Beadle's Dime Library No. 327 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

| get the enemy into suc O 14 Terrapin Dick. ee es ree re — ee Oe ew —— ae te we But the Sanders tribe did not intend to be either whipped out or starved out. They knew a trick worth two of such as thei adversaries could play. ‘* Those skunks must ha’ got it into their lous heads that we’ve piles o’ plunder in here,” remarked Ike Sanders. ‘If they knew how poor we are, mebbe they’d be willin’ to leave us alone.” ‘*They’d better,” nded Dave, “or they'll git into a scrape afore long that they hain’t got no notion of now.” . The nature of that scrape became apparent in the course of the day and the following night. In the middle of the basin, as has been said, there was a large pond, or lake. The size and depth of this pond were not alto- oe due to natural causes, as a dam had been uilt near the gap, by which a reservoir was formed that contained a large quantity of water. The stream that fed the pond—not at all a large one at that time of the year—overflowed the dam, and ran down through the gap. When it seemed to be settled that the Kanucks meant to lay siege to the basin and shut up the a who were inside of it, Ike Sanders and his amily set at work to build the dam higher, thus retaining the overflow of the stream. They continued this work through the day, without any annoyance from their enemies, ex- cept to the extent of an occasional shot to which it was hardly worth while to reply. The next morning found the situation un- changed as far as the belligerents were concerned. There was no fighting to speak of, and no im- mediate oto Ong of fighting, though the siege ‘was continued. But the pond had filled up until the supply of water behind the dam was considerable, af the Sanders tribe began to make preparations for setting it at work. They removed a portion of the earth from the dam at a point directly opposite to the foot of the pond, oy gern | a bulkhead of hewn timber through which a little water escaped. It was so built and set that it could be used as a gate for the purpose of letting the water off if that should be necessary, being confined by a post that might be easily cut aeey Then it was that the ee rae of Ike Sanders be- came evident, though no hint of it was conveyed to those on the outside. He intended to suddenly remove the gate, and flood the gap with the water of the pond, wash- ing away his vagabond adversaries. ‘Twill do ’em a power o’ good,” remarked Dave. “I guess it'll be the first time that water has tetched their skins in a while.” But it was necessary, or at least desirable, to ha position as would al- w the flood to exert its full force upon them, and to that end Ike Sanders and Dave then di- rected their efforts. As the Kanucks had not been visible for some time, and had only made their presence known by firing an occasional harmless shot, there was no telling whether or not they would be in the line of the-flood, and the Sanders tribe wished to locate them, and, if possible, to draw them up into the gap. With this view Ike and Dave made a reconnois- sance down the pass, taking shelter as they went behind bowlders and projections of rock, but showing themselves now and then for the pur- pose of inducing their foes to come out and pnr- sue them. Nick Sanders, fully instructed in the part he ‘was to perform, stood ready with an ax to cut the post that held the gate. *‘aunt Sereeny,” who had been informed of what was to be done, had come down from the thon had posted herself near him to ‘* boss task they had undertaken, though the reached the mouth of the pass before able to draw their adversaries out. When the Kanucks caught sight of them and rceived that there were but two of them, they to fire, and gradually advanced toward Ast — so, the two scouts retreated so as to offer inducements for pursuit. As the dropping shots continued, Ike Sanders suddenly uttered a yell of agony. ‘*T’m shot!” he cried, as he threw up his hands and disappeared from the view of his foes. This catastrophe, which had been prepared and rehearsed beforehand, Conners no effect upon his friends, to whom he quickly sneaked Dave was the next one to yell and throw up his hands, and he also hurried back to the head of the gap. The anucke encouraged by what appeared to be the fall of two of their opponents, and sup- that they then had an easy victory before ™m, ge ee themselves in a bunch and rush- to the gap. *“Cut her loose! Let her go!” shouted Ike Sanders, as he ran out at the head of the pass, closely followed by Dave. The blows of Nick’s ax fell swiftly and deftly on the post that was .the key to the dam, and in 2, few minutes he jumped aside as the gate gave way under the pressure from behind. nearly ey were ) Tks Sanders and Dave succeeded well in the- With a rush and a roar the mass of water leaped forth from its confinement, and started down the pass, a raging, overwhelming torrent, The Kanucks in the pass heard the ominous noise, but without knowing at first what it meant. They ran down the rocky way faster than they had run up, in mad efforts to escape; but most of them were too late. ‘*The game worked well,” remarked Ike San- ders. ‘* Guess they’ve got a good washin’ for once in their lives.” The work of the water was soon over. The mass which had been confined by the dam ran out through the gap, and there was nothin left there but the small stream of water whic had fed the pond. Ike Sanders and his followers picked their way down the lately-flooded passage to see what there was to be seen. They found none of the Kanucks, either alive or dead. If the flood had overtaken them, as it must have done, they had been swept away by it, pernaps for some distance down the mountain- side. But they found a friend of theirs lying behind a rock, which had prevented him from being carried off, and he was stone dead. It was Abner’s pet bear. He had not been drowned by the flood, but shot by the assailants when they made their first attempt to enter the basin, and there were bul- let-holes enough in his body to show how he was slaughtered. Abner threw himself — the corpse of his pet, frantic with grief an +e He must have known that oney had fallen a victim to his pursuers, but not until now did he fully realize the fact. **They’ve got to pay for this!” he exclaimed as he stood up with his eyes full of tears, an pr his fist es his by ong foes. ie ain’t they paid for it?’ suggested his father. ‘‘ Don’t you guess that the wickedness is purty well washed out o’ them?” ‘Water won’t wash this, though. Nothin’ but blood ‘Il do that!” ‘‘Jimminy, Abner! Ain’t you gittin’ kinder savage?” CHAPTER XX. PINE-WOODS LAW, TERRAPIN Dick and his companions halted when they heard the noise that astonished them, and the next moment a flood of water came tearing through the pass and down the hillsides. With it came the struggling forms of some of the Kanucks, borne onward resistlessly by the rush of water. They could not know whether a cyclone had struck them, or a waterspout had been turned loose in the hills. Though they were dashed about among the rocks and trees, and were doubtless considerably bruised, they seemed to be in no danger of death, as the flood spread out after leaving the configes of the gap, and they were enabled mS = their dripping bodies away from its ‘* That beats me!” exelaimed Hemlock Hank, as he and his companions gazed in astonishment at the water and its work. ‘It’s the queerest wash-out I ever struck. What was it, and who did it, and how was it done?” ‘‘ If the Sanders family are in there,” re- marked Terrapin Dick, ‘“‘they are a smart crowd, and we will have hard work to get what we want out of them.” Two of the Kanucks must have been lower down in the than their comrades were at the time of the water-burst, as they got out be- fore it reached them, and hastened to climb the rocks to escape the flood. One of them succeeded in attaining a point just below the ition occupied by the three Americans, and there he clung, apparently dazed and stupefied, while the water below him receded. ‘Guess we'll go a-fishin’ here,” observed Hem- lock Hank, and he reached down and seized the man by the collar. With the help of Dick Risden he lifted the Kanuck, and set him down among them. The prisoner stared at the strangers in aston- ishment, and then began to make an outcry, but was y persuaded to remain quiet. ‘‘The show seems to be over,” said Risden, ‘and I guess we had better get away from here and study up what our next move is to be this game.” . His ang eer, = were willing to go with him, eeey ulius Muldrow, who seen enough of that style of oe for the present, They descended the mountain to the broken ground below, and halted in the forest by the side of a bright little brook. Hemlock , who had not let go his hold of his captive, and had at the same time compelled him to keep quiet, made him sit down there, and regarded him with a glance of disgust. The uck, indeed, was by no means a pre- possessing person to look at. He was rather undersized, slim, black haired, nearly as dark in the face as a mulatto, with small eyes under heavy brows, and & sneaking, hangdog expression of countenance. ‘is —— we've been bothered with this cuss about long enough,” remarked the guide. ** Are you going to turn him loose?” inquired Terrapin Dick. ‘* Not jest yet.” ‘*’You don’t mean to kill him, I hope?” . ** Not a so bad as that, though hangin’ would help him sonie. Don’t you remember, Dick, that we were sayin’ a while ago, jest arter you got clear o’ those skunks, that it would be a good thing to ketch a couple of ’em, an’ tie ’em up, an’ give ’em a larrupin’?” ‘*“One of us said that, anyhow.” “Well, here’s one of ’em already ketched, and I guess he desarves a larrupin - Do you know him, Dick Risden?” ‘*T think Ido. Yes, I am sure of it.” ‘*'Was he one of the gang that gobbled you up and robbed you?” ‘*’Yes, he was their leader, or acted as such.” ** Then he does desarve a whalin’, and he must have it. We'll give him a kind of a lesson ag’inst thievin’, and turn him loose. There’s got to be some sort 0’ jestice out here in the woods, and that’s the only kind that’s handy.” The culprit Kanuck easily understood enough of what was said to know how his captors in- tended to treat him, and he began to how] for peer g begging 1 a mixture of Canadian patois ro nglish that he might be allowed to go ree. But his entreaties had no effect upon Hem- lock Hank, who proceeded to tie him to a tree, te team his companions to get a switch or wo. This portion of the programme was under- taken readily—in fact, eagerly—by Julius Mul- drow, who hastened to cut two hickory switches and was careful to get such as were stout and springy. In fact, he proved himself a connoisseur in the matter of switches, though his aptness did not really excite the admiration of his com- panions. More than that—he proposed to execute the sentence of the court of three, and even begged to be permitted to do the whipping. Hemlock Hank, though strongly disgusted, eae: to his offer, and told fim to get to wor Again the culprit begged piteously for mere and his yells pierced the silence of the forest. ra ‘* Look here, you darned skunk,” said Hank, as he took the man by the ear; ‘‘ you had better uit that howlin’. If you keep it up you'll git e switch harder an’ more of it. you'd better hold your yawp all you ken.” The guide and the detective walked aside a little distance, and Julius Muldrow addressed himself to his task. It must have been a congenial one, to judge by the force and alacrity with which he plied the switch on the back of his helpless victim. Though the Kanuck gritted his teeth, and doubtless strove to endure the infliction in si- lence, he could not help groaning, and at times screaming under the pain of the stinging strokes, “Do you see that chap there?” said Hank, pointing at the eager executioner. oe : see enough of him,” answered Terrapin ck, ‘Well, brother, I am keen to bet that when he was a baby he ached for chances to stick his fingers into other babies’ eyes, and when he was a me he worried cats and tied tin cans to dogs’ tails. ‘Yes, Hank, and when he was at school he would lay for smaller boys until he caught them ° alone, and then would take deli ght in pinching and bea them. And now—’ ‘* Now? y, Dick Risden, the man is mis’- able now onless he’s hurtin’ or houndin’ or nag- gin’ or worryin’ somebody. He was born mean and cruel, and I guess there’s nothin’ on this airth that'll ever wipe it out o’ him.” ‘* He seems to takea real pleasure in whipping that poor devil.” “Yes, and I guess the poor devil has got enough. Mebbe he desarves more; but I don’t want to see that chap git so much satisfaction out 0’ whalin’ him.” Indeed, Julius Muldrow had worked at his self-imposed task until his arm was lame. Just then he had thrown down one switch, and was resting himself for a moment, prepara- tory to be work with the other. is two companions stepped up and put a stop to his pastime. ‘‘That’ll do, young gen’leman,” said the guide. ‘‘The sentence of the court has been — carried out, and we will turn him-loose now.” Muldrow’s countenance fell at the moment; but en mat he flared up, rising in rebellion against the decree that deprived him of the re- mainder of the pleasure he counted on. ‘*The job is ae yet,” said he, z one of the switches is used up. ‘* Well, we don’t want the man to be used up —not quite. He may turn out to be 0’ some use in the world if he gits away from here alive, So we will let him go and give him a chance.” While Hank was speaking he was untying the ‘S Gomicdpoo oe com 4 —