Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 394 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

ae CO watch, and putting out the fire, he went to the edge of the timber unprotected by the river, and there stationed himself as a sentinol. As he stood in the edge of the timber, the moonlight falling full upon him, his superb form was rendered distinctly visible, Over six feet in hight, he was a man of perfect physique, with great broad breast, square shoul- ders, and held himself as erect as a soldier on parade, His face was a study in its strength and wo- manly perfection of feature combined, for he had all the power of a daring, resolute man, and all the softness of expression of a woman, His eyes were black and full of fire, his hair matched them in hue, and was worn long, falling in waving masses below his shoulders, while his complexion was dark, the bronze betraying the tinge of Indian blood that flowed in his veins,* A dark-brown mustache shaded his mouth, yet did not wholly hide the look of conscious power and stern resolution resting there, while his chin was massive and indicated the great strength of character he possessed. by the side of father, for you will bury him, won’t you? ‘“'Yes, but not here, for I shall take him to the banks of a stream some miles from here, and where there is a woodland scene of great beauty. ** Come, og must not despair, for you were a daring girl, holding three men at bay, when I rode up, and—” ** Oh, sir! where are those men ?” The cry came almost in a shriek from the girl, and Powell was on his feet in an instant and glancing in the direction where he had left the two prisoners seated upon their horses and securely bound. ‘They are gone,” he said so coolly that Janette was almost angry with him for showing no excitement, and asked quickly: ‘* But gone where, and how did they go?” “They have gone off, bent on more mischief, and they were shrewd —- when they saw that we were not watching them, to urge their horses into a walk and quietly decamp. **T should have hoppled their animals.” ‘* And I so fear those wretches,” she said with a shudder. He was dressed in the uniform of a surgeon of ‘Dismiss fear of them from your mind, | cavalry in the United States Army, and wore a Miss—” black slouch hat, encircled by a gold cord, and looped up on one side by an ivory pin, represent- ing a White Beaver, which name the Indians had given him as being the mightiest of medi- cine-men, before whom their great medicine chiefs bent in honor and admiration.+ His pants were tucked into the tops of hand- some cavalry boots, on the heels of whicb werea pair of massive gold spurs, About his waist was an Indian belt, hand- somely worked in strange devices, and it con- tained a jewel-hilted bowie-knife and a pair of arl-handled, gold-mounted revolvers, while at is back was a mst fen. gar also elaborately decorated with bead-work. ** Call me Janette, for I am only a girl.” ‘* Well, Janette, you must feel no dread of them, for they will take on care to give us a wide berth in future, and it is seldom that the Red Angels ever trust themselves this near the fort.” ** You call them Rea Angels, and I have heard so many stories told of an outlaw band by that name that infest the Overland Trails.” ‘* Yes, and you have had some sad experience of their work.” ‘* Sad indeed,” and she glanced at the form of her dead father. ‘*They are known as the Red Angels of the Overland,” continued Doctor Powell, ‘‘ and they His feet were small, and his hands, resting up- rob rich trains coming West or going East. | on the muzzle of a repeating-rifle, which he had Their leader is a young man, some say, and taken from its place at his saddle-horn, were also others claim that he is an old man, but, as he | small and shapely, but withal had an iron grip. wears a mask no one seems to know just what | For a long time, until the dawn broke, the he is. But he is a thorough devil, and there | Doctor Scout stood on guard in the edge of the are several large rewards offered for him dead | timber, and then his eyes became fixed upon or alive, yet he still manages to keep at large.” | something far off upon the prairie. ‘* They call him Captain Kit, I believe?” As the daylight increased, the dark object ‘* Yes, and he also bears the very appropriate | took the shape of horsemen, a half-score in num- name of the Hyena of the Plains, But, wemust | ber, and they were coming straight toward the be off, Janette, and, as your horses have had a | timber and directly upon his trail there! rest, we can push along at great speed.”’ ‘* Ah, bloodhounds! that accounts for their Leading the animal, ridden to the fatal spot | following the trail in the night,” and he placeda y the dead emigrant, up to the place, the Doc- | small pocket-glass to his eyes and continued: tor Scout raised the y in his arms, with an ‘*There are three of the brutes trailing, and ease that denoted marvelous strength, which | in less than half an hour they will be upon us,” . could not but attract the attention of Janette So saying the Doctor Scout wheeled quickly, even in her grief, and placed it upon the horse, | and went at a long, swinging pace to arouse his securing it firmly there with a lariat. fair young charge. Then he lif Janette to her saddle, and Arriving at the wicky-up he started with maze- springing upon the back of his splendid white | ment, and a cry of commingled alarm and sur- steed, he led the way from the spot which had | prise came from his lips. been the theater of such strange scenes. The wicky-up was vacant, and nowhere As thev rode off, the wolves, with yells of de- | around was Janette visible. light, rushed in to feast upon the body of the ‘*Gone! Great God! what can this mysterious dead outlaw, and at a gallop Frank Powellurged disappearance mean?” cried the Doctor Scout, ee the horses on that the sounds might not reach | for once shaken out of his calm into excitement. the ears of the poor orphan gir! at his side. Pressing forward at a g pace for a couple of hours, a dark line suddenly appeared ahead, which the Doctor Scout told Janette were trees bordering a small stream, in a bend of which they would come to a halt, for there was a good vom ing-ground, with plenty of timber to shel- ter them, The t was at last reached, and in the moonlight, Janette, at the request of the Doctor Scout, selected a place where she wished to bury her father. It was on the bank of a stream, beneath shel- tering trees, and seemed well formed by nature for a resting-place for the dead. After laying the body on the velvety grass, and unsaddling and staking the animals out to feed, Frank Powell went to work with his knife, to dig an humble grave. Meantime Janette paced to and fro upon the river-bank, her hands clasped before her, her eyes downcast, and now and then pausing to watch the work of the man who had so well be- friended her. ‘It was tedious work, ond several hours passed before the grave was ready to receive all that remained of the unfortunate emigrant. Then, removing his hat, the Doctor Scout placed the body in the grave, and taking up | some loose dirt in his hand, slowly and solemnly, in his deep, rich voice, repeated the entire ser- vice for the dead, and consigning the remains to their final resting-place, ‘‘ dust to dust, and ash- es to ashes.” _ Filling the grave, and protecting it by fallen branches from the ravages of wild beasts, the Doctor Scout then led Janette to another part of the timber, and quickly erected for her a lit- tle wicky-up in which to pass the night. | This was made most comfortable by her own and her father’s blankets. Then a fire was built, and a supper cooked with a skill that showed the Doctor to be a thorough plainsman, long inured | to camp-life. Having seen the maiden safely at rest in her little shelter, the Doctor Scout bade her to seek slumber in perfect safety, as he would be on CHAPTER VII. A TRIO OF SHOTS, For a moment, after making the discovery of Janette’s disappearance, the Doctor Scout was completely nonplused furtively about the timber, but His eyes roved fall upon the object of his nowhere did they search. The horses were there, his own noble white, and the animals that had been ridden by Janette and her father; but the fair rider was nowhere visible! ‘* What can it mean?’ he slowly asked himself. ‘Can she have feared me and so deserted me?” was the question put to himself. ‘*No, no, she cannot have done that; but, if so, I must track her, and prove to her that I am to be trusted.” Then his face suddenly paled as he asked the question, almost in a whisper: “ Good God! can her sorrows have driven her er , and she now be wandering over the prai- ries ** Well, whatever has happened to her, I must find her, and defend her with my life. **Ah! I had almost forgotten that I have hounds upon my trail,” and springing to busy vee he soon had the three horses saddled and ri i ‘She cannot have gone toward the prairie yonder, or I would have seen her. I will follow the bend of the river around, even if I have to fight these Red Angels,” So saying, he sprung upon the back of his own horse, and leading the other two, rode toward the river-bank, He had gone but a short distance when he * Doctor Frank Powell's great grandfather was Owachita. the Great Medicine Chief of the Seneca Indians, and his mother was the daughter of a New York farmer of noble ancestry. + In some of the far western tribes the Indians ' avimals, and their greatest chiefs alone are allowed to wear the skin of this revered quadruped. | regard the white beaver as the most sacred of | White Beaver, the Exile of the Platte. wg drew rein and gazed intently before im. ‘* Poor girl, I might have expected she would be there!” Dismounting, he walked toward the little clump of trees, a short distance before him, and where was visible the form of Janette. She was seated upon one of the logs upon her father’s grave, and bending over, her face buried in her hands, her wealth of golden curls hanging about her in wild profusion and resting upon the grass at her feet. Approaching softly, the Doctor Scout called her name: ** Janette!” No answer. ** Janette!” Still she did not move, and, with a shade of anxiety upon his handsome face he stepped for- ward and bent over her. ‘**Poor child, she has gone to sleep in this: drear spot, Come, Janette, we must be off,” At his touch she sprung to her feet and in a be- wildered way gazed at him; but memory came quickly back to her, and she said: ** Ob! it is you, sir?” ** Yes, I missed you and found you here, but. let me aid you to mount for we must be off.” ** fas anything happened, sir?” ‘*No, Janette.” ** Will I not see my father’s grave again?” and the tears came into her beautiful eyes, ‘* Yes, many times, for, if you are content to remain here on these plains, you will live not far from here, and can come often to this spot, which now isso sacred to you.” “You are so kind, sir, but see, is not that a wolf?” She pointed through the timber as she spoke. and he saw that the secret which he had en- deavored to keep from her must be told, so he said quietly: ‘* No, Janette, they are not wolves, for see, there are three of the brutes,” ‘*There is danger for us ahead, for they are hounds!” she cried, in alarm—‘“‘ bloo nds !” ‘* Yes, they are hounds, and upon our trail.” ** And their masters?” _ Are back on the prairie, coming on at full ‘** And who are they?” ‘*The Red Angels, Janette; but do not fear them,” and his manner was so deliberate, as he drew a revolver from his belt, that Janette ex- claimed: *“*Oh, how can Pag be so calm before such fearfuldanger? For God’s sake let us fly!” He turned at her appeal, raised her in his arms, and placed her in her saddle, But again she cried: ‘* Oh, sir, mount and fly, or those bloodhounds will tear you to pieces; and—see! youder come our worst foes, the Red Angels!” and she pointed through the timber to where the horsemen were visible atout a quarter of a mile distant, and coming on at full speed after the hounds. The ferocious brutes, with mouths open and tongues hanging oul, were now within a few rods, coming on the scent, silent and swift, seem- ly sure of their ey most fascinated by their silent trailing, Janette sat_ motionless upon her horse, whic now, with the other two animals, catching sight. of the swiftly-coming bloodhounds, began to show a spirit of restiveness, as though anxious to dash away in flight. Perfectly calm stood the Doctor Scout, his eyes fixed upon the hounds, and his revolver cocked in his right hand, while he held the reins of the three horses with his left. Had he shown some excitement, some degree of haste, Janette would have found it a relief; but his perfect calmness, his impassible face, made her almost dread that he did not realize a danger, and with staring eyes she watched im, Nearer and nearer came the hcunds, and the one in the lead was not thirty feet away when the revolver was suddenly thrust forward and the sharp report followed. The wind drove the puff of smoke directly into Janette’s face, and while thus blinded she heard two more shots in rapid succession. Then the smoke drifted away, and she be- held the three bloodhounds quivering upon the ground and heard the deep voice of her pre- server say: ‘* Now, Janette, we will cross the river, and the rapid gallop we must take will give us an appetite for breakfast.” s he spoke, Frank Powell sprung into the saddle and led the way down the river-bank, just as a wild yell came from the Red Angels as they dashed into the edge of the timber and be- held their intended victims, CHAPTER VIII. THE FLIGHT, AFTER the bitter experience she had had with the outlaws of the prairie, Janette was more than anxious to press on, for the glance she had at the coming horsemen showed her that they numbered fully half a score. The imperturbable manner of her protector at first fretted her, for he checked her ardor, and witb a pleasant smile said: Then, louder than before: GOMKIE J00Ks e ~ ¢