Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 308 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

— —= A 18 many—not enough for fighting, and too much for a secret scout, He took a blanket strapped upon his shoul- ders, his rifle and ammunition, some dried meat and bread, and a hatchet attached to bis belt. These preparations said that he expected to camp out, and possibly meditated a long ab- sence, Besides the snow-shoes that he wore upon his ty Se carried an extra pair strapped on his ack, ‘*For Hank,” he briefly answered, when asked why he took the other pair. is departure was attended by good wishes and earnest prayers for his success, and there was a feeling of relief when he left The Ont- look, as if it was believed tbat his mission would not be an entire failure, Louis was such a warm friend of Hemlock Hank's, that Solon. Marley and his daughter knew, if Charley Creed did not, that he would leave nothing undone that could be effected by skill and courage and tireless endeavor, to dis- cover and bring back the missing man. At nightfall he brought up ata logging camp ata considerable distance from Mt. Katahdin, It was the camp of Seth Sloman’s crew, for whom Zeb Carter and his purty had been find- ing timber and preparing the pay Be Louis was known to several of them, and was heurtily welcomed in true logger fashion, He was reticent concerning his present where- abouts and eccupation, and had no news to im- part except concerning Hemlock Hank. Even that he would not have told if his search for information had not compelled him to do so. But be got no information that was of any value to him. The Jumbermen were as much surprised as grieved when they heard of the disappearance of a man wko was loved by most and respected by all of them; but they bad no theory toac- count for it. Hank Ward had no enemies, they said, un- less Sol Barnes, who bad not returned to them, might be called an enemy; but they made little account of his bostility. Zeb Caiter and another declared their inten- tion of going to Hubbard’s the coming Sunday, and trying to take up the trail from there, though they admitted that they could have little hope of success if Louis should fail. In the course of the evening the Indian in- quired casually about Dick Risden and Auguste ; but the loggers had not seen either of them since they began their winter’s work, or since the disappearance of Hemlock Hank. They supposed that the detective had gone back to the settlements. That was not the opinion of Louis, in whom the seclusion of Risden and Auguste confirmed his belief that they knew something of the mis- als man, bis view of the matter, they were proba- bly hiding; but he could give a pretty good guess at their hiding-place. He spent the night at the loggers’ camp, and early the next morning star again on his solitary tramp, going by as direct a route as possible to the mountain and the pass that led up to the big basin. It was not possible for him to avoid making something of a trail as he went into the basin; but he could at least keep himself out of the ight of any persons who might be there. fore him lay a vast field of snow, with clumps of trees here and there, and mounds of snow scattered all over it, The mounds of snow, as he well knew, were snow-covered rocks, ' He went forward cautiously but swiftly, gen- erally keeping one or more of the mounds in front of him, and stopping as he reached them to’peer out from behind them and gaze at the snowy expanse, Soon be saw something that made him pause ant aa it e-seoe ; “4 ee _It wasa é mound of snow, close under a cliff at one side of the basin. He was well enough acquainted with the locality to be quite sure that there had been no largerock in tbat spot at the time of bis last The excuse for that mound of snow must have arisen since then. _ He advanced toward it slowly and with great caution until he again saw something that made him pause, Something, too, that made him drop down bebind the nearest mound of snow. CHAPTER XXV. FROM UNDER THE SNOW. ‘* SNOWED in!” Tt is a fearful phrase, and sometimes its meaning is death—slow and lingering death, but certain and terrible. It did not have that meaning to Dick Risden qnd his companions when the detective made is announcement of the situation, Though they fully appreciated its force, and recognized its probable inconveniences and dis- comforts, it did not frighten them as it might have done if they had n placed in cifferent circumstances, Hemlock Hank. Even if the snow had drifted against and over the cabin to an almost impossible extent, covering it, say, to the depth of twenty or thirty feet, still they need not despair. It was yet early in the winter, and melting rains might be expected before the mass should be added to. Though they should find it impossible to es- cape, and should be compelled to stand a mn siege under the snow embankment, they woul not be badly off, They had plenty of food and clothing, and could scarcely freeze under that heavy blanket of snow. Of course they would be unable to cook their food without a daily supply cf fuel; but they would be able to sustain life for along time without cooking. Equally of course they were not going to stay shut up there if it was possible to get out. Every expedient would be tried before sub- mitting to such confinement. Their first thought was to try the roof, which was made of saplings laid upon stout logs and covered with boughs. A hole was made in the roof, through which a quantity of snow came down. hen a pole was thrust up through the open- ing. it passed so easily through the soft snow, that there was no telling with certainty when it reached the air above, if at all. But it was not doubted that there was a great deal of snow up there. It was suggested that they might dig out by way of the roof; but this suggestion was nega- tived after discussion. There was but one place to deposit the snow that should be removed from the upward exca- vation, and that was the cabin. When the interior was filled, what would they do with it then? Besides, they would not gain much by getting on top of a snow-bank, Similar objections prevailed sae making an attempt to dig out by way of the door. ““T guess you’ve got me safe enough now, Mr. Dick .Risden,” remarked Hemlock Hank, ae! am no more ikely to run away than you are, ‘‘Tio you fancy that I mean to stay here?” rejoined the detective. ‘‘ Well, it looks as if we’re all kinder boxed up for a while,” ‘* But I am not fond of being boxed up, and I don’t expect to stand it. I suppose we might et along for a while without wood or water; But it would scarcely be living if we sbould pull through it, and I mean to be comfortable as long as I can get about. No, Hank Ward, I dou’t intend to stay here.” ‘* How do you think you are goin’ to git out?” ‘ Kvep your eyes open, and you will see that some things can be done, as wel! as others.” The detective set about his preparations de- liberately and in a systematic manner. First, the heavy door was lifted from its wooden hinges, exposing a solid face of packed snow. Then he filled a small can with gunpowder, and made a long fuse. Then he dug a hole into the snow at the roams for a little distance, necessarily depos- ting in the cabin the snow that he took out. He crawled into the hole, which was just large enough to admit his body, and left the can of powder at the end, attaching the fuse. The door was set up against the opening to keep the snow out, and the fuse was fired. ‘“He is goin’ to blow us up,” observed Hem- lock Hank, as he led a movement toward the other end of the cabin. ‘Tam going to blow up something, bet your life,” responded the detective, who prudently ret in the same direction, The fuse fizzed, and its sputtering light disap- red under the door, and the result was anx- ney awaited from the otber end of the cabin, . Sol Barnes and the Indian had got down behind the boxes, and Hemlock Hank was squeezed into a corner; but Dick Risden stood out and faced the music, though at a reasonable distance. The music was disappointing in respect of sound. There was a dull, smothered explosion, that made things shake; hut the greatest noise was caused by the door, that suddenly flow inward, tse eg on the earthen floor with a rattling crash, At the same time the cabin was filled with flying particles of snow, that entered as if blown by a strong wind, and settled upon everything and everybody. No damage had been done, It remained to be seen whether any good had been effected, Assoon as he was able to see through the cloud of snow, the detective shook himself, and hastened to the doorway. The great mass of snow outside had been riven and shaken up and scattered by the force of the explosion. Had it settled back in the places from which it had been driven? —————EEY eee ee No—at least, only to a partial extent. There was a gap through which daylight was visible, and that was sufficient for Dick Risden. ‘* We can see our way through,” said he, “and all we’ve got to do now is to work our way through,” This was easier to say than to do; but, by the use of much labor and no little judgment, a path was finally beaten to the outer air that was both safe and reasonably convenient, The rest was a matter of detail. The snow that was in the cabin was carried out up the path, and the hinges of the door were onenged so that it would ohyp inwardly, and the bole in the roof was closed. Then a path was beaten to the nearest timber, and the necessary work of getting in wood was begun. ll this required so much time as well as labor, that when night closed in on the cabin they had only stored fuel enough to last them until morning. But they were very thankful for that, They were no longer hopelessly snowed in, and a fire made a vast difference in their situa- tion. The next day was spent by all the party, in- cluding Hemlock Hank, in beating paths and getting in wood. A z00d supply of fuel was prepared and stored, and at the same time they made heavy inroads on Dick Risden’s stock of provisions. Then came a heavy rain that lasted all day and night, keeping them indoors. Under the rainfall the snow disappeared rapidly, but was still deep on the ground, After the rain came a sleet storm and a bard freeze, which left the crusted snow in fair con- dition to travel. That is to say, they would have been able to travel if they had been possessed of snow-shoes; bat there was not a pair in the party. Dick Risden had not expected that his stay in the woods would last into the winter. Auguste had calculated on returning to the settlements with his employer before cold weather set in. Solomon Barnes bad left the remnant of his belongings at Zeb Carter’s camp. Hemlock Hank had been captured “ dry so,” with not even a weapon on bis person with the exception of his hunting-knife, There was a good crust at the surface of the snow, but not such as could be depended on, as it was liable to break under the weight of a man, Dick Risden was sure that Hemlock Hank could not get away without snow-shoes to aid his flight; but he wanted some for bimself, and Auguste was equally anxious to be able to travel, Tke only thing to do was to manufacture what they needed, and in that the difficulty was that thev had no thongs nor anything to make them of, When they had prepared the frames they sef t work to lace them with bits of cord and rope that had come with Risden’s supplies, expectir to patch out the job by cutting up some of thei clothes, It was Sol Barnes that helped them to some- thing that was vastly better than those scraps. All felt the want of fresh meaf, and the lengthy lumberman, taking one of the two rifles that were in the cabin. had sallied out as far as the beaten paths would allow him to go, hoping to see and shoot something that was eatable. He did see something. It was a pair cf moose, that were comin directly toward him, unconscious of his p ence. He dropped down behind one of the mounds of snow that dotted the basin, and quietly await- ed ihe approach of the noble gamie. The moose came on slowly, breaking through the crusted snow at every step, When they were quite near his position, the concealed hunter firec at the first, a magnificent animal, with broad, branching antlers, The bullet struck him fairly in the breast, e turned to fly; but the first bound he made in the snow overcame him, and he fell heavily. His companion had made good his escape. Sol Barnes arose from his concealment, and cautiously approached the quarry, marveling at the success of bis lucky shot, as the moose is a hard creature to kill. He could not make sure of his work with another shot, as he had neglected to bring any more ammunition; but there could scarcely be a doubt that the animal was dead. But the scene changed instantly, With a sudden bound the moose was on his feet, dropping gouts of blood from his deep wound, and maddened by pain and rage, Sol Barnes perceived his peril too late, and turned to fly. But he broke through the crust of snow, and the moose sprung upon him before he could ex- tricate himself. Tbe sharp hoofs knocked him down, and the terrible horns cut into his flesh to the bene. He clasped bis arms around the antlers, striv- ing to draw himself so close to the noose that he could not be hurt. But the infuriated beast lifted him up cut of ‘ - ” i) > Eomichbooks CO