Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 272 — page 38: what you’re looking at

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

14 Lone Calf was the young hunter who bad | the palm toward the new-comers, and waving first spoken, He made no answer but to bow his head and set off at a break-neck pace, over ground where an American horse would have fallen a dozen times inside of the first mile, his pony skipping cver the cracks and lumps with as miuch safety as over a smooth meadow. These *‘ Bad Lands” into which he was enter- ing were a sufficiently desolate place for any inan to pause before daring their recesses, before their top, which was some seven- ty-tive feet above the level of the ravines be- tween them, had been the bottom of a great in- land 'ake, which bad dried up, and in drying had cracked open the soft strata in chasms that ran clear through the clays of which the bed was formed. | The rains and snows of winter and spring had widened these chasms and deepened them, by carrying off the soil at the bottem, till the whole face of the country was cut into thou- sands of sharp ridges and ravines, crossing each other in a maze of tracks, but every year - ing deeper, with the ridges between them sharp- e vf, Itwas like the ordinary network of prairie guiches and divides, only ten times worse; for the ordinary prairie ravines are passable at the bottom or along the summits of the divides, but the Bad Lands are not practicable for a wagon, and very difficult for borses. _ Nevertheless, Lone Calf made bis way from bottom to bottom ata keen run, only slacken- ing his pace when the ground wasstrewn with bowlders fallen from the banks, and totally re- gardless of the d scenery round bim. For the Bad Lands toa passenger are full of wonders, All around Lone Calf towered perpendicular cliffs of yellow clay, banded with broad belts of sky blue, creamy-white, vivid scarlet, black and golden yellow, at they resembled an artificial erection in the Chinese taste. Every band wasasstraight and clearly defined as if drawn with a ruler, and the colors were the same on both sides of the ravine, and in every ravine that crossed them as he rode on, Not a spear of grass, save on the top of the ridges; and every where these unnatural-looking bands of colored clays, clay-slates, and coal, with beds of ochre-yellow that would be worth many thousand dollars, could they be transport- ed Exust for the color-market. To all these the young Indian was sublimely indifferent. He bad seen them before, and fived among them from boyhood. The wonders of nature and the beauties of scenery affected him nothing, save that he was always on the lookout for game; and game gen- erally frequented beautiful places, but kept clear of Bad Lands. On he went, winding and twisting among the ravines, but never losing sight of his direction among them. He had caught sight of what he knew to bea trading party, nearly ten miles off, and knew they were entering the Bad Lands, while be also knew that the buffalo were migrating to the south through those very Bad Lands, and that if notstopped, be and his fellow-hunters would bave all the winter meat they wanted, while, if the trading-party turned back the buff:lo the berds would give them a severe chase an little meat. Lone Calf was a young man who had not yet taken a scalp, though he had been out alone so often when only a boy, looking for glory that they had nicknamed him the Lone Calf—a pame he fondly hoped to change some day to Lone Wolf or r, if he could only kill enough meno, That was his grand embition, as it is of every Indian boy, to be a successful slayer of men, and if he could only steal plenty of horses besides, he would be a full-fledged warrior, and worthy to wear an eagle-teather in his war- bonnet, At present Lone Calf was confined to turkey- feathers. He had not even got a necklace of wolf-claws. He was a sad specimen of disap- inted ambition, being eighteen years old, without a sealp at bis belt, even so much as a cbild’s, When-he first started out he bad an idea that he might get a scalp among the traders, but a moment’s reflection convinced him that this would not do. ‘Traders, especially carrying guns and am- munition, were held sacred by a decree of the combined councils of: the five tribes that bad confederated in the Yellowstone Valley to re- sist the farther progress of the railroad and bad already turned back a powerful expedition of United States troops with considerable slaugh- ter and glory. Lone Calf knew that if he took a scalp from the coming in, bowever the deed might tempt bim, he stood a chance of being disci- plined by the “ dog-soldiers,” und they had a way of skinning men alive for punishment. if necessary. So Lone Calf rode on to meet the party, and as soon as he got in sight, he begdn to make peaceful signals by holding up his band witb —_—_ A TT TT _— — at i LL LT LL LL LLL LT cnn een enc eee ee ner cre nne — —~_ his lance with the point downward. He used his eyes well on the advance, and saw that the party consisted of two white men, a half-breed and two squaws, with quite a little string of pack-ponies and a large berd of horses driven loose, All the animals locked gaunt and half-starved, while their feet were in very bad condition from traveling on bard ground, but the driven horses were for the most part shod, and the In- dian saw on their shoulders tbe brand that he bad seen so many times and knew to be the Government mark, though he could not read a etter. To him the brand “‘U. 8.” was nothing but a * bow and snake,” and as such he called it to bimself, while he advanced, his dark eyes glow- ing with envy at the treasures he saw before him. The half-breed, who was dressed in the In- dian costume, rode to the front and made the sign of amity, while bis party halted and he ad- vanced to meot the young Indian. It was interesting to see the way in which they eyed each other, both trying to seem indif- ferent, but watching like cats, tgeir rifles lying across their knees, as they advanced sidewise, keeping the left front to the stranger, ready for a shot on the first suspicious motion or ook, The balf-breed spoke first: ‘* Whence comes the Cut Throat?’ Cut Throat is the meaning of Dakotah, the Indian name of Sioux. Lone Calf answered with a question: ‘* Whence comes the stranger?” ‘from the East, with cartridges for the war- riors and horses for chiefs to ride on to battle,” said Bat. “My tribe is on the fall hant and cannot trade till the beasts are all skinned,” said Lone Calf, stiffly. ‘**The stranger must come no further, or he will frighten them away.” Bat made a gesture of assent. : “It is good. But we canrot turn back, and this is no place to camp. We have come far, and taken many horses from the white soldiers, Is the Sitting Bull with the hunters?” Lone Calf smiled slightly. The question was an impertinence, and he knew it. answered, evasively, *‘and his way is under the cloud. The stranger must p2ss out the way he came, or wait till the bunt is over.” “Who speaks?’ asked Bat, imperiously, “Itis a boy that never heard of the Horse Chief.” Lone Calf looked confused. He had heard of the Horse Chief before, as a celebrated warrior, who bad married a daugh- ter of Sitting Bull; but he hated to give own name till it had been gilded with some re- nown. So he affected disbelief and retorted: ‘‘It is easv to say you are the Horse Chief, but Tam no boy to believe all that a stranger savs, Bat curled his lip. ‘* You are a boy that never took a scalp,” he said, scornfully. “Throw down your wea- cae and I will show you if I am the Horse ef. Lone Calf instantly pointed bis rifle. ‘*Tf you are the Horse. Chief, show it on some one else,” he answered. ‘‘| have heard the Horse Chief can raise a man single-handed, and bas the Ripple for a squaw. Let me see it roved.” “Fall back then,” said Bat, imperiously. “I will show you who I am, and after that, you shall take the whip.” The young Indian hesitated, He was not certain if the stranger was de- ceiving him, and he knew that if he made a mistake and the other were really the re- nowned Horse Chief, his own existence would be decidedly uncomfortable for the next few months. The Horse Chief hed the name of being 4 merciless antagonist, though the tribe had not seen him for years. ‘‘If my brother is the Horse Chief,” he said more politely, “I would not be wanting in respect; but Powder Face sent me to stop you, and I must do my duty or be punished.” Bat’s countenanve cleared at once, ‘‘ Powder Face is a warrior, and rides in the night. If hesent youit is well. We will re- tire. But you are a boy and should not talk so loud before men.” ng Lone Calf Jet bis rifle fall instantly. ‘Powder Face sent me. I will lead you to the valley if you wish,” be said. Bat waved his hand politely. “Tt is well. Doso,” he answered. | The young Indian dashed across the front of the party, full speed, and Bat followed him more slowly, down a side ravine and through a maze of similar places, till they emerged in the green valley of the Yellowstone, and saw before them a magnificent sp°ctacle. The whole valley seemed to be crowded with a black mass of buffalo, moving on at a trot straight toward the Bad Lands, at a point some six miles above the place whence they bad just ” J ““The Sitting Bull is a chief in council,” he | — is / A A TT ee SS RE SS ——Eee STS SS eee _ | ib Seth Slocum, Railroad Surveyor. emerged, and a crowd of mounted [Indians were arassing their flanks, spesring and shooting, 8o that the onward path of the vast herd was marked by a stream of dead bodies, past which the bunters rode as fast as ever, taking new Vie~ tims at every stride. Bat uttered a yell of delight. ‘* Now you shall see life,” he cried, CHAPTER XVI, THE TEST. Lire indeed it was, wild life, full of the most maddening excitement, that met the gaze of -~ young engineer, as he looked on at the unt. Everything was on a grand scale, and in such noe motion that the scene was indescribably ng. The buffalo at the head of the column were running ahead, while those in the rear rushed frantically from side to side, to escape from their persecutors, or else charged oe at the flying horsemen, who hung round them like s0 many Wasps, evading the charges and sting- ing all the time, Pat Richards seemed beside bimself at the sight, and called to Slocum: ‘* Now, brother, strip and come in, We shal? have meat as well as the rest.” He began to strip off his clothes as he spoke, throwing them on the ground, while the two. squaws, without waiting for orders, gathered their pack-ponies into a bunch, and gan to hopple them securely, before unloading to go. into camp by the Bad Lands, Montana George looked disturbed, and called earnestly to Slocum: ‘* Don’t ye go in there. It’s as much as ao white man’s life’s worth.” Bat beard him and screamed in French; “TIT tell you to come, It will make yous name among them. You are with usor against us. The Black Cloud itself will not protect you, if you do not keep close to me,” Slocum hesitated no longer. He knew that he was entirely at the mercy of the Indians, and must gain their confidence at any hazard: so be hastily stripped to the waist, and, a few minutes later, was following Bat into the fray, his horse, that had been so jaded but a little before, now wild with excitement and crazy for the bunt, . Slocum had hunted buffalo before; but not like an Indian. One old bull, the shaggiest and grandest he could pick out, had been bis solitary Victim on the Yellowstone’ Expedition, but here he saw the Indians, witb their bows and arrows, dropping only the fat cows, and thinking no more of a single victim than a butcher of a sheep, Faithful to the plan be bad formed of sticking close to Bat, be followed the example of the half-breed, keeping at his heels, and learned a good deal of buffalo-hunting in this, his first genuine lesson. He found that his former teachers, the caval- ry soldiers and officers, had been mere botches at the work compared to the Indians, Bat never fired a sbot till be had picked out bis victim, and vot then till the muzzle of bis Winchester rifle nearly touched the side of the quarry, Handled in this = al bullet bad its billet, and by the time the buge herd finally passed into the Bad Lands, and were lost to view, the valley was full of carcasses, of which Slocum felt proudly that one bad fallen to every shot that he himself bad fired. Then be found bimeelf in the midst of a fran- tic, yelling crowd of Indians, stripped for their work, covered with blood from the buffalo, and coming racing down toward bin, bowling like demons as they saw bis white skin, For one moment his nerve shook, for Bat Ricbards had vanished from sight. The next, he set his teeth, with determination not to be cowed by them if they were only test- ing bis courage, and yeling up his horse, faced them boldly and made the sign of the “ Black Cloud.” The effect was not what he expected. If any of the onecomers recognized it, they paid no attention to it, but came racing on harder than ever, yelling: “ Hil pip! yip! yip! at yaH!! HI YAH!!” Indeed it was an appalling sight toa man who had seen their crueltiesin battle, but the young surveyor was strung up toa pitch of nervous excitement in which he bad become perfectly reckless, and he brandished bis rifle, echoing the yell,and met the foremost Indian with & blow of the stock that would have knocked the savage off bis horse, bad he not dodged over, paneing by one arm and leg with a taunting augh. The next moment Slocum was set upon by & dozen warriors, clutching at him’ with their open hands, and two of them seized bim from bebind unawares, and pulled him ff his beast: witha swing, as easily as if he bad been a child, carrying him off, full eee ~ hen there was a wild chorus of yells and tri- » a laughter, in the ge tyrone he was to the earth, sent rolling beadlon while the wild hunters raced after him and CoO S C NnicbDoOOo bats co