Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 218 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

owere that what we heard was the sound of human voices. Another hundred yards brought us within hearing of the words—at the same time that a luminous re- flection cast upward upon the trees, indicated that there was a fire at no great distance off. The under- wood hindered us from seeing the fire; but guided by its gleam, we continued to advance. After making another long reach through the leafy eover, we got the fire well under our eyes, as well as those who had kindled it. We had no conjecture as to whether we had been following the true track, or whether it was the two runaway travelers we had treed. The point was determined by an object seen standing close to the fire, in the full glare of its ruddy light. Need I say it was the whee row? CHAPTER XXVITI. A BRACE OF ‘OLD SOJERS.”’ Yrs, it was the wheelbarrow, and the ** U.S. Ordi- nance’ branded upon its side, and visible under the light of the blazing pile, told whence it had come. ither Fort Gibeon or Fort Smith was minus a bar- row, drawn from their stores by no very form Sy eae : ere were the takers of it—one on each side of the fire—presenting as great a contrast as could well be found in two human beings. Although of the same species, the two individuals were as unlike each other as a tall greyhound to a turnspit. Both were seated, though in different attitudes. The little man was squatted—that is, with legs crossed under him, after the fashion of tailors. The long legs of his vis-a-vis would scarcely admit of being thus disposed of, and his weight was resting altogether upon his hips and heels. In this posture, the caps of his knees stood up to the level of his shoulders—so that his body, viewed en profile, >a sented a pretty accurate imitation of the letter N— that sort termed by engravers the “rustic letter.” The huge black hat capped one rete and the long pedal-like feet that rested horizontally on the und terminated the other, completing the alpha- tical resemblance. A face, with a certain mocking monkeyish ex- pression, but without any trait of fierceness or ill- nature—a nose dary snub—quick pe nseen mance eyes—a chin, tipped with a little tuft of clay-colorec beard—some half-dozen queue-like tangles of bright * Serggbne hair, hanging down behind the hat—the at itself a black sill, badly battered—such were the salient points of the portrait appearing above the knee-caps of the taller man. With the exception of the tile, his costume was al- together military—to me well known. It was the ordinary undress of the mounted rifles; a dark- green round-about of coarse cloth—with a row of small brass buttons from throat to waist, and over- alls of the same material. In the particular sample before us, overalls was rather an inappropriate pame. The garmentso designated scarcely covered the calves of the wearer’s legs—though of these there was not much to cover. © jacket appeared equally secant, and between its bottom border and the waistband of the trowsers there was an interval of at least six inches. In this interval was seen a shirt of true Isabella color, which also rt pe ty over the breast, the jacket being worn unbuttoned. The frouzy cotton was visible at other places, peerin through various rents both in jacket and trowsers, black leather stock concealed the collar of the shirt —if there was any—and though the stock itself was several inches in depth, there were other several inches of naked neck rising above its rim. Coarse woolen socks, and the cheap contract shoe com- pleted the costume of Sure-shot, for it was he. His contrasting comrade was equally in military garb—even more so by the additional article of a cloth oath His was also an undress uniform; but though of very similar cut to the other, and re- sembling it in the quality of the material, the color was different. It was sky-blue, turned whitey with wear—the buttons of the jacket being of lead, and the facings of white worsted tape. It was a better fit than the green uniform; and its wearer had evidently some conceit in the style of it—as was evidenced by the jacket being carefully buttoned from waist to throat, and the forage-cap set jaunti- ly on three hairs. The little man was an ““infantry."’ His horizontal diameter was twice that of his tall companion of the rifles; and in the rounded contour of body, not an a was apparent. His garments were quite filled by his body, arms and legs—so that there was not a wrinkle to seen anywhere. It was a form re styled dapper. His face was also of the rotund shape—the features all tolerably regular with the exception of the nogse—that, like the na ra) of his comrade, was n-z retrousee—the turn-up beter infinitely more pronounced. The expression was equally indicative of good-nature and good- fello ip, as the apple-like bloom of his cheeks, and the ocherous tinge upon the tip of the nose, sufficiently testified. Cheels, lips and chin were beardless, with the exception of a thick stubble that had lately sprung up; but some well-greased rings of a darkish color ruffing out under the rim ef his forage-eap, showed that the “infantry *’ was not insensible to the pride of hair. Neither in regard to him had I made a mistaken conjecture. Another old acquaintance and comrade-in-arms; the redoubt- able Patrick O'Tigg, a true son of the “ Sad.” The two worthies, when first seen, were seated as described, both engaged in a very similar occupa- tion—coo s Each held in his hand a long sapling, upon the end ef which a piece of red meat was impaled; and sag rojected over the fire, was fast blackening in the as. More of the same meat—buffalo-beef, it appeared—was seen in the wheelbarrow; its other freight being one or two greasy bags, a brace of ome gro a@ cartouche box and belt, two ordnance spades, with the runs—a regulation rifle and musket —lying across the top of the load. twas evident from this collection that the men were deserters; that they had armed and equipped mselves at the expense of the quartermaster. Perhaps the paymaster had been in arrears with them, and they had adopted this ready and effectual method of wiping out the score. y only wonder was at not seeing a brace of branded horses along with them; but in all probability, on the day—or night—of their departure, the stable sentry had _ been doing his duty, i The Wild Huntress. a ee a eee ete wee ae wee ewe On becoming assured of the identity of the two in- dividuals, my first impulse was to step forward to the fire, and make myself known to them. So eagerly were both engaged in attending to their spits, that they had neither seen nor heard us—al- though they themselves were now silent, and we were within less than twenty feet of them. The in- sea gr op. Nae rg however, would have sheltered us from their sight, even if they had been a little more vigilant, as I should have expected Sure-shot to have been. ey were trusting all to the thicket in which they had pitched their camp; and, being hung an eo no doubt, were for the moment off th guard. Some fantasy decided me not to disturb them for & moment—a sort of curiosity to hear what they would say, and, if possible discover their whence and whither. We were perfectly within ear-shot, and could have heard even a whisper passing from their lips, as we could also note the expression upon their faces. Asign to my companion was sufficient; and crouching behind the leafy sereen, we awaited the continuation of the ns § gp dialogue, Our patience was not put to asevere test. O’Tigg was not the man to keep his tongue in tranquillity for any extended time. Neither was Sure-shot an admirer of the silent system. Both were talkers. On this occasion the “infantry "’ was the first to make himself heard. ‘*Be jabers! comrayde, I’m afther thinkin’ fwhat purty fools us hiv bin, to tak it afut this way, loike two thramps, whin wes moight ivery bit as wil hav bin stroidin’ a pair ov good pownies. We cowld ’a’ fitched a pair from the fort wid all the aize in the wurld,”’ ‘“Yees, Petrick, certing ye ain’t fer stray "bout thet pertickler; we’ve been raither ungumptious.”’ ** Besoides, wez moight as wil hav been hung for a shape asalamb. We'll be flogg’d all as wan, iv the iskhort foinds us, fur taykin’ the guns, an’ the knap- sacks, an’ the whaleborra—bad luck to the borra!’ ‘*No, Petrick, don’t cuss the berra—it has served us for certing. Wekedn’t ’a’ gos along ’thout the machine—how ked we? We ked niver hev toted our doin’s es we've did; an’ but for the piece o’ bacon an’ thet eer o’ meal, we'd ’a’ sterved long afore this, Irecking. Don’t cuss the berra,”’ ‘Och! it’s made my showlders ache, as if some skhoundrel had been b’atin’ them wid a sprig ov shillaylah |”’ ‘*Ne’er a mind "bout thet! yer shoulders ‘ll be all oo. arter ye've got a wink o’ sleep. Spank my skin! ef thet ‘ere wa'n't acute dodge—it's throwd the Indyens off o’ the scent for certain; or we'd ’a’ heerd some’ut o’ them verming afore this.”’ ‘* Faith, I think we’ve sucksaided in bamboozling thim, shure enough.”’ The meat by this time showed sufficiently done; and the two men applied themselves to eating, with an earnestness that allowed no time for talking. The conversation had revealed enough of their past- actions, and future designs, to confirm the conjec- tures I had already formed about them. Both had evidently become tired of their respec- tive services. The routine of afrontier post is of itself sufficient to proc “3 the deadliest ennui; and the Californian attractic ~ had ‘capped the climax.” The temptation was too strong for either Yankee or Hibernian nature to resist; and these worthy types of both had taken French-leave of the fort. It was thus that I epitomized the recent history of my old camarad os. As they were evidently aware of the caravan being in the advance, and had been rs mips, SH, it was easily conjectured that Fort &mith—a military post on the Arkansas opposite Van Buren—had been the scene of their defection. Very likely, they had kept near the train all along the route—with a view guidance and eee also fora dernter rea- sort to which they might betake themselves in case of their stores giving out. The escort, hinted at, would be sufficient to account for their not being in closer communication with*the caravan. It appeared, they had been so far fortunate in escaping an encounter with Indians; but this, as in our case, was most likely due to the passage of the caravan. We knew that the red-skinned robbers would be too much occupied with the train itself and its more immediate stragglers, to be looking out for any so far in *he rear as we; and to this circumstance, no doubt, were we indebt- ed for the uninterrupted travel we had achieved. A greater proximity to the train would bave rendered our passage more perilous, Sure-shot, though a slouch in his dress, was no simpleton, The trick of taking up the barrow was, no doubt, a conception of his brain, as well as its being borne upon the shoulders of the Irlshman— who, in all likelih ‘had performed the rol of wheeling it from Fort Smith to the Big Timbers, and was expected to push it before him to the edge of the Pacific Ocean! It was evident that Patrick was tired of his task: for they had not made much pro- gress in their Homeric supper, b."- re he once more reg nee oH the sabject. i he ow a“ ‘* But shure now, comrayde! -..™o man widout the borra—secin’'as we’. 5 teto the bur. falos’ counthry. Aren’t them ba.u3 as aizy to kill as tame cows? Shure we'd niver po widout mate as long as our powder lasts?” ‘ ** Jess t’other way, ye fool! We're a-going out o’ the buffuler country, an’ into where theer ain’t an anymal bigger than a ret. On t’other side o’ the mountings, theer ain’t no beests o’ any kind —neery one; an' it’s theer we'll want that eer bag o’ meel. Ef we dou’t take it along, we’ll sterve for certing.”’ ‘*Be me sowl! I'd ruther carry the male on m showlders. There’s lisse of it now; an’ maybe could m it, iv yould only carry the , an’ thim other thi e moight l’ave the knapsicks an’ ee x behind. t use ’ud they be in ornya? They'll only lade to our detiction by the throops out there.”’ “Don’t ee be skeert "bout thet, kimrade! Ef theer’s troops in Californey, theyll hev theer hands full ’ithout troublin’ us, I recking. We ain't like to be the only two critters as “hain’t got a pass for the diggin’s. Ne’era bit o’t. We'll find deserters out theer es thick as blue-bottles on a karkiss. Cer- tingly we shell. Besides, Petrick, we needn't take knepsacks all the way out theer, nor the berra Rey ibUr, nor nuthin’ else we’ve brought from the ort.”” ““Wwhat div yez mane?” interrogated the Irish- man, evidently puzzled to interpret the other’s speech. ‘* We kin leave all them fixin’s in ar mee “But will the thrain be afther thravelin’ that way? Shure ye don’t know that.” “Certing it will A putty consid’able pert o’ it air mad eup o’ Morm an’ they'll be boun’ to the Salt Lake. We kin foller them an’ dropt’other. I» settlements we kin ie 4 our uny-forms: for suthin’ else, an’ the berra too, Es to the knep- sacks an’ ca'trid e-box, I guess as how I inteend te make a spec on them ere two articles.” ‘* what! a pair ov soger kna ‘ks an’ an ewld FS dernier They w‘uldn’t fitch the worth ow rinks apaice.” “Theer you're mistaking, Mister Tigg. Preehaps: they'll swop better’n you think. How d’ye know I ain't like to git a beest apiece for ’em—eyther a. mule ora hoss? This child ain't a-going to fut it al the way to Californey. B’yont the Morming City, he rides a spell, I recking.” ' “Be japers! that’s an out-an’-out good oidea. But how dev ye mane to carry it through?—that’e: what bothers Patrick O'Tigg.” “* We—ell, Petrick, I'll tell ee my plan. I ain’t got it straightened out yet, but I hope to hev it all right by the time we're on the t’other side the mountings —leastwise before we reaches Morming City.” ‘“‘Arrah! fwhat is it?’ inquired the impatient Irishman. The Yankee did not vouchsafe an immediate an- swer, but while er gr apa off the bene he held in his hand appeared at the same time to be busy with some mental operation—perhaps straightening out the plan he promised to reveal. CHAPTER XXIX. A TOUGH STORY. For some seconds the two worthies observed «@. mutual silence, broken only by a formidable raitle of teeth, as | “chunks” of buffalo-meat were ‘ through their respective masticating machines. ure-shot, resuming the conversation, at last said: “Ye see, kimrade, these Mormings, es I'vé beern, air mighty taken up wi’ sogerin’, an’ thet eort o” thing. Ye’ve heerd talk o’ thee’ great bettelion. They'll be arter these eer trappings for certing, since they hain’t much chence 0’ gittin’ soger-fixings out theer. We—ell, what I mean to do is to put the epsecks off on ‘em for some new improveinent 0° attern. I guess it air thet—I've heerd say so at the ‘ort—then the Morming jineral, who are the - ome hisself, an’ who's got berr’ls o’ dollars—he'll uy the knepsacks at any price. Now, d'‘ye take, Mister Tigg? “Troth dol. But dev ye think yez can fool thim SO aizy?”’ ** Basy as eatin’ puskis pie. Jehosophet! T hain’t been five year inthe tradin’ line ‘ithout le’rnin’ the biz’ness, I recking.” ‘*Be me faith! yez must have been raal cliver at it whin ye sowld t cypress-knees for bacon ):ams to the Bawltemoreans. You remimber that story yez towld us down in Mixico?” * Yoes; ae I remember it—he. he, he! But: I kim a better t than thet on the Orleens peeple "bout five year ago—jest ‘fore I j’ined the Rangers." : AS sree ype it, _—e r “an r ““We—ell, ye see, I wa’n ers as poor es I’m now. I ied a pertnership in a bit o’ a schooner, es used to trade between Bosting an’ Orleens, an’ we used to load her wi’ all sorts o’ notions, to sell to the Orleens folk. ea an’ pork pies! they air fools, an’ no mistake, them Creole French. We ked ‘a’ sold °em wooden nutmegs, an’ brick-dust for Cay- enne pepper, an’ such like; an' I "bout guess es how we did spekoolate a leetle in thet line o’ bizness. Wall, there kim a time when they tuk a notion the ked make cheap brogan, as they call ‘em, out o’ af lygator's leather, an’ supply the bul nigger market wi’’em. The neels were dear, an’ so they tuk te usin’ boot-pegs; but not hevin’ a manafact*ry o’ the pens down south they hed to git ‘em from the no'th. Jeet then my pertner an’ I thought o’ makin’ a epekoolashun on the pegs; so we loaded our schoon- cr wi’ thet eer freight, chuck right up to the hetches: an’ then sot off from Bosting for Orleens, We thort we'd make our derned fortune out thet eor trip.” “Shure yez did, didn't ye?”’ ““No—o—o; ne’er a bit o’ “t. It keemed nigh breakin’ us.’’ “ Arrah, how?” 7 We—ell, yo see, when we got roun’ to Orleens: we learned that the boct-trade hed a’most sto pee. The alygator leather didn’t turn out jest the thing for b ns; an’ besides, it got sca’ce by reezun o” the killin’ o’ them varming. In coorse, the pees hed fellin price; they’d kim down so low that we ked' only git twenty-five cents a bushel for ’em ” “Mother ov Moses! only twenty-five eints a. bushel!”’ “Thet was all they’d fetch—offer ’em whan an’ wheer we would. In coorse, we wa'n't fools enough to take thet—the dernation pegs hed cost us more in Bosting. * Pivil adoubt ov it! But fwhat did yez de wid ’em, anyhow?”’ * Wo—ell, Mister Tigg, we weer cleer beet at fust; an’ didn’t know what to do—neyther me'r my pert- ner. Butarter takin’ a good think over ft, Isee'd a. way o’ gitting out o’ the scrape—leestwise ‘ithout sech a loss as sellin’ the pegs at twenty-five cents the bushel, nae a chence 0’ gitting rid o’ them at “ Arrah, now! in fwhat way, comrade?” “You've see’d boot-pegs, I recking, Mister sty “An’ sure lIhiv. Aren't they the same that’s in i Pag brogues we've got on—bad Inck to em ?"’ ; “ Jess the same—only whitier when they air new.” “ Be japers! I think I remimber seein’ a barrel full ov thim in New Yark.”’ “Very ce it were them—they air usooaly we ee s. Can you think o’ anything they 00 er’ ed “Wil, in troth, they looked more Joike oats than anything I can recollect. Shure they did look moighty like oats!’’ ““An’ don’t ee kalkerlate they’d ‘a’ looked more like oats, ef they'd been pointed at both ends instead. o’ one?” ‘In troth they would—all that same.”’ IOOKS (ECO AMIE (E(O) |