Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 394 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

14 Hy In this way the Doctor Scout aroused the rest of the camp, and in ten minutes a line of out- laws had been formed to meet the attack. They all lay at full length in the grass, and had their rifles ready, as they pointed toward the coming Indians. Lying beside them, Frank Powell was watch- ing the red-skins through his glass, which re- vealed what the eye could not see unaided. _ “Those coming rascals have come round on the flank, and not from toward their camp, where they knew we would be looking for them,” said the Doctor to Old Joe, who lay near m. *“'Yas, Doc, they is cunnin’ varmints, an’ it are lucky for this congygation thet you was a-lookin’ out, or we’d hev been skulpt sart’in. ** But they has the’r ponies standin’ in a bunch ’ over thar at thet camp.” i" ‘‘- Yes, and by each pony stands a warrior, for their little game is to have those braves mount and charge the soldier camp, just as those on foot rush in on us. ‘*This would keep the soldiers busy, while | ! ae creeping yonder would make short work _. here, | ‘*I{tisa well-laid plan, for, after massacring b. ae same party could mount our horses and aid in the attack on the soldiers,” | **Waal, waal, you is a Wizard Doctor fer | seein’ clean through ther way o’ Injuns. i . But whar is they now, Doc?” and all within » hearing waited anxiously for the reply. melee aie in the hollow beyond that hill, and } they wi i it fr - cz a 2 organize there for the line in which they intend to attack. _. “As they will crawl almost upon us, it will be half an hour before they get in good range, | which will be that rise you see two hundred _ yards away. | ** As they creep over that, I will give the ' _ order to fire; but I do not wish the soldiers to be taken by surprise, for it is my belief that the _ Indians have been re-enforced during the night, \ and they may now be sending a crawling party _ against the troops.” “That is so, an’ thar does seem to be more of ~ %em than thar were.” + ** Well, Old Joe, you can make a hundred dollars if you are willing to take the chances.” “T takes big chances, Doc, ter git gold,” was _ the reply of the old outlaw. _* Are you afraid to go to the soldier camp?” 1 ** What fer?” eo To warn them so that they can be on their - ud { — a 2s - >= *> “AS . Retr * Pa ae -- —-- a ae st | Wh , they’d hang me, Doc.” “No, I will write you a line that will protect oe ” Ay ~ © Don’t be no fool, Joe,” said an outlav. b> “T hain’t.” ‘You will not go, then?” “ Waal—” “They'll take you in pawn, Joe, fer him,” _ whispered a voice near. — *S$o I'm thinking.” “JT will pay you two hundred.” | Ther leetle soul-box I carries, Doc, are worth more than gold. _ *T'd like ter obleege yer, but I hain’t willin’ — Will any man 1 6° with a paper from me to _ protect him?” asked the Doctor. No voice answered. ' +*T will give five hundred dollars to the man _ who does,” continued the Doctor. But no man volunteered, and the Doctor Scout uttered something very like an oath, __ while he again turned his gaze upon the Indians, -unti a near him caused him to look _ The remark was addressed by one outlaw to another, who was just leaving his post. “Why, Dead Knife Jim, what on ’arth is yer . doin’ heur?” “Yer doesn’t think I is a-goin’ ter lie idle when ___ thar is work ter be did?” came the answer, _ “But yer hain’t able.” _ . * So I finds, and I is goin’ back ter my blank- \ ets for a while; but call me when ther shootin’ 4 "Y + * ee “fi Come, my man, you must not remain here, but go back to your blanket and keep quiet,’ _ said the Doctor Scout, amazed at seeing the -_ *T are off, Doc,” was the reply, and Dead _ Knife Jim wormed himself back out of the line, and all eyes again turned upon the line of crawl- ' ing Indians, who little dreamed that they were watched by the foes whom they ho to sur- ___- prise, and who were making such good use of the few clouds that overcast the moon, and the owy light that was the precursor of dawn. Py. ‘ © —_—_—_—_ ins a CHAPTER XXX. | STRANGE VISITORS TO THE SOLDIERS’ BIVOUAC, _. THe clouds that had gathered toward the _ break of day certainly gave advantage to the _ eunning Indians, for they cast a shadow over _ the prairie, and obscuring the moonlight, made even the horses at the different camps look like 4 » “ 4. J Spe Ts, + In the ss ap ga all was stillness, for the - guards, worn out with their long watch, we e Mapping upon their posts, and the officers and men were lying grouped together on their blan- a ¥ ma q bal aé* kets and cloaks, too sound asleep even to dream of what the morrow might bring forth. But there was one on watch who did not al- low himself to be overcome with sleep. He was not on duty, but knowing full well the negligence of soldier guards, he had thrown himself down upon the prairie, and there lay, wide awake nd allowing his eyes to wander around the camp. In the early part of the night he had been the one who, scouting around, had seen the outlaw messenger attempt to dash away, and when he fell by the arrow of an Indian, had quickly dropped the warrior with a shot from his rifle, and returned to camp witha trophy in the shape of a Sioux scalp. This man, so thoroughly on the alert, was the scout and guide of the troopers, and he was well worthy of the name he had won and which was that of ‘* Night Hawk.” He was also called ‘‘ Texas Night Hawk” ashe hailed from the Lone Star State, where he had won fame as a daring ranger and scout; but up- on the pay-rolls of the fort he was down as George EF. Powell, and he was a brother of the Doctor Scout. He had come to the fort to read medicine un- der the able tuition of his distinguished brother ; but, a man who loved danger, and was really a ‘son of the plains,” he had so often rendered such valuable services as a volunteer soldier, that he became a regular, through a commis- sion sent him for gallantry. Resigning the rank he entered upon the du- ties of a scout, and shared with the surgeon, his brother, the fame of being one of the best prairiemen on the border. As Night Hawk, for by such name will he be known in these pages, gazed out over the prai- rie, performing the same duty in the soldier camp that his brother was in the outlaw biv- ouac, his eyes fell upon a dark object moving through the grass. At first he believed it to be a wolf; but he ey saw that it was too large for such an ani- mal. ‘An Injun, as I live,” he said, quietly. ** Pll get his scalp, I think,” he continued, as the form came nearer the camp. Suddenly the form halted, and seemed to be surveying the camp. Then it came on once more, and ‘so directly toward the encampment that Night Hawk mut- tered: ‘* Well, that is the greatest fool Injun* I ever saw. ‘** He must think we are dead, drunk or asleep, and, by Jove, he is nearly right about the latter for { do not think a man in camp is awake ex- cepting myself. ‘What! he must be coming directly into camp, for not even a red-skin would approach that near simply to reconnoiter.” Night Hawk now kept his eyes fixed upon the coming form, and drawing a revolver waited until the strange invader of a soldier camp came near enough to speak to, when he said in a low tone: ‘* Well, pard, who are you?” **T are one who are glad ter find some cuss awake in this heur camp, fer durned ef I didn’t believe you was all massacreed,” was the cool reply. ‘* Well, who are you?’ and Night Hawk still kept his revolver covering the man, who re- mained in the same recumbent position in which he had approached. ““Tf itll tickle yer ter know me, I'll inter- dooce myself as Dead Knife Dick, an’ I comes from the outlaw camp.” | ‘‘ Ah! to betray your comrades?” ‘‘Nary betray, pard; you shoots at concloo- sins too durned rapid, an’ misses ther targit. ‘‘T are a outer an’ out outlaw, hevin’ nussed milk out a bottle when I were a baby that were stole from a neighbor’s dairy, an’ I guesses when I tarns up my toes I'll be planted in some earth which will be stolen ter kiver me,” ‘‘But I wants ter tell yer_thet ther Wizard Doctor, who are—” Py ‘‘Ha! my brother then is in your camp, and et sergeant who said he recognized him was right. cs Are ther Wizard Pill-Giver your brother?” on “He are a tassel-top, a clover-blostom, a howlin’ white man clean through. and—” ‘*T know his virtues, so what have you to say about him?” ‘‘He sent me ter say thet ther Injuns was playin’ a sly leetle game, fer they hed the'’r ponies ready in the’r camp, an’ braves standin’ by ’em, ready ter charge inter you, while a large party of ’em were crawlin’ toward our outlaw lay-out ter massacree us, an’ mavhap as many more were a-creepin’ on you heur, an’ ’'m durned ef I don’t believe thar be, as ther reds hes hed a reinforcement durin’ ther night thet we didn’t tumble to,” ‘‘And my brother, Doctor Powell, sent you here with this warning?” * The contraction of the word Indian to Injun is used by many educated persons upon the plains, the | same as nigger is often made use of in the place of negro, in some cases even by educated people.—THE AUTHOR, White Beaver, the Exile of the Platte. rr er -_--__SS SC ‘ ee sé Fact.” ‘‘ What is he doing in the outlaw camp?” ‘* He are a priz’ner.” se Ah?” ‘Yes, we capter’d him, arter he hed bored a hole in ther chief, an’ laid out a couple o’ ther boys for wolf-meat, an’ we holds him thar until ther cap’n an’ I gits well.” se VY ? sé Yas.” ‘* Did he wound you?” ‘Waal, I are short a arm, that are all; but he are a per. ect gent’man, are ther Wizard Doe, fer he broke my arm, and then cut it off in beautiful style.” ‘*By Heaven, you are right; but do you mean to say that you have crept here with your arm just amputated?” ‘*T hev, fer none o’ ther boys w’u’d come, tho’ ther Doc offered ’em five hundred dollars, so I jist a ciptn out as yer see, an’ hevin’ did my duty, Pll git back ter my camp, as I hain’t over strong, an’ it are my gospil opinyun thet thar is goin’ ter be a sneakin’ good time fer coyotes ‘round this pararer afore very long.” ‘You are right; but come with me to thecap- tain, and—” ' ‘* No, pard, lis goin’ right back, an’ lose no time about it. ‘¢T hes done my duty, an’ Ill be off.” ‘‘ Well, [am more than thankful to you, and it is just like my noble brother to send you to warn us. ‘*Tell him we are on the alert, and that it shall not be forgotten that he is in the hands of a gang of cut-throats.” ‘Go slow aout forcin’ my pards, young fel- ler, for they mou’t do ther Doe some harm ef er drives ’em, an’ ef you lets him look arter isse’f he kin do it, you bet. ‘* Now Ll are off,” and the one-armed outlaw, suffering unto'd agony, went creeping quiet y back toward his cigs For half a minute Night Hawk watched him and then h> went quickly toward the group of officers lying in the center of the camp. As he passed through the circling line of horses, he suddenly came upon a person whose presence filled him with amazement, for he started back, his hand upon his revolver, while the one he confronted said quickly: “* Hold, sir! Would you kill a woman ?” CHAPTER XXXT, A WOMAN’S WARNING. THE person who so suddenly confronted Night Hawk Powell, the fort scout, when he went up to arouse the officers to a knowledge of thea danger, as told him by that strange man, Dead Knife Jim, was, as her words to him implied, a woman. e was amazed at finding there one whom he little dreamed he would see upon that wild prairie. , A woman there! From whence had she come? How had she age entrance to the camp, even through the line of napping guards? Who was she? What was she doing there? All these queries flashed like lightning through the mind of the scout. ‘ It was a night of surprises, but that certainly ~ was the greatest. Struck with her words, and the question asked him ina tone of sarcasm, as to whether he would kill a woman, he answered quickly, and with some sternness: ‘‘No, I do not war upon women, even though I find one here on seemingly hostile intent, for you are armed, I see.” SB) “ Yes, I am armed, and itis well that I am; but Iam here on no hostile errand, but one of warning, if this is a United States soldiers’ camp, as I believe.” ‘Tt is the camp of Captain Burt, and I was just going to arouse him, as there is danger hreatening.” ‘‘There is indeed danger threatening, for u yonder divide of the prairie are creeping half a hundred Sioux warriors to attack your ‘Ha! that one-armed outlaw was right then; but come, miss, and see Captain Burt,” and Night Hawk led the strange visitor to the group of officers, five in number, who lay sleep- ing soundly upon their blankets. With a touch he aroused them, and their amazement at beholding a female quietly con- fronting them was as great as had been the scout’s. wert ry ‘‘Captain Burt, there is mischief brewing, and this lady has come into camp to warn you of it. “ After you hear her story, sir, I have some- thing to communicate of importance,” said Night Hawk. ~- , The captain raised his hat politely, as did the other officers, while he remarked with gal- lantry: iy is a surprise and a pleasure to see a lady in our humble prairie camp, and you are most heartily welcome.” ‘Thank you, sir; but this is no time for liteness, as the Sioux encam over yonder were reinforced during the night by two other EOmichboo (E > 42> ba’ ie al os ih — == > —> <= S |