Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 484 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

i Bearer at sight of Mabel, as she reached the door of the lean-to, where he had seated himself with a glass of his favorite toddy. ‘‘ The heart of Sword Bearer is glad. Once more he’s a new man and a giant!” He emptied his glass at a swallow, and gained his feet briskly, advancing to meet the object of his passion. ‘* May it ever be thus, great chief,” returned Mabel, as she laid her hand with assumed coy confidingness in that of the visitor. ‘‘ Star Eyes is glad too! Her heart is as light asa feather.” He drew her his broad breast, and bestowed a resonant smack upon her forehead. These things were heard and seen by Barter and his wife, but they well understood the little game their daughter was playing, and merely smiled a discreet approval. A word only about Sword Bearer He is probably the most capable red-man now in the Rockies, and certainly one who has the most influence wita his people, Sword Bearer is not only very intelligent and sagacious, but he has been so constantly in con- tact with the pale-faces from boyhood that he has taken upon himself all the characteristics of our so-called civilization. He not only speaks the English language like a professor, but he can imbibe whisky with an ease and constancy which would do credit to the most thirsty Kentuckian. Mabel Barter not only found him picturesque, but she had been wooed with such ardor and persistency tbat she had really become inter- ested in him, Had not Nick turned up at that moment, there is no telling what would have happened. ‘¢T have come toshow Star Eyes something that will make ber heart still lighter,” said the chief, as be placed her in a chuir ard stood look- ing down upon her with a countenance that was a picture of infatuation. ‘* Sball we go now?’ ‘*Go where, great chief?’ whispered Mabel. ‘¢To see the million of which we were speak- ing last evening!” answered Sword Bearer, in the same guarded tone. ‘*Pshaw! I was not serious! joking!” “Tn any case, I have brought the money for you to look at!” “Really? Where isit? Here?” The chief shook his head. ‘¢ Not here,” he answered, “‘ but not far away. If you will come with me a few minutes—” He finished with such a pleading look as he stroked her hand, that she could not have failed to understand the situation, He was completely in her toils. She could do anything with him. Her slightest wish was a law to him. ‘* Very well. I will come!” she said. She arose and whispered a few words in the ear of her mother, and then turned to Sword Bearer, accepting his proffered hand, and walk- ing away with him to the spot where he had left bis horse, Leaping into his saddle, he drew ber up gently bebind him, and rode quietly away into the for- est. 7 ‘*You will not fret at the distance, Star Eyes?” he soon demanded, ** Certainly not,” and she passed her two hands around his stalwart waist to steady herself. ‘I could go to the ends of the earth with you, Sword Bearer!” ‘*T give you as many thanks as there are stars in the sky,” he said, in a voice husky with emo- tion, and she could feel his stout frame thrill with the eestasy she caused him. ‘“ But it’s scarcely a mile that we have to go, I merel wanted to keep the treasure ont of sight of all those men at the tavern.” “That was wise, Sword Bearer!” returned Mabel. ‘‘The most of those men are neither your friends nor mine. Many of them wish to marry me, and as many as wish to marry me are envious of you /” **T hope they’ll all have reason to be envious before another moon,” declared the chief, earn- a ** Need I say how glad I am to be alone with Star Eyes in the heart of the great for- est? [ was never, never so happy as at this mo- ment!” ; ‘Nor I, great chief. I will not be so wicked as to deny it.” The conversation was continued a few minutes in this exaggerated fashion—terribly in earnest on one side, and wholly assumed on the other— and then Sword Bearer drew rein. ‘‘ Here we are,” he said, assisting Mabel to the peg and alighting. ‘I will hitch the horse ere He suited the action to the word. ‘‘ How much further have we to go?” asked Mabel, with a nervous look around. ‘* Only a few ste just across the brook.” ‘‘ Ah! to the ge Cave!” “Yes, that’s what I think you call it.” The couple were soon in a small but snug cavern, and Sword Bearer produced a light, waving it around him. “Look!” he smiled. The girl actually gasped for breath, A large piece of canvas had been spread at the inner side of the cave, and upon it had been I was merely Captain Ready, _ the Red Ransomer. 5 EE poured bushels of money—absolutely bushels— consisting of gold, greenbacks and silver. CHAPTER VI. A CHIEF’S LOVE AND A WOMANS HATE. WuiILeE Mabel looked at the treasure in a sort of ecstatic wonder, Sword Bearer contemplated her with a keen and almost solemn interest—as a rapt devotee, in fact, might contemplate his idol. ‘‘Ts it all real?’ asked the girl, when she could find her voice. ‘¢ Heel of it, and see!” Kneeling beside the pile, she picked up some of the gold pieces and packages of greenbacks, Perhaps she had some vague idea that the money was counterfeit, but she was too good a judge of the article not to see readily that it was genuine. It had all evidently been in circulation, al- though most of the greenbacks were wrapped up in slips of brown paper, with the amount marked thereon, in the usual style of banks and bankers. One of the packages she had in her hands was marked ten thousand dollars, ‘‘ How much is there here, great chief?’ asked Mabel, as she dropped the pieces and packages, and arose, turning her most wheedling glance upon him, ‘* A little over a million.” ‘* How came it here?” ‘*Some of my braves brought it!” ‘* Simply to show me?” ** That’s all—as I promised.” ‘You needn’t have taken so much risk and trouble—” ‘** There’s no risk or trouble about it,” assured Sword Bearer, ‘‘ My braves brought it here because I told them to bring it here, and they'll take it away for the same reason.” Mabel 100ked nervously around again. She comprehended that the ‘* braves” in ques- tion were at no great distance, although she could not see them. | All that remained was to invent some safe and sure plan to that end. **Of course I donot want your money, great chief,” she said, in the softest and most effective tones she could use, as she took his hand and looked up into his face with pretended timidity. ‘* But I cannot be indifferent to all your kind words, Come to me to-morrow night at this hour, and I will give you my answer!” ‘“That?s all I can ask, Star Eyes,” said Sword Bearer, as he again drew her to bis heart and kissed her. ‘‘ And now to return to the tay- ern.” He led the way back to his horse, lifting the girl gently across the brook of which he had spoken. ‘¢ Will—will the money be safe there, chief?” she asked, with a glance in the direction of the cave, ‘‘Tt’s no longer alone,” he answered, ‘‘ My braves are there with it,’’ He sprung into the saddle, again taking Mabel up behind him, and the couple were soon back at the tavern. The first measure of Mabel after her return from the cave was to stir up a punch for her distinguished wooer, and to make it about twice as large and strong as usual, ‘‘While engaged in preparing this mixture, and coming and going behind the little table that served as a bar, she found occasion to give Mrs. Barter a brief account of what she had seen, and the mother in turn communicated the facts to her husband. How polite this made the old couple to Sword Bearer can be imagined. Waiting only long enough to get the chief in an extremely jolly and satisfied mood, Mabel excused herself for a few minutes ard sauntered out to the spot where she had left Nicholas Ped- die. He arose at her approach. ‘‘ Has the wait seemed along one?” she asked, laying her hand upon his arm with the freedom of an old acquaintance. ‘‘Not at all,” he answered. ‘I have been She averted her face from the glare of the | greatly interested in watching all the goings light, for the reason that she was conscious of | and comings that have taken place in your the appearance of a shadow on her forehead. That shadow was born of the question and an- swer which bad entered her soul: ‘* How did he come by it? Stolen, of course!” ‘‘Ts Star Eyes pleased?’ asked Sword Bearer at this moment. ** Delighted! fore!” ‘* Would Star Eyes like to have it all for her own?” ‘* Have it, great chief? Of course I would!” “* Be my queen, and it shall be yours!” q ** Your wife you mean?” “Wife or queen, it’s all the same!” declared the infatuated warrior. “But you have many wives already!” ‘* That does not matter!” ‘* But they would be angry if you were to take me to the Roost!” ‘You. needn’t go there! Ill build you a house fit for a queen, and you can live away from my people! The manner with which Mabel listened to these words attested that she had no intention of repudiating the proposition. To the contrary, she had decided to lead the infatuated warrior to some sort of an agree- ment that would leave her in ion of the treasure; but she wanted time to elaborate some plan of securing the money without its I never saw so much money be- essor,. With a million at her disposal in almost any of the great centers of the world, what a career was before her! ‘Ts there no danger that the owner of the money may come for it?” ‘* Not the least!” ** Where is he?” “* He’s dead!” ‘‘Dead? How did he die?” ‘“The old chief killed him.” ‘* Your predecessor?” ‘Vea. A tremor shook the girl’s form, although she was by no means tender-hearted. To hide it, she turned toward the entrance of the cave. ‘* Who was he?’ she resumed. ‘*He was a New Yorker who had been in California twenty years, and who had made a vast fortune. He had not faith in banks, and exchange, and transfers in writing, but pre- pared to take the cash with him. He believed the Overland route to be safe, and so it would have been under ordinary circumstances, But the old chief had his spies at Salt Lake City and got track of him.” ‘** And this is all he had?” ‘* Not the half of it!” The girl stood lost in thought. The tragedy involved in the matter was by no means an uncommon one, but it is very rare that one is so frankly and fully uncovered, A hard, stern look soon gleamed from Mabel’s eyes, and a singularly firm expression at the corners of her month. She no longer had the least hesitation about robbing the robber. absence, As the ak ey Tavern has only ar- rived here to-night, how is it that all these peo- ple know just where to find you?” ‘‘ Rasily enough, The movement has been contemplated for several days, and very natur- ally we bave told all our customers just where would be the next stopping-place. Besides, when you think of the tempting supplies we fur- nish, you'll comprebend how quickly the news of any such movement gets buzzed around!” “And how did you get on with Sword Bearer?’ asked Nick, after a nod of compre- bensiin for the information Mabel had given im. ‘** Oh, just as I expected,” ‘* He showed you the million!” “He did.” ‘* Actual money? The real thing?” ‘‘ Yes, Nick, and he promised to give me the whole million if I will marry him!” ‘‘ But how can he marry you, with so many wives already?” ‘‘Such a marriage would be quite legal from his point of view and for him, according to the usages and customs of his people!” ‘*Ah! so it would. I didn’t think of that. It would be legal for him, But for you?” ‘*T haven’t yet married him, or made any pre- tense of doing so,” assured Mabel, with a play- ful toss of her head. ‘‘I haven’t even decided what course I shall take in regard to my ardent suitor, but Iam not quite decided to forego the pleasure of handling some of that money,’ ‘** How did he come by it?” Mabel reported what the chief bad told her and then led the way toa rustic beneb near a aaa bidding Nick he seated, and setting the ex- ample. Sitting quietly there, silent and thoughtful, the couple saw about a dozen guests of various colors and kinds arrive at the inn and settle in- to their places for the night. Mr, Pawler and his wife were both as busy as bees—-the one in getting supper for so many, and the other in taking care of their horses and in making him- self generally useful, “Td no idea there were so many people on this trail,” at length said Nick, dishking to re- main alone so long with his companion, but at the same time shrinking from paming himself into the motley crowd which bad now gathered. ‘* Where do eae all come from?, And how does it happen that they do not quarrel] among them- selves—at least some of those white trappers and hunters with those red-skins?” ‘Oh, it’s well understood that the Rolling Tavern is neutral ground,” said Mabel, witha - short, nervous laugh. ‘They come here to feed and aleny, and nct to quarrel. But you see what a rude life this is for me. Do you wonder that I am at times almost wild with a sense of these surroundings, and that my thoughts go hack to op peppy days when—when we lived in Iron- nm ‘Oh, that’s not to be wondered at,” returned Nick. ‘* But one of these days you'll marry and settle down, in the midst of a scene that will be more congenial.” Geom =ViOOK . x & 7 | -