Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 20 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

-= 3 - ss : ° ’ 16 The New York Library. “Let us hear them, chief. If they are just, although we are not in so bad a posi- tion as you may suppose, We may poeta accept them, merely for the sake of saving bloodshed.” ‘¢ There are at this moment more than two hundred warriors assembled on the river- bank; to-morrow there will be five hundred. Now, as the pale-faces have no canoes, as’ they are not otters to plunge unseen into the ‘endless river,’ or birds to soar in the ailr—’’ “What next ?’’ Valentine interrupted him impertinently. “How will my brothers eat, when the little provisions they have are exhausted? With what will my brothers defend them- selves when they have burnt all their powder ?”’ ““T presume that is of little consequence to you, chief,” the hunter answered, with Wl-concealed impatience. ‘‘ You did not ask the interview I have granted to talk nonsense, so I must ask you to come to facts.’’ *““f only wished to prove to my brother that we are well informed, and know that the pale-faces have no means of flight or safety. If, then, my brothers are willing, they can rejoin their nations, without being impeded by us in their retreat.” ** Ah, ah! and in what way, chief, if you lease ?”’ P | ‘*By delivering to us immediately two persons who are here.’’ ‘Only think of that! And who may these two persons be ?”’ “‘The White Lily and the Coras chief.”’ ‘* Listen, chief: if you took the trouble to come here in order to make me such a pro- posal, you were wron to leave your com- rades,’’ Valentine said, with a grin. ‘‘My brother will reflect,” the Apache said, with perfect calmness. “T never reflect when the question is the commission of an act of cowardice, chief,’’ Valentine answered, sharply. ‘*‘ We have known each other fora long time; many of our warriors have been sent by me to the appy hunting-grounds. I have often fought against you, and never on the desert have you or your brothers had to reproach me with an action unworthy of an honest hunter,’’ ‘‘ That is true,” the two chiefs answered, with a deferential bow; ‘“‘ my brother is be- loved and esteemed by all the Apaches.”’ ‘““Thanks. Now listen tome: the maid- en you call White Lily, and whom you made risoner, is free by right and in fact, and you now very well that you have no right to ask her of me.”’ ‘Several of our brothers, the most val- iant warriors of our tribe, have gone to the mamat * hunting-grounds before their hour marked by the Wacondah: their blood cries for vengeance.’’ ‘“*That does not concern me: these were killed fighting like brave men, and those are the chances of war.”’ ‘‘My brother has spoken well,” Black Cat said. ‘* The Lily is free ; she can remain with the warriors of her nation. I cousent toit. But my brother can not refuse to give up to me the Indian hidden in his camp.’’ “That Indian is my friend,’’ the hunter answered nobly; ‘“‘he is not my prisoner that I can deliver him up. I have no right to compel him to leave me. If he prefers to remain with us, the chief knows that hospi- tality is sacred on the prairie; if Moukapec wishes to return to his brothers, he is free. But what interest have the Apaches in my giving this man into their hands ?”’ ‘* He has betrayed his nation, and must be punished,”’ ‘*Do you imagine, chief, that I should de- liberately, and stifling every feeling of grat- itude within me, place in your hands a man lLlove, whose devotion is known to me, in order that.you may kill him with horrible torture? On my soul ‘you must be mad.” ‘* You must do it, or woe to you!” Black Cat said with a degree of heat he could not repress. It shall not be,’’? Valentine answered coldly. ‘ Bn, shall be!’’ a ealm and haughty voice B . And Eagle-wing suddenly appeared in the midst of the group. ‘* What!” Valentine exclaimed with amaze- ment, ‘you would give yourself up to tor- ture? 1 will not suffer it, chief: remain with your friends ; we will save you or perish he Coras shook his head sadly. “No!” he said, ‘1 can not do thaff it would be cowardly. The White Lily of the Valley must be saved. Ihave sworn to her futher to devote myself to her, and my broth- er Koutonepi must let me accomplish my promise.” . , “* But these then,” Valentine continued to urge, *“‘haveno claim on you.”’ ukapec let his head sink. > oO '* By the Lady of the Pilar,” Don Pablo interrupted him with emotion, ‘‘ we can not thus abandon a man who has done us many services.” Valentine, with his eye fixed on the ground, was reflecting. ““Good,” Black Cat went on; ‘“ Kagle- wing is here, the pale-faces are free: they will return to their pacat lodges whenever they please: they will find the roads open. The Apaches have only one word; let the warrior follow me.” The Indian took a parting glance at his friends, and a sigh escaped his chest: but with a superior effort he overcame the sor- row that choked him, his face assumed its usual mask of stoicism, and turning to the two Apache chiefs, he said in a firm voice: *‘T am ready: let us go.”’ The hunters exchanged a glance of dis- couragement, but they made no attempt to oppose the Coras’ resolution, for they knew it would be futile. But at this moment Dona Clara sudden- ly appeared, walked boldly up to the Indian, and touched him lightly on the shoulder, ‘Stay |’? she exclaimed. ‘‘ 1 will not have you go, chief.”’ Eagle-wing turned as if he had received an electric shock, and gave the maiden a glance of undefinable expression; but he overcame this emotion, and reassumed his coolness. “must go,” he said softly, “the Lily ~ must not restrain me; she is doubtless igno- rant that her safety depends on my de- parture.”’ ‘‘] have heard every thing,’’ she quickly retorted. ‘‘I know the odious propositions these men have dared to make, and the con- dition they had the audacity to insist on.” “Well, why then does my sister wish to stop me?” ‘* Because,” the maiden energetically ex- claimed, ‘1 will not accept that condition.”’ “By Heavens! that is fine,’’ Valentine said jorFully j ‘‘thatis what I call speaking.” * Yes,’”’ the young lady continued, ‘in my father’s name I order you not to leave this island, chief—in my father’s name, who, were he here, would order you as I do.”’ ‘**T answer for that,’’ Don Pablo said; ‘‘ my father has too noble a heart to assent to an act of cowardice.”’ . The maiden turned to the Indian chief, who had been stoically witnessing the scene. ‘* Begone, red-skins,’’ she went on with a majestic accent, impossible to render, ‘* you see that all your victims escape you.’ ‘* Honor bids me go,”’ the warrior murmur- ed feebly. Dona Clara took his hand between hers, and looked at him softly. ‘‘ Moukapec!”’ she said to him, in her melodious and pure voice, ‘‘do you not know that yours would bea useless sacrifice ? The Apaches are only striving to deprive us of our most devoted defender, that they may make an easier conquest of us. They are very treacherous Indians; remain with us.”’ agle-wing hesitated for a moment, and the two chiefs tried in vain to read on his face the feelings that affected him. During several seconds, a leaden silence weighed on this group of men, whose hearts could be heard beating. At length the Coras raised his head, and answered with an effort : ‘‘ You insist ; I remain here.”’ Then he turned to the chiefs, who were waiting anxiously. ‘* Go,” he said to them in a firm voice ‘“‘return to the tents of your tribe. Te your brothers, who were never mine, but who at times have granted me a cordial hos- pitality, that Moukapec, the great Sachem of the Coras of the lakes es back his liberty; he gives up all claim to fire and water in their villages ; he wishes to have nothing more in common with them; and if the Apache dogs prowl round him, and seek him, they will find him ever ready to meet them face to face on the war-path. I have spoken.”’ The Buffalo chiefs had listened to these words with that calmness which never aban- dons the Indians: not a feature on their faces had quivered. When the Coras warrior finished speaking Black Cat looked at him fixedly, and replied to him with acold and cutting accent: “I have heard a crow; the Coras are cowardly squaws, for whom the Apache war- riors will provide petticoats. Moukapec isa . prairie-dog; the sunbeams hurt his eyes ; he will make his lair with the pale-face hares ; my nation no longer knows him.”’ “Much good may it do him,’ Valentine remarked with a smile, while Eagle-win shrugged his shoulders at this outburst 0 insults. “] retire,” Black Cat continued; “ere the owl has twice saluted the sun, the scalps of the pale-faces will be fastened to my girdle.” And,” the second chief added, ** the young men of my tribe will make war- whistles of the white thieves’ bones,’’ Zeit? etic e Valentine replied, with a crafty smile; ‘“‘try it; we are ready to re- ceive you, and our rifles carry far.’’ ‘The pale-faces are boasting and - yelping dogs,’’ Black Cat said again. ‘‘I shall soon return.’’ * All the better,’’ said Valentine; ‘* but in the meanwhile, as I suppose you have nothing more to say to us, { fancy it is time for you to rejoin your friends, who must be growing impatient at your absence.” Black Cat gave a start of anger at this parting sarcasm; but repressing the passion that inflamed him, he folded himself haugh- tily in his buffalo-robe, remounted the raft with his comrade, and they rapidly retired from the island, CHAPTER XVI. SUNBEAM, Tue situation of the fugitives was most critical, as the Indians had stated; the num- ber of their warriors hourly increased, and on both sides of the island there were large encampments, indicated by numerous fires. The day passed in this way, and there was no attack. No incident even disturbed the tranquillity until about the middle of the following night. At this moment the dark- ness was thick, and not a star glistened in the sky; the moon, obscured by clouds, only displuyed her pallid disk at intervals. ne of those intense fogs which frequent- ly prevail at this season on the Rio Gila, had fallen, and ended by confusing all objects ; the banks of the river had disappeared from sight, and even the Indian camp-fires were no longer visible. The hunters, seated in a circle, maintained the deepest silence; each was yielding to the flood of bitter thoughts that rose from his heart. All at once, amid thesilence of the night, a confused and indistinct sound was audible, like that of a paddle striking the side of a canoe, “Hilloh! what’s the meaning of this?” Valentine said. ‘‘Can the Apaches be dreaming of surprising us ?”’ ‘*Let us have a look, at any rate,’’ Don Pablo remarked. The five men rose, and glided silently through the bushes, in the direction of the sound which had aroused them, After proceeding a certain distance, Val- entine stopped to listen. ‘‘T am certain I was not mistaken,” he said to himself; ‘it was the sound pro- duced by a paddle falling in a canoe that I heard. Who can have come to visit us? Perhaps itis some Indian deviltry.”’ And the hunter sounded the darkness around him with his piercing and unerring eyes. All at once, he fancie. he saw an object moving in the fog. He went on; then after carefully examining this person, who grew every moment more and more distinct, he drew himself up, and leaned on his rifle. ‘* What the deuce do you want here at this hour, Sunbeam, my dear child?’ he asked, in alow voice. The young Indian squaw, for it was really she whom the hunter had addressed, laid a finger on her lip as if recommending pru- dence. ‘* Follow me, Koutonepi,” she said to him 60 soitly, that her voice resembled a sigh. After going a few yards, the girl stooped, and made the hunter a sign to follow her ex- ample. ‘** Look,”’ she said, pointing to one of those long, light canoes which the Indians hollow out of enormous trees, and which carry tep persons with ease. ‘* Look.’’ Valentine, in spite of his self-command, had difficulty in suppressing a ery of joy. He held out his hand, saying with considera- ble emotion: ** My brave girl !”’ “Sunbeam remembers,’ the Indian girl replied with a smile, ‘ that Koutonepi saved her; the heart of the white lady is kind. Sunbeam wishes to save them all.” The first moment of emotion past, the hunter, who was thoroughly acquainted witb the cunning and roguery of the red-skins, bent a scrutinizing gaze on the girl. — The Indian’s face had an expression of honesty which commanded contidence, and Valentine entered the canoe. It contained paddles, provisions, and, what caused him more pleasure than all else, six large buffa- lo-horns, fullof gunpowder, and two bags of bullets. “Good!” he said, ‘‘my daughter is grate- ful. Wacondah will protect her.”’ Sunbeam’s face expanded at these words. At this moment Don Pablo and the other _ hunters rejoined Valentine, and learn with delight what had happened; the sight of the canoe restored them all their energy, ~~ > >* — =