Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 244 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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Now, to his delight, he saw an expression of hope eg up the fair girl’s countenance, Forgetting, for the moment, the jeopardy in which the act placed the lives of both of them, Single-Eye lowered his sombrero below the limb, and for one instant waved it, Trembling with apprehension, and anathema- iizing himself for his rashness, he again felt greatly relieved at finding the act had not been observed. Still, he was anxious, for he feared that the captive would, by the direction of her gaze, betray his presence. } It was evident, however, that the girl was as discerning and intelligent as she was beauti- ful; for, her face was no longer bent forward, and the scout saw that she allowed the bullet to roll off her skirt, and into the leaves, He could now only wait in patience, until his d, Old Rocky, could join him, Uatil then, 6 had done all that he could. It could not be other than a failure, and would, moreover, prevent any further proceed- ings, did he make an attempt at a rescue; for, the Indians he well knew, would awaken at the slightest noise, and not only this, but it was very certain that the position of the maiden was visible to the sentinels. Plainly, there was not one chance in a thou- sand that he could escape with her. He would, however, keep near her, and await any possible opportunity. o ving come to this decision, Single-Eye carefully returned to his postin the tree; where, having gained a safe distance from the lower limbs, he was about to make his way into an- other tree, when his movements were suddenly arrested, by a sight that caused him to clutch a bough in one hand, and his bowie in the other. Outlined against the blue sky, was the be- feathered head of an Indian brave, and in mo- tion! Slowly and noiselessly it descended toward the old scout. It was clearly now, or never. Single-Eye re- solved, in his desperation, that he would make | an attempt to save the beautiful girl by a mad | belt. Nosound war-cry. Comanche must not dash downward; cutting her bonds, and then rushing out into the friendly thickets toward horse. There was a chance for escape, could he but reach Skip-lively. Having thus decided, and while he was in the act of lowering himself, a low, snake-like rattle reached his ears, and a sudden change came over him. . He answered the sound by a uliar hiss; and, a moment after, a symmetrically formed Indian, with bearded leggins and fillet, three eagle-feathers flaunting from the latter, reached the scout’s side, and extended his hand in si- lence, Single-Eye grasped it, and placed it upon his heart. ‘‘Dang my ole gran’ marm’s bestest black cat’s kittens!” he whispered. ‘Turtle, ’m a ood mind ter yell blue murder, an’ sp’ile ther iz in hand! Yer ther lastest human Id ’a’ thunk o’ seein’; an’ ther one I hankered most ter gaze et. Ef we’uns doesn’t make caliker flicker outen ther Cormanch’ camp, I’m a puser- lanimous pirut o’ ther plains. Thar’s a leetle gal in ther camp below, an’ she’s gut ter be snatched outen ther grip o’ ther painted hell- yuns. " @Qood, heap good! Turtle, he save pale-face squaw.” ! ‘““Ya-as, that’s hunk; but ther time hain’t ‘roved yet. Foller me, Tonk, an’ we'll jine Skip. c’u’d chaw my own nose off wi’ pure lad et ther sight o’ yer purty pictur’, dang’d ef c'u’dn’t, But slow an’ easy air ther p’ogramme, an’ glide’s ther word!” Seated smoking and planning for the rescue, in the little ‘‘ open” down the river from the Comanche camp, with Ski See tre, and his red pard, Turtle, the Tonkaway, might have been seen half an bour later. The Indian explained his presence as havin been brought about by observing the horses o the Comanches on the opposite side of the river, and he having crept through the timber to re- connoiter, discovered also the captive white squaw, and had resolved to save her, when he was astonished at agi | his old pard, Single- Eye, in the same tree, and evidently bent on the same mission. In a few words, Single-Eye related to his Indian pard all that bad transpired since, with Old Rocky, he had galloped into the timber of Elm Fork, for shelter when the ‘ norther” swept down over the plains. The Tonkaway listened intently, and was es- pecially interested on being shown the scalp of the Comanche spy. Without a word, he arose to his feet as the scout closed his narrative, and strode toward a huge tree near the eastern verge of the bottom timber. Springing into it, he began ascending as nimbly asa squicre”s and was soon lost from the view of Single-Eye, who addressed himself for consolation to his horse. “Dang my cats, Skip! Ther Tonk air et his ole tricks agin, soon es he strikes our locate, Hyer I’ve bin givin’ bim all ther p’ints in ther p’ogramme, an’ without even a grunt, he skutes up a tree like a painter, when ,thar’s a pack o’ black wolves a-howlin’ et his heels. Ww sq gi E | | = Merciless Mart. a ae ‘*Howsomever, Skip, we-’uns knows ther Tonk air squar’ an’ white, an’ es deep es any red what ever wored feathers. He’s hed some- thin’ struck him since I’ve bin slingin’ gab thet hain’t gut through our brain-boxes, “ He'll come down chuck full o’ biz, I reckon; an’ I hopes he’ll see some show ter git ther leetle gal outen ther Cormanch’ camp; though hit pears like a bilious sorter job ’bout now. Ef we’-uns doesn’t do some hefty crawlin’, slashin’, an’ shootin’, I’m fear’d she'll git tortur’d by ther cussed ole squa ws what’s barbecuin’ buffler- meat an’ scrapin’ hides et ther No’th Fork. Ther widder o’ thet greasy scarifyer thet I tuck in outen ther wet et Elm Fork, ’ll be r’arin’, t’arin’, an’ chuck-full o’ hyderphobic indig’, when she comes ter find out her buck hes dusted on ther ‘long, dark trail,’ leavin’ her ter scoop in her own grub. **T wisht Ole Rock ’u’d show up. I hope ter Cristy, he’s gut thet pilgrim loose from ther buffler-bull, without hevin’ any bones broke. Ef he war hyer, an’ thet pilgrim ‘long o’ him, ther two mought help me an’ yeou, an’ ther Tonk, an’ we c’u’d gi’n ther red cusses a leetle more'’n they c’u’d swaller without chokin’, ““Dang’d ef I doesn’t git stiff, every time I uats ter grass!” he muttered, rising and stretching himself. ‘‘ Hit ’u’d relieve my ole heart a heap, ef thet leetle gal war right side up wi’ care, an’ free an’ airy as a Concho antelope. But, hyer comes ther Tonk, down ther tree, on ther whiz. He’s struck some streak thet I can’t t a peep et, er I’m badly bamboozled.” As the scout spoke, the Tonkaway shot down from the foliage to the earth; and, with the pe- culiar stride of his people, approached Single- ye, saying, as he reached his side: ‘Let my white brother jumpin saddle, Tur- tle run fast to mustang in wood. War-path open. So many Comanches on plain ”—holding up six fingers—‘‘ Got so many white braves ”— lowering all the fingers but two—‘t White braves tied fast with lariat. Single-Eye and Turtle save captives. Turtle want scalps on give death-yell. Turtle bas spoken.” With these words, the Tonkaway darted to- ward the river. Single-Eye decided, on the instant, that a party of braves, sent out in search of the spy that had been slain by himself, must have discovered and captured Old Rocky, and the man whom the latter had rescued from the back of the buffalo. This must be the case, he reasoned; for there were no other white men in the vicinity. The concern and anxiety of Single-Eye was now great; for he well knew that it would be al- most impossible to liberate his old pard and the stranger, without creating an alarm in the camp, and thus destroying the last chance of saving the life of the captive girl. The outlook was indeed gloomy, but the scout had not much time in which to meditate upon it; for Turtle soon appeared mounted upon a reg mustang, and Single-Eye was soon at his e, “*Look,” said the Tonkaway. ‘The Com. anches come. The white braves come, and their backs are tortured by the quirts of the Comanches. Let my white brother open his eyes. ‘‘Dane’d ef yer ain’t kerrect, Tonk! Hit must be Ole Rock, an’ ther pilgrim he reskied. But what does ther cusses mean? They ain’t p’inted toward thar camp.” “Don’t like ride in camp when chief, and braves all sleep. Wait till sun come. Then eap. “That’s ’bout ther p’ogramme, I reckon, Tonk, Ther brave, what’s et ther head o’ thet leetle outfit, wants another eagle-feather stuck in his kerbase. ‘*He hes done a big thing in his way o’ thinkin’, an’ he wants ter make ther most 0’ hit. “Dang my ole heart! I’d like ter sp’ile his cir- cus. Does yer opine, Tonk, thet we kin take thet leetle party outen ther wet, without raisin’ @ rampus thet’ll be heard up-crick, et ther camp? ‘**Mebbe so,”’ was Turtle’s laconic answer. “ Hit’s a ormighty pecul’ar fix we airin, on ’count o’ ther piece o’ caliker; but ef we c’u’d t Ole Rock an’ ther pilgrim ’way from ther ellyuns, we’d stan’ a show ter make a brash run inter ther camp, an’ scoop up ther angel what we see’d, ‘“*T sw’ar ef I ain’t a-gittin’ p'ison hot mad, ter see ther greasy painted skunks a-whackio Ole Rock; drivin’ two white men wi’ quirts, jist es though they was niggers. I want ter stompede ther bull big outfit up-crick, an’ skin every head! “What in thunderation air ter be did, Tonk? Hit air a sight ter make any human hanker arter Comanch’ bleed, an’ his fingers itch ter clutch ha'r!” It was upon Single-Eye’s report that Turtle had decided in his own mind that the captives he bad seen approaching at some distance were Old Rocky and the stranger; consequently, the friendly Indian had dashed at once for his horse, as we have seen, resolved that he would rescue Old Rocky at any and ail hazards. 3: sss — — _ _ _—-- Orv — eee ee | | | drive in white captives, Then Comanche yell | - or But, as time passed, and Turtle had consid- ered the subject in all its bearings, the attempt seemed more difficult of accomplishment. There could be but little doubt that the outermost sentinels of the camp would hear the danger or death-yells of the little war-party should the latter be attacked. They were now prevented by a little bend in the Clear Fork to the east- ward, from discovering the return of their six comrades; the latter having turned to te northward, the reason for which the Tonkaway had explained. As Single-Eye put the last question to his red pard, who sat his horse, silent and immov- able as a statue of bronze, Turtle sudden] y gave utterance to a pith grunt of satisfaction, and as he turoed his mustang down the stream, he at length spoke: ** Come. y white brother shall stain his knife in Comanche blood. Come.” The old scout now felt confident that the Tonkaway had thought of some feasible plem “a free the captives, and he quickly followed. im. ci ae aa the edge of the timber, Turtle again spoke: ‘* My white brother see chief—see two braves ride in front, Then come white captives. Then two more braves. One brave ride behind with dead spy.” **'Ya-as, I sees thet.” “Good! When ride by bush here, Single- Eye, he stick knife in throat of last Comanche, Turtle, he ride fast from bush at same time, Turtle cut loose captives, then kill two braves, Then Single-Eye and Turtle ride quick to chief and other two braves. Quick fight. Much heap knife stick in throat. Much heap blood. No death-yell.” ‘‘Dang my cats! Thet air a purty fa’r p’o- “heen onk, hit air easy ter talk ’bout, bus opine our knife-arms hes gut ter fly like a Gov’ment mule’s huffs when hit’s full o’ prussic acid indig’. “ Hit’s scrougin’ a mond riffle o’ fun inter some awful flighty hash’d-up periuds. How- somever, hit hes gut ter be did; fer Ole Rock must be reskied, er we'll lose ha’r a tryin’. Skip "—turning to his horse—‘‘do your bestest. now, ter skin us through this hyer lively leetle circus. Ole Rock air tuck by ther cussed red heathuns!” The last piece of information was whispered in the ear of Skip-lively, with an emphasis on , * Ole Rock” and ‘red heathuns;” and the horse began to manifest much interest, rolling his lone optic, pricking bis ears, front and back, | as if listening for sounds at all points of the compass, while he braced his legs, seemingly athering strength for action. It did seem as if the manner, words and gestures of his master had been fully comprehended. Having thus decided upon the manner of at- tack, the two men drew their long, glittering, and murderous knives; clutching the handles with desperate grip, as they made ready for the terrible and unequal conflict—made ready. to plunge headlong from the dense undergrowth, very possibly to their deaths, to save the cap- tives whom they suppose to be their mutua? par Old Rocky, and the stranger whom thle atter had rescued from his fearful Mazeppa ride upon the maddened bison. CHAPTER XXII, ‘‘oTe GAME NOT WORTH THE CANDLE.” ALL unconscious of danger, the little war-part advanced along the margin of the timber, with thelr captives and the dead spy, evidently with the inten- ticn of encamping there until the morning and then. making a grand é tre into the main camp. Single-Eye and the Tonkaway were screened by the undergrowth from view, and it also prevented them from ne Sg that Old Rocky was not emong the captives. But, even had they done so, their plans would not have been changed in conse- quence, from the fact that the prisoners were white men, and doomed, they well knew, to a fearful death, by slow tortmre. The dull tramp of hoofs soon spoke the nearness. of the Comanches. Gazing forward over the necks of their horses, their knives grasped and every muscle strained, the two men watched them from. their covert. The cortege marched in the manner that the Ton- kaway had described them. All were gazing ahcad as if having suspicions that they might be perceived. by their comrade braves of the big camp and thus be defrauded of their grand entrance on the morrow. This would be f ully disappointing. Their attitude was most fortunate = our friends, in the daring and desperate attempt they had re~ solved upon making. Slowly out from the und wth they as the last brave rode past, and then shot forward like arrows from bows, onc on each side of the warrior in charge of the a? a ge pa ee Before he realized his danger, the Tonkaway was upon him and soon the head of the doomed brave had been nearly severed from his body, and without. a gasp he fell from his eaffrighted horse to the earth,. the steed, with its gbastly-burdeneéd companion, dashing back in frantic bounds over the trail. Before the two who were in advance and lashing” the captives became aware of the presence of ene- mies, each was by the hair, falling dead in, like manner, without even a groan, while their steeds were forced from the trail in order that they might not impede the way in the deadly combat to come, The blood-<dripping knives quickly severed e cords of the captives, the old scout and his Indian pard only leaning from thefr saddles for an insiact, “be ‘comicboo Cc (E() S —*