Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 308 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

- = SO ot oe tot ee we — 12 re Pas OP Sy er eee ieee eee ee EL LL Hemlock Hank. Ipable and more oppressive asa breeze bore it down the mountain side. ‘Look, Auguste!” again exclaimed the de- tective. ‘‘ Your eyes ought to be better than mive; but I doubt if they are. Look as I point! Can’t you see something moving there?” There was a little black mite up there, if not two of them; but it was only by its change of position that anything could be discovered. ‘*Mebbe so Injun see somefin now,” replied Auguste, but with the air of wishing to please his employer, rather than as if convinced of the truth of his statement. The next moment, he did see something. Both of them saw it. It was not one or two black mites, but a tongue of flame that had suddenly crept around what seemed to be a corner of the peak. Tbe next moment the tongue was a blaze that grew and spread with amazing rapidity. CHAPTER XVI, ROUGH DEALS FOR RISDEN. As Dick Risden stood and gazed at the fire that flashed ous and spread on the mountain- side, his face wore a startled aud at the same time an anxious look, é If he had really discovered any thing up there, it would be a shame to have his discovery swept away by a forest fire. But he was convinced that that was what was destined to happen. There seemed to be a strong breeze behind the blaze, that sent it rushing and roaring through the trees and shrubs up there, until the tongue of flame developed into a vast conflagration. In a very sbort time the entire mountain-side was covered with. fire that shot upward, and witb smoke that obscured the sky. The place where the detective had seen, or imagined that he saw, the two little black mites, was surrounded and swept by the fierce flames, ‘If there were any people up there,” mourn- fully remarked Risden, ‘‘ they must have been swept away before now,” It was then near night, and darkness cgme more quickly because of the clouds of smoke that filled the air, At that hour it was useless to think of at- tempting to get back to the place from which they had come, ** We will poe magus here to-night,” said the detective, ‘‘andin the morning we will go up there and see what there is to be seen.” This was an unpleasant prospect; but Auguste epted it with resignation. At the worst it was much better than going to the big basin and defying the power o amolah, Dick Risden was siucere and determined in his intention of going up the mountain the next morning to pursue his investigations. But circumstances prevented him from carry- it into effect. e and his follower built a big fire, and laid down on the hard and cold ground, with their feet to the fire, In spite of the discomforts of the situation, ey slept soundly for a few hours. en the cold worried them no more, as they were awakened by a feeling of intense heat, which could not have been caused by their fire. It was accompanied by crackling and roarin sounds, by frequent crasbes of falling trees, an by vast volumes of smoke, They were nearly suffocated when they awoke and perceived that they had been over- taken by the forest fire. While they were reposing it had swept down the mountain-side, and had attacked the forest below, where it found plenty of fuel in the masses of pine needles, the dry leaves and twigs, and the sapless trees and bushes. Then its march was rapid until it overtook the sleepers. Suddenly aroused from their slumbers, the spectacle that was presented to their astonished gaze was nearly enough to paralyze them, The fire bad not crept upon them, but bad rushed at them with race-borse speed, and was still hurrying forward, gaining in force and in- tensity as it went, A few minutes more. of sleep, and it would have swallowed them up. At the same time it was taking possession of the forest on all sides, and the situation was one of great peril, calling for quick thought and immediate action, Already they were nearly surrounded by me, Tbey could only save their lives by flight. There was but one opening in the circle of fire, and through that they dashed, soon put- ting themselves beyond the immediate reach of the conflagration, But they were compelled to keep ou running and to choose their course wisely, for fear of being again overtaken or surrounded by the mes. The wind was a north wind, sending the fire southward, and they edged off in an ®asterly cirection, so as to get out of range of the burn- ing belt. n this they succeeded, but by dint of hard work, and at the expense of various scratches and bruises which they got by running through the bushes and stumbling over fallen trees in the darkness. When they had reached what they believed to be a place of safety, the detective turned and gazed at the burning mountain, which from that distance looked like a mass of fire and smoke, ‘*We won’t be able to go up there for a day or two at best,” said he, ‘‘and all we can do now is to go back to the basin and seeif the camp is safe there.” They rested until daylight, when they made a breakfast of the food they had brought with them, and started on their return journey, It was a long and tedious tramp, and it was not until afternoon that they reached the pass which led into the basin. They had found no indications of fire along their route, and the basin was entirely safe and apparently as they had left it. “Itisa good thing to know that we are all right bere,” remarked Risden. ‘*Pamolah heap smart—don’t want to burn hisse’f up,” replied the Indian. ‘* Why, Auguste, you are a bigger goose than I took you to be, and that is saying considera- ble, Do you really mean to give your demon the credit of that fire? If I should have a sore toe, I suppose you would hold him responsible for that.” ta heap smart,” muttered the In- ian. Everything seemed to be right when they got up into the basin; but when they reached their camping-place they discovered that some- thing had oecurred in their absence, They had left their tent hanging there be- 9 two trees; but it was not as they had left it. lt was still there, but had been cut to pieces— literally shredded, An examination soon showed them that a knife had been used upon it, cutting it down from the trees, and then slitting it up, so that its usefulness was entirely destroyed. ‘Who's been here since I’ve been gone?” whistled the detective. ‘‘Pamolah heap smart,” the Indian again declared, * Auguste, I've a great mind to break your head, You infernal, thick-skull aborigine, can’t you see that this work has been done with a knife? Does your demon of a Pamolah carry knives? Some rascally Indian or white man has come here, and has cut up my tent, just to make mischief,” The detective reflected a moment, and struck another conclusion, ‘It may be—by Jove! I magi have thought of that sooner—that the man lam seeking has got on my trail, or some of his friends have, and that this is part of a scheme to drive me away. Hello, Auguste! what have you found there?” The Indian was standing there, with a look of horror on his face, and pointing at an object near him which the detective had not yet ob- served, Risden went to the object and examined it. It was an arrow, cut from a thin slab of white cedar, fastened in a split stick that was stuck in the ground, and pointing toward the pass by which they had entered the b.sin, On the feather of the arrow was the rude figure of a snake, with its head pointing in the same direction, **Pamolah been here hisse’f,” said the Indian. * Dat be totem.” “Oh, that is the old cuss’s totem, is it? His hand and seal, as the lawyerssay. I wasnever afraid of snakes, Auguste, _ I suppose he means that he wants us to get out of here.” Auguste nodded. ‘Well, I don't mean to please him, I will see him in Halifax first. But it is my notion Auguste, that this is the work of a man, and i only wish I could lay my two hands on that man,” Auguste looked as if he expected lightning aA ke his employer dead for that impious Ww * “Light a fire, Auguste, and 1 will burn this bit of witchcraft, to break the charm. But I will first examine our caches, to see if my un- known enemy has disturbed them,” When they left the basin the morning before, they had buried their belongings in three sepa- rate places. Two of the caches contained provisions, and the other held their tools and personal effects. One of these eaches had been discovered and opened, and its contents, as an investigation showed, had been destroyed and thrown into the water. The others had escaped the search of the depredator, ear the water Risden found several prints of a moccasined foot, which did not fit the feet of Auguste. J This made it clear to his mind that the camp had been visited by an enemy who was proba- bly an Indian; but the purpose of his visit and of bis depredations was a mere matter of con- jecture. ‘*I won’t let this worry me,” said he, “It -and lunch, and’ sall bab ust sets me in the idea I had of building a ouse, so that we can be comfortable while we stay here. Lucky that the thieving scamp did “not find our axes and other tools.” ** What do fur grub?” inquired Auguste, **T am lucky there, too, as I had a supply sent to Hubbard’s, which must be waiting for me by this time,” CHAPTER XVII. CHASED BY FIRE. Trwz at The Outlcok passed very pleasantly for all concerned, except, perhaps, for Solon Marley and for Louis. As for the old gentleman, his was a settled melancholy, and he was not likely to be happy in any event but one, and that was an unex- pected and highly improbable event, But he surely seemed to be much better satis- fied with his lot in life than he had been before the arrival of the strangers. This was partly because he fel’ stronger and better in the companionship of Hemlock Hank, and partly because he was always pleased with what gave his daughter pleasure. Probably he was not thinking at the time of any results that might or might not follow her association with the young gentleman from Bangor. It was enough for him to know that a new joy had come into her life. As for Louis, he bad taken to absenting him- self from The Outlook, making long journeys in various directions when he was not needed by Mr. Marley. He had very little to say about those ab- sences; but it was unders that he was spy- ing about in search of the man of whose pres- ence and purpose in that region Hank Ward had brought warning, Charley Creed did not give his undivided at- tention to the splendid hunting that Katahdin afforded. It was quite easy to get game enough for the dwellers on the platean, and a sufficient quanti- ty had been laid away agains‘ the isolation and confinement of a possibly hard winter, The sport to which the young gentleman from Bangor gave himself up enthusiastically was that of ae His infatuation for this pursuit was naturally explained by the fact that in the many moun- tain streams trout were numerous and of re- markably fine size and quality. Such game fellows were they, too, that it was more than a pleasure to catch them. But bis fondness for fishing might also have been eye by the fact that in that occupa- tion he ad Mattie Marley for a frequent com- panion. : In that employment she could easily take part, and she was quite an expert angler, too, Their fishing excursions were highly enjoy- able to themselves, and were not objected to b any person, especially as they kept The Outloo well supplied with delicious trou One sunny day that was almost warm, wish- ing to try their luck before the streams were entirely closed by ice, they took their tackle ied forth to enjoy what would probably be their final fishing excursion that season, | Louis was away on one of his spying tramps, and Hank Ward remained at The Outlook asa companion for Solon Marley, and to attend generaily to matters there. The young agai passed around the side of the peak, and thence over a rocky divide to a heav ly-timbered’ slope on the south side of another section of the mountain, where was a trout stream with which they were well ac- ‘quainted, as it had already yielded them nu- merous messes Of speckled beauties. Noon found them iu a glen where the moun- tain-stream formed a dark and quiet poet. They had pe, but a few fish so far, as the had bus recently reached the pool, and their luck had not been very brilliant at the start. Lunch then enga their attention, as their tramp and the cool mountain air had made them hungry, and they did such gocd Pe to the food they had brought, that the fragments were scarcely worth the consideration of a starved dog. | Satisfied with his meal, and quite contented with his position there, Charley Creed lighted aie pipe, and the two drop into conversa- tion. He insisted upon speaking to her of her father and his troubles, though that was a sore subject with Mattie. What he wanted to know was the beginning ‘and culmination of the Bangor difficulty, so that he might hit upon some means of bringing Bolon Marley out clear and restoring him to his ome. , The points that he wished to get he could not learn from her father, who resolutely refused to speak on the subject, and boa ge into mel- ancholy when if was mentione ence, Charley found the daughter almost equally disinclined to discuss the subject. “What is the use, Mr. Creed?’ she said. “We had better drop it and attend to our fishing.” in his pres- — Eomicbooks.col