Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 22 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

. » —- ae “And why ?” . “There's love there; that’s all! If you can’t comprehend that, I've no more to say; and you'd better go down and jojn the emigrants that are fitting out for Salt Lake.” “There's more’n that. Here's a bullet-houe in my neck. He Knows rather more than he should, too. Then there’s Neil Travis, who's likely to git well. Between the two, we shall be in close corners by-and-by.” “We are not in the States just now, Nat Strat- ton. We're a trifle over the line, you may re- member ?” “Judge Lynch don’t care for lines. "Twould be éasy enough for ’em to get a few men togeth- er, and hunt us out of the Ten Mile Trace.” “T know it; but your business is with Ross. L shouldn’t wonder,” he added, carelessly, “ if you found him in my hut, nursing Travis.” “Ay! and that cursed mountaineer, too. He shoots plums centre, he does. I wish he’s among his squaws, and traps, and buf'lers agin!” retorted Stratton, frowning darkly. “Don’t think Pll forg-t him f He liked to have cracked every boue in my body.” Ralph scowled till his lushy eyebrows met ina oer furrow. ‘ The hut is in that direction. You'll find Nattie and I in a line running due north from the dese:ted copper-mines,” “Keep your word ; that’s all I ask, I know what to do. Business first. That’s my way!” Stratton. threw his rifle across his arm, and strode abruptly away. Ralph lingered a few moments, and left the spot with less haste, CHAPTER VIII. OWEN’S ISLAND. Nathalia saw Ralph move from the vicinity o” her covert with emotions that we shal] not at tempt to describe. The conversation between im and Stratton had given her a still deeper insight into his character. If possible, she fear- ed him more than ever. Her principal anxiety now was for the return of Owen; tor she did not, and could not, feel safe so near her natural relative. Her suspense in that respect was speedily terminated. Owen soon appeared, with his rifle on his shoulder, and a large bundle in his left hand. “ You've been gone a long time, Owen. Where have you been?” Nathalia inquired, “To the hut,” answered Owen, “ to get Nat- tie’s things. You'll want clothes to wear where we are goin’, and I've got ’em here safe. I watch- ed my chance and stole in. Ah! Owen knows how to work the wicked ones! Here's a hard biscuit, Nattie; take it and eat as you come along. People are weak when they don’t eat.” “Where are we going, Owen ?” Nathalia looked earnestly at his wild, hand- some face. “Never you mind where we're goin’! You'll be safe if you keep with me. You see my rifle? I can shoot with it along, long distance. I've lots o’ powder in this horn, and here is a pouch fall of bullets.” The girl followed Owen with childlike trust. She felt an assurance that he was harmless and faithful. She was sure that his strange instincts would not lead him far astray. Indeed, the boy appeared to her as one under the fuldengs of superior wisdom. She traversed the forest where there was no path; and through depths that had spparently never been pressed by human feet. _ Often the wild deer crossed their way, while oo- easionally the wolf was seen stealing cautiously among the trees, ready to scamper off at the first appearance of danger. They fivally emerged from the wood, and a at sheet of water stretened before them far as the eye could see. It was Lake Superior. “Isn't it nice?” said Owen. ‘“ Look down and you can see your face. Perhaps you can see my Whisperer there. I can see him in dts.” Owen took a fragment of a mirror from his pock- et, and looked at it with singular earnestness. “ Yes, here he is! here’s Owen's devil! the one that whispers! We shall do very well as long as he tells us, what is right. He's got brain enough, I tell ye!” Natialia began to have misgivings. Had she not placed too much reliance in the sagacity of this wild boy? Here she was, she knew not where, on the svore of the lake, far, far, doubt- less, from .human habitation, with no elue to guide her to the haunts of men, | “Well, Owen, you've led me away, but you -dun’t seem to know what you are doing. Where “ shall we find that shelter and safety that you have talked of?” she said, anxiously. “You think my wit is at an end—don’t you? But such a thing as that can’t happen to Owen. Whitelaw. Look the way my finger points. Don’t you see the ory land, water ?” “ An island!” said Nathalia. “A kingdom!” exclaimed the youth, with he swim, Owen, unluckily.” “ But I know something that can swim!” Owen ran to a cluster of bushes that grew low down on the shore, and dragged out a small ca- noe, “What do you think of this, Queen Nattie? | The whisperer and I float on the lake in this. Fine times we have of it, talkin’ and laughin’. Get in, my princess ! The sun is high, the moon is low, No one shall follow where we go.” He sung these lines to a weird melody, and dipped his nt fe in the water. “I'm ao little fearful, Owen,” said Nathalia, hesitating. “Tt is all right, Nattie—it is all right. Step in boldly and sit still. This bark will carry three of us well enough. Owen's devil is light, but he’s a good paddler, and never rocks the ¢a- noe.” Nathalia seated herself in the frail vessel, which glided quietly from the shore. She scarce- ly dared to breathe, lest she should disturb the equilibrium of the birchen shell. “Can you read?” asked Owen, “TJ can, I’ve read about kings and queens, princesses, lords, knights, and nobles.” The De ah earnest countenance was turned upon Nattie. Light and shade fluctuated over his face, like the little wavelets on the lake. “ Who tauglit you ?” asked Natialia. “ Owen’s devil. Did you think the whisperer knew howtoread? He dees, though. He luoks pleased shen I laugh, and sad when I ery.” The canoe shot onward to the light strokes of Owen. They neared’a little island, which was much farther distant than it appeared when seen from the shore. The youth propelled the carioe half way around this green spot in the lake, and landed upon the west side. “It's a fine kingdom,” said Owen, “ and there's nobody to take it away from us.” Hedrew the vessel from the water and carefully concealed it. “Come, Nattie, and I’ll show you where King Owen lives.” He led the way up the gently-rising shore of the island, and entered the sylvan bowers of his isolated retreat. Nathalia found a soft carpet of grass beneath her feet, while upon each hand rew trees, shrubs, and flowering wild-plants. wen conducted her quite to the centre of the diminutive island, where she perceived, amid the abundant foliage, a lodge, built after the Indian style. To her, notwithstanding its solitude, it looked inviting. Here, for a time, she believed she should be safe from the pursuit of Ralph Quimby. She trusted that before he succeeded in finding her, she would be able, by some means, to reach one of the border settlemeuts. “Do you live here?” she asked. “Owen lives in a good many places. You can't loge him anywhere.” “ But do you dwell here all alone? Does not the man Whitelaw sometimes visit you?” She looked searchingly at Owen. “Do you like to hear the waters mutter on the shore when the wind blows ?” he answered. “ There is a deal of music here when there's a storm on the lake; the island trembles, but it won't sink—the foundation is go strong. Some- times the trees bend, and strange noises float through the air. But Owen’s fire burns bright- ly in Ris lodge, and he talks with the whisperer all the while. Come inside, Queen Nattie, and see how nice it is. But it shall be ever so much nicer. I'll bring fresh boughs, and you shall have a royal bed of moss, and a throne of oak and evergreens.” Owen entered the lodge and Nathalia follow- ed. What was her surprise at seeing a fire burning cheerfully in the centre, near which was sitting, cross-legged, a dark-skinned, bright- eyed little girl, whose dress consisted of a plaid tunic reaching a trifle below the knee. A squir-. rel was peréhed tpon her head, anda tame bea- ver was gnawing a stick beside her. Nathalia paused and considered this singular group with unfeigned wonder, while Owen watched her coun- tenance with satisfaction. | ‘These are my subjects,” he cried, exultingly. “They mind me at once; if they didn't, I should have their heads struck off, the same as they do in the stories in the books.” ing | “But how are we to, take possession of our — kingdum ?” asked Nathalia, smiling. “I can’t noticing Nattie or the boy. | stays close in the lodge when I’m gone, ative, siderable to each other.” ae « Who is this little girl, Owen ?” Nathalia in- and the trees growing out of the | quired. “ Oh, that is Tawny !” “ Tawny 2” “ Yes, that's her name. A dark one—isn’t joyful enthusiasm. “I am the king; you are _ she? Well, I don’t know but the dark ones are just as good as the white ones.” The gir! sat bolt upright, without in the least ‘ What in the world is she?” | “ A little Ingin girl. Don't you see she’s got an Ingin’s eyes and ways ?” “ She's a mere child,” replied Nathalia. “She’s big enough to know a good deal,” re- plied Owen, “She brings sticks for the fire ; she can cook venison over the coals, and she Jump up, Tawney, and be smart.” The child arose and looked inquiringly at Owen. -“ She's a pret- ty good slave,” he added, “She never diso- beys me when she knows what I mean. Kings must have slaves, you know, Queen Nattie.” — “T hope you don’t abuse her, Owen?” said Nathalia, quite bewildered. “Oh, no! I never hurt her nor strike her, nor speak cross to her. She likes me because I took care of her.” “ Where did you find her? I can’t under stand why you should have the poor little crea ture in your possession.” “Ah, bal I know about that. I'll tell you sometime. It was a long way to the North where I found her, and she was lost in the woods and dreadfully hungry. I didn't give her as much as she wante:l, at first; she was as greed as a little wolf, and weaker than that squirre You ain't afraid of squirrels, and beavers, and little Ingin girlsa—be ye? They’re good com- pany, I tell ye! Tawny has lots of tricks; she pays her way as she goes. Her clothes don’t cost much, you see.” “T should think not !” replied Nathalia, glanc- ing at the girl’s bare legs and feet. “She dances and sings before King Owen when he’s tired, and the beaver capers and the squirrels jump and twitter. A very industrious subject is the beaver ; he cuts the firewood witb his sharp teeth, and sweeps with his flat tail. I call him my wood-chopper.” “ All this is very odd!” “ You shall see her dance. At it, Tawny—at , it! This is Queen Nattie. She is goin’ to live here, and you must do as she bids you. Kingt and queens cut off little girls’ heads, and bea- vers’ heads, and squirrels’ bias, too.” _ Tawny commenced an active but not very graceful Indian dance. She certainly worke with all her strength to amuse her eccentric sovereign, Half a dozen more squirrels appear- ed from the top of the lodge, skipped about the girl, chirping merrily, while the beaver beat upon the ground with his tail. “The squirrels are my musicians, and the beaver is my drummer. This is a right merry kingdom, Nattie.” “Tt is, indeed!” replied Nathalia, smiling. “The poor child exerts herself, evidently, te please you. She is as light and active as the squirrels themselves. That will do, Owen, that will do! Such violent exercise will hurt her,” “No danger; she is used to it. She must cook. We are hungry, Tawny; fly round and get us some supper.” Immediately the child stopped dancing, and from a little recess in the lodge, concealed by sking drawn across it, brought forth various cooking utensils. Nathalia was not a little as- tonished at the completeness of Owen's domes- tic economy. Secing her surprise, he was great- ly Jelighted, and informed her that he had brought those articles, at various times, from the settlements, As for Tawny, her strength was not equal to her will. She moved about with much eager- ness and zeal, staggering beneath weights too heavy for her. Nattie, struck with her chi!Zish devotion, hastened to assist her, notwithstand- ing Owen protested that Tawny would do it all, only give her time. “She sometimes,” he phi- losophically observed, “ tumbles into the fire and burns her hands in the ashes, and hangin’ on the kettle; but she don’t care for it a bit. Up she jumps, and at it she goes again; and the whisperer and I watch her and Jaugh. She loves to work for Owen; don’t you, Tawny ?” The child smiled and nodded, knowingly. “She seems to understand you? Can she talk English ?” i" Pagieh and Ingin, both; but she isn’t talk- ough there are times when we say con- The sun was now setting, and with various EOomicboo (E cS (E(@)