Beadle's Dime Library No. 327 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

———E—e —————— — ———— Terrapin Dick. ll RI - —_ 23 would take such a liking to him as would | remarkably well fed there, asked to be allow- | He knew at once what sort of a deer it was make them loth to part with him. Mrs. Sanders, especially, ‘‘cottoned” to him at once, and exerted herself to please him in every particular, notably by cooking in her best style everything that could possi- bly be provided for the table. She prevailed upon Dave and Abner to go outside and bring home loads of luscious trout, and just then the pond, which had been dammed up again, was the haunt of numerous wild ducks and — easy to kill, and delicious when cooke Hemlock Hank rested and feasted, and vowed that if that sort of thing should be kept up he would become too fat to go out through the gap. ye what, Hank Ward,” said Ike ‘Tell Sanders, ‘‘it wouldn’t be safe for you if I should die, ‘cause the widder would go for ou quick as a wink, and you couldn’t help ein’ gobbled - “Lf she would agree to feed me allus in this sort o’ style,” replied Hank, ‘‘she might have me an’ welcome.” ‘* All the same, Isaac,” remarked the dame, ‘‘T hope you will hang around on this ’arth as long as I do.” There was nothing to mar the good feeling of the Sanders family toward their guest, who could no longer be considered as a prisoner. The hostile attitude which he had lately held toward them, if not forgotten, was passed over, and when reference was made to the pursuit of Nick, it was spoken of as something with which he had no con- nection. All this would have been really enjoyable to Hemlock Hank, if it had not been for his thoughts of Dick Risden. He knew that his friend and comrade, no matter what sort of a story Muldrow should tell, would grieve over his supposed death, and he was naturally anxious to inform Risden of his continued existence in this world. But there was no chance to do so, as he had given his word that he would not leave the basin, and as he saw nobody up at the top of the cliff, though he frequently looked in that direction. When they had finished the work of dam- ming up the pond the Sanders family turned their attention to erecting a fortification at the narrowest part of the pass, for the pur- pose of keeping out enemies and intruders generally. Hemlock Hank took an interest in this labor, and assisted his new friends with his hands as well as with his advice, In the middle of the fence a sort of gate was left, which could be secured on the inside, and to this was attached an apparatus connecting with an old horse-pistol well loaded, which would be discharged if the structure were interfered with. Shortly after the fortification was com- pleted, and while the workmen were resting near the house, a loud report assured them that the alarm was in g working order. They grabbed their — ran to the pass, and went out — * e gate, but found no sign of an rson about there. EC Mebbe irwas a bear,” suggested Ike. They fastened the.gate, reloaded the horse- pistol, and returned to the house, satisfied that they would be duly informed at any hour of any attempted invasion of their territory. The nit day had been fixed upon by Abner for an expedition to Staley’s tavern on the Penobscot. Judge Meacham had promised to send some cartridges to mere for Abner’s rifle, and to write a letter to lke Sanders concern- ing Nick. 7 ; Abner was of the opinion that it was time to look for the fulfillment of one or both of the judge’s promises, and ex cted to find the ‘cartridges and the letter at Staley’s. _ ‘ There was no objection to his making the journey alone, as he had often been there in th. company of his father or Dave, and once had returned alone, though he had arrived ‘ata very late hour on the last-named occa- sion, owing to a series vf adventures with’ which Dick Risden was connected. But he was not to make the trip alone this ‘time. Hemlock Hank, who was tired of being shut up in the basin, though he was so ed to accompany the lad. that Abner had smelt, and could not doubt This request occasioned some discussion, | that the boy was bent on vengeance for the Ike Sanders taking advantage of the oppor- | slaughter of his pet bear. tunity to remind the guide that he was still a prisoner. | | i He was about to step forward to put astop to this wild scheme of justice, when he re- But Hank’s promise to return with Abner | flected that it would leave one rascal the less was considered sufficient by the others, and in the world, and that it was not worth his Mrs. Sanders, to whom her deformed boy ; while to interfere. was very dear, was anxious that he should It was just as well, as he would have been have so oo and trustworthy acompanion , too late. as Hemlock Hank. The guide borrowed Dave Sanders’s rifle, and the for‘ification was opened for them The report of the boy’s rifle woke the echoes of the forest, and the Kanuck, throw- ing up his hands, fell forward and disap- and closed behind them, and the tall man _ peared. and his short comrade set out merrily together. t would be hard to say which of them enjoyed the trip the most. ' ' i ' ' ' ‘* That’s one for Boney,” said Abner, as the guide came to where he was standing. He walked with Hank Ward to the edge of the declivity, where they looked over to see Abner was always at his best and happiest | what had become of the Kanuck. when he was turned loose in the woods. He was not visible there, his body havin The idea of any sort of confinement, no | probably fallen among and been conceal matter how pleasant it might be made to by the bushes that covered thickly the steep him, was repugnant to Han was as pleased as a schoolboy on his vacation Ward, and he | slope. But they saw something that surprised and at finding himself clear of the high walls of interested them. the hole in the hills. From the foot of the slope, perhaps a Early in the journey he was surprised ‘at | hundred feet below them, stretched a wide the skill as a woodsman exhibited by his young companion. Though much of Abner’s life had been passed in the woods, and though he was | plain of bottom-land, covered with tall tim- ber except where there were pafches of swampy meadow. Down there among the trees was a man thoroughly acquainted with the region in! whose actions were decidedly those of a which he lived, it seemed to be by instinct, rather than by experience, that he took the most direct course possible toward his des- tination, and-pursued it so unerringly. lunatic. . He was racing around, in no particular direction, and with no object that could be understood, stopping every now and then to Hemlock Hank, old hand as he was, was | beat the air with his fists, and continually obliged to admit that in that respect the lad | uttering the wildest and most hideous yells, was decidedly his superior The greater part of his clothing had been Before they had gone far Abner took his | torn off, and was scattered about upon the big comrade into his confidence with regard . ground. to a desire that lay near his heart. It was the desire for revenge. ‘‘Mebbe,” said he, patting his fine rifle, ‘‘] may git a chance w.th this beauty to put a hole through one of those cussed Kanucks who killed Boney.”’ ‘‘Who was Boney?” inquired Hank. “Boney was my bear,” answered the. lad, and he went on to tell what a pet the bear had been, how much he knew, what tricks he could perform, and how ruthlessly he had been slaughtered by the thieving vagabonds when they made the attack on the Sanders stronghold, ‘* Would you really kill any of them?” de- manded Hank, ‘‘Wouldn’t I, though? Jest gimme a chance. Boney was wu’th a hundred such skunks as them. He was a gentleman— never stole anythin’, and allus minded me, and kep’ watch for us at night. They tried to kill us, and did kill poor Boney. I said then that nothin’ but blood would wash that out, and blood it'll be.” It was not long before Abner had his chance, They were still at a considerable distance from Staley’s, when he excitedly clutched his companion 's arm. ‘Il smell a deer,” said he. ‘‘ Hold on here a minute, and see how quick I can fetch him.”’ <a he darted off into the woods at the right. emlock Hank looked after him curious- ly, wondering what he meant by *‘ smelling” a deer, ) At the right of the course they were fol- lowing, and not far from where Hank was standing, the forest terminated. | From the lay of the land it was evident that the ground suddenly fell away at that point, leaving a steep declivity at the bottom of which there must be a lake or river, or - an a stretch of wild meadow or bottom- and. The guide followed Abner with his gaze until he disappeared in the bushes, expectin to catch a glimpse of the deer which the la declared he had smelt. He did not see any deer. But he saw something else. Just where the forest terminated, and doubtless at the edge of the declivity there, & man was standing, apparently looking down at the lowland. . It did not need a second glance to assure Hemlock Hank that the stranger was one of those vagabonds who had laiote been infest- ing that region, ‘‘Who is that man, and what in thunde: is the matter with him?” demanded Abner. ‘*That is more’n I can tell you,” answered Hank Ward. ‘‘He must be crazy, and |. think he is a Kanuck, but ain't sure.” Directly there was something else to look at. Three other men came out from the shadows of the big trees, and stealthily ad- vanced toward the man of the strange antics. ‘“‘Come on, Abner!” eagerly exclaimed Hemlock Hank. ‘‘We must git down there.” He ran along the edge of the declivity until he found a place that seemed to offer a practicable descent, and he and the lad scrambled down as rapidly as they could. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE WRECK OF A CHIEF. Tue band.of vagabonds, whose leader Joe Jeffard had become, were greatly depressed by the disastrous issue of their raid upon Staley’s tavern, They were sullen, too, and angry with their new chief. He had spent some time at Staley’s, was well acquainted with the house, its sur- roundings and its occupants, and had repre- sented the tavern to them as being very easy of capture, and as containing plunder enough to satisfy their most extravagant de- sires. With regard to the plunder, they had been unable to verify his statements, having failed to get sight of it. is representations of the defenseless con- dition of the place had been decidedly nega- tived by the short and sharp struggle which had used up the band bo badly. They could not know, and probably did not guess, that the people at Staley’s had been warned of the expected attack and were fully prepared to meet it. lt was natural, therefore, that they should suppose that their new leader had willfully deceived them, or that he was reckless and incompetent. This feeling was increased by their re- membrance of the fact that he had kept him- self in the rear during the fight, and had not received a scratch. It was further increased by Antome Jau- not, who took advantage of the disaster, by hintsand innuendoes, to incense his comrades against Joe Jeffard. ' That individual did not fail to take notice of this state of feeling, and perceived that he must do something to revive the waning ¢on- fidence of his followers, Gone IOO <S=EGoO —