Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 272 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

) frightful danger for purpose ~~... = — ee SES <—— —_——- —— a “T might retort on you; have you come here at peril of your life to mumble Latin prayers and have the pleasure of seeing a few ignorant savages bow their heads at the tinkle of a bell?” be retorted, angrily. ‘* You are asking ques- tions you have no right to ask, sir.” The priest smiled imperturbably. ‘“[Tsee lam right. You did noé come here for any such purpose,” S!necum colored slightly, ‘“You’ve no right to say any such thing, father. You are taking liberties with me, am not confessing to you.” Father de Smedt sighed. ‘‘It might be better for you if you were, my son. The Church has consolations of which you do not dream,” ‘Perhaps it may have, father, but I am not asking for them,” ‘It is well, my son. Iam sorry to see such a spirit in you; for, to tell the truth, I should be glad to help you.” ‘‘T must do that myself, father,” The priest shook bis head. “You are mistaken. You are the only man here who can not help himself; ae L the only one who can help you. What if I told you that I know for what you have come?” ‘You would be a magician, father,” said Slocum carelessly. The priest raised his finger. ‘* You have revealed it, yourself.” ‘* How so?” ‘‘ A moment since you said you came for the sake of curiosity, anh this foolish and debasing mummery you cal) a ritual. Now you say it takes a magician to find why you came, My son, you are afraid to confess it, and your life will be the forfeit,” CHAPTER XIX. A KEEN CONFESSOR. SLocus could not avoid teing impressed by the acuteness of the priest; for he bad never en- eountered a trained disputant of his kind he- fore, and Father de Smedt was one of that fa- mous Order of Jesus, which employs none but the finest minds in its service. He tried to retract b arto § ‘‘T mean that you’ll have to be a magician to see into my mind, father.” ‘Ob, ne, my son, thatis not hard. I see be- fore me a young man of varied education, who isnot a soldier, and who has yet come into s of his own.” ‘For trade, for trade,” interrupted Slocum, withbeut Senuepeny. ‘ Haven’t la right to want to mike money, father?’ Tue priest Jooked at him with his penetrating eyes, saying quietly: ‘‘My son, you did not come here to make money, You are not an Indian trader. [know them all well. You have the open brow and enthusiastic face of the student, but you are no student. You are not here to study language or habits. You are here for a purpose, an that purpose is the mine—ambition!” ‘* Like yours?” echoed Slocum, ‘‘Like mine, but different, Ihave the ambi- tion of my order, to advance its interests, and be praised by my chiefs. But you, what is your ambition? It is not bard to guess if,”’ ‘What is it then?’ asked Slocuai,in a spirit of bravado. | ‘You seek to recover something which was lost,” said the priest, quietly, “It is of value to you; but none to these savages. Am [ right?” “That is net for me to say,” returned the young engineer, striving to control bis face, Father de Smedt put up his forefinger again, as he said slowly: ‘‘You have come to seek what was lost. I know well whatit must be, It has reference to a survey that was being made when a man was killed. T-have seen his watch: Sitting Bull bas it. It isa chronometer, such as none but engi- neers wear. But that is not what you want,” “ How do you know?” asked Slocum, ‘Becanse you were not of kin to the dead map. Your name is known to us,” ‘‘Tam not ashamed of it, father. Seth Slo- com is my name, How did you know it?” The priest smiled and_held out to him a small pocket diary, which Slocum remembered to cave bad in bis pocket when he stripped for the buffaio-hunt, but bad not looked for when his clothes were brought back to him by one of Sitting Bull's squaws. It was full of short-hand notes, and Slocum seiged it eagerly, when the Jesuit observed in his smooth way: ‘“S-enography was one of my studies at the Propaganda, my son. You should not keep your nctes 80 they can be read by others,” Slocum colored deeply. H« bad never thought of finding among the wild Sioux a man who understood sbort-band, and |e had written many things in bis diary that would be sure to expose his secret, if read. He concluded to speak boldly, and throw him- self on the priest’s generosity, ) Turning on him, he said: ‘* Well, Pat nee, whet have I aoe, after? I ro to tell you, ou guess rigot, ai % havecone” said the prie-t slowly, ‘‘in search of a book of engineering notes, that was | Seth S _— = >_— * —_ —_———-=— Gre me A TT ATS FE ee ——- oo 2. = we oe ee i taken by the Indians when Engineer Samuel B. Graves was killed.” * Do you know where it is then?’ asked Slo- cum, forgetting all caution, **I do,” was the answer. ‘Will you tell me where it is?” ‘* Certainly.” ‘* Where is it?’ . . Safe with Sitting Bull, in his own medicine- Ox, ‘Will you help me get it?” ss No v7 The answer was sbort and decided, . ‘*Why not?” asked Slocum, as boldly ag be- ore. ‘* Because my business is to save souls, not to recover goods captured in war.” ‘* But this fleld-book is no good tothem. I am willing to buy it of them, and pay all | have for it.’ ‘“Possibly,” said the priest dryly, ‘“‘ but that is not the question now,” ‘* What is, then?” ‘Why do you want this book?” asked the priest. Slocum hesitated, ‘* Because—becauss it completes a survey, and witbout it the work cannot be done,” ‘Why should it be dune? There is work that should be performed, and oftentimes there is other work that might be better left undone, my son, Of which class is this?” ‘Work that will benefit the world.” “What kind? Is it a railroad?’ ‘* Yes. Make the most of that.” : Father de Smedt looked at him earnestly for several seconds before be answered, He seemed. to be struggling with some feeling that he was trying to repress, : Af last he said slowly: ‘*My son, you think you are right; but the buman bearr, as you know, is deceitful and Pempountety. wicked,” ocum retorted rather sharply: ‘*Father de Smedt, my life isin your hands, If you choose to betray a white man to these red devils take the responsibility; but spare me avy cant about religion.” he priest compressed bis lips and was silent for another short space, during which he crossed himself and seemed to be undergoing another inward struggle. When he spoke again be said: ** My son, [ perceive that you are still in the bonds of iniquity. Bethink you that the In- dian torture is sharp, and do not throw away any chance by insulting one who wishes to serve you. [Iam buta fa lible man as a man, but in my office [ should be sacred from insult at the hands of one who calls himself a Chris- tian, as you did,” ws J had no intention of insulting you,” the young man replied more quietly. ‘* But you must remember my position and not expect me to listen to homilies on religion, delivered by a man who is in league with Indians.” The priest bowed his head, ‘Your reproach would be just, if I were in league with the Indians, but you must know that | am only their friend and teacher, trying to lead them, as I try to lead you into the right oh I do not wish to betray you to any one. aimee is known to me and to the Sitting ull,’ Slocum could not repress a start, ‘* How does he know?” ** My son, the Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph, of the Nez Perces, were both sent as children to one of our schools, and learned the ways of the whites. As men, they have returned to their fathers’ way of life, but they have not for- gotten all of the past. Sitting Bull can read, and the nature of that book is plain on its face to any one who can,” ‘Then why did he not tax me with a design to get it back?” he priest smiled. ‘*My son, the question is a foolish one. Sit- ting Bul is at war with your people and has you in his power,” Slocum bit his lips. | ‘* You mean that he wishes to make me lie to him, and take that as a pretext to murder me ) in AeA of the protection of the Order? Is that ** You are good at divining, my son.” ‘Well, let bim do as he pleases,” said the young man doggedly. ‘**T bave payer a des- perate gume. knew it when I came here. If I lose it, I lose it; that’s all. They shall never triumph over me.” _ The priest looked disturbed for the first time in the interview, ‘You mean thet you are prepared to com- mit suicide to escape torture. My son, would you rush into the presence of your Maker un- prepared ?” | ‘*No father. I have prepared, Mind, I donot believe as you do, I come here on an errand that should commend itself to your sympathy as a civilized man. I come in the service of civilization, to barm no one. Look at this lovely valley, tenanted only by a miserable borde of squalid savages. I come in the van of progress, bringing with me the smiling grain- fields, the herdsman, the shepherd, to replace ccum, Railroad Surveyor. J 17 the ferocious murderers around us. Yon call yourself the emissary of Christianity and you are on the side of the savage against me. It may suit your conscience, father, Lut I cannot see bow you reason it out.” He spoke warmly and bitterly, but bis words ma no more impression on the priest than on a rock, In the coldest tones he answered: ‘*“My son, I have lived with these men for nigh forty years.now,. When I ceme to them first, your civilized men were not within a thousand miles of here. In all those forty years no Indian ever aXs me an ipsult or in- ury. They saw that I came to do them only ‘indness and that I asked nothing of them, You come, as you say, in the interests of civili- zation. How?’ Slocum hesitated a moment, ‘‘ By opening the country to settlement.” ‘For whose benefit?” “For that of humanity.” ‘‘The Indians are men, are they not?” ‘Yes, after a fashion,” ‘Have they not the same organs as yout Are they not men and women?” ! ‘Yes, I suppose so.” “And bave they not owned the land they bold from time immemorial?” ‘I don’t know they bave, They fight with men of their own race.” ‘Then wby do you not preech peace to them and show them its advanteges?” “ Because it is not my business. I am nota missionary. ’”’ | “You say truly. Well, then, tell me, to in- troduce this civilization of which you speak, will it not be necessary first to drive out these Indians from this valley?” ‘*No, we are willing to pay them fcr their lands, father.” ‘* But suppose win(d do not want to sell them and prefer to keep them?’ ‘Then they must be forced, You @o not surely expect fifty millions of civilized peo to be checked by a handful cf savages, do you?” The priest siniled. “Then you admit that your mission is a hostile one, that you desire to force these to ple against their will to give up their lands to ° —— ee ee Or * others,” ‘‘ Perhaps so,” answered Slocum, in a reck- less tone, for he began to feel that it made no difference how he answered the keen-witted priest. Father de Smedt nodded and rose. . ‘You have sbowed me your design, my son. You are an enemy to the people of my ficck desiring their extirpation #1 d the possession o their lands. You say you come in the interests of civilization yet your designs show that you come in the interest of unscrupulous rcbbers. I feel that I cannot interfere in your tehalf. Tt would be taking the part of the Evil One. You have put your foot in the trap and must take the consequences. It is bard for me to say it, for you are young ard over you, but my duty forbids me to listen to my heart or I should be an unwortby member of my order. We will return, if you please,” Slocum ground his teeth angrily. There was something in the attitude of the priest that he bad never thought of. Full of the ccmmon t any ny Western prejudices against Indiars asa s educated person who knew them could bave a of wild beast, be had never realized tha different opinion and own them to be buman Leings, , He rose also, sayin naib ‘*As you please, father. You can give me over to “the torture if you please, It will be like the practices of your church in former times «hen they had power.” The Jesuit’s only reply was: ‘You have yous opinions, my son, and I can- not argue with you on points of bistory of which you are ignorant. But you are uvivteken in one thing. 1] am not fcr you, but neither am I against you. Only you wmwust take care of yourself, Ibave done with you.” === Then they walked to Sitting Bull’s lodge. CHAPTER XX. THE ORDEAL OF QUESTION. ~ As they entered the lodge the chief looked up inquiringly; but Father de Smedt made no comment on the interview, and merely took bis leave as a courteous stranger. Then Slocum sat down in bis corver and col- | lected bis thoughts for the ordeal before him in the evening. If the priest chose to betray all be knew to | the Indians, nothing could save the young engineer, But would he nei it? Slocum could not be certain, but bt if likely. Father de Smedt seemed thorougbly to symp» thize with the Indians, and as thoroughly to distrust the whites, Seth Slocum was in a sufficiently downcast mood. when he heard bis name pronounced, and saw Sitting Bull at the door of the lodge, beckon- vig forth, e obeyed the gesture, and the chief said to him in French: “Come with me. I wish to speak to you.” . COMMNEDOOKS ‘= my beart yearns » co