Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 289 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

ee ae wee ee TET SE a ere ’ ~ ~ ed, oo Sere other plantations, as they ——_—— he Os —- ‘ ” . 7 * 20 A did not find the two “hard cases,’’ Caleb and Nero. ’ Those men were not in their appointed places, but had suddenly disappeared, and nobody knew what had become of them. A third man, who had also been suspected by Zeke Tibbles, was likewise ——e. “This means mischief,” said Fred Henning, ex- pressing the opinion of the others. **No doubt of that,’’ responded Mr. Delarosse. “The trouble is that we do not know what sort of —_—-- position to guard against it. It may be that those men have merely run away. If so, ghey are not likely to getfar. If there were danger of an insur- rection we would must have many con- Even Mr. Tibbles is not Yankee enough to guess at what they mean to do, and we can only prepare our arms and ammunition and stand ready to protect our lives and wig og OS After a thorough search for the missing negroes, which resulted in making their disappearance a Tis4 matter of certainty. the party returned to the house } and discussed the situation. federates. mischief is meant, and therefore are not in a good | have had some echoes of it from | that could not readily be reached, the big hound. was introduced to them by his master. Satan made their acquaintance after the fashion that was peculiar to him, showing by his look and manner that he understood the duty that was ex- pected of him. Then he laid down in front of the door, on guard. When the men had done all they could do, hav- ing got their arms and ammunition fully ready, with a few articles to be possibly used for barri- — purposes, there was nothing for them but to wait Leon Delarosse had already inquired concerning his nephew. . ‘ As it was the general suspicion that Jonas Hexa- mer was responsible for the expected raid, it was only natural ‘hat he should want to know what had become of Paul, who had not been visible since that depressing scene with his uncle. e was found sulking in his room, and it was judged best not to disturb him. The task of waiting was anything but a pleasant one, Waiting for any event over which those who wait | have no control is apt to beget restlessness and ner- / vousness; but waiting for an ex ted conflict, in which our lives and the lives of those who are dear | to us are at stake, is trying to the strongest nerves, It was a relief to know what they had to expect, but perplexing to feel that they could not tell when | orin what shape or from what quarter the attack Fda? From this discussion the ladies were necessarily ire excluded, as it was desired that they should not be ea | alarmed. ee But the secrecy itself excited their curiosity, and Pw they could easily guess that danger of some sort Vy was apprehended. i Paul Delarosse was also excluded, because nobody | . trusted him. When the men had come to the conclusion that ws they could do nothing but wait, with their in, ar ger: in readiness, they went out on the front porch, to ah y smoke their cigars in the night air. eat / While they were there a negro boy came up with of a me e. Ds *Dar’s a man out yar,’’ said he, “ who wants to oe... see Mr. Hennin’.” a Age were there. “1 - “ee - », ai, iu “ Wha* is his name?” asked Fred. “He didn’t gib me no name, sah,”’ “Is he a white man?” 7 1 eer w'ite, I ay orind Ba ” w’ite, an’ he’s got a pow’ful big dog.” 3 we “T will go to hin at once.” «WW ‘ ‘ CHAPTER XXVIII. SAUL AND SATAN. t y As Fred Henning supposed, it was Saul Stiner who sent the message, and he was found waiting in ty _ shadow of the trees at a little distance from the house, te m. As! **Tam very glad to find you here,” said Fred, as he grasped the hand of the swamp sucker. ‘‘I was afruid t we you again.” De *‘ You wouldn’t see me now, especially at this lace,’ answered Saul, ‘if it wasn't to give warning pte ] gy will strike this place to-night.” + n sort. Do you know in what shape it is to come?” swamp where the young lady was are going to strike this a to-night. You know about them, @s some o They have picked up some others about the neighborhood, and of course there is a oe of arm to lead them on; but I don't know who 8 fo “T can guess your warning has come none too soon. There is no time tolose. Will you go up to ithe house with me?” a: “4 ‘That is what I'm here for. Satan and I have | come to do what we can to help “Y¥ou and Satan are worth Stiner.” and hastily made known the news that the Redes man had brought. “ How did you get held of this information, Mr. _ $Stiner?’’ askei Leon D-larosse, who was always eourteous to yl he sé Fred noticed that _-—s idiotic style which he had worn when he was ex- -__— hibiting his snake at Natchez, and which was surely * 7 - ® * +t. "a + * ae Se. Ast ve ‘7 ‘ mot his rightful manner. Bee es But he made himself understood easily enough, and said that while he was looking for night-birds in a the woods he had seen a meeting of negroes whom Pee he knew to be bad oues, ‘He had crawled near them and overheard their talk, from which he learned that they intended to make an attack on Gravelly Bayou that night. tab He did not know what the size of the attacking ‘force would be, nor what was its object, nor who --was its leader; but the information he had gained - \ ‘was so important that he hastened to put it where it would do the most good. “- ‘Could there be any mistake about this, Mr, Hen- * s < ~ aw by {> > Fas - " ie od a ra, * tes ' m & oy 7 ning?" asked Leon Delarosse. 4 ee sss * T would stake my life on the truth of everything Peaks friend says,”’ answered Fred. ae Leon Delarosse acted promptly. “Le He sent a trusty young negro, well-mounted, to questing immediate assistance. Then, with the assistance of General Brayham, he é iy ’ ° ea a (%y three plantations nearest to Gravelly Bayou, re- | ba lished a system of guard and picket duty, and (pagan baa tery was sent out into the grounds as the | first picket. The ladies had by this time got fairly on the —-«geent of the excitement, and their anxiety could aes 7D ppeased by giving them exact information er ‘Stthe state of affairs’ . ‘Then they were calm, and no person on the plan- regi?) 8 of tation was cooler than they. Se a Brayham had no more fear in her composi- A a on than that veteran of the Mexican war, her hus- band, and Kate Helmsley was of the same stamp. Pe Non “a It was. proper that they should have a special oO , efense, and | “ aa). ies they had taken up their quarters in a room 4 te te) ; ; : ‘ » my ¢ : . * oar ‘ w. b« > Fhe, . * vay ' “ err Poh . ° ; " . Ve ee -* * . them struck our cabin the night you. Saul at once put on the semi- | He looks like a pore | - He carried a rifle, and Satan was crouched near : might come. The mansion at Gravelly Bayou was very poorly adapted for purposes of defense. It might well have been said to be open to the world, as the broad porch entirely surrounded if, and it was so constructed as. to give the freest access and p»ssage to the air and to its occupants, as it was all windows and doors, The doors might have been managed; but so many of the windows were nearly level with the porch that it was quite out of the question to think of barricading them. There was nothing in the way of defeuse possible, therefore, except a square stand up fight, and the defenders could only hope that their assailants would attack in a body, so that they might be fairly met, without a division of force Midnight had come and passed, and the watchers began to yawn and stretch themselves. They had foregone their cigars, and the Gravelly Bayou wines had been touched but lichtly, as it was necessary that they should have clear heads and steady nerves. *“T hope itisa false alarm,” said Leon Delarosse, as he drew along breath. ‘It seems as if we ought | to have seen something of them by this time if they t I was not to have the pleasure of seeing | to you folks here. There’s a cloud about to burst, | We have had a hint of trouble of some | “Those runaway niggers at the island in the | ou. ; ¥ half a dozen men. | —“*#From the bottom of my heart I thank you” . The party on the porch had been wondering who | Beet or what Henning’s late visitor could be, and their | _——s wonder was none the less when he came to them | es. “j ‘with a poorly-dressed young man accompanied by a tr ho Bag sos. ene, _ Fred introduced the stranger as ‘ my friend, Saul — — — ' to his feet and were coming. It can’t be long, now, before we hear from Poindexter’s people. They are sure to start as soon as word reaches them.” ‘**f am afraid it will not prove to bea false alarm,” remarked Fred ‘Ee pRS * Perhaps not; but I hope it is.” ‘it is not!’ exclaimed Saul Stiner as he up. “ There they are!” CHAPTER XXIX. THE MOCCASINS’ DEADLY FANGS. Aus looked when Saul Stiner spoke; but declared that they saw nothing. Their eyes were not, as his were, able to dis- tinguish objects in the darkness almost as well as in the daylight. “Tam sure that Isaw a man moving about there in ee shrubbery,”’ said Saul. ‘Look! there he is again!’ Fred te a saw the object then, and he jumped railed it. ** Who's that? Who goes there?” There was no answer, and it was not thought worth while to leave the house and look for intruders, Again they waited, and the next evidence of the presence of enemies came in a more startling man- ner. The report and flash of a firearm came from be- hind a tree near the house, and a bullet whizzed close to the head of Leon Delvrosse. This challenge was immediately accepted; but the sound of the answering shot was almost lost in the noise and confusion that immediately ensued. It seemed asif a band of demons had suddenly been evolved out of the darkness. The racket they made well deserved to be styled infernal. The reports of various kinds of firearms followed each other in rapid succession, mingled with such hideous yells and howls as could only proceed from the throats of savages, or of negroes infuriated by rum. In their room the two women heard those horrible noises, and started up in alarm; but Satan gave forth his thunderous growl without stirring from his position. Fast and furious as the shots were, all but the first flew wide of the mark, or were fired at random. “Bah! We will soon settle with that scum,” said Fred Henning as he drew his revolver. But his opinion changed when the yelling and howling pack rushed ~ to the house, apparently from all directions, and its few defenders, separated started ' and bewildered, found themselves hotly engaged in , r that purpose Saul Stiner’s idea was | Cw, 2 a hand-to-hand fight that was no boy's play. Where was Dennis Malone? How had all those blacks get so near the house without his knowledge; and what had become of him? The attacking foree. which appeared to be com- posed entirely of negroes, had he advantage of numbers and ferocity; but the defenders had cooler heads, better weapons, and more skill in their use. When it came to a close conflict with revolvers, the resources of the white men were sure to count. They also had at the outset the advantage of a cen- tral position. But that was soon lost to them, and at first it seemed that all must be lost, as the house swarmed with savage and demoninac negroes, who had sudden- ly foreed their way in at the doors and wenioe’s, and were rushing frantically through the rooms an aASsaAges, ? Then the revolvers began to crack briskly, if not merrily, and every waite man stood up to his work - if the entire defense depended upon himself alone, ¥ ; qs "25 m2] 2 hie. “4S = - . « ~ «.* . . ‘ ae Re ia 7 . . “* be — 7 4 “i —— bike Ries the thought of se! pobe pon phy fore- most, steadying every nerve, an ckening eve fiber to its intensest qution. : : “gf Old General Brayham, with his back to a wall, faced his foes as coolly as he had done at Resaca de la Palma. Leon Delarosse, too, had suddenly thrown off the burden of his years, and was full of fire and action. As for Fred Henning and Saul Stiner, they seemed to be everywhere at once, and wherever they went they made a vacancy. Satan remained crouched as his master had placed m. His time for action had not yet arrived. But it soon came, and he proved himself the right dog in the right place. wo of the wild negroes, armed with clubs, dashed into the passage that led to the room in which Mrs. Brayham and Kate had taken refuge. Doubtless they bad no special object in view; but the sight of the women through the open coor inflamed them, and they rushed forward, expecting to find an easy prey. Kate stepped forward to close the door; but Satan was there. Only for an instant was he there. Then, with a Savage growl, he bounded forward like a black avalanche, his big body darkening the pissage, and leaped upon the foremost of the negroes, Borne backward te the floor by the force of the aa the man had scarcely a chance to yell, when those cruel jaws closed upon his throat, His companion, frightened out of his wits, turned and fled more swiftly than he had come, After a few seconds, leaving the negro stretched motionless on the floor of the passage, Satan return- ed and crouched down in his place. Mrs. Brayham uttered a brief prayer of thankful- ness. ‘* We, at least, are well defended,” said Kate. The yelling and the shooting had aroused Paul Delarosse, who had remained shut up in his room, waiting as those below were waiting. But he did not know that they were waiting, as he had not cared to venture downstairs to find out what was going on. He had-no reason to believe that anything unu- sual was in progress or expected by them, as all was quiet about the place until the sudden attack was made. Then he jumped up, full of excitement and eager ectation. onas Hexamer had kept his word, and the blow was struck that was to make him free and wealthy. e Why should he not play his part by making a. sham fight. as Hexamer had told him he migi\t? Perhaps he could do something better than that, if he made a good use of his chances. ** Tt will be queer if I don't get even with some of them now,” he muttered, as he seized his pistol and hurried down-stairs. Just at that moment, when Fred Henning, having found himself hard pressed, had dispate!.ed a stal- wart negro who had rushed upon him unexpectedly, he was startled by two shots right near bim. A bullet whizzed by his head, and another grazed his left shoulder. _ He turned quickly, and saw Paul Delarosse stand- ing at a little distance from him, in the act of cock- ing his revolver. Fred sprung upon the young man, and seized his pistol-hand, jerking it up. * What are you doing here, you young rascal?” he sharply demanded. ‘““Who are you calling a rascal?” angrily replied Paul. “Do you know who you are talking to?” ‘What are you doing here, I say?” ‘* Helping you fight. Can't you see that?" ‘* What were you shooting at?” “That nigger there.”’ **You lie! You were shooting at me, and you hit me, too.” ‘You must be crazy to say such a thing.” “Tf not, you are too bad a shot to be trusted with firearms. Give me that pistol.” Paul was not disposed to give it up without a struggle, and Fred Henning, lanching out his right fist with all the force of a thoroughly argry man, knocked him down anid took the pis'!ol from him. This little fracas bad preven Fred from going to the assistance of L«on Delarosse, who was just then sorely beset. The old gentleman was in the main hall, near the door that opened on the front porch, There he was attacked by a half-naked negro, armed with a heavy, old-fashioned pistol, which he leveled at close range and pulled the trigger. It missed fire, and Leon Delarosse sent a bullet from his own revolver into his antagonist’s body. This ought to have settled him; but the stubborn and reckless brute cocked and leveled his pistol again. Before the hammer could fall, the last bullet from the old gentleman’s revolver pierced his breast, and made an end of his apbting peg As the negro fell, a heavily- white man sprung forward from the porch upon the then de- fenscless proprietor of Gravelly Bayou, With his left hand he seized Leon Delarogse b the throat, and in his right he held a knife, whi rose and fell twice upon the old gentleman’s breast before the murderous work could be interru ) The interruption came from Fred Henning. — As soon as he had got Paul Delarosse off bis hands, ue ran = help we old friend, eerie flerce ery as he saw the assassin at his wor The cry startled the white man, who darted back to the porch, jumped down to the und, and ran away, but not before Flush Fred b meee aed him as the man whom he had first seen at Martigny, and afterward on the Sabine. Fred snapped. Paul Delarosse’s pistol at him as he went, but without effect, as the young man had discharged the only chambers that happened to be | loaded, Then het tention to the old gentleman, en he turned his atte bl : he “pe sunk upes he floor of the hall, reelv from two te wo As Fred raised him in his arms, vainly endeavor- ing to stop the flow of blood, he chanced to look up, and saw Paul Delarosse standing near by, re i the scene with a look of exultation Tito thers could be no mistaking. : fae ‘ Pe i a . , é ‘ 4 , 8 - \ SOmMmicyp m4 ane | m5) ce ‘e . “es ee