Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 272 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

et ee er eee ee ee i _— lb = -— . o [a eS EC Se — 10 the night wind, which had begun to come up, cold and cuttin . The moon had set and the faint gray streaks of early dawn were beginning to lighten the eastern sky before they reached the wood, and Rockwell observed with much satisfaction: * That’s nign on two days’ march for the sojers from t b’lieve they will. They'll trust tothe scouting- rties. I’m more afeared of them than being failed,’ The wood turned out to be clustered at the entrance of another system of ravines, most of which were fed by small streams and densely wooded. Bat Richards led them down one and up another, the light of dawn getting stronger and redder all the while, till he wie came to’a hait by a little pool, surrounded with deep grass and = hener thicket of trees. Here be got off his pony, saying: ‘Ye stay hereall day. No fires.” He condescended to unsaddle his own pony and turn it loose, with the ate ee ke trailing, but it devolved on Red Feather and Ripple to unload the pack-animals and set u the lodge, which they did with speed and skill, showing them to be old hands at the duty. Then Montana George and Slocum teok the saddles and packs from their own animals, and ‘turned them loose to feed, which the hardy little ponies did with an avidity that showed they were far from being tired out with their K march of a whole night at a trot, ‘*How far do you sup we’ve come?” asked Slocum, taking from his packs a map and spreading it out. Rock well considered. *Durnedif I know. Reckon this is the place they call Sweet Water Gulcb, and they used to say it was fifty mile from Gladstone.” iadaiand pored over his map which was a pen and ink sketch made up from military surveys. “If it’s Sweet Water Gulch,” he said aftera while,** you’:’ pretty near right. It’s here mark- ed fifty seven miles by the odometer.” “Odometer! Thbat’s the wheel thing they use, ain’t it?” ‘Yes. It records all the ups and downs, so it doesn’t give us an idea of the straight line, but fifty miles is about the distance I think, as the crow flies.” ‘Enough to make us safe,” said George. ‘They won’t fled out about the bateau being one, till about now, and then they won’t get fairly into the bunt for less than three bours. If that sentry tells all he knows and they get on the trail, they can’t follow it over fast, and they can’t come up with us till to-morrow, if we jie still. If we move, we're a day ahead. Slocum began to nod while bis friend was speaking, and Montana George, observing it, said kindly: ‘‘ You better go tosleep. Bat and I are used to being on scouts, and you'll be all the fresher after a nap.” . Slocum followed the advice and went fast asleep in a few minutes, to wake up with the warm sun shining on his face down the narrow ravine and to realize that it must be noon and he alone in camp. He rubbed biseyes and rose up tolook. The nies had all sunk down in the grass and were ing atfull length, stretched out like dogs in the sunshine, fast asleep. The teepee stood close to him, and be judged, from the snoring of the inmates, that some one was asleep there too. Tb a of the doorway was open and he BAW Ripp e, with her baby in her arms, rolled up in a buffalo robe, while Red Featber was snoring on the opposite side of the teepee, all alone, ) Bat and-George were away. Around him towered the rugged sides of the gulch, clothed witb bushes, and be saw: that some one had climbed up it very recently, from the way.in which the bushes had been torn up by the roots in more than one place. To ascend by the same path was the work of but a short time to the young man, and he arriv- ed at the top, pretty well blown, to find Mon- tana George and Bat lying extended on the sbort grass on the summit, fast asleep, so that they did not hear him. The lay on what be realized to be the sum- mit of the principal divide between two systems of ravines, the ground slo round them to the dead level of the prairie, above which they were raised possibly some ow so as to command a view of several mi Slocum saw, lying by the sleeping George, the field-glass, which had evidently fallen from the plainsman’s hand whiie taking a view, from away all ness. e took it up and swept the horizon all round, when be caught sight, almost instantly, of a ) passing troop of horsemen, in columns of four, round the edge of the systems of ravines in which his littie party was, and moving straight toward Fort Gludstene. The direction of their course took them away from bim, but be could see through the glass that they were scluiers, from the gleam of their accoulirments, e fort if they follow, but I don’t A natural instinct of eaution made him throw himself flat on the ground as soon as be saw the soldiers, and he pulled Montana’s sleeve, whis- ring: ‘“Wakeup! Party of soldiers!” Montana George came broad awake in a mo- ment, with a coolness that showed that he was used to nigbt alarms and asked in a low tone: “What is it?” “Soldiers, Isay. Over yonder,” Montana rolled over on bis face and scanned the distant party. Then be called to the Frenchman: *Halloa ! Bat! Soldiers!” Bat instantly came awake in the same cool, collected way, ejaculating: ** Peste ! it is too bad. I most sleep. say? Soldats/} Mordieu! Vere?’ e caught sight of them before the question could be answered, and answered himself: ‘It is a scout from de fort, and dey vill strike our trail before t’ree minute. Ve must saddle up and be off.” ** Don’t be in too much of a hurry,” said Mon- tana George. ‘‘Give the beasts a good chance to rest while ye can. They can’t strike us fur several bours yet.” Bat Richards’s only answer was to roll over and over to the edge of the ravine, As he lower-d himself from the top of the declivity, he said: “It is dat dronk capitaine. I know bim. He is diable. He willfollowushard. You see.” Slocum looked over at the dark spotson the plain at least five miles off. To the naked eye they were faintly visible as dark dots. The field-glass, which was a splendid instru- ment, separated the dots into horsemen and showed the glitter of arms, but that was all he could see. Yet here wasa man who, with the naked eye, unassisted, pronounced confidently on the iden- tity of the leader of the party, as ‘‘ dat dronk capitaine.” ‘** Whom do you mean?” he asked as Bat began to lower himself. ae. | “Dey call him Irilande. He drink all de time. De men call him Devil Major,” was the hurried response. ‘* You wait, you see he strike de trail and come straight here at once, Aw revoir.” And the half-breed rolled down the side of the ravine in much haste, so that once or twice he nearly fell. Montana George had made a motion for the glass, and lay watching the distant scouting- Vat you party. ‘* Reckon Bat’s right,” he said presently. ** It does lcok like Major Ireland’s party.” * But how the deuce can you tell?” asked Slocum emiomeren te ‘‘Easy enough, Mr. Slocum, The major al- lers rides a big roan borse and that’s him at the head of them ail.” ; ‘* But there are plenty of roan horses besides his, are there not?” ‘*You’re right tbere; but, for all that, the major’s the only officer rides a roan, and that roan yonder’s rid by an officer.” ‘* How do you know?” “Easy enough. Ain’t he al) alone, a good six paces abead of the rest? That’s the Devil Major, or I’li eat my bat.” : ‘* Well, suppose it is, what of it?’ Montana doures shook bis head. ‘* Well, I'd sooner have any otticer in the regi- ment after us than the Devil Major, that is, if he’s got any whisky left in the canteens,” ‘* What’s that got to do with it?” Montana George te wey “A deal. DTve been out with him afore, and he s a splendid officer till the whisky runs out. ‘* What does he do then?” ‘*Put’s for the fort, the best he knows how. You don’t ketch bim out without whisky to float a small ship.” ** Do you think he’s short now?” Montana George made no answer tiJl he had earnestly watched the distant column for near- ly a minute. Then he laid down the glass ob- serving: ‘*T reckon not.” “ Why?” ‘‘He’s moving along slow and easy, and he’s got scouts out, looking for trails. He’s a rip- pin’ good man on a scout, and keen as an aver- age Injun, Hal Look!” Slocum saw the distant party halt and close tp in a bunch, like a cluster of bees, while a single figure rode out. Through the glass he saw the roan horse, and saw its rider dismount and come straight toward the place where Slocum and George were.lying, the roan horse following. ‘‘ He’s found the trail,” said Montana George coolly, “‘and it ain’t no use hiding any more, Mr. Slocum, We’ve got to git up and git.” - ‘‘ Wait a bit,” said Slocum, ‘‘I1 want to see if be’ll really follow us.” ‘Follow us? Of course he will. Put it to yourself, Mr. Slocum, if you were sent off asa scout to find if any Injuns were missing their agencies, and you come across lodge-pole trail, ie ork Fay, investigate to find where that trail wen HHO ‘ r . . : - = Pat. 442 eee * neck Seth Slocum, Railroad Surveyor. ‘** Possibly I should,” “And that ain’t all neither,” ‘What is it, then?’ ‘* Major Ireland ain’t no slouch of a trailer neither, and be’s come round the edge of this lot of guiches and divides. He knows we bain’t got out on the other side, or bhe’d bave struck our trail, He knows we’re in here, and don’t ycu forget it. k.” Slocum, looking through the glass, saw the dark party resume its march and come straight for the ravines at a fast pace, Montana George hesitated no longer, but rol ed over to the edge of the ravine, saying: ‘Till go down and saddle up, . Slocum, while you watch. When I boller, you come down, but don’t show yourself. If they’ve got any Injun trackers we’ll be found, sure, but look out you don’t Hft your bead.” With that he slid down the side of the ravine and Slocum returned to his post of observation keeping bis head behind a tuft of grass, a peeping through the blades of the herbage. e saw the tracking-party come steadily on, following the plain trail made by the scraping sod ge. poles: and before lung he thought he could recognize the tall figure of Major Ireland in the advance, bis horse going at a slow trot. But there were no indications of Indian scouts with the troo and before he could make up bis mind on the a he heard the voice of Montana George hailing him from be- CHAPTER XI. A FORCED MARCH. THE young engiuveer rolied over as he had seen the others do, and made the best of his way into the ravine, where he found Montana George and Bat waiting, the ponies all loaded up and the long poles of the lodge trailing from the saddles of two of the animals in the indian fashion, called by the French trappers the tra- vois, witb the lo. a fastened on the sticks about half-way between the pony and the ground, His own riding animal had been brovgbt up and tied to a bush, while Montana George was sayine: ; ‘* Come, hurry up, burry up. Wecan* wait any longer, or they'll ketch us before to morrow night. Saddle up, Mr, Slocum,” ‘| should think you mighi bave done that for me,” returned Slocum, “ seeing I was watching for you. Td have done it for you,” Mentana George stared, * Well, you are green. You don’t ketch us prairie men doin’ no groom’s dooty, I kin tell you, Mr. Slocum. It’s every man fur himself on the plains, Did they have any scouts ahead?” ** Not that I saw,” was the rather stiff reply, as Slocum began to saddle up. ‘Then you foller on, while we go ahead with the lodge,” said Montana briskly. ** Don’t lose sight of us, Goon, Bat.” The little procession moved off, Bat Richards leading, Montana George the last man, to drive up the packs, while the two Indian women were as useful as men on their ponies. Slocum saddled up his own pony—a little sorrel, as tough as hickory, and as vicious and obstinate asa mule—and started off on the trail, He had to dig in his spurs savagely to make the animal follow, for Indian ponies have the peculiarity that.they will be stubborn and self- willed under kind treatment, and as gentle ag lambs under the most brutal] punishment. When Slocum finally got up to the tail of his little party, Montana George observed, with a glance at the pony: ‘* You're a giving bim too little work, Mr. Slocum, He’ll be a-goin’ back om you.” ‘Going back on me? Why?" ‘¢ 1t don’t do to treat a broncho like a reg’lar hoss. They ain’t used to it and don’t under- stand it. You've got to lam ’em all the time like the Injuns does, and then you'll get on with ’em. Don’t you know what they say in Texas?’ ‘No. What’s that?’ “They say that. a white man’ll ride a boss half a day, and leave him fur dead. Then’]} come a Mexikipn and take bim twenty mile fur- ther and leave him as dead as the white man did. Then comes a In and rides him for a week more, and takes him into camp alive.” or ene lau oo aay ie very ingenious parable. How do you pe sa they do it, George?’ A orge shrugged his shoulders, ‘‘Lamming, [ reckon. Leastwise, that’s the only way Lever seen ’em doit, A Injun ain’t got no feelin’ fura beast, no more’n you've Bor for a log you’re a-splitting for wood. e’!! get all there is out of a hoss till it drops, aud that’s the trnth of it, Mr. Slocum. Bat’s jest like an Injun, and rides jike em, Look at bim, You’d never think he wasa man fit to take part in their drills, would ye, now? Siocum looked at Bat Ricbards a8 be rode the advance, and could not help with the figure he cut om bis ‘The animal was accou Indian saddle with a high pommel and cantle, both hollowed out for couvenience of hangi by arm and leg and ‘shooting under the Z * : ‘ , ~ j é bd * -. a IOO S CoO in being disgusted horse. ¥ “ tered with the regular J ¥ & - —_