Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 48 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

-~ rr ee _ a AT oe SE Pa ee. rr _— Po ee nies meen a natin tn = = -— = i Idaho Tom. 39 CHAPTER XXXVI. 4 COLLISION ON THE LAKB. Aaa the old trapper chuckled with: delight over Tom’s ex- citement, “‘ Boy,” he said, “‘ be you afraid of that canoe?” ‘‘T am not superstitious, but I can’t account for the mysteri- ous power with which that craft seems endowed,” replied the youth. “Wal, if we go to the island we’ll have to go in that very \kiff, Tom,” ‘‘ Never! I’ve been there, Zed.” _ The trapper’s tall form shook with suppressed laughter. “Pll work it, Tom,” he finally replied. “I think I know what ails the durned thing.” ‘Well, I daresay you do,” declared the boy. ‘Come along then, my lad.” Out on to the open beach glided thé ‘borderman, and close be- ind him followed Idaho Tom. The moon was again hidden behind a cloud and darkness hung eer the face of all. : The two moved down to the water’s edge, and found that the enchanted skiff was out some ten or fifteen feet from shore. The savage seemed conscious of their approach, and endeavored to liberate himself from his agonizing ‘position, ‘but all in vain. The Mad Trapper waded into the water and hauled the canoe ashore. Then he stepped into it, and-catching the savage by the girdle jerked ‘him up off the seat. The act liberated him from his helpless position, and with an apparent ery of delight the savage sprung from. the skiff and bounded away into the woods. The Mad Trapper roared with laughter. ‘‘T’d laugh;too, if I could see the point,” said Tom, in per- plexity. “ Wal, I reckon it are a sockdolager to them as don’t under- stand science; but the nub of the hull thing is right here, Thomas, --Under this seat is a.galvanic battery of great power, the ‘poles; which are slender wires, attached to each of these -oars right wheré the hands grasp them. Here, you can feel ’em.” Tom stepped into the craft, and upon examination found that there was a wire running from the extremities of the box, which composed the oarsman’s seat, up to the row-locks, thence along the under side of the oar to the end where the hand was - fastened upon it. “Now then,” continued the trapper, “ you might grab one of these oars‘and hold it till doomsday and it wouldn’t affect you; and you might grasp it with both hands and it wouldn’t harm ye if ye stood up, but if ye’d set down on that box-lid, then you'd catch goss; for the box is so constructed that as soon as ‘oné sets down on it an electric current is turned on, and the heavier the man, the stronger the’ current. And once a hold of the plagued thing it’s purty bard to let up without help, or less ye know how to work it. But an Ingin will pull away at the oars, and that makes it all the worse on him. That’s all thar is bout it, Tom. But if you want it ‘lustrated take this seat.” ‘‘No, thanks, my gay old philosopher. As I said before, I have had a taste of your infernal nerve-tearing machine, and I don’t care about ‘trying if again. I have heard of galvanic batteries, but never have seen one, ‘nor had any idea of their mysterious power, else I might have mistrusted the truth of the matter. But of all the ideas, this one gets me. ' What in won- der can be the object in it, anyhow?” Dee raised the box-lid and threw the apparatus out of gear, then seating himself upon the box, seized the oars and drove the skiff rapidly out into the bay. “When some rods from the shore he said: “You asked me what object thar is in this ‘outfit: it is to keep Ingins and boys from botherin’ the skiff when one comes ‘gshore and leaves it to look around awhile.” “Well, it’s a- capital contrivance, 1 must frankly admit,‘ Zed; a |, = words were here cut short by a cannon-ball that came screaming through the air so close to their heads that both Tom and Zed dodged like ducks. “By the ghost of Cesar! that war a close shave, friend trap- per;” exclaimed the youth. | 4¢}, guess they think we’re enemies,” said Dee; ‘‘but fur the life of: me, I can’t see how they tell in this confounded fog who’s on the lake at all, and who ar’n’t.” ; «Maybe they were just firing to skeer the red-skins away, for it is impossible to see anything creeping through this fog—. a - — -Crash went the prow of. their swift-moving skiff into the side of a canoe whose presence ‘there was unknown, so deep and densé were the mist and gloom. A cry of terror went up from the lips of the unknown party, the shrill, sharp voice of a woman ‘was heard. The next moment the unfortunate voyagers were floundering and struggling in the. waves. ‘‘Och! Mother av Moses!” cried one of the crew, in a loud, excited voice, ‘the red divils will kill us now!” “Help me, Billy, for God’s sake; with Zoe; she is drowning!” The voice of the speakers sounded familiar, and their words told. Tom and Zed of the predicament they were in, “Tt’s some of our friends, Zed!’ exclaimed Tom, peering inte the gloom before them. “Who be you there?” asked the trapper, in a subdued tone, but the confusion made by the swashing water drowned his ‘ovoice, | He spoke louder. ' “Qh, Blessed Vargin! and it’s’ ould Torpedo,” was the joyful ‘reply: of Billy’ Brady. ‘‘ Hilp,. mon,.we’re drownin’! Yees busted our old tub, and b’ the powers we've got the swate young angel!” Before the last word had died upon the youth’s lips, Zedekiah tan the skiff alongside. the struggling trio, and with the assist- Lange of Tom, Zoe was lifted up into the crait, . But she was al- ready unconscious. Billy and Frank were next taken aboard, and the happy youths couldsearcely restrain a shout of joy and triumph. ‘This is a bad state of affairs,” Frank said, ‘not that it hurte Billy and I, but ‘on Zoe’s account, Had you been enemies in- stead of friends we would all have perished.” — ‘Very likely you would,” replied Tom, “but, old friend, I am glad to meet you, and know that you have rescued Miss Le- The old trapper gave up the oars to Idaho Tom, while he took the wet, dripping form of the maiden in his arms, and endeav- ored to restore her to consciousness. A deep silence now fell upon the party, so eager were all for the restoration of the fair girl. Only the dip of the oars, the heavy breathing,of the oarsman, and the swash of the water | broke the unnatural silence. Deep and depressing hung the | ‘< gray tog over the bay. Not until all had been assured of Zoe’s recovery by words ‘from her own lips; was that death-like pall lifted from the ‘hearts of the little crew, nor did one venture. to speak above a whisper. When this assurance, however, was guaranteed them, Idaho Tom exclaimed: ‘« Boys, I declare I don’t know where I am going!”’ “Stop, then,” said Zedekiah Dee, “and let’s git our bearings afore we run into ‘the’ clutches of some of the red: purgato- rians.” ; ** Yes, be certain by all means,” said Frank, “for there are ‘several canoes with savages creeping around over the bay in search of us. In order to elude them wé were compelled to bend our course several times, consequently'we got lost’ in the fog, and were going at .right-angles with your course when you ran into us.” | “Lost, by Jee-rusalem!” exclaimed ‘Dee, unable’ to get his course, ‘if I war on land you couldn’t fool me as to the.points ef the compass. But I’m no sailor.” -“ Billy, -you’re a-sailor-boy; give us the north point of the compass,” said: Frank, ‘The narth p’int av me hat!” retorted Billy. “All me senses are water-soaked, and devil the thing do I know.” Let’s wait, and mebby they'll fire the cannon,” suggested Idaho Tom. - “Sh!” commanded Dee, ‘ A canoe, propelled rapidly by three or four paddles, shot sud- denly across their bows and sped on into the distant night and fog. ‘It’s a boat in search of us,” said young Caselton; “ they know,'some way or other, that we're on the bay, and are trying to cut us off from the island,” ‘“fIf we are likely to fall into the Indians’ power, uncle,” saia Zoe, addressing the old trapper, ‘+ throw me overboard into the lake. I would rather die than fall into their power.” “Tut! tut! child,” replied the borderman, in a gentle, reprov- ing tone, ‘‘ we'll all die rather than see harm come to you—ah! ‘there’s our course!” ‘ £ A broad sheet of flame was seen off to the right, and at the same instant the thunderous boom of the little howitzer relled ‘ Gomicbooks. co