Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 394 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

m~e- bands, each their equal in number, and they are now creeping i age camp with one party, upon the Red gels with another, while they have a third force ready to mount and charge your camp the instant the two bands of braves on foot reach the point where they intend to make a simultaneous rush upon you and the outlaws.” The words were rapidly spoken, but distinct and explicit, and they fell upon the ears of the officers like a knell, and Captain Burt said hastily: ‘¢ Gentlemen, go quickly, and see that every man is awake and ready at his post.” The several officers departed, and again turn- ing to his feminine visitor, Captain Burt con- tinued: ‘* My words to my officers, miss, prove how I appreciate your warning; but pardon meif I ask how it is that I find you aks upon the prairie, gliding into my camp like a friendly specter, and bringing tidings of such impor- tance?” ‘Tam an unfortunate girl, sir, who within a few hours I may say, have lost all I loved in the world, for our train was attacked by the Red Angel outlaws, my father and I fled, but he died upon the prairies, and a’ noble man, the surgeon at your fort, alone saved me from a fate worse than death. ‘To save me, he sprung from his horse to alone meet the outlaws, and I saw him dragged away by them, but whether dead or living, I know not. “T fled to one he directed me to, a Major Monkton, and he also saved me, but from the Sioux who were pursuing me. ‘The major was wounded and returned to his ranch, while I, anxious to know the fate of the nobls surgeon, came on accompanied by the black cowboys from the ranch, ‘We tracked them within a few miles of here, and then discovered your camp, the out- laws and the red-skins, and a negro scout dis- covered the cunning game of the Indians, and I determined to warn you, so came here, pass- ing through your lines unseen by any one until I was met by that gentleman.” ‘“My dear young lady, you have indeed been a sufferer; but you shall remain under my care until we reach the fort, and there you will find many warm friends.” ‘‘No, sir; I have a home already, and an adopted father in Major Monkton; but [ could not let you be attacked unwarned, so came to tell you what my black scouts had discovered. ‘‘T will return to them now, for they await me off yonder a little way, in a divide of the prairie.’ ‘‘ But you must not zo alone.” ‘“‘T will escort the lady, captain, as soon as I tell you that my brother, the Doctor, is a _pris- oner to the Red Angels, and unharmed; but I think they will hold him for a hostage against ” ‘‘Brank Powell in the hands of those fiends, whom he has so ey dogged? “‘ This is sad news indeed,” said Captain Burt, anxiously. ‘*Frank will take care of himself, sir, never fear, and as long as he is alive and unwounded I feel no anxiety about him. ‘* But, just before this lady arrived, an outlaw visited the camp, and said Frank had bribed him for five hundred dollars to come and give you the warning of the Indians’ intended attack. ‘‘T was on my way to tell you, sir, when I met our fair visitor here.” ‘* And the outlaw, Powell?” — “T had no right, under existing circum- stances, to detain him, so allowed him to go.” ‘Tt was right, perhaps, but I wish you had held him— Ah! I see that you are anxious to be off, miss, and I will not detain you, while I assure you that your brave act to-night will be remem , and the major commandant I know will call at Monkton Ranch to see you.” “IT am in a hurry, sir, for I feel that a few more moments will bring on the attack from the Indians, and I wish to be back with my men.” ‘¢ And a brave lot of protectors cowboys; ou have miss, in those brave blac ut now I will say au revoir, for we shall meet . ‘You will escort the lady, Powell, to her cow- boys” ‘Yes, Captain Burt, with pleasure,” answered the scout, and he led Janette from the camp out upon the dark prairie and in the opposite direc- tion from that in which the danger lay. CHAPTER XXXII. THE TRIANGULAR COMBAT. Att that had taken place from the first inkling that the Doctor Scout had of the cun- ning game the Sioux were secretly playing, up tothe departure of Janette from the soldiers’ camp, had not taken an hour in transpiring, though it has taken so much space to make known. As the young girl, escorted by Night Hawk, the scout, departed from the camp, dawn was breaking, and a gray light was stealing over the rairie. e The soldiers were now lying flat on the ground in line of battle, excepting a few, who > Beaver, the Exile of the Platte. held the horses in a circle, ready for their riders : now, and with yells of dismay the mounted to mount, and Captain Burt and his officers warriors broke and fled to safety, deserting were at their posts, several of them discussing in | their wounded and dead, and those on foot, low tones the strange visitor of a few moments before. Over toward the Sioux camp all was quiet, | who were now up and rushing upon the little band. ‘*Give those fellows your revolvers, now!” and only a dark mass was discernible, where the | cried the Surgeon Scout, his blood warming up to the work, though outwardly calm as a ponies were grouped with their riders by their | sides, The Red Angel camp was also still, and thus the moments were gliding away in awful sus- pense, none knowing what the light of day would usher in. Suddenly a long line of flame shot up from the prairie over at the Red Angel encampment, temporarily revealing the outlaws and their horses, the former having begun the battle, “=i the pent-up suspense by striking the first ow. Almost simultaneously with the roar of the Red Angels’ rifles came a series of yells from the Sioux, from over on the ridge near by within easy range of the outlaw bivouac. Those yells told of death in their midst, that the rifles had struck home, and there were also howls of rage and hatred. ; , Where they had expected to strike in the back, as it were, to spring upon a sleeping foe, just as they rose for the fatal rush, they had met that shower of lead which had laid half.a dozen in their tracks dead, and wounded as many more, for the Red Angels were crack shots, men whose lives had too often depended upon their aim to throw away powder and all. With the volley from the outlaws came yells | far down the prairie, and a rush of red-skins was made upon the military camp. But Captain Burt’s voice was heard giving his orders to fire, and as one gun two-score of carbines flashed, and again did Sioux braves bite the dust. Off at the camp of the Indians, where the ponies were massed together, the warriors mounted in hot haste, and with fiendish yells, charged down upon the outlaw camp, while the attacking party on foot, rallying after their | band of Indians were raiding round, and the — first repulse, also came on, their war-cries | echoed by the yells of the mounted braves, and re-echoed from those who were rushing down upon the soldiers. ‘*Stand firm, all, and wait until I give the order to fire,” cried the Doctor Scout, his trum- pet voice heard above the din. He had quickly formed the Red Angels ina circle, around their horses and their wounded chief, and relying fully upon him, they stood their ground, firm as a rock, to meet the over- whelming charge. ‘ i ory dismounted braves first; aim true— re | statue. In response, the rattle of the revolvers be- an, and, unable to fece the scathing leaden Cail driving in their faces like a chill norther of the prairies, the foot-band also beat a re- treat, but dragged back with them to the shel- ter of the ridge their dead and wounded com- rades, The daylight had now come, the east was growing rosy, as though reflecting back the red flashes of firearms, and, as the Sioux were firing with the few rifles they had, and their bows, and the soldiers were *‘ standing off” the force attacking them, Frank Powell, as he glanced coolly over the prairie angular battle was being fought, which, if the red-ekine managed to break the line of troopers, would end in a massacre of the pale faces, sol- diers and outlaws alike. CHAPTER XXXIIL TO THE RESCUE. THAT Captain Burt and his men realized ihe saw that a tri- full gravity of their situation, was very evie dent. “a They had left the ranch on a hunt for the Surgeon Scout, who had given out that he would be absent but a day. Rumors c ming in the next morning that a Doctor not having returned, Major Benteen, the fort commandant, had ordered Captain Burt and two-score troopers on a search for — m. They had thus come upon the Indians, the Doctor, and the Red Angels all at once. As with the red-skins, the troops had a stand- ing war with the Red Angels, and when the shadows of night fell, congratulated themselves that they would have a fair opportuni verely punishing Indians and outlaws alike. They saw, from the position of affairs, that the red-skins were pursuing the outlaws, and in spite of their, the soldiers’, appearance, did not intend that they should escape them. It looked like defiance on the part of the red- skins, and Night Hawk, the scout, reported to Captain Burt that their boldness was occasioned by having reinforcements near. A sergeant of the company had said that he _ recognized the Surgeon Scout among the out- laws, and this caused the captain tomakeno | effort to attack, but wait until morning, for he With the last words the Red Angels touched feared that the Red Angels might put their their triggers, and another deadly fusilade went | prisoner to death. Watching each other, as the reader knows, _ | the Indians, outlaws, and soldiers went into a forth that sent the warriors to their faces to es- cape death. Well done, men, for thereareanumberwent dry camp to await the morrow and what down then who will not rise again. ‘* Now look out for their arrows— Ha! they retaliate well. ‘‘ Bring a dozen of those horses here, and kill them for a breastwork.” With an alacrity that was born of having done much work in deadiy peril, the outlaws led out a dozen of their worst horses, and ranging them in a circle, dropped them dead vaare they stood by a bullet in the brain of each. Thus protected, for they threw themselves down behind the still quivering breastwork of horse-flesh, the Red gels awaited another command from their prisoner commander. He had himself sprung forward and looked to the safety of Captain Kit, and urged Dead Knife Jim to seek cover behind the horses. But that worthy said coolly: ‘*Guess I hain’t so bad, Doc, but that I kin help a bit,” and he took his place in the front line with the others, resting his rifle across the body of a slain horse. Frank Powell now glanced over at the soldier | and so far from camp, to see that Captain Burt had formed his seems to be directing the outlaws as a leader.” — ** Yes, ave have been forced to release him to men into a square, the horses in the center, and was keeping at bay the party attacking him. But, should the Sioux —e over the outlaws, the Doctor Scout knew well that the two forces, i ' might bring forth. vy ¢"= 4 of se- ’ Ss ¥ 4 af P -* i 4 « eye © 4! * ‘ * fa ‘ sh wy ‘ * ¥ : " s a; What that morrow ushered in the reader has — J seen, as also the strange scenes that had trans- — pired during the night. When the general attack began, Captain Burt and his men met it promptly and bravely; ewk Had been — but he soon saw that Night right in his surmise that the Indians had other : ' : . | | mounted and foot warriors, approaching them — then, would all rush down upon the soldiers and most likely annihilate them, ' It was a most critical moment, and the Sur- | _ self, too, Captain Burt; but here they come, sir, ag Scout, as well as every outlaw, realized it; ut they de which they d shown their chief in dangers of the “ce t. Now let the pony braves have it, men— e The order seemed to issue from Frank Pow- nded upon him with thesame trust at usa | | comrades near, for, after the fi cha repulse. he saw that the aa iv 7 Ais . ie <>» e e s « a @ C ~ bad three times the a “ * force of the evening before, and outnumbered \ him six to one. Anxiously he watched the double attack upon ‘ ‘ the Red Angels, and the cool manner inwhich the outlaws met and drove back their foes, mounted and on foot, won his admiration. ¥ : Powell in the midst of the outlaws,” cried Cap- tain Burt, looking through his glass. on officer addressed leveled his own — r gazing an instant upon the out- Heaven, Ames! there stands Sur The youn lass, and a ws, answered: 4 “Yes, sir, I reecgnize the Doctor’s tall form,. ing a bound prisoner, he aid in the defense, well knowing from - ence the worth of his strong arm and deadly aim. ‘*T only wish he was here with us, and »\ Ties . ’ y 4 5 d A ’ .- > , . Hawk, too, for I am anxious about the her , ies and that girl ”? ** Night Hawk wil the mite oo meeting another char skins, who had retreated to the divide, where their ponies were, and now came mounted to | the attack. Rae The soldiers set their teeth, and fired in pla- ; ell’s lips in the very nick of time, and again did | th» Red Angels show their nerve and true marks- manship, for the volley went where it was aimed, night into the midst of human and brute flesh, for down went warriors and ponics in one hud- dled mass together. ‘Well done, men; now let them have it as warriors just now.” toons, as their captain ordered, and once sent the red-skins reeling with rage and yelling like demons. drew a long breath at the result, but more out of range, wild! | take care of her, and him- .” and all now devoted themselves to of the red- » pte x. - ~ eo oa - -. " ~~ their attention was at once called to the out- acy | The soldiers saw that the Red Angels were rapidly as you can fire—never mind the foot- | few in number, that some of eae back in — wo laws, who were again to face the same ordeal. the center of the little circle or dead, Rapidly the Red Angels poured in their fire and that the red-skins were drivi g down upon Enoe com cS . ” ' ‘ ‘ * —- tal <a 4 v ie \ > @ | ) . °