone. ‘‘WhenI want you to chase Indians I'l] give the order, but as it is, you hitch up the horses and let’s be off. It’s getting hot along the Miami, when the blamed rascals dare to assail the rangers so close toa fort. I think I can see through a board with a hole in it, poy i they mean mischief some- where else, and bave sent these rascals down to keep us busy.” The horses were once more attached to the wagon, and they proceeded on their course and reached the river without further trouble. The men who had made the attack ‘were a of: the force which Darromed had stationed down the river, and who had been called down by the signal of a scout. The bateau was once more embarked, and then Mack pulled his own out of the nook in which it was hidden and they floated on under the light of the moon, until they saw, just in front, the lights of a camp-fire glowing against the bright blue sky. CHAPTER VIII. A GOOD ENEMY. DARROMED came back from the island furi- ous at the escape of his enemies and determined to wreak his vengeance on the man whom he considered to blame for all the trouble they had encountered. He knew that his plans had been well laid, and but for his interference the party would have readily fallen into the net he had spread for them. His dark, saturnine counte- nance lighted up with rage as he gazed upon the undaunted Guide, who remained bound to the tree, with the green withes with which they had bound him cutting into bis flesh, and actually a smile upon his face. He knew that he was doomed, that nothing earthly would in all pro- bability save him from the wrath of Darromed, vet Re ee y Because his heart was pure. True, in his ‘‘trade of war, he had slain men,” but he could say that he never had done it rently: The Indians had gathered the bodies of their slain and were laying them in a ghastly row upon the earth, their smeared and wounded faces looking up to the summer sky. Around these bodies e survivors sat down and were croning out a doleful chant, in praise of the slain and in con- demnation of their slayers, All at once Darro- he bounded to his feet and began to address them in the Wyandot tongue. “ Brothers of the great tribe,” hesaid. ‘‘ Lis- ten to the words of your chief, who comes be- fore you with a weeping heart. You who know me, ye braves of the tribe, bear ye testimony that [have often gone out to battle in your cause and have brought bome many scal which hang on the pole of my wigwam, that the young children who dwell in my lodge may see them and become strong of heart. I brought away from the Wyandot lodges the flower of the tribe, but now behold how many of them are gone to the spirit land. I will call them b their names. Kasso! He does not hear. Ma tawan! His ears are dumb. Dakotah, Egan- ano, Pelatah, Hassa-Nemo, Kanondah; let me hear your voices, and my heart will be glad. I will wait and see if any of these will rise at the call of their chief.” He paused and the assembly held their breath, as if anxiously awaiting for the dead men te answer to their names. The fearful silence struck like a chill to the heart of the | sore for he knew to what all this tended. It meant death to him, when they had finished their duty to the dead. The face of Darromed became transfigured from the expression of sorrowful surprise it had worn while calling upon his dead warriors to that of fearful rage. ‘*Why do they not speak, these gallant war- riors? hen was the time when they refused to rise at the call of the mighty chief, who has so often led them to battle? hat is this which I see upon their faces and on their naked making dim the totem of their tribes? Alas, it is blood; these brave men are slain, and where are the men who have done this fatal wrong? COMME OOO SHaAlEl)