Beadle's Dime Library No. 327 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

~~ carry it to the camp?” demanded the young man. “Not I,” sternly answered the guide, as he whirled the skiff around and headed it away from the spot. “You will be sorry for this some time, Ward!” ‘Don’t believe I will. Not if I know myself and I guessI do. I’dstarve for meat afore I'd take that baby into camp. It’s bad enough to take in the man that shot it. No fawn-hunter goes out with me no more—never—not at all!” Julius Muldrow was sulky enough on his way back to the camp, and his sulkiness continued after he had landed. ' Hemlock Hank said 1 DOME about an com- panion’s exploits in his presence, merely re- marking that they had killed nothing, and Ju- lius was equally reticent. ‘““ But I heard two shots,” urged Risden. ‘‘ Yes—-they were fired in the air,” answered Hank. | When he was alone with his friend he told him the story of the fire-hunt, and freely ex- pressed his deep di at the exhibition Mul- drow had made of himself. “Tm more out o’ patience with that chap than ever,” said he. ‘* There’s no use tryin’ to make anythin’ of him. If I do all I can to lease him, and try to git on the right side of im, the cuss is sart’in to break out with some new bit of meanness that r’ilas my very giz- »” * Well, Hank, we must try to finish up the business that brought us here, and get out of the scrape.” CHAPTER XVIII. A SCOUT AND A FIND. In pursuance of his expressed desire to finish the business that had brought them up into the pine woods, Terrapin Dick that night proposed to his friend that they should make a long scout the next day to endeavor to find traces of the Sanders family, who were believed to be not far from their camp as it was then located. Julius Muldrow insisted upon accompanying them. His experience with a bear on the occasion of the previous absence of both of them from the camp had been sufficient to disgust him with the idea of being left alone. As there was no help for it, they were obliged to count him as one of the scouting- , They had their breakfast as soon as the dawn gave them light enough to see, after which they cached in a hole in the ground all their portable property except the skiif, which they concealed in a clump of bushes. They took nothing with them but their arms and ammunition and a supply of cooked pro- visions for each. “You'll have to bo the guide here, Dick,” said Hemlock Hank as they left the lake. ‘‘ You ought. to be able to lead us to the hole the Kanucks took you to, and that’s the place we want to strike first.” “ You must not bet too heavy on me there,” replied the detective. ‘‘I was so worried and mad just then that I confess that I didn’t have a very clear idea of courses and distances. But I will make the best guess at it that I can.” As it turned out, he made a very good guess, though it must be admitted ‘that he was largely pa by Hemlock Hank, who struck tho ta.l which the Kanucks had made when they car- ried off his friend, and had no difficulty in fol- lowing it. They easily found the ravine in which had been the den of the vagabonds, and entered it cautiously, with their weapons ready for action, as it was probable that they might get into trouble there. The detective and the guide noticed, but with- out prcsenssng upon the fact, that Julius Mul- drow lagged behind at this juncture, freely giv- ing up to them the post of danger. But. there was no danger, as it happened. The glen was empty, and the camp was desatted In the opinion of Terrapin Dick it had not been occupied since he was a prisoner there. What had become of the Kanucks? This was not a question of any importance to the Americans; but as they continued ther scout, they soon discovered signs of the vaga- bo nds. At a little distance from the mouth of the ravine they found a trail, and followed it out of curiosity, as they might as well take that direc- tion as any other. It led them among hills and ravines, and finally up the side of a mountain, where it became merged in a plain and well-trodden th. a This begins to look like business,” remarked Hemlock ‘‘ We're bound to git some- where afore long, and it’s somethin’ more’n a Kanuck camp that we're apt to find at the eend 0’ this trail, too.” : The detective was of the same opinion, and Hank took the lead, moving as cautiously as if upon the track of an enemy whom he might meet at any moment. (rr rr LL Le mm Perrapin' Dick. — a Again Julius Muldrow lagged behind, keeping at are tful distance from his comrades, They got well up into the mountain when Hemlock Hank suddenly halted, and motioned for silence. “*T heard voices ahead,” he said. ‘* Listen!” The detective listened, and also heard the voices. Soon they heard something more than voices, a few rifle-sshots breaking the silence of the mountain. ‘*Tt must be the Kanucks,” said the guide, ‘and they’ve got into some sort of a fight, I guess. I wouldn’t ha’ thought they had the grit to do it. We must find out what they’re up to. Hank crept forward in the path, followed closely by his friend Risden, and more distantly by Julius Muldrow, until he came in sight of a part of the mountain that was too steep to be ascended. It might have been supposed to bar further progress in that direction, had not a gap been am le that must lead to somewhere or some- thing. As the guide and his friend crouched in con- cealment and ‘‘ sized up” the situation as wellas they could at the time, a shot was fired from the gap, and was quickly followed by one from be- hind a tree at the outside. It was clear that the Kanucks, or whoever might be there, were besieging some persons at the gap or inside of it. ‘*] can’t make this out,” whispered Hemlock Hank. ‘‘If those are the Kanucks that we’ve been follerin’, they must ha’ got on the scent o’ big plunder, as it is sart’in that the sneaks wouldn’t fight fur nothin’.” ‘* Tt is our business to know what is going on here,” replied Risden. ‘‘ Wemust find out what their game is, and perhaps we may have to take a hand in it.’ ‘**'That’s so, Dick, and if there’s anybody with us who would rather not git into trouble, that somebody had better step out now and take the back track to the camp. This hint was intended for Julius Muldrow; but he gave no heed to to it, doubtless consider- ing himself in any event better off with his friends than away from them. Hemlock Hank led the way up among the rocks and bushes and stunted trees to a position at the Fi fg of the gap and somewhat above that which was suppo to be occupied by the Kanucks. From this position, while they could easily conceal themselves, they were able to see all that went on below them and at the gap. Nothing was done for a while. Both the belligerents kept quiet, and it was impossible even to guess at the intentions of either party. Finally a new plan of campaign began to take shape. The Kanucks—for there could no longer be any doubt as to who the assailants were—numbering seven or eight men, could be seen advancing from tree to tree in the hollow, drawing closer together, and gradually approaching the gap as they kept themselves well sheltered. e It was to be supposed that their object was to t as near as possible to the gap in a body, an hen make a rush and carry the position of their unknown enemies. This design was well carried out, and the ad- vance of the vagabonds, though slow, was sure and apparently safe. Not a shot was fired from the gap, and no sign of life was visible there. It looked as if the Kanucks were about to make a success of their bold but carefully con- sidered enterprise. ‘“No use in’, Dick,” remarked Hemlock Hank. ‘‘ We'll have to take a hand in this game, as you said. I must say, too, for my part, that [m glad of the chance. How does it strike you, old man?” : ‘*It suits me to a fraction, as I owe those scampsa grudge. Shall wesw hollow and tackle them, or pi them from here?” **'We had better pounce on ’em and be quick about it. Look! they are all ready to rush in. There they goina bunch. Come on, Dick!” The vagabonds, in fact, were already at the gap, and were crowding into it, when something down into the off a few of pened. pators Hemlock Hank and his comrade could begin to descend the hill, there was a rushing, roaring noise at the gap, like the sound of dis- tant thunder, and Kanucks hastened to make the best possible use of their legs in run- RE Away. from there. ‘*“By the big steel spikes!” exclaimed the guide, ‘‘ What the tarnation is that?” CHAPTER XIX. WARFARE AND WATER. _ THE shouts of Abner Sanders when he ran into the basin beyond the gap roused his father and his brother at once, and they came tumb]- ing out of the house, half-dr Nick a good third, and with their weapons ready for any emer sé father. ncy. tis the matter, Abner?’ demanded his — — i — —e— 13 **Kanucks. They follered me here, and are comin’ in. Say, dad, Judge Meacham gimme a8 rifle. Did you find any ca'’tridges at the e?” ‘* Lots of em. Tin box full. Ask mammy.” Ike Sanders could not stop to talk, but hurried toward the gap, shouting to Dave and Nick, both of whom were close behind him. It was not the first time he had been raided by prowling thieves who had discovered his secluded retreat, and he wanted to give this batch a lesson that would cause them to keep ——_——e. = away from him. To this wish was of course added the some- thing more than instinct that prompts a man to defend his family and his home. ‘‘ Aunt Sereeny,” as Nick Sanders styled the mother of the family, was awake as soon as an of them, and was ready for action quite as quic as any of them. In fact, a little quicker; as she had only to jump into a flannel skirt and hook it, and she was dressed. She had a hunting rifle of her own, too, and knew how to wee, Se the weapon, and was always ready and willing to use it. But just then she was obliged to answer the hurried demand of Abner for ‘‘them ca’trid- res. ?? The lad stuffed a number of them into his pockets, and hurried off after his father. Ike Sanders, closely followed by Dave and Nick, had already reached the gap, just in time to check the advance of the Kanucks and pre- vent them from entering and taking possession of the basin. Abner tn A joined them, and his mother hastened down with her rifle, prepared to doa man’s part in the work of defending her home and family. For afew minutes there was a brief inter- change of shots, the effect of which was to drive the assailants out of the gap and send them to seek cover. It was not deemed advisable to take the risk of following them out, especially at night, as the Sanders family thought they would be doing a enough to keep them from entering the asin. Therefore it was decided that they should con- fine their efforts for the present to the duty of guarding the gap. The arrangement was that Ike Sanders and Dave should keep watch, that the mother should return to the house, and that Nick and Abner should sleep there on the ground, with their rifles at their sides, There was not much sleeping done, however. Abner was highly excited over his recent adventures, which he was anxious to relate, and h cousin Nick soon became deeply interested in the story. The lad began with his journey to Staley’s as guide to Judge Meacham, and took great pride in showing the valuable rifle which the judge had forced on him as a gift. Then he told of his adventure on the shore of a lake with a strange man, in which several wild- cats were mixed up. Next’ came an account of the capture of the r by the Kamiucks, and then he told how he h raided the camp of the vagabonds, fright- ened them away, and rescued their captive. ee The conclusion of his story was his pursuit by. the Kanucks until he gained a refuge inside the gap. ‘* And now, dad,” said the hero of that series of adventures, ‘‘ who do you guess that stranger was?” “I ain’t good at guessin’, Abner. Supposin’ you tell us, if you know.” ‘*T do know. I knew him as soon as I sot eyes onto him, and it worried him some to find out that I knew him while he didn’t know me. He pumped me for all he was wu’th, but never got a drop out o’ me.” ‘* But who was he, boy?” ‘His name is Risden, and he is a detective from Boston, but don’t seem to have much of the city chap about him. He is the same man that you and I saw over at the ip pe a year im out to us, or soago. Jim Ledwith p’inted Don’t you remember and I was skeered of him. that man?” ‘‘ITdo. Arg you sure that this is the one?” “c“ Sart in.” ‘‘T wonder what he is doin’ up here now. Mebbe he wants to git hold o’ Nick.” ‘‘T guess he does, dad. He axed arter some folks named Sanders, and tried to pump me, as said.” ‘* That’s likely to make more trouble for us. But one thing at a time is enough, and we've ot these cussed Kanucks to git rid of afore we think of anythin’ else.” The Kanu however, gave them no more trouble that night, beyond sending an occasional shot into the gap, as if to let it understood that they were still there. In the morning it was evident that they were on hand, and that they intended to remain. A camp-fire outside showed that they were i to turn their attack into a regular ing out those inside siege, with the view of sta get at them othor- of the gap, if they could n wise, ojoye) (S com ‘S.C * (©)