Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 394 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

2 q"- White Beaver, the Exile of the Platte. broad breast,redder than the reddest flowers that | peeped up from the emerald grass, and his face as white as though death already had set its seal upon his lips. By his side crouched, rather than knelt, the slender form of a girl, and her hands grasped those of the man who lay so desperately wound- ed before her eyes. A few paces distant stood two horses, their heads hanging down, their sides heaving, as though they had been pressed hard and long, and , were too beaten out to crop the tempting grass at their feet. : The man was of powerful build, dressed in a ; corduroy suit, the vest and coat being thrown open and disclosing the wound that was in his A slouch hat and belt of arms lay by his side, ‘and his head was supported upon a blanket tak- en from one of the saddles. The face of the man was strong, the features well-cut and refined, though now pinched with suffering, and his hair and beard were turning preys showing that he was past the meridian of ife. The form bending over him was certainly that of a young girl, though her face, bent downward could not be seen, and masses of golden curls i hung about her shoulders. | She wore a riding habit of dark cloth, and a he plumed hat and gloves lay near by. f Such was the scene that the setting sun fell upon, there in that lonely prairie, very far from the abode of man, _ Asad and touching picture it was, and grow- ing sadder and more wretched as the golden hues died in the west, and dark shadows of com- My, ing night began to fall about that desolate four, the human beings and the dumb brutes, As the sunset splendors faded away, and chill, drear darkness settled down, a moan broke from the man’s lips, and the cry burst from the girl: _ Oh, God above! but this is fearful!” =a) “ Fearful for you, my poor Janette, to have to remain here alone when [ am gone, and madness _ for me to feel that I must leave you,” and the Dy a voice of the man quivered with his emo- ty ta Then silence again fell between them, as though Pe the horror and desolation of their situation over- ae whelmed them too deeply for words to find ut- ® terance. eR Suddenly the silence of the scene was broken by the shrill chirp of a cricket in the grass, and, one by one, the sounds increased, coming froma - night-bird here, an insect there, until the chorus _ gwelled far and wide, and seemed to bring to the |» hearts of those who heard that they were not wholly alone in the vast solitude of nature. ae ‘Father, listen to the songs of the birds and ae seaeeetit for they give me hope,” at last said the Dd, girl. ot. ‘To me, Janette, they are singing my requiem in ..—Hark !” bbe Piteous, whining, dismal, there arose on the air | the how] of a wolf, that had suddenly chimed in _ with the insect and bird chorus. A brote from the lips of the girl, and she drew closer to the man, though he had no power A moment of deathlike stillness, and then again came that dismal howl floating over the prairie, to be answered afar off by the voice of a mate, bad < that showed the cruel brutes were abroad search- ing for prey, and already seemed to scent human blood upon the air. Pra ‘* Janette!” ~~ @** Father!” 5 tic ‘¢ You have two foes to contend against when am gone.” . oR be father! do not speak of dying!” groaned the girl in heart-broken sobs. | randy: °, 4 must k of what must be, my child, for —s-« F: feel life ebbing away. Death I do not fear; ss hut to leave you, Janette alone in the world, ‘og Ae alone in this wild solitude, with human foes up- on _-your trail and howling beasts about you, | - with no help near, nowhere to go, and I dead, 1s | worse, far worse than death to me, my*poor, ; poor child.” | 2 ase The man had drawn the picture strongly, but it was no stronger than it was true. , ie He was dying there without aid that might hm have saved him, and he had received his wound from men who were now upon his trail, and who | had been distanced only by the greater of et tO tect her. BE he man shuddered, and again deep silence fell upon the prairie, for the songsters in their he grassy coverts ceased their shrill notes when the _. -wolf’s hated voice joined in the chorus. ~ J « + oe ¥ r i em ee SS Se a ee ee -——_——— —_—- — - -— 5? * y the horses-:ridden by those they pursued, but who if not thrown off the scent by darkness, must soon appear, while nearer and nearer sounded the howling of | the wolves, which told that brute enemies were | also on his track, . | Dying, he must leave that poor girl his daugh- | ter, alone in her sorrow and peril, and the thought was anguish to bis inmost soul. ; Nervously his hand touched the butt of one of » his revolvers in the belt lying by his side, and he | -- half-drew it from the holster. | ir ae But releasing it suddenly, he cried: | ‘“No! no! no! I cannot do that, I cannot do that!” : _ Helpless against human foes he certainly was, | p ‘¢ Cannot do what, father?” asked the girl, who feared that his mind was wandering. ‘* Janette, the thought came over me to end at once your suffering and mine,” he said, hoarsely, ‘‘But how, father?” ‘“‘ By sending a bullet through your heart, and then turning the muzzle of the weapon upon my- self.” ‘Oh, father!” ‘Tt is terrible, my child, for one instant to in- dulge the thought; buf you know just how we stand. Thecrime of another drove me to this wild land, an emigrant, with all my worldly pos- sessions on four wheels, and you my only hope and comfort. This afternoon the little we had was taken from us, and for hours we have been fugitives, fiying from men who will be as merci- less to vou as those howling wolves will be. ‘* There is no help near, and [ am dying, so do not wonder that I wish tosee you dead ere I let go my grip on life, and that is why the thought came over me to kill you and then end my suf- ferinys of brain and body, and God would for- give the act, I know.” The young girl shuddered, drooped her head an instant, and then said in a voice that rung like a trumpet: ‘* No, no, father! do not let your life pass out with my blood upon your hands and you a sui- cide, for I tell you, happen what may, to me, you shall be avenged. ‘Yes, I swear it here with uplifted hand above your head, dying as youare, my father, that you shall be avenged.” ‘‘Great God! Janette! Janette! the horror of our situation has driven you mad!” cried the dy- ing emigrant, as he beheld his child kneeling be- fore him with hands uplifted, and vowing ven- geance upon their foes. In dismay, he made an effort to calm her, but his strength failed him, and he sunk down again as though the spark of life had left his body for- ever, aye CHAPTER II. A GIRL AT BAY. WuHEN Janette saw her father sink back, ap- parently dead, she uttered a cry of alarm that rung cut over the prairie, silencing momentari- ly the howling of the wolves, and threw herself by his side, All of her fiery nature had asserted itself in that one burst of avowed revenge againgt their persecutors, and the gentle dove-like girl had suddenly changed into a revengeful woman. But the fear that her outburst had driven the flickering life out of the dying man, made her once more the passive girl she was before, and she cried anxiously: ** Father, oh, father! speak to me!” With an effort he answered: ‘* Well, my poor child, what would you have me say?” ‘That you forgive my outburst of temper, which seemed to affect you so.” ‘No, Janette, you did not pain me, for I was glad to see that you had the spirit to protect yourself, if driven to it, Now I feelif the worst comes, you will yourse!f end your misery, rather than live on through long years of sorrow and wretchedness.” ‘‘T will, father,” was the firm reply. ‘¢ Bless you, my child—but hark! was not that a hoof-fall upon the prairie?” Both listened attentively and then Janette said softly: ‘‘ Yes, father, horsemen are coming this way, but they are yet far off.” ‘They may pass us by in the darkness.” ‘J fear not, sir, for even the moon has turned against us,” she said bitterly, as she pointed to the moon just rising above the horizon in all its silvery beauty. “T saw its light, Janette, and feared that it was a prairie fire, and that we had another evil to face. But our foes may still be too far off to us,” ‘‘T wish I could give you hope, father, but those cruel brutes will make our presence known,” and she pointed to a half a score of hun wolves that squatted near and were howling dismally in chorus. ‘* Yes, they too hear the horsemen, and fear they will be driven from their expected prey, so how] in savage disappointment. * But, let Thom wait, for ere very long they must feast on me,” said the dying emigrant. ‘Father, would you drive me mad?” cried Janette, and seizing a revolver she quickly leveled and fired it. The shot rung across the prairie and dropped one of the wolves dead, while the others sprung upon him in their hungry fury and tore him to ieces. ‘** Janette, that shot has told our foes where we are,” groaned the emigrant, ‘*Those howli beasts would have done as much. See, they have tasted the blood of their mate, and grow clamorous for ours now, so it will be a question as to which gets us—the hu- man or the ravenous brutes,” and Janette point- ed to the wolves who were coming nearer. The wounded man turned his eyes upon the girl, and said softly: of this my gentle, dove-eyed Janette that is talking? oe ne — ~ ‘*Even the worm will turn against the heel that crushes it, father, and I shall also turn against my foes, be they brute or human.” Her eyes flashed in the moonlight, and her bosom heaved, while her father observed that her face had lost its soft beanty and had be- come cold and stern. He closed his eyes and silence again fell be- tween the two, though the wolves, emboldened by their feast, had crept nearer, and seemed waiting for an unguarded moment to spring upon their prey. With one hand grasping her father’s and the other clutching the revolver, Janette crouched on the prairie awaiting the attack of the wolves, or the coming of her foes, and ready to greet either one with a nerve and strength born of the desperation of their situation. In an occasional lull of the howling and snarling of the brutes, the rapid clatter of hoofs upon the prairie could be heard, and it was very evident that the horsemen had been guided by the pistol-shot and were coming nearer to their victims. The wolves also heard the hoof-falls growing louder and Jouder, and knew that they would lose their feast if they did not boldly rush in upon their game. Some such intention Janette seemed toread in their fiery eyes as the moonlight shone full upon them, for, releasing her father’s hand, she took up another revolver and thus sat facing the score of hideous brutes, It was a strange and thrilling tableau, and one which Janette could stand but a very short while, so she again fired upon the skulking, snarling pack, who had now driven the tired and frightened horses close up to where lay the dving emigrant and scmniied the girl at bay. The shot again rung across the prairies, and once more a wolf dropped, to be instantly torn to pieces by his comrades, who fought savagely over the carcass. : But this second feast only whetted their ap. petites for human food, and they were preparing to rush in upon the brave girl and dying man, when up dashed three horsemen and with yells and a few shots scattered the wolves, who fled with dismal yelps across the prairie, The horsemen who thus arrived drew rein within a few paces of the striking tableau be- fore them, and not one of them dismounted, but, seated upon their horses, they gazed upon tho prostrate man and crouching girl by his side. Their horses seemed to have been bard trv and were panting heavily, and one who Joo): «| into the faces of the riders for sympathy and: ¢ ' in misfortune would have been no reader of }u- man nature, for there was no pity, no mercy, 10 manliness there. They were men of the plains who evident’ warred upon their fellows for gold, ard shunne | ee to save their negks from the ga!- ows, . Rough, uncouth, savage in the pursuit of gold, and merciless to a victim they were, and they had hotly pursued the man who lay dying at their feet, and the girl who knelt there at bay, for Janette held in each hand a revolver, The moon shone brightly down upon the scene, the very wretchedness of which should have welled up in their hearts at least an atom of sympathy. But those men knew not the word. They had trailed their game well, had run it to cover, and were going to secure it at all hazards. CHAPTER IIT. eo. A TRIO OF RED ANGELS. ‘WELL, old man, we has run yer down, and yer owes it ter us thet ther coyotes didn’t claw yer an’ ther leetle gal up,” said one of the men, unfeelingly. ‘*Tt would not have been a worse fate to he devoured by wolves than to fall into your vile ae, responded Janette, in clear, cutting nes. *“Ho! ho! ther dove hes got claws, pards, and durned ef she hain’t got a’ shootin wenen in her ‘* And I will use it if you force me to do so.” _““ Waal, ef thet don't sound threat’nin’ I are a sinner.” _“* Men, begone from here, and let my father die in peace. Then, when I have buried bim, you can take my trail, if you so will, and follow it to your death, or mine; but now leave me!” She spoke imperiously, and had risen to her feet, facing them with mien and look that showed she was driven almost to desperation, and would meet all that might occur with un- daunted courage. ; ‘‘ Pards, a gal in ther hand is worth two loose on ther perarer, and I says pick her up now, and then, as ther old man seems ter hang On so long, we'll jist hasten hin over Jordan an’ bury him, oe) the leetle one will hev nuthin’ ter distarb her. The dying emigrant turned his head slowly to- ward his enemies, for their words had reached his ears, and he said, hoarsely: ‘* Janette, give me one of those weapons, and then let those fiends do their worst.” Janette looked at her father and seemed to read his determination to carry out his original intention, to take her life and then his own, Comic ' .* ee 2 j ee a * “, ~~ * . « ty “we 7 eS ye : —-