Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 22 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

“sunlight forever. “There’s somethin’ burnin’, burnin’, in here I want to know what ‘tis—that’s all.” “ The conscience of a coward !”’ sneered Ralph. * Let. us begone.” ‘Not yet! <A horrible spell makes me linger. Look! he lifts his head and turns it partially toward us. The tree floa's lighter than 1 thought ‘twould. The top on’t is dried by the sun.” “Come away! come away!” answered Ralph, pulling him by the sleeve. ‘ Think of her.” “T’ve thought of her till I’ve lost my reason, as I shall Jose my soul. But he’s out of the way—out of the way! There's a devilish joy in that thought.” Stratton clenched both his hands and shook them toward the lake with wild energy. | ‘Drift on! drift on!” he shouted. “You have lost Nattie—you have lost all!” Quimby took him by the arm and led him away. “You act like a child!” he said, fretfully. “T thought you had nerves.” wi i once; but love and hate have con- sumed'them. You are a devil, Ralph Quimby! I feel that you decvive me.” “This is folly! Look at me; see how calm I am. There—come along!” Stration raised his |ead, met Ralph’s eyes, shivered, and said, in a subdued voice: “Go on—go on, Ralph—I follow.” The ‘men left the shore without looking be- hind them, Meantime the wind drove Bernard out. into lake. The waves dashed over him; they beat pitilessly upon his face ; they moaned and threat- ened around him; they whispered his fate in his ears. He could not but abandon all thoughts of rescue ; every probability was against him. Hope did not leave him utterly, Perhaps the wind might change and east him back upon the shore, where he might be found by a Baane fellow-creature, The waters heaved and swelled. He struggled to wrench his hands free of the cords that bound them; but every effrt gave him pain. He looked upward ; he saw the infinite arch of the sky, and the clouds whirling rapidly across it. The heavens had never thin tbe so grand, and the sun so glorious in its brightness; its great red disk looked like a world of itself, and he grinvee to part with it forever. He had seen it or years, but never had it seemed so much like a friend as now. It is much to die and leave the He was drifting from Nath- alia, too, as well as from life. All bonds were to be severed, and new relations with a new world commenced. It was a solemn thought. He clung to life. He was unwilling to leave an existance in which he might be happy with Nathalia. He renewed his attempts to free his hands, and abandoned them from pain and ex- haustion, A dread-and a horror was upon him. The waves, he thought, howled after him in ver miliee. The support to which be was pmb se | ag tossed about like a cork. It was flung from billow to billow; it was now submerged, anc now dancing on the surface, Bernard grew wild; he shouted till he was hoarse; the winds and waters mocked) bis voice. Weak and lalf-drowned, he surged silently and hopelessly on. A certain degree of conscious- ness remained, but it fluctuated dreamily, like the billows that bore him. CHAPTER XV. OWEN AND HIS WHISPERER. “ How the wind blows!” said Owen. “Do you know what makes the wind blow, Queen Nattie 2? There’s a fellow that runs beside me, that knows. The whisperer could tell you, if he had a mind; but he don’t talk with every body.” “ Let us go and see the waves beat on the shore,’ replied Nattie. ‘The lake must be greatly agitated, Are you not afraid that it will shuke your kingdom, Owen ?” “The greatest storms don’t stir it; it’s built very strong, Nattie. Come, Tawny, you may go and see the waters tamble,” Nathalia and Owen, followed. by the little In- dian girl, walked down to the shore. The lake was in violent commotion, “It won't blow long in this way,” said Owen. “The wind'l! change soon, and push the waters the other way.” | “How do you know ?” asked Nattie. “Ab, hal you want to find out my seeret, do you? See, the waves chase each other! I like that! I wish they were bigger, and the wind blew harder, and the sky was burstin’, and blazin’ with thunder and lightwin’! That would make a merry time of it.” Whitelaw. A natural feeling of sublimity stirred her soul. | There was a grandeur in the turmoil of that in- land sea. Tawny sat down on a stone, and there was neither wonder nor fear on her swarthy face. Owen walked to and fro, smiling, muttering, and siretching his hands toward the hurrying waters. There was a lull; the wind suddenly ehanged, as the youth had predicted. “I told you so!” he said, looking triumph- antly at Natsie. “The wind is an ineonstant thing; it never knows its own mind, It never’ll be any differ- ent, never!” “ Owen,” answered Nathalia; shading her eyes with her hand, “1 think I can see an object drifting this way.” “Tt wouldn't be strange, Queen Nattie! A good many things come to my kingdom whn the wind blows. The wind is a great friend of mine ; it brings me lots of firewood.” * Look, Owen, look! Your eyes are sharp; see if you can make it out,” she added, earn- estly. _* Looks like @ tree,” replied the youth. It’s the dangerous object. Nathalia gazed silently at the troubled waters. | with Tawny. While he kept the vessel from a rude collision with the tree, Tawny made a rope fast to the shore end, then threw the coil to Owen, who caught it and pushed quickly from The next moment, the canoe was flying toward the island, with the tree and its burden in tow. To Nathalia, this seemed little less than a miracle. She was sure no one but Qwen would have attempted such a feat, in such a shell, in such a turmoil of waters. She beheld him toss- ing to the shore, with no common emotions. Tawny, motionless and drenched to the skin, with her bronzed face turned to Owen, looked like a supernatural creature that had arisen from the damp caverns of the lake. Owen's long hair streame:! back upon his shoulders, and his handsome face was calm and wildly earnest The canoe sprang like a sea-gull through the light bre&&kers upon the sand, the daring voy- agers leaped ashore, and the next instant the canoe was above the reach of the return waves. ‘‘ He’s dead! he’s dead!’ exclaimed Nathalia, | as she caught sight of the pale face of Bernard Ross. 8 “ We'll bring him to life again,” said Owen, eomin’ to cne island for firewood. I'Jl se Tawny | wading into the water and freeing Bernard from to choppin’ it with my little hatchet. Tawny has got to work !”’ shook her head slowly. ‘ Owen, Owen,” continued Nattie, hastily, “there is something attached to it! It is the trunk of a tree, but it bears a burden.” The youth sprang upon a rock and gazed earnestly out into the lake. “It is a man!” he saiu. ‘ My friend, the wind, is bringin’ me another subject!” “It may bring a body, but certainly no liv- ing crenture,’ returned Nathalia. ‘ The waves go over it every moment.” “Ill get my canoe, and go out. Tawny, help me drag it into the water. You must work, Tawny, if you live with me. I won't have no lazy folks on my island !” “"Tis impossible, Owen! The little vessel will be swamped in an instant!’ exclaimed Nathalia, alarmed at the boldness of this project. He drew the canoe from its covert without heeding her. Before a minute had passed, it was rocking in the water. | “Jump in, Tawny,” cried Owen. “No! no!’ protested Nathalia.” Would you crown the poor child? Dvunt, I entreat of you!” ‘Believe in Owen — Owen and his devil. Don't the whisperer know what todo? Didn't he tell me to take Tawny? If the king is drown- ed, hadn’t she ought to be drowned with him?” Tawny stepped into the canoe and seated her- self with perfect composure. There was a proud smile on her lips. Nathalia ran to take her out, but Owen pushed the canoe off with his paddle. ‘“‘ Never you be afraid!” he said. ‘ You shall see us dance a gay dance on the waves. Tawny is in the bow for wy figure-head. Every vessel must have a figure-head, you know? Ha, ha! Isn't she a dark little creature ? The waves run high, the rough winds blow, No cne can follow where we go !” He fixed himself steadily in’ the stern, and with strong, bold strokes, sent the frail bark against the turbid water's, right in the face of the wind. Nathalia claspe¢d her hands in terror. The canoe, its bows slixhtly raised by the superior weight of Owen in the stern, glided over the op- posing waves with wond-rful lightness. The great billows rolled under it steadily. The bark was now poised on a foaming crest, now hidden from sight in the valley of water beyond. Nath- alia knew that the slightest deviation from its course would prove fatal to the tiny shell. Sev- eral times she thought it had disappeared for- ever, but it as often appeared on the next swell, with Tawny sitting, like a stone figure, in the bow. A few fearful moments elapsed. She silently prayed for their preservation, Every time she caught a glimpse of the voyagers, Owen's paddle was falliny with a firm and dex- terous haud, and the canoe, quivering and trem- bling, flew like a frightened bird into the teeth of the wind. : Her anxiety increased as he neared the tree. How could he approach jt in safety? A single blow from the unwieldly trunk, as it heaved to and fro, would dash his birehen vessel in pieces. She watched the brave youth breathlessly. He shot alongside the floating mass; he seized a projecting limb with his hand, and holding it tirmly, steadied the canoe, and changed places i | the tree with his knife. to a dry spot. Though terribl Owen looked cunningly at the child, who | this spectacle, Nathalia hastene He then drew him to shocked at to aid him. 'She recognized those inanimate features ; she remembered that she had seen him at Ralph's _eabin on that eventful night. “Don't tremble, pretty one,” said Owen. “ The whisperer and | know what to do. Give me your little knife from your little belt, Taw- ny. Look at me, and see what llldo. He that | runs by my si:le tells me.” Owen bared Bernard's arm, and plunged Taw- ny’s knife into the white skin. resently the blood began to flow; he had opened avein. A surgeon could vot have done it better. “Do you notice that, Nattie ?”’ he said, glee- fully. * Never you say | don't know! We al- ways know—this light, eunnin’ fellowand I. If rrr rr SSS >see he was* dead, the red wouldn’t come, Hold the arm, Taw- folks don’t bleed, Nattie. Derd ny. You must work if you live with me. | Lit- tle Ingin girls don’t eare for blood.’ Tawny supported the arm as she was bidden, with the greatest immobility of countenance. Her dark, solemn face mixht have been eut in stone, for all that it expressed. There was something strange in the companionship of these two. The blood trickled slowly at first, more freely anon. A sigh from Bernard testified to the sue- ecss of Owen's surgery. He opened his eyes and saw Nathalia; he closed them with a low moan, thinking that he was still dreaming on the seething waters of the lake. ‘Give me your frock, Tawny, to tear up for bandages. Little Ingin girls don’t need any- thing to wear,” said Owen. Without a word of complaint, Tawny was in the act of taking off her only article of clothing, when Nathalia interposed and supplied Owens want with her handkerchief. Tawny rc-adjusted her garment with the utmost sang froid. Owen stopped the flow of blood and bandag- ed the arm. Nattie witnessed his manipulations With surprise. ‘‘ How did you learn to do ali this?” she ask- ed, softly. ‘“ You ask qrenann Queen of the island, you always ask questions! Don’t you see him that runs beside me? Can’t you see him {flit- tin’ and floatin’ along? Owen is never put to it for thoughts. You think you are wise; ev- erybody thinks they're wise, and I a fool. Did you ever hear them mutter and say: “ He's mad! he’s mad!’? Ah, ha! it’s best to be mad. You and Tawny would be better if you were mad. How your cheeks glow, Nattie! Rather want him to live, don’t you? IT saw him look at you. He was sorry when the lightnin’ took away your wits. He took you vp in his arms and carried you out, and let the rain rain on If you'd een » baby, he couldn’t been more carcful “When the bad one knocked him down and car- ried you away, he run like he’s distracted. I; ou. How the rain rained on thought he’s He'd like you for his you! oin’ to be mad, too. Ah, ha! ueen, I think. Now I'll roll him aboat ; the w iisperer says I must roll him about. Perhaps he’s swallowed water.” x There’s no neel—no need!” said Bernard, faintly. “I wonder what has happened, and where Tam? Have J had a horrible dream ?” “ Never you be afraid,” answered Owen, “ Who speaks ?” said Bernard. “One who will not harm you,” replied Na- thalia. (ECON NMUCE JOO S) (E(o) —— oe we foe . coe ee Ow — ah’. . — eo © © eee ete we ee ee ee ee ei ee a — 2+ * . - -_ —_— - Lt A re ee Be ee ge ae ws we ~~ ~_ — = on — a le -_ TF A Tl NT a ee