Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 1140) (1903 08)
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===! ———————— i i ————— Copyricut, 1878, sy BeapLe & ADAMS. No 140, Oregon Sol; OR, NICK WHIFFLES’S BOY SPY. BY CAPT. J. F. C. ADAMS, Published Every Month. CHAPTER I. A ‘*CONDEMNED DIFFIKILTY.” ‘‘ WHEN a’ man has got to say yes or no, and can’t for his life make up his mind which he orter say, then I allow he’s in a condemned diffi- kilty; but, when you’rein such a kentry as this, where the varmints are all around you, it’s the best plan to be ’spicious of ’em all.” Thus spcke Nick Whiffles, with the old smile lighting up his honest, homely countenance, in reply to a remark of his friend Oregon Sol, a brother trapper, as they half-reclined on the face of a large flat rock, far up in the wilds of the North- west, one pleasant summer “ day, a number of years ago. “‘ There’s my gran’father,” eontinued Nick, ‘‘ who used So be the most onsuspicious old gentleman that I ever knowed. I remember one day, when a man come along and offered to sell him a piece of land that he said was just the place to raise elephants onto to sell to the circus companies. The old man borrered the money on @ mortgage, and paid him nis price fur the land, and then went out there to begin raisin’ them little When he got there and come to locate his land, he found it was right in the middle of the Wisconsin river, where the water was twenty-four feet deep. That set the old gentleman in high duageon, and | me ‘earin’ back ag’in. and went for that swind! when he found him, the chap axed his par- ‘ount of the little at had been made. » sold f th Ser pets. he o . but don on at mistake and t him Ia spot Ww it wa 4: 6) : 97 swaller feet; oh th Ma. J. EVERS A CO... Publishers, ALN, PROPRIKTOI 379 Pearl Street, New York. TAMES SULLIV thow, “i he does look as innocent in the face asa spring chicken.” ‘That’s jest it,” assented Oregon Sol, as he ejected a mouthful of tobacco-juice, with such skill as-to knock a fly off the ear of the dog Calamity that was stretched out dozing at their ”"s whar the condemned diffikilty, as you call .c, comes in. Sometimes I look into the face of Marunyo, the Indian boy, and I think if ever there was a young lamb goin’ round onto two legs, that ’ere chap is him. You remember down on Dent’s Bay, a month ago, when we war fishin’, he swum out at night, fur over a mile, and to tellus that a party of them cussed Modocs, led by Captain Jack, was waitin’ fur darkness so as to come down and raise our ha’r. No mistake, Marunyo kept out of a*mighty bad scrape that time, and I like axin’ his pardon fur ever thinkin’ anything wrong "bout him. Then ag’in, thar didn’t noth- in’ come to make me feel shaky, till a week or | : PRICE 5CENT 50c. a year. \ Vol XLVI eX two ago, when I war ne’r a) 10ng the lava-beds and see’d Marunyo hobnobin’ vxith these same Modoes that are the meanest cisses that ever went unscalped.” \ ** Wal, we’ve got to watch him nhichty close that’s all,” replied Nick. “ Most of the Whiffles family was Of a ’spicious nature.\ They alw ays had a ’spicion that thar was somethings extron- nery in the way of smartness "bout ‘me. but when I growed up, my mother said it Was one of them ‘spicions that never was conftymed. The schoolmaster, howsumever, said.I w blasted fool, the first time he sot eves onto\me and that ’spicion was confirmed. There was inv aunt, too, that had her fust beau when she w seventy-three years old. She was so ’spicion that she was too young to keep company, the she made it a practice to set the dog on that ee pensioner when he come to see 1er. ‘ Did he keep it up?” “Wal, yes—that is till he hadn’t any more seats left to his breeches, and then, when he was layin’ in bed to get "em mended so as to begin over again, she run off with his father that had been a widower for more nor forty years.” . “But ain’t you a leetle in- clined to be ‘spicious your- self?’ asked Oregon Sol, who, on this lazy summer after- moon, was disposed to humor the loquacity of his friend. “That depends upon sar- cumstances,” was the reply. **One time, when two other chaps and me war arter the same gal, I'd a’spicion that Oj x ’em played a con- L$ mean trick on both He was a sort of a—” ello what’s up, Ca- lamity ?”’ Nick’s yarn was cut off abruptly, for the dog, that hitherto had seemed to be in sound sleep, suddenly raised his head and gave out a faint whine, the meaning of hich was evident enough to It meant one was approach- cand that it behoved them watch. curtous to trappe be on the t Was notice two trap- dog ut- Sitting k, as they last hour, the ‘Ous e th f th t} ii themselves
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awaited until the ise nature of tHe dan, should develop 5 ay pe pgs t having uttered the moan and msen to his feet, stood with, his nose pointed togard the north, indicating that that was the - tion from which the r was coming, Nick Whiffles had seen signs of Modocs d the last few days, and it had made hiw rather uneasy, for it was only about a hundred miles to the north of this that he and Oregon Sol had | their cabin or head-quarters, from which point ~ they made excursions through long leagues of ” - gurrounding: terri . Such a distance w et rhe By and if the treacherous Modocs were 7 thus there was to believe that they e4 ‘ m - * would pay the cabin their respects before they returned. After rising to his feet, Calamity stood utterly motionless for twe or fninutes, when he suddenly stretched out agaif, with leis nose be- : tween ws, as if he wisfed to finish the nap been inte: ite ; “ All right,” exclaiméd /Nick Whiffles, as he witnessed the conduct of fhedog. ‘That shows worlld have drawn attention, even_among + noted warriors of his own people. ed the knife at the girdle, a long ular mass of stoncf/a_ figure veges from. the bushes wu site side and approach them. any greetings, Nick * and Sol took thg behind the rock and WS awaited : : ¢ It was the ffgure of a + eg ae and | graceful IndiAn youth, ian cos- ; tume, with 4 face of remarkable beauty. He | " - had the k&, flashing eyes of the red-man, and \y the long, di i sweeping hair worn by that Gai Face 3” his features were more regular, and i? ~ there waga certain grace and ease in his bearing thé mos He : silyer-moun } t—not of the hideous by the red-skins, but in the aL dtadye © ‘ Marunyo. f y” said Oregon : young Indian, as he came up. It was evi- dent that he was a ‘‘ brother” to the two trap- “Yes.” replied the youth, speaking with an azcent as pure as his own, ‘“‘I have much to do. The red-men are still seeking wrong, and Ma- runyo has many miles to vel to get to the .* ~~ n coy . . = impatience, while the old hunter was indulgi in one of his characteristic reminiscences. When Nick had finished, and before he could start off on another, Oregon Sol put in his question: “Don’t talk in riddles, Marunyo—but tell us what the rows this time. You spoke of the Modocs—what have -they peen. domg+—scalpin’ murderin’, shcotin’ and skulpin’, I s’pose; but what has that to do with you j The young Indian pointed to the northward, toward the far horizon, where the blue, cloud- like outline of a chain of mountains could be seen against the azure sky. It was aspur of that mighty chain which, extending from the arctic to the southern ocean, branches off in vast ridges, some of them extensive enough to make independent ridges of themselves. As the two trappers followed the direction in- dicated by Marunyo; they knew that that blue . streak of elevated land was in British America. Both had hunted the otter and beaver there, . when in the employ of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, and if Marunyo meant to imply that 6 was en, m an errand that would take him there, both knew that a’ number of days must elapse before they could see his face again. “* Wal, we see where you're pointing,” said | Nick Whiffles, after waiting a moment for the | red-skin to speak. “‘ That reminds me of what | my grandmother once did, when I was on a visit | toher. You see the old lady—” | The Modoes are bad people,” the Indian has- tened to say, in order to arrest the threatened anecdote; ‘they are traveling nerthwar toward the Saskatchewan.” “But they belong just the other way,” said ao Sol, pointing tothe southward. ‘*Them Modoes belong among the lava beds of n. Is’pose because it looks so much like the in- | farnal country round there, that they feel at | home.” ‘** But some of replied Marunyo; “there are, on they are bad, and Marurtyo erst what they do. "He will bg”back in & few days, and then perliaps he will have a story to tell.” “It won’t do any good, if you haye,” replied Sol, ‘“‘ while Nick is about: Id like to see.the man that could get the start of him im tellin’ a yarn. I think that when the. last messenger comes, Nick will ax him to hold on.a few min- | utes till he teHshim a little story about his Lingt eseal or uncle, or some of his relations. ut, Marunyo, ain’t you going to tell us any thing about this trouble?” ‘“* Not yet,” replied the Indian youth, who did not seem to relish this jocularity. | Soon will be back.” And without any further words, he turned a few, but ‘ollow ‘and see | his life of infam | } | | | “] go, but | | ing a sharp look-out to see whether he was foi- on his heel, and moving northward in the direc- | tion in which he had pointed, disappeared the next moment in the wood and bushes beyond. And leaving Nick Whiffles and Oregon Sol to themselves for a time, we must follow the Indian | spy upon hiserrand, which was destined to prove sthe most eventful of his life. '. Tt was late in the afternoon that he left the company of his two friends, and without once | lodking behind him, he méyed with g peculiar | loping gait, directly through theywood; like one mu is certain of the precise’ tion toward which he is hastening. He.c his insepar- able rifle in his hand, and, although his head was turned neither to the right nor the left, his | senses were on the alert, and uld not have failed to detect any suspicious d or sight | near him. |. For something like a mile | a ridge, when a stream of wa size was reached. Instead of advancing to the | edge, Marunyo cautiously made his way back to the gente led along : f considerable | | the top of the ridge, and, after some maneuver- | | ed quite an extended view of the river in both directions. Lying flat u tonted forwa | fifteen minutes in scanning the extensive field, which was oo out before his vision. Roving hither and thither, his eye at last rested upon a ing, managed to secure a position which afford- | But Marunyo is on their path, and he shall fol- e leads him beyond the head-waters of the Saskatchewan.” eget remained a few minutes longer ing fixedly in the direction of the Indian b ted as if he hoped to detect tee polo “Brag tan- gible, but failing to do so, and as the day was drawing rapidly to a close, he carefully made his way down from the ridge, and drawing a small canoe from its concealment, launched it up on the river, sprung in and sped away like a swallow ? He headed straight toward the camp-fire, and as he was paddling against the current he cross- ed over to the other side, and ran inas close tothe * shore as sible, »» as not only to take advan- tage of the more slowly flowing water, but to ran so much less charce of heing seen. Noring secures the position he was seeking, - he made his progress much more.gradual than ~ it had been in crossing the river. It looked in- 5 deed as if he was seeking to-defer his arrival ’ upon the scene of the camp until after night had fairly settled over mountain and stream. _ Not much need was there of his waiting, for { already had the sun sunk out of sight in the Pa- hos cific, and the moon, half-full, shed a dim, uncer- tain light upon vhe river, while the little canoe crept along in the bank of deep shadow, with the silent, insidious motion of a phantom of the "a y was it that oop pe the young Black- foot, was so carefully following the boat con- taining the two Modocs and théir captives? it was not the first time that these woman-thieves had stolen white people and either murdered or made off with them. And knowing this, why should the young Blackfoot take such an extra- ordinary interest in the fate of these two par- ticular ones? None understood more thoroughly the charac- low them, if th ' | ter of the two men whom he was toilowing. m are traveling northward,” | Flat-Nose Billy was one of the most treacher- ous dogs that ever bore the name of man, and the later crimes of Captain Jack, who. crowned with the hellish assassination of General Canby, are so well known to our readers, and so fully reveal his nature that no further description is needéd in this place. : # Marunyo could have advanced to the camp, where these two Modocs were masters, and he would have been received as afriend. He had indeed ‘ormed more than one good office 1¢ the chieftain, in his capacity of spy, and was entitled to his gratitude. P But, that made the danger none the less. Cap tain Jack was now ona long journey frém his _ home in the lava-beds, and was doubtless kee lowed or not. For any one to attempt it was. aire equivalent to a deliberate commission of “’ suicide. This will explain the extreme caution of the Indian spy, who, as he found himself in the immediate vicinity of the camp, Céased pad- dling altogether and sat for a few minutes m- tent y. listening. All was still, and reaching up, he grasped an overhanging limb, and drew the Tittle boat against the bank. The, next instant, he had drawn. the prow up on the land, so skillfully concealed thatit could not be seen by any one passing up or.down the stream or bank. At this moment, there was no more than a hundred yards between the Blackfoot and the camp, and he advanced, with the stealth that he used when moving at midnight among the hostile warriors among the Klamath lakes. Still this particular portion of a scout’s recon- noissance is not considered the most difficult nor the most dangerous by any means, and it did not require Marunyo a long time to gain a posi- tion from which he was afforded a complete view of the camp. The sight that met his eyes would have awak- | ened painful emotions in the heart of any one m his face, with his body ext. | over what was here an over- | hanging bluff, the Blackfoot youth spent some | point about a quarter of a mile distant, and up- | on the opposite side of the stream. Only the sharpest vision was able to detect a faint col- umn of smoke rising from some spot within the wood, when the fire itself,could not be seen. ‘He is there,” said Marunyo te himself. ** Captain Jack and Flat-Nose Billy have come a long ways from the lava-beds with the two cap- tives. ey mast be very valuable, or they would. not. carry them so far into the woods. But they mean that no one shall suzal them away, nor?that they shall escape themselves. > § : ary ¥ except a Modoc Indian. In the middle of a small natural clearing along the river was kin- - dled.a small fire, over which Flat-Nosed Billy, was stoping: devoting all the energies of his mind and body to cooking a piece of meat, large __ enough to afford a good meal for half a dozen oe | men. Captain Jack, the Modoc leader, was stretch. | ed out flat upon his back, with his feet crossed | and himself sound asleep. | was reflected against one side of his face, show- ing its horrible. repulsiveness, which was ona As he lay, the light | par with that of Flat-Nosed Billy, who was ugly enough to give a brave man the fever and ague,” the first time he looked upon him. , be But Marunyo had seen these two friends too often to feel any t interest in them at this moment. Two helped to make up that cl
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Oregon Sol. little , in whom his interest wasof the pro- paeeeh aotare One seemed to be a middle-aged woman, ex- | eeedingly well and with the air and ap- of a lady of wealth and refinement. Bhe was seated on the sloping side of the hol- | Jow, and the light shining full in her face show- - ed how great her terror was of the two wretches, who, for the time, were the arbiters of her fate. Her wild looks wandered from one to the other, and then at intervals her eyes dropped, and her moving lips showed that she was look- ing at and speaking to her companion whose head rested in her lap. . _ Marnnyo strove hard to gain a view of the face of this lady, but the position of the head made his view very imperfect. The face, as re- vealed now and then in the fitful flashes of the showed that it was one of great ) : the ontiines of _ - 7 seen in arms antsboulders, § of youth, symme- ie and grace. An cEberver would have sup- that the relation between the two was that of mother anti «laughter, and such, we may as well state at this t, was the fact as near the ‘eamp. as was possible; the ‘oot lay flat upon his face and wa with an intensity of i which.it would be hard.to describe, Flat-Nosed Billy, whose face and_ features the sobriquet, devoted his whole atten to the venison which he was cooking, a tly unaware that any one else was in She vicki . He had raked out some live coals from the and with the a epee) Sees a number of twigs, kept turning it over and over, so that the rocess of boiling was as ect as it could well be. All at once he ceased his culinary attempt, And gave utterance to an exclamation intended to signify that the work. was completed. The exclamation seemed to be understood by the others, for the elder lady looked toward him, and Captain Jack instantly rose to the si position, and in his characteristic man- ner, demanded his share. Flat-Nosed Billy, in obedience to his noble leader, cut off about one- half of the piece and tossed it to hiza. The Modoe chieftain caught it up like a dog, and be- gan devouring it with the rapacious greed of a -¢ouple of small pieces were flung to the i t-Nosed Billy reserving a large por- which in a very short time dis- 2 gonna down his capacious maw, and he look- around, as if he were able to dispose of the rest of the animal, if it were accessible. But Marunyo scarcely bestowed a glance up- on the repulsive looking Modocs, His eyes were fixed upon the two ladies, and he watched their movements with a depth of interest that can scarcely be imagined. : At a word from the elder, the younger raised her head from her lap, and began eating the food which had been given them. It was cary that they had little or no appetite for the feast. but evidently ate from a conviction of necessi- "Yime was dressed in a dark, handsome traveling suit, so that she was as well provided for this enforced journey as if she had made vol- un +ion. er dark hair flowed around a handsome oval face, and the flashin black eyes spoke of one, who lacked not the wi but the power to exterminate these two scamps from off the face of the earth. . Could any one have seen the face of Marunyo, the young Blackfoot, as, lying upon the ground, he watched the countenance of this lady, he would have ted that the Samp warrior - was smitten with a stronger emotion than mere friendship for her. His eyes seemed riveted up- on her every movement, and when at last they turned from her to Captain Jack, they flashed with such a deadly hatred that that redoubtable chieftain might well have trembled had he been of the same. : rash or ithpetuous, the young Indian did rifle seemed of itself to creep into position, and. almost ere he was aware, he : Crack! went the hammer. The cap only ex- ) ~~ ploded. © The rifle had ‘‘ missed fire.” That thiss had saved Captain Jack’s worthless life, but it imperiled the life of the daring young Blackfoot. ith a clear consciousness of his “danger, Marunyo drew backward like a snake to cover, then rising, started on a run, closely followed by Flat-Nosed Billy, but ere long threw him off the trail, and again headed for the river. By a long and circuitous route he picked his “way th the wild, rocky region and ap- camp-fire from a direction almost ~ sn en -erenennepe opposite to that he had followed at first. He caught the glimmer of the camp-fire when at a considerable distance, but upon coming nearer found no one near it. The appearance of the wood and embers showed that the party had been gone some time. Marunyo was considerably disappointed, al- though he had maby expected something of the kind._ He saw that he had nothing to do except to resume his pursuit, which he did without de- | lay. His canoe, concealed with such care, was | drawn from the bushes, launched into the wa- ter, and again he staivéd up the stream, with greater speed this time than before. , Up the stream he paddled, with hands that seemed never to tire, his senses all alert for “sion” and to avoid a surprise. At length he was confronted by a waterfall of considerable dimensions. around which all'comers had to make a ‘‘ portage.” The Blackfoot had and was picking his wa agam, for the purpose of launching his canoe, when he was startled by catching sight of a light twinkling) amon e stun trees and rocks that here lined the river. He paused on the instant, and laying down his canoe, started oe a cautious reconnoissance of this new camp- The result was the discovery that Captain Jack and Flat-Nosed Billy had made another halt, which, from all ap nees, was intended to last until morning. he paused at what seemed a suitable place, and nega building a fire for himself. , to say the least, was a sin roceed- ing, butit was followed by something still more singular and i nhour after the start- startling. ing of the fire, the one single coy ee might be seen stretched out in front of the blaze, wrapped up from head to foot in his blanket, and to all appearance, in a deep,heavy slumber. Still the fire burned vigorously, for a goodly quantity of wood had been heaped upon it, and the Black- | foot lay with his feet turned toward the em- bers, as if he meant to continue comfortable un- til morning. About midnight, the figure of a Modoc In- | dian crept as silently as a shadow from the | darkness of the undergrowth, and advanced un- | til he had reached the outer rim of the circle made by the blaze, where he paused. Here as the light fell upon his repulsive features they | showed him to be no other than Captain Jack who, in a crawling position, raised his rifle and pointed toward the unconscious figure. It required only a second for sure of his aim, when he pulled the trigger. There was no ‘flash in the pan” in his case, and the bullet sped true to its mark, fired, as it | was, no further than twenty feet away. Having discharged his riflé, the Modoe chief- | tain straightened up and stood looking steadily at the prostrate figure for full a minute. ‘*Marunyo has died the death of a traitor,” he muttered, ‘but he was a good warrior, and I will not scalp him. I will leave him there for the wolves to eat.” And, with this QGhristian-like expression, he moved away toward his own camp, satisfied ey he had ended all trouble from That quar- er. : He had scarcely disappeared, when another figure emerged from the darkness, and, advan- | cing to the prostrate figure, pulled the blanket aside. This action revealed Ahat, instead of a man being within, there wad nothin casins at one end, so as to resemble the figure of a gk am, § piace It was yo himself who had played this rather sharp trick, and a grim smile lit up his face, as he replaced his own moccasins, and threw his bl tory to moving further away, where, if he chose, he could spend a few hours in sleep, with- out the risk of being broken in upon by his ene- niies, ‘““Captain Jack thinks there is none now to | follow him; he believes that the Drooping Lily pee a to save her. Let Captain Jack ook out J” ‘ CHAPTER II. A BIG “YARN.” “TIr’s a condemned diffikilty, I allow,” said Nick Whiffles, in replied to his friend Oregon | “I've ciphered over it many an_hour, | Sol. and always come out where I wentin. I think I've heard my gran’father speak\of the same diffikilty at the time he was Governor of New around the cataract, | toward the water | ving satisfied himself | pe this point, Marunyo retraced his steps, un- | til he had reached a point below the falls, where | im to make | x but a simple | log of wood, skillfully arran with the moc- | et over his shoulders, prepara- | \\He found that he had promised one office to\thirteen different burglars, and th all sworg they’d have his life if he went | on his phomise. And he knowed they’d do | it, and yOu see there was where the trouble | come in. \We couldn’t see his way clear out of the fix.” - ‘* But howdid he git out?” asked the tra : ‘* Heavens Rhow should I know?” replied Nick. “T didn’t s to tell you a story vat only @ diffikilty that Re got into. Seme of these days ‘“But what ha tto do what we're talkin’ *bout?” Via ** How in thunder say that it had any t | Pi tell you ho got out of the scrape, but | only one thing es you know.” st long before this time, and if we loaf about | much longer we shall miss ’em altogether.” “Wal, I’ve been tryin’ to coax you off fura week past, but I couldn’t get you started,” re- plied Oregon Sol, determined that the blame should rest upon the right shoulders. ‘‘I s’pose the Blackfoot will go with us.” “IT wouldn’t bet much onto that, fur if he’s gone off on a tramp there’s no telling’when he'll come back ag’in. Some of these days he won't come back at all,and then we'll have to go alone. That ’ere Marunyo is a very venture- some young lad, and is bound to get iito trouble some day. He always reminds me. of \thetime rts the brigade on the “* Red River of the orth.’ As Oregon Sol himself had been in the em- oe of the same company, and had beer, with ick Whiffles a great deal of the time, he re | marked that he did not: see what there was in such employment to remind him of the young Blackfoot, ‘ ‘*T can’t help itgif you don’t see what-it is,” replied the whimsical trapper; ‘‘ it ain’t the fault of some pa if they’re born without any , my old schoolmaster used to think it was. We had a good party of us at that time, and now and* then we come ’cross some odd people. There was the Raven of Red River, and lots of others, not to mention the young Injun warriors, that arterward Boo te qe be gals of the female sex. We had some lively adventures, then, me and Calamity and my horse Shagbark; and there was a nice lot of folks that I helped get out of the hands of the varmints, by getting into their hands myself, and having somebody to help me out. But we all come out right side up, in the end, as I hope | we will do inwthis ’ere case. Do you know what I think that young Blackfoot is drivin’ at?’ suddénly asked Whiffles, forgetting all | about his promised reminiscences, and thinkin only of the new suspicion that had come into | head. | ** How should I know?” replied Sol. ‘“*‘ How | brains, thoug can I fell you what you're thinking "bout, whem | half the time you don’t know, yourself?’ | J 'spicion that he’s arter some gal that some | of the red-skins hayé run off with. If that’s | the case, why, we’ve got to jine im with him | and go too.” | * Why so?” | _“*’Cause on account of the gal im the case. Nick Whiffles ain’t the man to stand back when there’s any caliker that needs his help. It was _ always a weakness of the Whiffles family, and it ruined some of ’em. ere was one uncl | the great traveler that rode all over Africa an Asia and New Jersey in a gig, because he was afraid he would be blowed up if he traveled on the cars or in the steamboats. He was at the | Cape of: Good Hope, one day, when ke heard that a young lady, pecans. toa Maier Pry boarding-school that had just started, got | lost among the bushes and hills to the orth of | that place. You understand that the young | ladies’ Institute had been started among the Hottentots, or Hotpots, or some such name, and as she had en to do. the washin’ and iron- in’, they couldn’t very well spare her, though it didn’t need such an inducement te start my un- cle off, for he was, like the rest of the Whiffles family, ready to break his neck any time for the sake of helping along some female woman of the gentle sex. | Baga A my uncle only waited long enough to | turn a collar that he haa been wearing for three ; | or four months, when he jumped into his gig and started for the country, where he had been directed to go to find the interesting young i lady. Iheard him remark afterward that the | ‘greatest. bother he had was with the roads, | which didn’t seem to have been paved or repair-
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ed for a long time. One time, he met 4 riage comin’ toward him, and started out; the road was the sloping side of RB tain, so that, when he , he kept! ing out, till he and his animile had rol, or four thousand feet down the side #fthe bot- bate tom. Unele said he didn’t mind tkffall, and ices _ the roiling over several hundred ' fe was used to that; but he was » the chap that he turned out for = done it on purpose, and didn’t x. . . * But did he fin lady?” asked or his propen- d the youn to hu of that iffes fami- . There’s Calamity, to a bear, Injun, or id to stic ‘But at last hé Varned ’n eg agree that had nsefn a cow fa) es er on > we ts as were rather len- where the elejfnan tier a # healthy, and so he got in his sig again, his lines, and started off on a jog- \ trot for the ce, determined more than ever to _ «git the Me ws ie eacge SS carry any weapons with him?” « two muskets under ° th 8 two together, and they made one ood and he felt that he could get along if the it new t had skeered his enimile, for he know’d it must be something onusual to do that. “It was a good time afore he see’d gg bara to account for the skeer of the critter, but at last he see’d it, and what do you s’ it was?” Oregon Sol scorned to notify his friend again that he had not the’ remotest conception of the ’ of the story he had set out to tell, and Nick Whiffles resumed: ‘* What he observed was three lions and three ts oping after him. It was aremark- able coincidence that there should be the same number of each kind of animals, but such was the solemn fact, and they were all headin’ to- ward him. He m to, straighten up and twist ‘round, so as to get om the right end, and then he whipped up his hoss to e ’im trot a little faster in the of gettin’ away, but it a? pee with t hoss not to go an faster than that one stopped yellin’ d Packing hie ina looked at and whac , and loo round a4 the company. There was three animiles that were keeping him elephants on one side the road and the three lions on t’other, - eause you post bag Bespaessg Py dte me getiuer very we they was olding waitin’ tar the others to begin the fight, so as to git a better chance. 2 ** My uncle was a-lookin’ at the front elephant, when he noticed the critter wink his eye ina wag at him. When the animal had done it two or three times, then the great traveler see’d what it meant. It was the same elephant he had seen in a circus company in the State o Connecticut. It was at a time that my unc! was driving a load of hay to town, when the elephant slipped ‘long behind him and eat it all mp, and when he drove on the scales to get his lay weighed, he looked round and found it all toward my uncle, a to Iet fim know that he was his friend, and had m "went up ”, i pretty high in rone. “Wal, of course, the elephant felt very tender | nd he meant all this winking | Beadle’s Half-Dim.» ‘Library. come along to stand by him and help him. | A A ) ” f about to “light, the elephant that had gone into Sap eriet with my uncle, cotched the lion on tusk which went straight through him, and held him pinned fast. About the time this was done, the second lion was in the air and he cotched him the same way on his other tusk, so that he had them both fast, where they couldn't de anything.” “* But, you said there was three of em. What had become of the other?” “He was an awful fool. He might have knowed better, but, I spose when he saw them two lions stuck on the tusks of the elephant, he thought there warn’t nothin’ in the, way to hinder him from havin’ a fair show at my uncle; so he give a big howl and licked his chops, and made a bigger jump than either of the others. I allow that things, did look a little shaky just then, but you’ve ‘heard how smart soms ‘ele- phants are, and this one wenta little ahead of any that I ever heard tell on, and if it hadn’t been my own uncle that told me the story, I would have thought there was some little mis- take about it. But, as I often heard him tell Ba there couldn't have been. The elephant wai till the third lion was pretty well up in the air, when he whirled ’round, quick as a flash, threw = his tail, and caught him on the end of that. en he had all three, you see, and the other elephants were kind of partners of his and the traveled off with him, so that my uncle was left me the continue his journey after the young ‘* Did he cotch her?” “Wal, the old gentleman never finished the rest of the story; when he got that far in it he always dropped off tosleep. The Whiffles fam- ily were always great on sleeping. I once had an aunt that made a bet—” “Never mind about that yarn now,” inter- rupted Ne Sol, seeing there was little pros- of Nick Whiffles ever reaching the end of is stories. ‘‘ You said we war to make a start northward to-day. It’s past noon now, and it’s time we war on the move.” Nick seemed to rouse himself to a sense of his duty, and coming to his feet with something of the vim and activity of earlier years, he called to his dog, Calamity, that had wandered off in the woods somewhere. In a moment the saga- cious canine came trotting forth as if he knew that something rather unusual was expected of him, and the two trappers, with the brute lead- ing the way, moved off through the solitude, for a hundred yards or more, when they reached a fantastic-looking structure made of ‘skins, logs, bark and branches of trees put together with no little skill, forming a cabin with an interior of something like a dozen feet in every direction. This was the cabin home of Nick Whiffles and Hate any Sol, when on their trapping expeditions in the far north-west. Its position was so se- cluded and well concealed that it had never yet been disturbed by the visits of any Indians, nor white men besides themselves. Here they had made their head-quarters for several winters, and there was ere | in the lonely life so attractive to both that they oc- casionally extended their stay until far into the summer, only visiting some of the frontier forts, for the purpose of disposing of their peltries, and procuring ammunition and a few necessaries. The trappers paused only long enough to fill their powder-horns and bullet-pouches, when Oregon Sol mounted his little black pony, and Nick Whiffles bestrode his faithful beast, Shag- bark, and, with Calamity trotting beside them, they turned their faces northward, and began their long and eventful journey. _——> CHAPTER IV. A LOST SNOB. LEAv2NG the scene of their trapping opera- tions for the last few months, Nick Whites and Oregon Sol headed directly northward, and con- tinued that course for the remainder of the afternoon. ground for any length of time, but for the fact that they were following a sort of forest trail, | that had been used often enough to mark the | route with just enough distinctness for their | animals. As was generally their custom, the intelligent | dog Calamity kept ahead of the others, picking | the way, and holding himself in readiness tc give due warning of the approach of any danger. »)* That e the traveler feel a good deal easier, | The trappers relied almost entirely upon him, | ~ and-he kept ing long, willin’ to wait till | afid scarcely spoke of or gave a thought to - the others y to make the attack. | danger. - -* He did not have to wait long, when one of } Keom what has already been said, it will be - the and made & jump. He | understood that there was really little occasion air, and just as he was | to think of danger, for they were already so far Mounted on horses as they were, it | | would have been impossible for them to have | kept up their journey over the wild, broken | north that they were practically out of the range of danger. When one approaches or crosses the boundary line between the United States and British America, he has little to dread from the red-skins whom he encounters. The more warlike and vengeful are further south, and although he runs the risk of being annoyed with thieves, yet it is not apt to be anything more serious. e precise cause of Nick Whifflesand Oregon Sol moving northward at this particular junc- ture, was not to follow or meet the young Blackfoot, as might have been inferred frem what has already “beers told, but it was in order to keep an engagement made almost a year be- fore, with an agent of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, whom he had met at Fort Alfred. This man was engaged in purchasing furs and peltries from Indians in Oregon and British America, and wished to employ. Nick and Sol to visit a section of whieh he had heard consider- able, in order to ascertain whether it was worth while for the Company to send half a dozen trappers down into that region. . s the section referred to was somewhere near their own hunting-grounds, the trappers gladly undertook the job, They had spent a ee in a thorough exploration of the terri- tory, finding it possessed only of medium ad- vantages, and were on their way northward, to make their report according to agreement. The fact that the general direction they were following was the same as that taken by Ma- runyo, had occurred to them, as well as the consequential fact that there was a strong pro- bability of meeting; for a party of such ex- perienced hunters as they wefre pretty certain to detect each other, if they came anywhere near each other. But these facts did not influence them in the least in the direction which they took. Ma- runyo had used his canoe, and they could have changed their course without trouble so as to keep much nearer the river than they were do- ing. The conclusion of both hunters.was that if the young warrior wanted to see them, it was rd ages to hunt them up, and not theirs to hunt Nick calculated that it would require some three days of traveling before they could reach Fort Alfred, which was on British soil, and jw one of the posts of the Hudson Bay mpany. There they expected to find the gentleman in question, and to complete the engagement made with him. As the afternoon advanced, there was quite a perceptible change in the temperature, They were so far northward, and it was yet so early in summer, that the only way to enjoy the sun- light in all its fullness was by stretching upon the face of some rock, where there was no wind or shadow to disturb, which, it will be remem- bered, Oregon Sol and Nick Whiffles were do- ing at the time they were introduced to our readers, It was quite chilly now, and the wind that struck their faces, as they ascended the top of some ridge, or crossed some unprotected i had a stinging, cutting sharpness about it, as if it came from the regions of eternaliceand —_ snow which could be seen towering aloft inthe __ western horizon. ea It lacked an hour yet of sunset, when Nick Whiffiles reined up his horse, and waited for a moment until Oregon Sol could come un beside him and do the same. They were on the top of an eminence some hundred feet in hight, w: was covered with stunted pine, and from which they f rope quite an extensive view of the sur- rounding country. Accustomed as the men were to the majestic scenery of the Wesf and North-west, they seem- ed impressed by the peculiar sublimity of the region in which they now found themselves. They sat for several minutes motionless and silent upon the backs of their steeds, their eyes wandering over the wonderful expanse stretch- ing out before them. . Years of the rough, dangerous life of tha North-west showed themselves in the next ac- tion of the two men, who, glancing only at the began * prominent, features of the landscape, searching for signs of life. While Nick Whiffles’s keen eye roved off to ward the east, Oregon Sol, with scarcely less keen vision, scrutinized the eastern and north. ern territory. ayy Both were successful to a certain degree, some two or three miles distant on thes f an elevated ridge, smoke could be seen ris from among the trees, which grew here | close together, proving that quite a ' camp-fire was burning there,
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had no great interest to know, for he could not imagine that he had any concern with “Now, that ’ere is what I call odd,” sud- ex Ore -. denly exclaimed Oregon Sol, when the eye had ae? spent soveral minutes in scrutinizing the coun- ut them. : j ‘What's that?” asked Nick Whiffles, turning head upon neering the remark. eet aad at feller off yender,” he re- ed, pointing to a small stream less than a r of a mile distant. amie danine cesaryctg ak gad pt re of a man ing on the of the mm x toward them. His dress show- ut he was of the same race as themselves, hhe seemed to be entirely alone and without og; e held a rifle in one’ a tree, as vas leanin, two hunters were about 4 h he i . t 1 portrait, and he was willing to stand yy and bear their scrutiny. tude 2 ; mr Bay po occurrence that the trappers resolved on a closer acquain- tance. lee race on the point of starting to- ward k when Sol called the attention of his friend to the fact that the stranger had already a on. the stranger began moving 45 them that they observed his naan: _ size. He was fully six and a half feet in hight, not more, with his body filled out in propor- d, but in a short time he made his appear- the bottom of the ridge and walked to- wtton do you do, Mr. Nicholas Whiffles?” he ler -as he approached and extended his Big ey as Y do,” replied theta 4S > sa 0,” repli pper. ering in: ri into his face, as he poached wn and We Dent, laosigentded wp hadgebage) iterestin’ face, by gracious, you have; but don’t call to mind that I ever see’d it before.” _ The large, h -framed stranger enjoyed the wonderment of the two hunters for a few min- _ “Twas at Fort Alfred last summer when you ame up there and made the agreement with i iiis Green to come in this summer and give was a chance of ig some extra bea- I am Mr, Fitzsimmons, that was attached brigade ‘in the character of a scientific " ore doing here, then?” : was something so ludicrous in the idea ef this large man, after announcing If as a eet howe adding, directly on the heels of , that to the guide. e hee was lost, that both Nick and Sol in- in a hearty laugh, while he remained as and solemn as if listening to his own nie re is the brigade?” asked Nick. “Heaven only knows. Science has sent them all.to the dogs, where I’m afraid I’m going too, “unless science gets over the drunk it seems to be n just now.” ; The man rattled on so incoherently about science, and the rs that it had inflicted him, that the trappers for a time were to believe that he was some lunatic broken loose and had wandered off into is part of the world. _ Mr. Fitzsimmons was an pocaaen, who had in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company 3 couple of years, most of the time having pent in their office in London. The pic- robust health and vigor, he suddenly ned the idea that his health was failing and came on a visit to the wilds of America for se of recruiting. a man of wealth and ee repent abont some place, where he thought. - Oregon Sol. His principal business seemed to consist in consulting a sma pocket-compass, which he brought with him ffom England, and in making observations of the stars during the evening. As Nick Whiffles afterward learned, Fitzsim- mons started out with the brigade, and for sev- | eral days they had no trouble with him, but at | the end of that time he insisted that some defer- ence should be paid to his scientific attain- ments. 5 ““T carried the compass with me,” said he, in e : to box it, and at night I could read the stars in the sky_ and tell ’em just where they was, but that Captain Green is—” “But you hain’t told us how you and the brigade come to be apart,” put in Oregon Sol. “Tt was all their fault,” replied Fitzsimmons. “‘T let them all have their way without trying to interfere with them, till I observed howcom- pletely they were violating the laws of science erty rok One morning Captain Green re- marked that he was anxious to reach a place called Blackfoot Rock, which laid due north of us. bn ape hearing that, I took my compass and showed him the way the needle pointed, and that instead of going north, as he su was proceeding almost exactly east. I explain- ed the whole thing to him, and when I got through what do you suppose he did¢ He just laughed, and said that com business was played, ever since Chris. Columbus started for | the East Indies, and, by following the compass fetched up ‘| "America, instead. I asked against him if he wassure that Blackfoot Rock was | exactly north, and he said there was no doubt of it. Then I told him that I would go afoot, and he would see how much sooner I would get ory than he. = replied that he would oa ver. glad to e such an arrangement—and so “How long ago was that?” d ‘Nearly rour days, and it seems to me that itis about time I came across that Blackfoot Rock, which I heard described very accurately, and which I’m sure I would. identify Isaw it. Do you know where it is?’ “Oh, yes; we’ve been there often.” f wet area longer will I have to travel to reach it ** Wal,” replied Nick Whiffles, ‘‘ I think if you | keep up a pretty good gait, you might do it in three or four years. ey say a man can git around the world in that time and come back to where he patos from.” to Bock ut yousaid you were on your way ack- foot Rock, didn’t you?” “Tm on my way to meet soen his brigade,” replied Nick Whiffles pected to do it at Fort Alfred. Howsumever, if he’s started for the other place, that’s where I'm foing. “Then Pll go with you, and let the compass alone for the present.’ ““ We'll be glad to have you, of course,” re- mn Nick, with his old ‘smile; ‘ provided you on’t undertake to play the guide for us. You- ‘ll excoose us from trustin’ too much to a chap thet is going south-east all the time, and then swears it’s due north.” Green The Englishman was too much chagrined at the ludicrous mistake he had made to run any risk of repeating it, and he replied that, in de- ference to the superior knowledge of Nick laining the circumstance, ‘‘and I sepa § how | , he | | the bait he could need before starting, and it and Fitzsimmons in charge of the , Nick | Whiffles moyed off up-stream in quest of some- thing for “2 mea A ;. The stream was really —- more than a brook, across whieh he conld easily leap at any place. The water was quite shallow and clear, | and there was no deubt that it was pientifully stocked with fish; but, in the aap <img | twilight, as he walked slowly along the bank, ring into the water, he felt that peculiar issatisfaction with each place at which he halt- | ed which will sometimes come over a person. | pleted, it was growing dark,'and leaving Sol + Just as he was about to cast the line, it struck — | him that the very place for which he was search- ing was a little further on. this manner he advanced several hundred yards from camp, until, smiling at his own | childishness, he paused where a projection of land produced an eddy in the stream, and where he was certain of finding all the fish he could n ‘“What do you say, Calamity?’ he said, ad- dressing his dog, that had been walking con- tentedly behind him; “shall we settle and begin work here? I guess.” The trapper had furnished himself with all required but a moment for him to complete his preparations. ' : the minute || large aber beside - : | pea again an rare ‘all that the “three could possibly dispose It was a favorite custom with him, When fish- ing at night, to kindle a fire upon the bank of the stream. This was always sure to bring the fish around him, and he insisted_that he always caught much larger ones than otherwise. In accordance with this custom which he had followed so long, he ges ayers to gather sticks and twigs, and in a short time had a big fire burning close to the edge of the water and throwing a light far up and down stream. * That'll fetch ’em,” he remarked, to his dog. “We'll soon have a supper that ‘ll suit a ' He was not mistaken. He had scarcely thrown in his line, when it was seized by a fish, which was promptly landed upon the him. € same was re- and he had soon se- | hands.” of. ' This done he ceased fishing, and 8 pena up those that he had captured, proceeded to string them upon a branch for the purpose of carrying ; “but Iex- | although the ‘weight was them back to camp, when the dog Calamity | showed by his actions that he desired to bear a —_ in nr bre sagen od o gratifygzim, trapper permi im to take fhe ener the branch in his mouth. and ite heavy, the pup as delighted as if he were pro- imself with the choicest dinner pomihie, after a prolon fast. Understanding as well as did his master what was requi of him, he rae straight to ap | with his load, and was there before Nick 1 the tittle fire which he had kindled. galloped awa viding hi Whiffles, he agreed not to raise his voice a sin- | gle time in opposition to any plan or schemes of is. And thus the two pa ‘* consolidated ” at once. —_—— CHAPTER V. WHIFFLES IN DANGER. prevent. After ticing supper. ere was little danger to be apprehended from the Indians, as the eee were almost too far north for that; but the fact that Captain Jack and another Modoc, at least, had gone northward, was enough to prevent that feeling ) so faint as to : ise wonld have | the river of absolute safety which othe eee een Sol and Nic es. Bv the he arrangements bad been com- | such scenes, F ay y | had belt ) to eat for two or tLree . | ma | dar was dense and impene | solemn murmur rte the air, as sighing of the vast Solitude, __ ust above the. tree-tops, the faint ; ore a | the moon could be seen in t cleus akysiie aie no effect up fi the wilds often enough to pot: here a <n oe 7a, 3
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‘ mi, 6 é / Beadle’s HalfDime Library. that im ‘him, as he had rarely been im- | lately, and you look as though pressed before. Leaning his long rifle upon the ground, he foided his arms over the muzzle, and looked out with the campfire Lace behind him his long, pues Sear was broug t out in bold relief, and viewed from the opposite shore, was of startling distinctness. He was wrapped in reverie—reverie of the past. He was recalling the many eventful and checkered scenes through which he had gone and in agen he ‘had i such 4 . shear part. esaw again the figures of those with | — he 7 Sait ted voce aes e ve, the e old and young, the curi- | heh ide Siang they filed Ketone him in a phantom-like procession. But deep as washis meditation, he could never forget himself peer pirs & He* always realized where he and so it wasythat when a faint, almost inaudible sound struck upon his ear, he instantly straightened up and listened. “T heerd rarer: Paras aaen just then,” he said, to himself, in a whi . ‘*Tknowed there was something in the wind to-night. Yas, there "tis ag’in. ” It was a soft, faint rustle, as if made by some one stealing through the forest, but it sounded up the stream, and he knew it came from the of the water. : “Tt’s an Injin paddle,” he added, a few min- | utes later. “I’ve heerd the same sound too | many times to mistake about it. Whoever it -is, he’s coming this way, and [ll wait till I see | o it is that’s off on a pic-nic excursion to- | t. , radually it becamé more distinct, and the | trapper knew that it was approaching at a | leisurely gait. He could tell toa moment, when it woola reach a point opposite where he stood, and still watc and listening, he calmly awaited its arrival. None could know better than did Nick Whif- fles, how prominent a figure he would soon be } to the inmates of the strange canoe, standing as we have shown tly in front of the fire- light, but, for all that, he made no move toward | shifting his position, so as to place himself out of range of the strangers, who could so easily pick him off with their rifles. He felt no mis- ‘Shep and was content to wait until they | Shoal reveal themselves. “Tm purty well up north,” he said to him- | self; “ the cold:weather in these parts seems to freeze the nateral deviltry out .of a red-skin, though there are some of the agjmals that it would take a month in the midget an iceberg, with them as stiff as a gun-barrel, before you could trust ’em. «They may be strangers to me, but,” he said, with something of pride in his modulated voice, “\T wouldn't be afeard to rT HM re that they’ve heard of Nic Whifties ofen.. The Whiffles family always con- | trive to make themselves heerd tell of, in some way or other. When they ain't. governing some | State, or making speeches in Congress, they're ca g beavers or sarcumventing red-skins. The canoe ‘Il be in sight the next minute.” , So it proved; for while he stood facing up- stream in the darkness, the form of a eanoe all | at once shot into view, as it entered the broad, faint line of light thrown out by the fire. For a few seconds, the trapper stood motion- less, and then, as he discerned the two Indians | that +t within, he instinctively stepped back a | pa © _+ two and clutched his riffe. i ** Modocs!” he exclaimed to himself; ‘they’re | _@ treacherous set, and I don’t iike ’em, and is two of the worst of thea,whole lot. What | are doing so far north as this? They | don’t belong here, and I feel like ordering ’em our trapping-grounds, back to their own lava- | He had recognized the two red as the | arch-villains Captain Jack and Flat-N Billy. | He had seen them before, and he always felt, as he had declared, like sending a, bullet through | the head of each. > in Jack, the notorious leader, was seat- | ' ed in the stern with all the dignity and import- | ance@g{a king, while his companion was usi the ein a poche bets manner,.gs though | he had the whole night before him hich to Pe ane of a few miles. ad foward share, and the ext moment, the | and the next moment, the . prow touched the land, arf Flat-Nosed Billy | brother, the great hunter, exten his hand, which | réluctantly by Nick, who re- plied: | on m Poona 3 » “ Purty well; I hain’t had. to call ina doctor fire. ‘*That’s w bled with biliousness or logs of appetite your- self. . i the firelit stream beyond. As he stood | dian, in rather good English. | us, Baier ear it; hope you’ll continner to feel so, A man with a sick stomach ain’t of | I'm glad to much account in this world. He’s sartin to git in some condemned diffikilty. It was the Whif- fles family that made that diskivery a good many years ago, afore I came into this trouble- /some world. But, Flat-Nose, ain’t you a leetle out Of your latitude, in coming so fur north?” ““The Modoes go where they wish,” was the goat reply. ‘* Captain Jack and me have nona big hunt. Now we go back to home | | in the mountains, Why comes my brother so far from home?’ ‘*My home is anywhere in the North-west,” returned Nick, with a sweep of hisarm. “Iam | way to Blackfoot Rock to meet the | brigade of Hudson Bay Company.” ‘Then you go home?” was the next question, whose quick eagerness did not escape the notice | of the trapper. ‘*That depends spon sarcumstances. It would bother any of the Whiffles family to tell where | they'll be or what they’ll do next week. Mebbe | I'll come back, and mebbe won’t. If you'll call on me next winter, [ll let you know.” ** Does my brother come alone, so far north?” continued the Modoc. “Sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn’t. Leastrate I ain’t apt to go fur with- out Calamity and Shagbark.” * But they do not meet my eyes,” said Flat- | Nosed Billy, looking about him, as if he ex- pected to see them come out of the darkness and approach the camp. ** No; they never was very good on meeting a | feller’s eyes. Fact is, they don’t meet me very often, onless [go to meet "em myself.” “*Good-night, my brother,” added the Indian, as he stepped back in the canoe and picked up | his paddle again. ** Good-night,” replied the trapper, with a | fatherly wave of his hard, bony hand, ‘‘ may you have sweet dreams, as the virtoous always desarve.” During this conversation, it will be noticed | that Captain Jack said not a word, nor did he show any disposition to join it. All the time, he sat motioniess in the canoe, looking at the two, as if he considered it beneath his dignity to take part in such frivolous employment. As he took no notice of Nick, the latter was | equally considerate in ignoring his presence al- together, directing his words entirely to his companion, although he kept one eye upon the leader of this detestable gang; and, as the canoe slowly glided away in the darkness, he stepped back, in the most natural manner in the world. | Seemingly, there was no object in making such | a movement, but there was, nevertheless. “Tf I had only knowed it was them,’ he thought, ‘*‘I wouldn’t give ’em such a good chance, and they ain’t a-goin’ to varmints have got into I allow, te fotch ’em so fur north as this. Wonder now if they ain’t the that Marunyo has been follerin’? scar , He started ¢ off this way, and them’s just the ani- I hope the | miles to be in that sort of business. Blackfoot has learned what it is, for I hain’t got anything partic’lar on hand with the brigade. | T would just as lief spend a week in sarcum- ventin’ them red-skins as not.” He stood back in the gloom away from the | fire, listening to the sound of the paddle of | the Modoc, as it grew fainter and fainter each moment, and then as he was about to start on his return to camp, his attention was arrested by the sound of another oar being dipped into the water at no great distance from where he stood. This, too; came from a point somewhere , and was much closer than was the ' other canoe when he first detected its approach, | recaution which was taken to | owing to the rd inst being discovered. ‘That chap knows how to swing the paddle,” said Nick Whifftes, as he stood and listened. **Onless a man has got as iong ears as I have, he ain’t apt to hear ‘im. ment on foot, as sure as the world, and I think it’s time that [found out suthing about it. He’s close on hand now.” A few moments later the seccnd canoe shot to view, following almost precisely the tracks of the first, and the first glance showed that it was occupied by but one single young Blackfoot warrior, Marunyo. “ Just what I thought,” said Nick Whiffles to ing forward in front of the t the red-skin is doing—fol- ““ Modoe warrior pari ag replied the In- | git it ag’in. | | Thete’s some condemned diffikilty that them ere’s some devil- | rson, who was the | ou wa’n’t trou- lerin’ up them cussed Modoes, and if he keeps it up much longer, he’ll be likely to come with his scalp left behind him. How is my brother, Marunyo, to-night?’ he asked, as the | Indian sprung out and took his hand. ‘“* Have you seen Ceptain Jack and his men?” he asked, disregarding the question. ““See’d ’em both. Shook hands with Flat- Nosed Bill, and my arm has felt ever since as though [’d been stroking the back of a rattle- snake. You're follerin’ ’em, Marunyo, and now what p’ison diffikilty is on foot?” The Blackfoot then narrated all that has al- ready been told the reader. After telling of the trick he ngt bee upon the Modocs, by which he made them both believe that he had fallen a victim to their hatred, he explained that he re- sumed the pursuit and. continued it in a more which he could not understand, he lost the altogether, and only to-night was he, enabled get upon it again, and it was due to acciden more than gi bans else, that he had found them again. He had not been able to catch a | glimpse of them in the darkness and was not | positive that he was really pursuing the right men, until his suspicions were confirmed by what the trapper had told him. When he learned further that the two Modces were alone in the canoe, he was completely astonished, and | scarcely knew what to make of it. | “Then Drooping Lily and her mother have pie Hams !” he exclaimed, in a voice of an- guis | “Not quite so bad as that,” replied Nick Whiffles, who was enabled to comprehend the situation more correctly, |‘ ‘‘They’vo took them precious animiles with ’em to the place where they mean to keep ’em, fur a few y or till they kin get a good big ransom fur ’éma. ey’ve fixed things so they can’t git away, and Captain | Jack and Flat-Nosed Billy has started fur hum | ag’in. Mebbe they wouldn’t have done it if _ they’d knowed that you hadn’t gone under yit.” | Then I must turn back and hunt for the place where she is hid, for Marunyo can néver o back to “his hunting-grounds and leave gig sen Lily behind.” ‘Struck, allow,” remarked Nick with a grin; ‘‘’spected it afore. That's right; -hoy sumever, ‘cause I used to act that way myself” “Can't my brother, the great hunter, go witb me?” asked the Indian, with such a wistful, pleading look in his eyes that the heart of ‘the Tite was touched. ; will, but I can’t do it right away. I te you, Marunyo,” he added, *‘ you know where Black- foot Rock is, don’t yer The young warrior eg in ,the affirmative. *T’'m on my way to that air, ’spect to be thar by day arter to-morrer, as I’m under an en- gagement to meet the brigade. You can do what huntin’ ‘round you’ve got time to do; then strike fur that place, and ‘on Sol and me will join forces with yer, and make a dead set for the peaks Lily, as you call her.” The eye of the Blackfoot sparkled. No could have suited him better, unless if was a pledge from Nick that the junction should be made at once. . | _“Good-by,” he said, taking hishand: “ When the sun goes down the second time after to-day, Marunyo will meet his brother at Blackfoot Rock, and then shall come the rescue of Droop- ing Lily. % ‘You don’t rea beg ir of the old lady as e young one,” sa e trapper, still ho! the hand that rested in his orn Bye: then - was proceeding to give him some | advice upon Jove matters, in hi int, original way. Naturally talkative, he sdeeted onic hearing himself speak just now, while the Black- foot, impatient as he was to t away, re his emotions, and listened with the deference of a = receiving the commands of his lord and master. Thus they stood face to face, with their hands clasped and the camp-firé smoldering between them and the forest, when there was the slight- est possible rustling in tht bushes in the rear of the trapper. It might have been made by the hopping of a bird or the falling of a leaf—so slight and faint indeed was it, that neither of the two men paid any attention to it, But it had a deadly meaning; and within the next minute the outlines of a crouching Indian were revealed in the shadowy gleam, as he stole forward with the slow, cattious, and perfect | Marunyo, as he stood | the hunter. | cautious manner, when, by some oe ould like to, by ‘mighty, and I gtless I= silence of the creepin ther. | He was exactl behind Nick Whiffles, whose large frame could easily obstruct the view of — listening to the words of — ae as
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Pi 2 , wee i Oregon Sol. As he advanced still further in the dim twilight of the camp-fire, and his hideous face reflected the features of the Billy, it could be seen that he carried a long, gleaming knife in his right hand. The wolfish, eager glance that he cast upon Modoc, Flat-Nosed | gig right atween’em. That sorter —— to stop; but seeing they was too busy to take any notice of him, he jist drove-his hoss and parted ’em, be see, but it didn’t pay my uncle very well. oth the tigers went at the hoss he was driv- ing, and ten minutes later, by the watch, there the form of Nick Whiffles left no doubt of his | wasn’t any thing left of him but his tail and ¥I to bury the knife in his back the instant fag approach nigh enough. CHAPTER VI. FOOLISH MERCY. “T pon’t know a mighty heap about you,” said Nick Whiffles, still holding the hand of the young Blackfoot in his own, and looking down his face in his quaint, fatherly way. ‘‘There be some things in your actions which I’m free te Say_ain’t as cl’ar to me as I’ve see’d the sun sometimes in the middle of the day. But sich . eetle diffikilties ain’t worth the bothering over, when a man has got them diffikilties that are pizener than them. Now, I don’t know who this here Drooping Lily and the elder gals be, but, from your description, I powerfully ’spect that they’re of the female Sex, and you’re in love with the younger one. I’ve been in love myself,” he added, with a sigh like that ofa pair of. blacksmith’s bellows, “‘and I’ve heard my father say that he was once in love with my mother, a good many years ago; but he got over it ag’in as soon as they hitched together. There’s nothin’ like hitching teams to cure a feller of love—which is the reason that Nick Whiffles don’t get married. He’s been in love | one bundred and eighty-four times, more or less, and there ain’t any doubt but, at this minuté, there’s about double that number of female ladies down in the cléarings that are in love with him, and the only way’ he can keep from marrying ’em is by coming out to the trapping-grounds, so as to keep away from ’em. As long as a woman sighs and hankers arter you, she thinks a good deal more about you than she does arter she’s got you, and that is why Issteer clear of the females when I find that. my booty is beginning to distarb thar peace of mind, and prevent thar eating more nor eight or ten pounds a day of pork ‘and beans. I pe arunyo, that you’re wonder- ing what this talk means, and what it has gob to do with Drooping Lily, and mebbe you're getting a little impatient to be off.” Fiat-Nosed Billy, the Modoc, by this time had _ reached the point nigh one for him to strike . the fatal blow. He was tT pamet Ne eateries tion, and gri the murderous-looki ite in his han began rising slowly to his feet, so as to gat@er the force necessary to drive the blow home. Still Nick Whiffles was talking, in his humor- ous way, with the Blackfoot before him, with no suspicion of the ref poms in his rear, The latter had alm straightened himself, and was already drawing his hand back, with all the concentrated hatred and treachery that comes natural to a Modoc, when there was a sudden wl, a whirring rush, and adark body bounded like an immense ball, from the dark- _ mess, and the next instant Flat-Nosed Billy % * eS ’ fail to appreciate the inestimabl ..xolled over upon the ground,'with the teeth of *Calamity fastened upon his t t. The sudden, overwhelming shock caused the knife to fly out of his hand, and he went backward with frightful violence, the dog cling- ing tohim with an immovable gripe. The wretc struggled and clawed with his hands in his efforts to get free of his merciless enemy. Flat-Nosed Billy was a terrible-looking object, ggling Be ng his back, with the C) of Calamity upon the to * With the rushing c Whiftles wheeled with the onen sy hile Maru stepped suddenness while nyo caitiously: peck in the darkness, as if Ss prevent himself being identified by the red-skin upon the ground. _ ** Oh, it’s a little diffikilty between Flat-Nosed Billy and the pup,” replied Nick Whiffles, who fully understood what it all meant, and did not 6 service done he can steal up behind him, as had j one shoe. My uncle had put on his spectacles and leaned back in the gig, expecting to see the two beasts scatter like Satan, when they was shoved apart; but when the hoss-meat begun to fly, and one of the legs hit him in the face, he concluded it would be a good idea to adjourn his post of obserwation to some tree, and so he did; though when he got there, he hadn’t any clothes left on him but his shirt-collar, and the button was off that. ‘Since that time, the Whiffies family have been opposed to interfering in other folks’ diffi- kilties. Me and the pup have traveled through the woods a good deal ting his teeth in the throat of a Modoc.” This jengehy observation was uttered with all the deliberation natural to the trapper, and while he stood within a half-dozen feet of the combatants, with the Modoc struggling desper- ately to save himself from the horrid death that threatened him. The wretch saw that his nag 4 escape was in the mercy of the master; for t soon. So he turned his protruding eyes toward the hunter, and moved one hand in supplication. Nick Whiffles was not cruel at heart and never could be. Accordingly, when his would-be as- sassin made the appeal for mercy, he stepped forward, and spoke —, to Calamity. ‘Let him go, pup, let him go! Because he got himself into a p’ison diffikilty, and. axes us to help him out it won’t do to refuse. Let him go, pup, let him go!” Calamity had m taught from his earliest outh to obey his master implicitly. He had | earned more than once that the hand that | could cherish and lift up could chastise with | severity, when it was deserved, and a word or look from his master, was always sufficient to insure instant attention; but he never hesitated as much as he did now to render that obedience and it required a repetition of the command and a threatened blow, before he unclasped the powerful jaws and stepped back. The woull-be assassin was so near death that Nick stood looking at him a second or two, full believing that his mer¢gy had come too late; bu after some choking and gasping, he revived, and assumed a sitting position, pressing his hand to his throat and glaring with murderous hate upon the canine that inflicted this terrible injury. ying his knife, near at hand, he reached Moe pane plant it, er "sae Whiffles antici- im, by planting his foot upon it. ac ory not, Modoc,” he said, Goths red. looked up inquiringly at him. / “That ’ere knife got you into a p’ison diffi- kilty with the dog, and I'd advise you to let it alone arter this. I wag LS 1a Sat what did you mean by coming up behind me in that style, when it was only a little while ago that shook hands?” After some hard swallowing and choking, ) speak, and he told the | following lie, which did not deeeive the trapper | the Modoc was able to for an instant. **Marunyo, bad Indian. He tried to kill | po Jack, and Captain Jack send warrior | Billy to kill him.” Nick Whiffles might well have asked why, if he were seeking the life of the’ Blackfoot, he should steal up behind an@gher person with a drawn knife; but he concluded for the presefit that it would be better to affect a belief of this tran nt falsehood. * Tf such was your idee, It must be under the guise of a flagof truce, and his lava or when been at- Flat-Nosed Billy saw ‘the daantless young warrior standing before him, with his e clasped in shook his head. , and I don’t like to hender | his enjoyment, and he does seem to enjoy put- | e dog with his | teeth closed like a vise in his throat, showed | no disposition to relax his deadly gripe, which | must speedily end in death, unless released very | we “Billy sick,” he said, rubbing his throat and | looking very sick indeed, *‘ he can’ not fight to- | day. He meet Blackfoot warrior some other | day and fight him with knife and gun. He go | now to great chief, Captain Jack.” | _ Modoc,” said Nick Whiffles, speaking with ewe | earnestness, “if it everrun m the Whiffles family to thirst for a fellow being’s blood, it isn’t In the branch that I have honor to represent. It has fallen to the lot of this here rifle of mine to send many of your race to their happy hunting-grounds, but I truly say it was never done onless it had to be, and I can’t help brim mn, that there’s man when surciety would have been more benefited, if [ had aimed and pulled trigger instead of rest- ing in the holler of my arm. I never had any doubt about it, when the red-skin consarn was a ~ Modoc, for though there ain’t more nor about a hundred of.’em, counting in the squaws and pap- pooses, yet that’s just a hundred too many, fur he good of the Nor’-west. Fact, by mighty! | There’s sure to be some p’ison diffikilty with ’em tell the last one is wiped out from the face of the yarth. | “ Flat-Nosed Billy, your name is a blamed sight more handsomer nor your face and heart is. You're one of the most p’isonest noosances of a lot that are all p’ison, and it goes ag’in’ my conscience to show you mercy, when you’ve tried to sneak up behind me and stab me in the back. The rattlesnake allers sends you word afore he strikes, and once in a while you finda red-skin that does the same, but he don’t belo tothe Modocs. But as I obsarved a minit ago, £ don’t hanker arter your blood, so you-kin go.’ The Indian osink, motionless while receivi this scorching at the hands of the tra a when it was finished the base wretch the effrontery to advance and offer his hand to the trapper, as if desirous that he should forget the dastardly crime, which he had come so nigh per- petrating. | But Nick Whiffles recoiled and shook his head. Ive allers tried to live in such a way that m dog there could respect as well as love me. He wouldn't do neyther if he should see me shake hands with a Modoc, and as it is, it’]] take some time afore he'll forgive me for drageing him | away from your throat. Take my advice, Mo- doc, and ¢lear out afore it’s too late.” Flat-Nosed Billy did not ‘at his er, but turned on his heel and disappeared in the wood without giving utterance to another words CHAPTER VIL. MODOC WARFARE, As the treacherous Modoc moved away, Nick Whiffles turned to his dog: ‘“‘Foller him, Calamity, fur a little distance, | bet don’t you tech him onless he turns to come | back, and then you - put your teeth in his ic b) throat and let ’em sti i dog pred away like a | As the ny | Shadow, the trapper to Marunyo, with won’t forgit, but if he old, ical smile the Modoc was medita- “TI guess the should happen to back, I won’t scold him too more ting about comi hard; and now, Seriously, “* I’ve t don’t ron in the Whi — eS ee tr’ sg making oe ell he icht t such iat er ee w might at such a poin uu | fore he could reply, Nick added: . “Pll allow it’s ccming to a sharp p'int | to put. sucha quetbica: bat agen es tell | vou that there are some about that | I don’t understand and don’t exactly In ) the first place, crear Sane I see you you're in War-paint, a ou have a habit of wan- | dering down in the Modoe country as you Was on tarms with ’em, | way I'm talking, and mebbe yeu've got cause to be, but it’s best that we shculd I tell you that Oregen alike on such things, and Ta a time , ou seem a leetle smazed at the. Sol and id
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é 3 any of the Modoc style of business, you needn’t _ expect the marcy he got. I guess now we un- derstand each er, and I hope there'll be no diffikilty atween us.” Marunyo stood like a carved statue during the utterance of these words. Several times he ap- pearéd.on the point of speaking, but something appeared to prevent, and as silently as the as- sassin he turned about and disappeared in the gloom. : “Mebbe I done him onjustice,” mused the ‘trapper, as he found himself alone, “but that’s ™ ~—___ the one onpleasant thing that belongs to the Beat life of the hunterand the guide. I love the boy ee eee iat 8 Seve bina, if be has the heart £ ___.of a Modoc, and the few words I said may be » ee the means of keeping him from some deviltry ‘that he has in mind. It has a bad look for him Pag to stand facing me, with that Flat-Nose creep- Pe ing behind me and he never seeing him; but | if didn’t hear him, I'll allow that it’s possible that he didn’t see him. It may be all right, and it may not.” y As he turned to retrace his steps to camp, he , : t a faint rustling near him, and turning Fed his. saw his dog, that instantly took his Soe By oseter is side. It needed but a glance from ee he, master to learn that he had not molested the Gl » for you,” said Nick, as the two moved rae ig! Re er; ‘it. allus grieves my heart to in- i y | ee? terfere with your pleasure, and I know that you \ ae feel mighty disappointed: ‘but cheer up, pup, Bi and console yourself with _. thought pogiceed eH) be the day of reckoning is very close at han a There aint any diffikiltv in this world but what - there’s some way out of it; the only trouble is that we can’t allus see it. When my father had his house burned down three times he said there ‘was some good in it, alth he never was able to see exactly how it helped him along, as twice when it burned he 6 got iti , and “the other time the insurance com bursted y afore he could get his pay out of ’em, but the then was that the insurance men of it. Sell altus act out his nature, and I up, that the next time tries play that trick onto I won't interfere atween you and hope that will sa ou, Calamity, an let salting - any more over a here,” suddenly exclaimed Nick, ' 44e've been a little longer away from cam than we a ane don’t believe there’s ‘any supper left by time. It won’t be a bad idea for us to take a little with us any- way. ; vag leo a few moments to draw as - many as he needed. from the stream, and + stringing these upon a stick he carried them “back to camp, where, as may be su his were beginning to wonder at his Sy he eee eae ing his short p wi is chi pee aye his han ad his elbows jammed into earth, and his eyes fixed upon the comfortable and was stretc attentively examining , as though it still contained my which he was un- able to fathom. “The wonders of science are illiniitable,” k> said, as if speaking to f, but meaning that __ * Don’t them chaps ever git in any diffikilty aa going south in that field, when they t ie ‘re going north?” inquired Nick hae raking t to broilin an es, as sat down and he coals he looked as though he felt per-* in a lounging po- | part sition with his side toward the fire, while he was | : | + and — "Se , you won : of for ra month now, fur” I s’pose it’s according to science that a barrel of fish will last a man a month, and that’s about what you’ve got under your jacket now. It’s lucky that I thought to catch a few extra ones, or I shouldn’t had any supper.” “Tf you’d sent ’em on ahead you wouldn't,” said Oregon Sol. ‘*I was kept so busy cooking ‘em that I hadn’t much chance at anything, ex- cept the bones, and when there wasn’t any- thing more left, he remarked that fish wasn’t as piety in these parts as he heard tell, but he guessed he had enough to stay his stomach till morning.” ‘* Do you feel anyways faint?’ continued Nick Whiffles, looking toward the disgusted Britisher with an expression of great solicitude. Fitzsimmons waved them away, and made a reply which he intended to close their mouths and crush them completely. ‘‘ It’s a well-settled fact in science that men who have large brains, and who use them much, |. require a great ppeags of phosphorescence, such as is furnished by fish. e wonder to me is that two such gross-minded beings as \you should ever feel the need of fish at As for me, I crave it constantly.” ‘* Which nobody can deny,” said Oregon Sol. “ and his head sunk upon the arm; so that when midnight came all three were sound asleep, and with no human being standing when they had received such evidence of their enemies being in the neighborhood. : At midnight the camp-fire was so low that the three figures were only dimly visible, as they lay stretched upon the und. The trappers rested as quietly as infants, but Fitzsimmcns emitted a snore that must have been audible for a hundred yards, and more, upon such a still night. It was its steady rise and fall that pre- vented its awaking the other sleepers... _-* — Thus matters stood when another figure ap arbi upon the scene in the shape of the dog alamity; who came from the wood like a shadow, with a slow, measured tread he advanc- ed to where his master lay, and thrusting down his nose, rubbed it against his face. “Wal, pup, what is it?’ asked Nick Whifilés, arousing himself on the instant. It would be hard to explain in what icu- lar way the dog made his reply, but he did it so effectually that it was fully understood on tke instant. It may have been (and very probably such was the fact) that the act itself of arousing his master indicated that something was amiss. Nick reached over and touched the shoulder of Oregon Sol, who opened his eyes at once. ‘*T gness some of the varmint are about,” whispered Whiffles, and without another word - the two crawled away in the gloom, where they — rose to their feet. ‘Hadn't we better wake him?” asked Sol, re- ferring to the Englishman. ‘Not just yit; they must have heard him snoring as soon as t got within a mile cf camp, and if he should stop all at once they’d know that we'd found ’em out.” Sol coincided wath these views, and leavin the sleeper undisturbed, the trappers spared, taking nearly opposite directions. Calamity accompanied his master, and hed gone less than a hundred feet when he paused and stood like a dog pointing game. itty The apps. did not speak, even in the low¢st whisper, but looked and listened. The glecm was too great even for such keen eyes aa hi t penetrate, but his ears notified him that scme one was advancing directly toward him. As noiselessly as a shadow pees asice and the next second a fi close enough elmost to brush against him. ic turb him; oa to see whether there was any more, and finding none, followed him. moved toward the coup fire: ayo! The strange Indian advanced in the same cautious manner until he was within a few feet, v hen he assumed a crouching position and be- gen stealing toward the form of the sleeping Englishman. Nick Whiffles waited until there could not be ® pessikility of a doubt of his intenticn, when ke acted promptlyyjand effectually, : A sbarp crack of the rifle, and the red-skin, vith a hewl, fell ‘prostrate on his face, stone cead, bis outstretched arms touching the rersen of|Fitzsin mons, who continued sleeping as scund- ly hae Watch out, pup,” said Nick, as he hastily reloaded his piece, end then advanci _ the camp he stirred up the fire. palate. ys 3 “ Nothin’ on my side of the oledaba 3 porn he came for Ppers leaned over and scanned the ficrre. prt e additional light thrown out by tke em- “ By mighty!” exclaimed Nick. as ecorti- fied the tribe of the red-skin, “it's tae Yo. doc, as sure as I’m alive. What are so many of em doing in this part of the world?” “‘ And it ain’t Captain Jack nor Flat-Ncs@ pe meses but yt one of them same var- . fartin sure. W , onase We e here do you s’pose he’s “He has been sent here them two crit- ters that went down the ince in the ‘cai. house,” rer ¢1k- Flat-Nosed was afeard to-come himself, and so | attr this wretch.” ellin’ him, I s’ that if he di k poss igh his knife into you, ore oct ia oe eet and give him a “hance tu try ‘ Nick only smiled a P seagpd it: and after scanning the features mee eyer see’d hi : “Yes, I Temember him, He asd ce « k did not dis _ ward, and bc th — at this thrust, for he krew _ : for a few minutes longer, he re- _ tirce others
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et ito a - - a ~--hain’t got any ¥ t . * sitions by iin... in re a _ white human sig’ = in the y SOS a’ Ee, Le oe SS nas arr mY Oregon Sol. | murdered a family of settlers—man, wife and | for the wolf-like appetites of thesé brawny | Young govt aad was compelled to hear the. four chil near Klama e, last sum- | Anaks of the North-west. | snicker of his friends agein, and he hastened to _ Mer. ERapokped to be in that neighborhood, ‘just then, and started in pursuit of ’em; but they all got off in the lava-beds, where it was no use try and follow ’em.” “Tf vou didn’t seen him, how do you know that he’s the animile?”’ ; “Don’t you obsarve that scar that runs across - his face from one eye to the corner of the mouth on t’other side, taking in the lower part of the nose, on its way? There’s Scar-Faced Charley, that is marked different, and this is the only one pee =e se has such eG I've hoe spoke of a good many times, as one of the worst skunks in that little tribe, that thing elge in it but skuhks, He ‘when he was trying to murder a boy, as cotched up a hatchet and gave Reaves wins across the face that laid him out furatime. Wonder if there’s any more of them g0' - eritters bout?” ‘** Guess not. I think he’s been sert here; but if there be any more, we kin depend upon Ca- lamity more nor on ourselves.” They decided to remove the body, which was carried to the river and consigned to the rapid current, which speedily carried him beyond all ht. the trappers returned to their po- the camp-fire, where reat stretched ‘out and went to sleep as before, and seemingly fo of frightful tragedy in which they had so recently ac ‘ ; itzsimmons did not open his eyes until after Go osha to this day, how it was that Nick was the meansof saving him from a sudden and terrible death. At an early hour the three resumed their y northward, on their way to Blackfoot es sie CHAPTER VIII. 5 THE FUR BRIGADE. Tue sun was low in the sky, on a beautiful day in summer, when a party of hunters, i. and vo rs, to the number of fifty odd, This do their half-dozen large canoés close to the apes re, and springing out, began their prepara- for the night encampment. were in British territory, and were on _ their return to Fort Alfred, having been absent from the for several months, employed in making their tour along the Saskatchewan and tributaries, for the, p of gathering in the furs and peltries that their agents had been col- lecting during the winter months. They had secured and valuable coilec- tion, too, most of the canoes being piled ag with the soft, velvety furs, which oifered the most pleasant of couches, where, at night in niidsummer, the air was cool and bracing. In some of the boats there was scarcely room for the rowers, while the rich burdens bore all down in the water within a few inches of the wales. On the morrow the hardy woodmen expected to reach the fort, and this halt was, as we have intimated in another plecs, in accordance with an ent made between: Nick Whiffles and Captain Green, the leader of the Hudson Bay Brigade. The mutual pledge was given, half a ear before, that on this night the company of pers were to encamp at Blackfoot Rock, or, in case they could not make it in time, Cap- tain Green to have a representative the spot, to receive the message of Nick Whifttes and Oregon Sol, and pay them the ted price. a coincidence that was remarkable, when the length of the time is considered, the brigade, as they were termed, had struck the place on the very day agreed upon, and Captain Green was not a little pleased at the neat manner in which it had been brought about. Of the two score and a half of men, there was not one who did not know what his duty was, and who did not set about it at once. They a oe a arabe thal velaned it to note perfect em that reign ~ all. While some devoted themselves ‘to the care of the boats with their precious car- against any mishap of the night, way of storm, wind or thieves, others be- con sable a ts from the and perfecting their ments for the preparation of the food Captain Green, the director and head of all this Tuntie and work, stood near one of the camp-fires, watching the movements of his men, and exchanging a word. now and then with a young gentleman standing beside him. The latter was the son of the commandant of Fort Alfred, and was a “city chap,” who had come from London in the same vessel that brought over Mr. Fitzsimmons. He had little taste for the life of the backwoods, and had de- | clared almost before he had-seen the frontier post over which his father presided, that he | meant to get back to London and civilization as speedily as possible. As several months must necessarily elapse before he could return in the | supply ship of the Company, he consented to with his friend Fitzsimmons on a tour with the brigade. At the time the scientific gen- tleman got lost, young Swoper “was tempora- rily absent on a hunt, or he would have got lost with him. Swoper was rather conceited, and treated the hunters with such undisguised contempt, that he was not popular with them, and even Cap- tain Green only endured him for the sake of his father. They had not much liking for Fitz- simmons, but he was not as offensive in his manner as the young cockney. Captain Green others, and he would have preferred to stand alone, but as. he was about the only one who would hold any converse with Swoper, and that young gentleman was there, he could’ not well afford to dismiss him. : The captain had just made some mse to some observation of his companions, when the latter exclaimed: ‘‘Helloa,,’ere is my friend, as sure as I'm alive. I’m dooced glad to see ’im, but who the dooce hare them beggars that he ’as with ‘im?’ ‘Be careful,” admonished the leader, as he turned and ized the men gyn ‘One. of them is known as Oregon Sol, a og what celebrated trapper, and the other is t famous philosopher and hunter, Nick Whiffles, that you have heard me speak of so often.” “9! and that’s the man,” replied the cockney, elevating his eye-brows with surprise; ‘he don’t look like much of a feller.” As the trio approached, there was naturally hand-shaking around, and an exchange of courtesies between the two Londoners who ‘had been separated for the past fewdays. Then fol- lowed several introductions, and while Oregon Sol sauntered off to exchan tings and re- new acquaintanges .with. brigade, and those who remained behind paired off, Fitzsimmons and Swoper, and Captain Green and Nick Whiffles, the young cockney | showed considerable .curiosity regarding the famous trapper philosopher, and asked: nu- | merous He kept captain rsycotagr of Fitzsimmons about him. is eye upon him, and when he saw the y him a handsome sum of money, in on of his services, he seemed to think it was a suitable occasion to open a conversation with him. “And so you trappers work for money, do you? Al thought you tramped the woods and shot bears and trap beavers and halligators, ae I don’t know what not, for the love of the thing. Nick Whiffles turned about and looked steadi- ly at the young man a moment, as if to take his measure. i but a few seconds for him to do so, when he made answer in his drawling way: “Bears and beavers would be easy “nough cotched, if they was all as big fools as you are. But as ther@ ain’t a beaver in the Nor’-west but what has there is more work than play about it, Fact, by mighty!” Captain Green and Fitzsimmons both laughed at this rather personal reply of Nick, uttered xvith such an irresistible waggishness. Swoper flushed, and showed that he was angered. In- stead of laug hing the whole thing off, and back- ly the more eager to overthrow his antagonist. of You are doubtless unaware hof whom you're hI would ’ave you know that hI’m ’erbert Swoper, son Aof the commandant hot Fort hAlfred.” “You be, eh?” returned Nick, scanning him from head to foot. ‘Colonel S r isa man, every inch of him, and when you tell haddressing, sir. me ‘re son, I can’t help ae what a double shame you commit; for 14 erive distinction from your ancestor, as it and ueath disgrace to your have any, which wi beq hae ints a 2h lord on stood somewhat apart from the | e members of the | mre brains than you have, you see | ing out of such an unequal contest, he was on- 4 | drown it in some more ori observations. ~ . The hight of his ability enabled him to ask a | few questions in the way of quizzing, as he had | frequently done at home among his companions. | This, the resort of the weakest wits, be proceed- ~ | ed to carry out, by making his questions as ir- relevant and absurd as possible, in the hope of | coppenine the trapper to appear ridiculous. EE you gentlemen ‘ave good appetites?” ‘*Good appetites allers run in the Whiffles family, but the biggest hogs d ever see’d was the Englishmen that sometimes come over with the Hudson Bay folks, Howsumever, appetite is a good thing, which Providence ginerally gives to | poor folks, so that they may like what they cat, | while the rich don’t often have it, ’eause they may eat what they like.” “You are quite a remarkable prilosopher. | said Swoper, in mock compliment. “Such a man as-you ought to travel and let the world see more of you.” Nick Whiffles shook his head. “The objection to that is that ’'d see more fools than I would wise men. Out here in the w when I don’t meet one of my own race and color sometimes for days and weeks, I begin to think that there ain’t pa se! eng fools and scamps of my own race r all; but the minit I approach a dozen or twenty white men, ’m | sure torun ag’in one of them that are like | the skunks—good for nothin’ except to smell | sweet and strong. No matter if it’s the brigade | away up here in the Nor’-west, that fool is sure toturn up. But then Ihad an uncle once that was a great traveler.” What part of the world ” b “ Ah—a! you did. oe erst I d when he - * Every part, I may say, and when come | back he writ a beok a rf There was Chi- na, now, I call to mind what he said it thet.” * “You do, eh? what did he write about that?’ “ He said it was the land of contraries. That flowers didn’t have any smell, and that female ladies. didn’t wear any petticoats; the roads didn’t have any and their ships were like our yg gee any keels; tue old men fy kites, and compasses all p’int south, ough, fur that matter, they don’t p’int north part of the world, as immons there has found out. en a man in China gets puz- zled he never scratches his head, where if you | take off your hat you insult a man, and when sg 2 want to go in mourning you! put on white u “Well done,” added Fitzsimm enthusi- astically ; “‘there’s more in your head than there looks to be. You’ve comein contact before with | men who have made some in ions in sci- ee | 3 the pas hs dy it on by what hope lie.” “*T puess you two mare a had better let Nick alone,” laughed Captain Green, who thor- onan. enjoyed the discomfiture of the two | would-be wits. ‘‘ You can’t make anything off of him, and the more you try the worse you er ‘t ’alf tried,” replied Swoper, pom “RAI aren’t re 4 ~ pore ‘if Mr. Whiffles was a man of some education, AI shouldn’t be afraid to measure swords with ’im; butit’s ard to talk to a man that ’asn’t the brains to com end you.” 5 Z. a hever hindulge in the luxury of ing him in- | before: | shet; they foller him e | "bout dreams, and I can’t say that I know much, | yours ne digestion and a clear conscience ings.»
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of the dumb; and to me they’re dim speakings _ of what is to come in that sleep which knows no ee I’ve read somewhere that sleep was _ the twin brother of death—” © What do you mean by a twin brother?’ was _ the exceedingly silly question, of Swoper, in- ‘tended to cast ridicule upon ‘the ‘‘ old man elo- t. ‘If your mother had been so unfortinit as to have a natural born fool, at the same time you ome into the world, you and him would have _ ‘heen twin brothers, and the other one would have had the mostsense. And now, young man, let me give you a word of advice; you never will amount to much, and it ain’t your fault, se it wasn’t born in you; you're one of them chaps that thinks it’s a di to work. and I _ don’t doubt despise your own parents cause they doit. Idleness is the hardest work for them that ain’t used to it, and dull work to them that are. Tt’s a disease that soon eats into the heart, and corrodes your heart while it digs under your health. isso hard ears in And. Nick Whiffles deliberately turned his _. back upon the two eager gg her a » confidential conversation with Captain Green, ‘as though his was too great to permit him to look upon them even. They sauntered away arm in arm, as though they were the victors instead of the vanquished, though there can be but little doubt that they were greatly relieved to escape the soothing Bey were receiving at the hands of Nick Whiftles. CHAPTER IX. ; THE FIRST TRAMP. BARty in the morning the brigade had eaten their breakfast, and were ready to start on theiy return to Fort Alfred. Cap Green was de- sirous of securing the services of Nick Whiffles and. Sol for the Hudson Bay Company, but the former shook his head. : “Pye got a little private business of my own ‘ to look arter. If nothing ickler comes up in the summer and fall—that is if I don’t run across any condemned diffikilties that I have to ighten out, TU turn in with you and try another season. None knew better than Captain Green that it was useless to attempt to change the mind of _ Nick, and so he him no further, but bid- the two trappers good-by, told them that he should count with a great deal of confidence ee Pe them at the fort before a year have elapsed. As the canoes pulled away up-stream, Nick and Sol stood upon the shore waving their ye by. They were especially affectionate in their de- . monstrations toward Swoper and Fitzsimmons, .3 r all And so the ted. When the rete het pamed the curve in the river and was y out of sight, Nick turned about, and the pa walked ee ee Seer) Were “oe mg grass. Here y » side them Dr stene minutes debating ‘as to their future movements. **T told the Blackfoot to meet me here this .” said Nick Whiffles, “and*he hasn’t kept his ment as well as Captain Green and the rest of the men done.” ‘* Mebbe he won’t come at all,” ed - Sol, who had received the full - last interview between Marunyo and his friend. _ “When a red-skin gits his back up in that style, he’s apt to show it, and like enough we'll never re red-skin ag’in.” “That might be,” replied Nick, “if he was a Injun; but it’s the condemned diffikilty me to t all the time that he’s one of the looks too much like a white man’s.” Oregon Sol’s face ‘wore a serious expression. ~ He was silent a moment, and then looking up, he said: _ “Nick, I've never heard you P that way afore. I’ve had sech thoughts, I never let ‘em out ’cause they seemed so foolish like, but thar’s ing else "bout Marunyo that works @ more nor his looks do.” “ What's that?’ inquired Whiffles, with no lit- tle . when he’s speaking, there’s some- @ that comes over me, as though I had heard voice befcre. T’ve had the feeling a good truc blue. There’s something in his ways that many times, and it bothers me a good deal, fur I can’t figure out where it was that I heerd that voice, nor how it is that it strikes me that way. Does it ever act the same with you?” Nick shook his head. ** Never; I’ve had my doubts "bout his being a reg’lar varmint, and Pve got’ém yit, but I’ve never had a s’picion that I’ve ever sée’d’im afore the time we run ag’in’ im, a couple of years ago. ‘*T wish I could feel the same way,” said Ore- gon Sol, as if speaking to himself, *‘ fur it’s one of -them thi that sometimes keeps me from eeerene at all, How long are you going to wait ‘* We'll hold on a little while longer, and then, if we don’t see nothin’ of him we'll head south and leave word for him to foller. Calamity, I wish you'd go over on Blackfoot Rock and see whether.the young man is in sight. You've sg Fetherey fi and Ene the way.” ‘: e ta) t was sitting at his master’s Feet, Heking his chops, and patiently awaiting their decision, arose, turned about, and trotted toward the river. There was a solemni- ty in his movement and action, that proved that he was a canine little given to trifling, and with- out any evidence of the waggish disposition that was such a prominent characteristic of his master. Into the river went the dog, and paddled as straight for the opposite shore, as if he was fol- lowing a ferry line that was stretched over his head. As he walked out upon the land he paused only long enough to shake his shaggy hide, when he disap behind the huge miass of rock towering to such a t hight. “Can he get to the top?’ asked Oregon Sol, who had been attentively watching the move- ments of the sagacious creature. *“You heerd me tell Captain Green*how many times I have been up there myself,” said Nick, in reply. “‘ Well, every time I went up the pup went with me, and I guess he’s old ’nough to go it alone.” Tt was no light task for amy one, man or ani- mal, to clamber to the top of Blackfoot Rock, but the trapper never felt the least doubt about the success of his favorite. Several minutes passed, and while they stood discussing a faint bark was heard, far up in the air, an leoking up they saw the diminutive figure of 4 oak Aap the highest point of Blackfoot Rock. t sue a distance, he a —s searcely larger than a fly, but there could be no mistake about his identity. The creature retained his position perhaps ten minutes, during which he gave out his short, iar bark, some half-dozen times. “That means that he sees something,” said Nick, who understood the pry of his do as well as if he thé gift of speech. “I guess the Blackfoot isn’t fur away.” Shortly after, Calamity was seen breastin the current again, and, as he came out, an gave his hide a shake that sent the water and spray flying in every direction, Nick Whiffles t to him a series of questions, as searching as the dog were submitting to a cross-examina- tion upon the witness stand. “ Marunyo is close by,” said the trapper, look- ing about, as if he expected him to show himself at once; *‘ the pup has seen him, and we sha’n’t have to wait long.” “That’s the fact,” said Oregon Sol, ‘‘ for there he is this minute.” The handsome, graceful fi of the Black- foot emerged from the w at this juncture, and he. advanced straight to them, making a kind of military salute, to the two trappers. * Well, rach we came near.giving you up,” said Nick*Whiffles, as he took his Saeed. ** We’ve been here all night, and was just talk- ing about going away, when you showed your- se ” SE get has been a good many miles,” re- plied the Blackfoot, by way of explanation, ‘and he has 1.0ot shut his eyes for a long time that he might meet his brothers.” This did not look as though he was very deep- ly offended at the plain words that had been ken to him by Nick, and the latter, with Gharacticltic good sense, determined to make no reference to it. ‘ “Wal, my son, the next question is whether all this tramping that you’ve been telling us *bout has done’ you any . Have you l’arn- ed any thing "bout the two females that Captain Jack and Flat-Nosed Billy took away with ’em in the canoe?” ‘roe black eyes of the young Indian flashed, as made answer :/: ** Marunyo hag followed them as the hound the many excellences of Calamity;} females out of diffikilty. It’s airly in the day, f follows the deer. He has found the place where the Droopin Lily weeps.” : ‘*‘That’s the kind of talk that amounts to something.” I s’pose the old lady/is with the © Drooping Lily?” OR Pat tae 3 Marunyo nodded in the affirmative. ‘*T obsarve that it’s the young gal that you speak: bout, as thongh her mother wasn’t of ‘much account. Don’t you forgit, yo that if that gal is the right kind of animilein calico she thinks a good deal of her mother, and it wen’t do fur you to furgit all "bout the old lady when you're courting the young one.” yo showed considerable confusion at the pene references of the trapper—but he made no allusion to them. He was too much Mea a ly then with the question of the rescue of the ladies from the povger of the murderous- minded Modocs. ce ease Sey : “Will the hunters go. with me to save the Drooping Lily?” ~~ vk 4 ‘¢ And her mother, too,” added Nick, in his comical way. ‘You nod your head that you mean her—but it’s time you begun practicing in the tant thee showing some: thought of her, even if you haven’t got it.” ick turned to Sol, as if he wished him to'an- swer the question of the youngsBlackfoot. The former stood back a little, with his arms folded, and looking: fixedly at the young man, ros if deudying his countenance and listening to voice. When appealed 'to in this manner, he did not’ speak, but nodded his head to signify that he was willing tc do whatéver his companion wish- ed him to do, and Nick Whiffles took upon him- se’f to reply for both. Laying his hand upon the shoulder of Ma- runyo, he fixed his keen gray eyes upon him, and said; “Blackfoot, we're going to trust ; and when I say we, I mean the pup and Wiss ‘bar’ the pony, not to mention Oregon Sol. co) talk with two tongues, we'll diskiver it in ne to put you in such a condemned p’ison diffikilty that you'll never tramp the woods ag’in.nor think you hear the voice of ing Lily sing- ing to you, when you're looking at the stars. We've waited here on pur meet you, and we are going to do what we can to git them and if you feel like travelin’, go ahead, and we nt foller.’ r ; The war-paint that covered the face of the Blackfoot could not conceal the e delight that came over it when he heard these words from Nick Whiffles, and saw from the manner of the two trappers that they were as ready as he to start on the expedition, Marunyo was without any animal of his o and he needed nope. Young and active, alm tireless in muscle and wind, he could travel as far, at a moderate speed, as the best horse that he could ride. As he moved away the hunters mounted their animals and followed after him in Indian file. Calamity took his place directly in front of Shagbark, the pony, and a few feet in the rear of the. Blackfoot. By this means he could give his master timely warning of any meg that the red-skin might lead them into, and Nick un- derstood the sagacious animal weil enough to know that he would do it, as surely as if a hu- man being himself. Oregon Sol kept a rod or so in the rear, and an 0 observer would have supposed it was on account of timidity; but Nick Phe bet- ter. He was well aware that his old compan- ion was in one of his moods, and he respected his feelings vee at such a time to make no attempt to disturb him. If Nick Whiffles could be waggish and humor- ous at times, he could be considerate also. He never willingly injured a person’s feelings, and in quizzing a person he did it in such a way that he could take no offense, unless, indeed, the other first attacked him, as‘was the case with Swoper, the Englishman, when the old trapper was as severe as any one could wish. He had learned, during his companionship with Oregon Sol, that the latter, like most peo- ple, had his secret sorrow. He had suffered a lqw in his oot manhood, which had been th real means of taking to the woods, Precise- ly what it was Nick could not tell, for he had: neyer asked; but he needed no telling that it was the cause of these spells of absent-minded- ness, and occasional morosenéss, that came over his friend. At such times Nick generally left him alone. He felt enough sorrow and thy for him to nfake proper allowances 106 al change of mood, and he did not add to it by any unseemly Hest or resentment pon Iie : If the Blackfoot had tra so mary miles / me uu ression of —
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“ferer-ct for’ here is me, the best-looking mem- Oregon Sol. yn BEY Ss a eal eS ee ik f the days and nights passed—and Nick | and were doubtless guarding these women with Whiffles did not doubt in the least that he had | the test care. done so—he showed no signs of it, as he led the |» *Phat’s it, said Nick, when he had drawn way with a free, bold step, apparently as fresh | all these particulars from the Blackfoot. ‘‘ Cap- and vigorous as if he had merely started~out | tain Jack has got so much deviltry on his hands this fine summer morning for the purpose of / that he has gone to ’tend to it, and has left two stretching his legs. | or three Modocs here to stand guard over the The trapper had sn thousands of Indians, | gals till he is ready to: visit "em ag’in. and some of the finest imens of mankind | say, nyo, do you know the name of these probably that ever lived, yet he was certain | critters?” that he never beheld greater perfection of form, | ‘‘ De Long,” was the prompt reply. and grace of movement than was in Marunyo, “Old acquaintances of yours? That is, did who strode along before, seemingly unconscious | you know ’em afore they got into this little of his beauty, power, and wonderful reserve of | diffikilty?”’ stre ngth. The answer to this was equally as ready: ‘*T§ seems onpossible that such a good-lookin, **Captain De Long is rich man; his home is in fellow as thatcan be a villain,” muttered Nick | Fr’isco; he is fine man. He brings his wiféand to himself; ‘and yet that don’t make no dif- daughter in Oregon to see their friends; they stay here when the weather is warm in summer , when I was young I ) time; they go fishing; they hunt. Marunyo sometimes go with them! He goes off to start them a deer, and comes back and they are gone. Captain Jack has stolen them; he takes them hours, Marunyo ed more to the east, where | far away in the mountains, where he hides the way was rougher and their progress was | them. Then he will send word to Captain De more difficult. In some places it required con- ey by aged he can have wife and Drooping Lily or he ber of the Whiffles fami was one of the worst boys in the kentry, though I’ve got over it now and am just t’other way.’ Af patio ing asouthern direction for many siderable skill on the part of the horses to pick | f ig sum of money; he wait. a while, and their way along the rocks and through the 7 captain not send the money, then he kill m,” . ) gorges and ravines. ; But the Blackfoot appeared never to hesitate ** And if he can git hold of the money before er to be at a loss for the proper course to pursue, | he lets go the gals, he’ll kill ’em then, too. He will, by mighty! That’s the Modoc of it; so the He led the way as though he had spent his life safest plan is for us to git them-away while he among the mountains and knew every step of the way. | is gone,” + “T s’pected he would aim for this neighbor- | So I think,” said the Blackfoot, eagerly. hood,” said Nick, who, having no one to whom } ‘* What think you?’—to Oregon Sol. he might talk, spent the time in talking to him- The latter was leaning upon. his elbdw, sntok- self. “Captain Jack knows this part of the | ing his pipe, and had rallied from the gloomy country well enough to know where to hide his | reverie into which he had fallen, He nodded jewels. I s’pect that old sinner has stowed them | his head in acquiescence, and removing his pipe, gals aoor here, where he means to keep ’em till | added: i a big ransom for’em. That old dog *‘ Seems to be sartin that the critters are some- is as smart as he is devilish.” whar in this part of the world. With the help As the day advanced Nick Whiffles proffered | of the pup there we kin soon find out to-morrer, to Marunyo the use of his horse and urged upon | and then we’ll sail in.” him to ride awhile, but the Indian would not | Nick Whiffles shook his head, as if he was not ae oo they continued plodding along un- exactly suited with the reply. til the day was nearly ended. ; . ** It won’t do to go into that kind of business Aé night a encamped in one of the wildest | Sol,” he said; ‘it woull make a condemned places of the North-west—so walled in on every ) diffikilty. When one of the red varmints finds side by mountains and broken forests that in | he can’t keep his prisoners, then he puts his tom- scarce’ y any direction was it possible to gain a | ahawk into thar skulls, and I reckon Marunyo view of more than a hundred yards. | here ain’t trying to get Drooping Lily, unless Nick Whiffles had been in this section but once | she’s got some breath in her body.” before; and that was at least dozen years previ- | The Blackfoot shuddered at the bare sugges ous, so that, although he retained a general | tion, while his fine dark eyes flashed. knowledge of its characteristics, yet, as he de- ) . It must not be; it must not be.” glared, he felt more like a stranger than hehad| ‘That's my opinion, Sol, and yours, too, as felt for a long time. : you come to thixk over it.” “But,” said the Blackfoot, “we are now “Of course,” returned the trappeg~ “ How within half a mile of where the Drooping Lily | many of the varmints’ do you s’pose there is and her mother sigh and weep and pray for the | keeping watch over thé gals?” comiug of their friends.” ‘Two or -three, I should think. We've got sialic to get "em away, or manage to steal on ’em so sly like that they won’t get a chance to kill ’em. It’s meg if they don’t ‘spect some of us are about, t yn scatter while one or two hang round the gals, the others will'be off on a 4 hunt or fish; that’s the way we want th rovided himself and the others with a good | fixed, and we'll be a set.of the cussedest fools if unch at the hands of the brigade before they | we don’t put this little business through in the left Blackfoot Rock. This obviated all neces- | right kind of style.” sity of firing a gun, for some time at least to | ** We'll be likely to have some trouble in get- come, while they were in proximity to their | ting ’em down to Frisco; for you see it’s a long foes, Silence and caution were the most im- | way from here, and we shall have the Modocs rtant requisites toward success just now, and | arter us all the way.” Ere three men realized the truth to its fullest ex- ‘* That'll be the easiest part of the business; : "* _ CHAPTER X. AMONG THE MOUNTAINS. Nick Warr es;.understanding the nature of the business upon which they were engaged, had tent. for I think when Oregon Sol and Nick Whiffies Marunyo proposed, as they came to a halt, git in the woods they are at home, and if I can’t "that they should not kindlea fire; but both Nick | throw a pack of Modocs off the trail, if I’ve and Sol such a distaste for encamping in | ’n’ugh start to git out of their sight fur half an the darkness, that they searched out a sheltered | hour, then I'll commit suicide for grief, as an aunt of mine did when she met’ an ancient lady at a party who was able to drink three more cups of tea than she was, and that was better posted in the gossip of the neighbor- nook.under the rocks, which was really more of a cavern than anything else, and here they Kindled a small fire, which enabled them to see each other's faces and to converse more under- ir 4 of the position in which affairsstood. | hood.” es had supposed from the remarks of ‘Don’t you think that Captain Jack, if he the Blackfoot that he knew precisely where the hain’t already come baek here, will do so, arter m place of the captives was; but upon close | seei the Blackfodt, and arter ory ars qpiy he found that such was not the Case. that it’s likely some of us has follered to e had followed Captain Jack, and Flat-Nosed | this place?” Billy tothis section, but had lost them, and with ‘“‘I don’t believe the captain will, ’canse he all the skill at his command could not tell | neyer likes to be away from the main body of whither they had gone, or where they had been | his tribe for any time; but it’s very likely that vious to their departure for home again, dur- | Flat-Nosed Billy isn’t many miles away from lng which the attempt upon the life of Nick | us just now.” aS es was made; but, convinced that the | ‘Of course, sence Captain Jack has found spot he was seeking was somewhere in this | out that this pertik’ler devil of his is sartin te ti he had made ea careful search | receive all kinds of favors, he’s jist the int wi t any success except co discover that | he’s ry Py send along to look out for us, He’d when Captain Jack and com m left, | be a fool if he didn’t.” others remained behind to take. their places. ** Easy, now,” replied Nick Whiffles, with a They were among the mountains somewhere, | grin and a deprecatory wave of the hand. "That ’ere little episode is buried in the vister of the past, as the tssay. Don’t fotch it up ag’in until arter this business is settled.” Oregon Sol understood the meaning of this hint, and perhaps it was this, or it may have been the recollection that Nick himself had been considerate toward him when he was in vo hu- mor for jesting, that caused him to desist from chafling friend when such a good opening was given, As it was, they settled down into a more seri ous’ discussion of the eke yr and they per: fected all their arrangements for the morrow. It was agreed that at daybreak they should separate, and spend the entire day in reconnoi- tering through the mountains, unless they should sooner succeed in effecting their object» As it was believed to be more than likely that either the hiding-place would be discovered or some $f the Modocs encountered, a system of si was agreed upon, which they were confident could be employed without their meaning being suspected by the red-skins. Above all things, it was important that the presence of the three men in the moun should not become known to the Indians. It was understood by each that, in case any unto- ward accident should reveal their presence to one of these devils, that same be wiped out without the least ceremony, on thé well-established adage that dead men no tales. During this conversation, the dog Calamity lay stretched near the fire, with his nose between his feet, and sparen sound asleep; but all knew that he understood ver? Sea as well as they the important matter which they were dis- cussing. As proof of this, when Sol proposed to send the canine out on his own hook to oe the search for the Modoc hiding-place, pp raised his head and looked at the ker with am ex. pression that seemed as intelligent as thatof any person. Nick was inclined to adopt the plan when it was first suggested, but he afterward concluded to let him keep company with him. It was un- derstood that, if no important discovery were made, they were all to meet in the present at nightfall; while, if any one should gain the was to / 1 a is involligence that all were eveking,. he was te, y panne ed owes? around him one of the many signals agreed upon. Thus matters were ciocaauia until a late hour, when all three turned in for the night. The fire was nearly out, and Calamity stretched himself in front of them, while the two horses were into close at hand that none of the ose ers had any fear of being disturbed during night by their enemies. e three men were unusually tired, and they slept heavily. The sagacious dog seemed to un- derstand their condition, for he was restless and watchful, Could he have beenseen in the dark- ness, it would have been noticed that he fre- uently raised his head and snuffed the air, as ugh he scented some sort cf danger which he did not precisely understand. ; Then, after lying motionless for a few min- utes, seemingly asleep, he would suddenly start up, as if disturbed by some bad dream. After walking around the sleepers several times, he would come back and lie down As yet no alarm had come horses, that had ceased reposing upon the nel, Thus matters went on until t, when Shagbark gave out the test. sonnd. It was not a neigh, nor a whinny, but seqmed to have been made by the motion of one of his hoofs, as he lay upon ground, Slight as it was, it caught the ear of Calami- ty, who" wae On s feet as quick asa flash. In- stead of alarming the three men over whom he was standing guard, he whisked out in the dark- ness-toward the spot where the two horses were stretched. . Thero was a certain friendly famil be- tween these two dumb! servants of pe - fles. he rubbed nose his nose down as if to invite it. _ e Thus they remained for several minutes, co: municating with each other in that of their own which is so readily ; each other, but which isa “sealed book,” will probably always remain est human walked away in the As Calamity came oh the ice heed of ‘Shagbark, who bent | such, to the great- — When this sort of billing and cooing bad ton: B 7
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EN _ different from that leading to the spot where his three friends were sleeping. After his de- e, all remained silent for several minutes, then was heard a sudden fierce struggle, as ' had in a deadly embrace ud were rolling over and over among the stones @ud leaves. Once or twice a low growl, as if mde by Calamity, might have been heard,-and then all was still. + _ Only a few seconds did this strange, savage _ fight contirue, when the dog eme from the - dense darkness, entered the cavern, and resum- _ e@dhis place as sentinel. All this was done so yi Saw that not one of the three men stirred in a: eet gave evidence of tne slightest dis- t es lay with his nose resting on tly in as ogy ets asa as any but he was alive to the responsibility e canine, by yards, beside where was stretch figure of a Modoc. Sh gent said the hunter, to his : “it’s been some of them var- that has down in these wag ne a stole up to tint out § mi there was about. You knowed tired and didn’t want to ’sturb us, so him out yourself. Wal, it was very us, pup, though it wasn’t quite so tlever to the varmint, as he would testify, if he hal the ch and I hope it’s dgne. you some Ive you've been sulkin’ for fhe lan acait bo io muistaké about his nature and his master smiled in a fashion w ich showed that he was fully as much pleased. “That makes , then,” he added, g their steps toward the cavern, or rather, camp; ‘no more sulki T’ve told ure had assembled in their cavern retreat, Nick Whiffles had told the _ doings of Calamity, it was decided to send him oat on a little scout of his own, while the rest ‘were encaced with their morning lunch, He _ eduld easily ascertain whether they were under _ surveillance or not, and ig was all-important ' that the matter should be settled on the’spot. ~The wt Regs gone searcely half an hour, when » trotte 1 to view again, his actions and manner showing t1.t he found ‘‘ the coast clear.” Nogai ve now remained to do except to set aboi* the work that Had brought them thither. 0 better place could for for their horses, sid they were left where they were, while the tires moa moved out upon their stealthy search, mepetotine iamediateiy and moving with suct risy that ia tue spice of three minutes all “were lost to si_cit of each other. We leave Mirunyd and Oregon Sol for the resent, and follow Nick Ahiffies and his’ dog Epara.ty as fortune had wiiled that they were ) Open the curious events that were so goon to - it m7 be said that each of the tliree devoted Shimselt with all the enerzy and skill at his com- pee to find-ng out whore among the moun- tiins aroun] tem the captives were hid, for by ‘tus time they had all settled down to the con- tiat it was somewhere cloce at hand. Weitier Maranyo nor Oroon Sol were in the con lition pocsibie to prosecute his peculiar ‘worl: ‘Te former ‘was so’ nervous over the e a tia he Je't a5 being so near tie ob- his love, and tie latter was so “ fluster- some xTance thouzhts that had begun to a ‘Beadle’s HalfDime Lib eee ener a eer or: ee. RENN ewan kU Sehr ce pore Ors Pe ety Om mnie wow themselves justice in the e cy that was likely to come upon them at any moment. And so it was fortunate that it came to the lot of Nick Whiffies, who was as cool and col- lected as he always was, to unravel some of the ERY, by’ which he was surrounded. _, ick, assisted by Calamity, spent many hours in the search, buf whem noon came and “ neither dog nor master had made the slightest advance toward the diseovery which all three were so anxious to make. Nick had not forgotten the system of signals that had been agreed upon, and now and then he communicated with Marunyo and Oregon Sol, put from neither came any message denoting us matters stood, and the afternoon was_ Loins | well advanced, when Nick suddenly de- scried upon the rocks above him a small ante- lope that seemed to have paused and stood gazing into the depths below, without noticing pod and dog who had fixed their eyes up- on , Nick was debating whether it would be pru- dent for him to risk a shot, when he caught the faint sound of a gun, and he saw the animal make a sudden desperate leap, falling lifeless to the ground almost at his very feet! CHAPTER XI. A SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE, THE instant the antelope fell, a crushed and shapeless mass, to the bottom of the ravine, Nick Whifflessstepped back, concealed himself, and waited and watched. He was not kept long in waiting, when he descried the Indian making his way among the rocks until he reached the place where the creature lay, over which he ‘stooped and be- gan cutting some select portions to take away wi th him. ‘ ‘*He’s a Modoc,” said Whiffles to himself; ‘*and one of the very dogs I’m look®hg for. We'll foller him, pup.” This was a matter of considerable difficulty ; but the trapper was accustomed to such work, and he set about it with all the skill‘of which he was master. It was really Calamity himself that was the pursuer, Nick sending him ahead while he followed and kept himself out of sight of the Modoc, who would be much less likely to notice a quadruped than a biped. The route led up among the wildest fastnesses of the mountains, and Nick was beginning to mutter to himself, and wonder whether he was going up among the clouds to find his friends, when the dog stopped with a low, al- most inaudible whine. ‘‘Tts there, is it?’ he exclaimed, looking about, and unable to see the Modoc, or any thing re- sembling a retreat or hiding-place. He was near the highest portion of the moun- tains, with rocks and crags and stunted pines all around him; but, if there was any place in ide, he was determined to which a man could ‘* root” it cut. The trapper had formed the conclusion, with- out any tangible ground to base it upon, that there were no more than three Modocs that had been left in charge of ‘the captives by Captain Jack, and since the death of one of the number during the preceding night, there could be but two, unless Flat-Nosed illy had returned. It | followed, therefore, that if the guard could be engaged in a fight, there was no reason why they should hesitate to attack them; but it was like assailing a party within the walls of a fort, where every advantaze was in their favor. In case the Modocs were driven to the wall, there was no question but what they would turn upon the females and put them tea horrible death. The object of Nick Whiffles, as a@ consequence, was to get, im the “rear” of the red-skins, or between them and the cap- bape and prevent any such terrible coup d’etat as this. ““ Where is the ke ge that,.that varmint disap- | peared?’ he asked of the dog, after both had | stood several minutes, and the master was still nee to locate the vanishing-point of the red- | skin. The og renitod in the most intelligible len- guage at°his command. His nose was pointed as rigidly as a ramrod toward the broken rocks | that rose beyond and above them, and he gave out a low whine to sinify that he was pointing | at the very spot where the man had been last seen. ‘“PU be skulpet if there ain't another con- demned diffiity,” grovrled. the impatient tra r. ‘*This must be the piace where my uncle found his real estate located among the clouds.” | down thar too often, and he wouldn’t have 90 rary. agitate him, that they were not likely to do | | which was fully understcod by both. | at one step is inconvenient to persons with a The only conclusion that he could come to was that the Modoc had Ge ee er the rocks and gone on beyond and behimt = _ them; but if such were the case, the action _ of Calamity was altogether out of k —S the sagacity which he was accustomed dis- lay. ye geome! ‘ Nick Whitfles scratched his heas and iooked. at the dog, and then looked at the rocks and didn’t know how to explain it. ‘‘ That's jist the place for one of them critters to lay flat down on his belly and pick off @ gentleman like me as he undertakes to walk up ina fashion, and I'll be condemed) if I want to try it. Why don’t you move on, pu ?? ut the dog refused to budge an inch, and owing impatient at the passage of time, and * * the failure to accomplish anything, Nick cocked = | his rifle and moved cautiously forward. He literally felt every step of the way, keep- ing all his senses on the alert, for he realized, as fully as could any one, towhat personal danger he was exposed. Scarcely twenty yards of comparatively level - surface remain tween him and the spot where the massive rocks were tumbled each other in the wildest confusion, and Nick Whiffles bad advanced three-fourths of the way across this without detecting anything un- usual, except that the dog Calamity seemed to - be very uneasy. : He had remained standing like a pointer untiE his master had passed a few feet beyond, when he followed, but with sych a hesitating step, - and such manifest disapproval, that Nick’s con- science caused him to turn-round more than once and debate within himself whether he ought not to turn back altogether, and seek some sheltered spot where he could sudy out the field more at his own leisure. _/ He felt that the only reason his faithful friend changed his ep was to keep him company, and protect him, if possible, from the peril that was increasing every moment. . ““T spose I’m making a fool of myself,” he thought, as he stood motionless a moment, and then started forward again, ‘‘ but there allus had to be some one in the Whiffles family to make a fool of himself for the benefit of t’other ones, and I may as well be one for the benefit of myself—” 4 ; He was still moving about, and, carefully ad- vancing. toward the rocks, when he suddelilie = upon vacancy and disappeared like a ash. Nick Whiffles fell a distance of abouttwenty =~ feet into blank darkness, alig! ting uporm his feet and receiving a severe shock. © He was con- fused for an instant, but his shrewd intellect told him that in moving about and looking up- ward he had stepped into an opening, of which he had no Soy bat and which must have been used by the Modoc in going to and coming from his retreat in the mountains. With the trapper’s extensive knowledge of the ways and devilments of the Indians, it had never occurred to him that the Indian had disappeared into the ground instead of above it. Rallying his senses, he looked. about in the darkness in the effort to gain some idea of where . he was. Lcoking upward-he could see the ir- regular opening over his head, through which he had just fallen, with the dog, Calamity, peer- ing down in the gicom upon ~him, es if inquir- ing how his master had made cut. : “Oh, I’m here, pup,” ke said, im a voice just loud enough to be heard by the Urute, *Aaind I’m shook up a considerable, but it’s 2.lthéranie, LI guess ree better come down herewith me, fur™ , I think I shall need your help to get cut of this * condemned diffikiity.” He: had scarcely said the words, when down came the dog, narrowly missing striking him upon the head and shoulders. \ Master and dog now being together, there was need of all the wits at the'r command, a fact The trouble was that as they stood upon the hard, flat surface of .the rock, they could not catch the slightest glimpse of eny thing like daylight, in any direction, except ty looking upward at the hole through whiel: hoth*had de- scended, but through which it was impcssibleto make their way again without ouiside assis * tance, ‘ That’s what Icall a rather cnhandy style of stairs,” said Nick Whifiles, ‘‘ Twenty icet down weak constitution. It makes me think of the cellar stairs an uncie of mine once made. It was quite that sty.e, and he said, when explain- ing it, that it woud keep people from
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5 len. ‘When his wife had to 0 =. doy wa dd ko ber ong be it was onhandy © *bout pulling hor up, as they had to let down a ae and rope. n it in her back hair} but come, lobes us arn sometbing instead of foolin’ away our time.” It was very certain that whoever pap their _ time in those underground quarters did not re- ~ main around the opening, and Nick and Calam- age moving forward, groping their way with great caution. By strotehing out out his sp the trapper found * that he was fo’ a passage some six or feet in ‘width; ut, as it extended in both it sik tions, it was uncertain whether he was going : ‘toward or from the point he wished to reach. - Unaware of what pitfalls mint in front, he let Calamity take the lead, knowing that "the instinct. of the brute was far more reliable in im 2, ik the moan of waters; but as it eas ceased again, he suspectéd that it was the voice sTistentng a ee See oe several minutes ut not hearing it, he ‘moved forward. By this time, he was out of aed the opening, and look in whichever ion he chose, it was black, starless night. A short distance further the dog uttered a faint whine, as an indication that he had dis- something. Nothing, however, could _ be seen, and the twain moved forward a a few steps, when a faint lighting up awed they were approaching some sort of ope i 3 we’ to arn something,” said Nick to his dog, as he felt that Jes was upon the Ore. some important discovery. The Hight continued to increase as they cauti- , and by-and-by he detected the of something like a fire, but he could Tike Veale certain. whe it was until he had pene- trated some distance further, when he saw that Bone 3 A ‘8 small wood fire was burning at one side of the patie cass, was proof that those who it were prog Fie far away, though Nick for a time was unable to discover them. Still advancing with the silence and stealth of f shadows, with his x bon es and ears as wide open as 5 they could be, the was seen to flash up sud- es a as though some one had thrown additional = ae v ‘At thi ‘his ncreased illumination, two figures 5 sys AS revealed—the figures of two wo- Long and her daughter Juliette— e for oy eae Marunyo and the trappers were parching. “They were’ strangers to Nick Whiffles, he hav- ng never set ¢ yes on them before, bit the cir- er which he saw them could ; of thei: owarie gD and as he look- at br on : len so hopeless! in love he» Peiting to cub be eke tebe verde: the sake of rescuing’ her from her dreadful captivity. we It was Juliette who had stirred the smoldering om ‘and thrown some other sticks upon ’ them, and the flame showédthat the place where she and her mother stood was an expansion of the into something like a room, which had tted up as a sort of Indian lodge. The first effort of Nick, after recognizing the two, was to ascertain whether any other In- _dians were in the vicinity. Looking hither and on, he could see nothing of them, although was no reason rte: a y were not Berets ts sonia the fire in the manner vc all Juliette sat down beside her , upon @ flat stone, and he could hear the ae Sagat of their voices, although unable to dis- ; a wo ick Whiffies, wrapped in impenetrable dark- stood for fully fifteen minutes’ lookin the two, and endeavoring to make certain w er be could open communication with them without giving the alarm to their jailer at the same time. He krew that one of these Modecs had gone down the opening a few minutes in advance of _ question was as to what had be- __ Finally Nick concluded to make an attempt to — of his presence, and his desire to ra hem out of their ‘condemned diffikilty.” 3 ie edie moved.forward until he, was with- y! pa a dozen yards, and just beyond their sigit, when he paused. — _ At this very instant one of the burning fagots fell forward, and made a sudden increase of ic aa by the aid of which both mother and rescued. 1, fire, pegs rastily explaining P g daughter caught sight of the hunter and his dog standing near them. Juliette gave a slight scream at sight of the stranger, andthe trapper, fearful ee rescue, called out ima cautious ater. ne: ** Don’t be skeart; it’s me, Nick Whiffles and Calamity.” yer, an ax you if promenade out of t go back to your home yo wouldn’t like to take a tin.” that their | killed the antelope, came to view, fright might defeat every measure looking to | We've "come to make a call onto o'Seamting thus, he offered the best is condemned diffikilty, and | | with the intention of firing, when he made There could be no mistake about the friendli- | ness of that voice and person, and both mother and daughter were-ready to leap for joy at the knowledge that some one had come to their Pere rescue, even een that persun was a stranger | to them. Before net ition of the in the same guarded voice: “* Are there any red-skins close by?” . “No,” answered De Long; “you need not be afraid to come forward.” **T ain’t exactly afeared of ’em except on your account, Me and Calamity kin generally man- to take care of ourselves among the var- | age mints! but if any of ’em are hanging ’round loose it’s best to know it.” As he uttered the last words, Nick Whiffles came forward bythe camp-fire, and saluted the ladies with rough but oe courtesy. **You both look purty well,” said he, as he pecs from one to the other, as he gave way to his characteristic sense of humor. “ If young gals want to git pale and interestin’ like, thar ain’t nothin’ better than to keep out of the sun- light—though I think you didn’t come down here of your own free will and accord. How many of the Injuns are here watchin’ you?” he asked, abruptly. “* There is nearly always one here or close b but the rest are on the err guarding point ” replied Mrs. De Lo ow many of them are There?” ** About half a dozen.” ‘**Helloal” exclaimed the surprised trap ‘I hadn’t counted on finding so many as t that : but there was one of the p’ison noosances that come down here ahead of me. What's ’come of him?’ ‘He was here and passed on by toward the Sin ei I do not think he is within sight or oe ST thought there must be some place where you could git out better than the condemned one by which I come in, It was only the Lord that saved me from breaking my neck.” ‘Oh, we are so rejoiced that some one has thelady, devoutly. ‘ Ju- liette was in despair, and I. was almost; but I told her that Heaven would not forsake us, and it has not. I am so glad we are going to be **Don’t be too sartin of that,” see Nick Whiffles; ‘that’s the business that brought me and Oregon So: and Marunyo here; but the thing ain’t done yet, and may be it won't be done.” ‘CHAPTER XII. THE SURPRISING SURPRISE. Nick WHIFFLES was cette Mystere because he knew that he was standing di y in front of the followed us here,” sai to the treacherous shot of any Modoc who ht be in, while he was deprived of the power of returning or prevent- such a shot. the ition of i to the ladies, he deadened the light of the fire as moved until y the goons from which he “ Now, gals, said he, in his like manner, ‘I want to Varn just p+ er do you*get out. of this Mrs. De Long answered the questions prompt- ly, 9g with intelligence. hundred feet beyond the fire, the cavern aie into the outer air. The passageway is quite narrow, and night and day, there are three or four Indians on»the look-out there. It is the. only Pres Bf which this place ean be left.” door then is to come.in by and not | to goout. That puts the matter in a condemn- ed bad shape there’s going to be a diffikilty afore we ici} out, Trl was only on the out-~ side, we cold haul you, up through the hole ‘but as. that can’t be done we'll have ‘hello, pup, what is it?” much as possible, and eA roore 4% , t eme hé w had Y oe ow things ed overhead,- to take the He p paige butt es nod One Of t' step back act so that they'll ‘spect @ yarmints is coming. Ill out of the way, and be keerful 1 not to T ‘m about.” | ahead and take the o paint of the bullet, but his could more than realize the dis- | taper, the latter asked them, | | poment, when he said in a.| * was Q Nick moved a few paces there was no possibi had scarcely done so, further back, ; ni Oe ility of his being seen, and when the Modoc, who pontiac woo hand some meat that had been coo! upon. the outside. He threw a piece to each, and then stood with his hack to the fire and his eyes pa fixed upon oe waiting to see them make théir, ble to Nick, who drew. his rifle to his Shoal mortifying discovery that in his fall into tbh cavern he had struck the lock against some ob- struction in such a way as to fender it useless. Calamity appeared to comprehend the wep and made a move as if he were anxious to master restrained him Sa The Modoc remained but a few minutes, when | : he turned about and sauntered away in the di- rection whence he came, Nick Whiffles wai oD fy until the sound of his footsteps had died t when he came a little nigher. As he did so, Ju- apy moved re — him. being’ with bey * You eo Maruny ° ‘ said Sod Sa timid voice; “ why is he Rs rs the cavern with you?” % “* He is here.” uy It was the low sweet voice of Marmnye him- self that uttered these words, as he walked forth ote Se eee mand took his place beside the e ick Whiffles, and the pope y Ma liette, explaining as he did so, that he ‘ay covered the place where the tra i, gre tote his descent, and after a care = = fae e had sitine to the truth Oman . ow! thout w: summon as he should have done Neither Marunyo nor Nick knew epee a: where the egress from the cavern was, a hasty.consultation they decided to a to escape without any more delay. - on es upon making the attempt on exclusively. U Rage re the outside course they would wetter abou by the who would be helt > cee er abouk such a way as to le the ladi Ee and her two rescuers w | overwhelm them. ge If there were more than three fullyarmed and waiting, the captives na beter to turn back in the hope o speedily ay grins Oe ty,.when the two at a ter disadvantage. Ce t took only a few minutes to come ~ nae *, ng, when the . thehand of her daughter, moved off in the tak- en by the Indian who had brought them their seo es trapper and Blackfoot Showing OES > ere mee only and the made s ~~ “A we Nick followed « stacie¥ dilations ‘tn ties planer og were still about e halted, Marun okely Behind hire with the calml and int ie One anil tapes be evo ed r daughter = At the te dn see of both and ‘dian ak ane e Fea 3 that they started back affrighted, : + an them with the cineca Nee By shag other Indians had appeared om they saw before them that had shot the antelope and tha’ in ahead of the rescue At this instant Mrs. the mien that had befallen it, antl lox a ered it again, wi th the ammouncement € , si ig thaif ~ e abs runyo then ww own weapon, te a » quick and d fired. Pi e distance was 80 short that he and
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rushed forward to finish the red- reach ecareg baey there was t hie bther’ red-ekin, bat upon reaching ening none was to be seen. ) nutes an then the rappers saktoot obeyed on the fateh, not how soon some of the Modoes might ‘return, while the trapper loitered behind with ! oie Agana covering their retreat as muca as ving dark, and if their un vered md ; little there was ev of mak- or, ee of securing fis ie toeitatoble ‘advance the fugitives were out of found himelt ow his way ering and over the with no — but Calamity, who had ’stood by him so many “ diffikilties” and dangers. a are some diffikilties which come to e ‘ “feller when he erin aig so8 "em it VES by tg de izing og," ake better for their comin’. I allow dropped through that hole that I Ceniedopa ble, and I thought it was diffikilties that wasn’t going to help along in the world; but you see how out, pup. You remember me tell- ta great uncle of mine, that died f a diffikilty in breathing, caused Shite Seok ee wri too tight around his his out looked like one of all around; butit was + oo the very day he was his house was to be fore- , and at the end of is Yeariebtable tine ee arta pe twe weeks—married her, and _ onthe whole you see it were for the Ai; Tey. were now in a dark ravine, along which making their way, the hunter stili his familiar manner with his dog, i when t the latter gave out his whine of warning, he rowel the trapper paused to see what the danger w Nothing could be . look in whatsoever di- rection he fa and feeling much more anxious ds than he did about himself, he go on ahead and help take’ care fy showed some re rs fe nine Bernal he rp Soom hem continued his wa ot g throng the winked that was becoming i val 4 minute. He judged that he was still several hundred a from camp, when he heard himself hail- there, my brother.” up, he saw the is Bis rif i ac a eee feet. " ) an : i i you af L Ee ghee of an Indian no with t at his goog aco own gun, Nick felt that ho ene et (5; attend Nosed Billy,” he said cool- | wa Ss Rae: el yon oll; ea Detpoee on > aw ou off, and [*s ou ae 5 want te me in the same diikilty fot yf hee words he saw two or three figures moving toward him, and he tina avg brother must die,” t-Nosed Billy, ty, as conceal his exulta cage though unable fo concal his erut x Pp e grea hunter Pt trapper in his ower. ; Modoe catch; he ** He hunt no was no doubt bat what the devilish meant to murder the man who had evel him such mercy when he had no claim Wal, Modoe, I b'Veve axe got me this foot to let he said, with a sigh; tchod you fain and ou off, when I cotch you fair and there’s no doubt was, Nick Chee ie wo take ready to go ‘when he’s sent for, and if you’ve made =p your mind that Se can’t be happy without y life, why make kk! went the rifle, but it was not that of odoc. The bullet went crashing thro } a Cn nmnnn i ny Modoc, with a howl of Neeianeil Wanehbop a of the Blackfeet was / us your hand, and I ho naving | your aim sartin and pull the | ee eect aE OE a heard, uttered and repeated again and again, tantil it seemed that B bundred of them were nets the spot. vs ¢. The scattered in Bagi des and Nick and cate et ot ‘ook he wi “it was we I say. Flat-Nased Billy at gone under, y your bullet, and you-give out sucha big Jot of.” yells that the thought all the Black- feet this side of the Rocky Mountains had come down upon them, and sothey cleared out. Give you'll forgive all the oncomfortable thou hts I’ve had *bout you.” “ All right,” said yo, cheerfully ; ‘‘ when ' the dog come he ve knew some was wrong. and I k; I got here just in time, an all is well. iey aro eee in the camp; so let us hurry.” “Ts Sol there?” ~ ** Yes; he staid to watch Drooping Lily, while I came to look for you.” “Then we'll jine them right away.” It was in the wilds of Upper California that a party of five was encamped. They had ap- roached sc near to civilization Riek they had) Riativlesed all fear of pursuit or danger from the Indians. Oregon Sol and ‘Nick Whiffles had agreed to accompany the others to San Francis- co, at the request of the ladies, who insisted that band and father of those who had been in the | hands of the Modoes. Marunyo had washed the paint thoroughly from his ‘face: and the result was the astonish- ing discovery that he was a white man with not a particle of Indian blood in him! This had been known to the ladies, who had met him as a white man, and knew that he was acting as a spy in the interest of the settlers in Upper California and Oregon. His naturally swarthy complexion, black eyes and hair, and his experience in the woods, enabled him to counterfeit the Indian so completely as to de- ceive those ple themselves. By this means, he was enabled ea to do more effective work for his own race. After this revelation came a more amazing one. Oregon Sol had often noticed qveceoie, in the tones of Marunyo’s voice, in his looks. anc ty of manner, that recalled his a Pitti boy, that was stolen years before, b Indians in northern Missouri, an of whic oe could never gain any tidings. His loss had nearly broken the heart of the mother, and the father, to kill his own grief, took to the woods. When Sol found out that Marunyo was really a white man, he be uestioning him closely, | and the result was the discovery that he was in reality his long-lost son. The joy of the father at this knowledge can- not be imagined; and he declared that he only felt one g—which was that his wife could not have eae spared to see this day—but then she was in heaven lookin ng down upon them, and so it was all right after Marunyo, the accepted lover of Juliette De , and now a genuine’ white man, gave up the wild life of the woods, and became a ae oughly civilized being, the happiest of men, when he was enabled to call the beautiful girl | his own—his cherished wife. Nick Whiffles and Oregon Sol were urged to make their home with them; but they had ranged the woods so long, that it had become Psion natute to them, and they continued their hunting and trapping, in the + North-west, sometimes penetrating into Hudson Bay Terri- | tory, and returning at regular intervals to visit | spend a few days with the son and hus- band, whe has fi inetRese pages as the ba DIAN SPY. , THE END, Beadle’s Dime Library. A Haro Crown. B Tae Dare-Devi., H Philip S. Warne...,.+..... 10e : Kir Carson, Jk. 3y_ Col P. Ingraham Peg By Buckskin Sam THe Kipnaprer. By Philip S. Warne... .. . tie 5 Tau Free Frenps, “By A. P. Morris ....... 6 Witpcat Bos. By Edward L. Wheeler 7 Deatu-Notcn, Tur Destroyer. Oli Coomes.. 8 Tue Heapiess Horseman. By Vayne Reid... 9 Hanpy Anny. By Samuel Lover .. Ie 10 Vinocg, THE Frencu Potice Spy, By himself. 10¢ 11 Mipsuipman Fasy. By Capt. Maryatt ivie We 1? Tue Dears-Suor. , By, Capt. Mayne Reid... . lve i Parnaway. By Dr. J. H. Bitansun 10¢ 4 THAYENDANEGEA, THE ScourGE. Ned ininitine es ; is Tue Tiger SLAYER. Gustave pecans °16 Tae Waire Wizarp. Ned Buntline.. t toe 17 Nicursuape. By Dr. J. H. esr a a tae 10e 18 THe Sea BanpiT. By Ned Buntline.. wits POC 19 Rep Cepar. By Gustave Aimard......... we a 20 Tue Banpit at Bay. By Gustave Aimard... 21 THe TRAPPER’S DAtouree Gustave Aimard . 22 Wuiretaw. By Dr.’ J. H. Robinson .... Mabe 23 THe Rep Warrior. By Ned Buntline ._... a4 24 ‘THE Prarrre Frower. By Gustave Aimard. 25 Tae GoLp Guipe.. By Francis Johnson. et 26 THe Deata Track. By Francis Johnson . ee 27 Tue Sporrer Derective. By Albert W. rere 10¢* 28 THREE-FINGERED JACK. Joseph E: geen Je. 10e = Tiger Dick, THe Faro Kine. P.S. Warne . ic | 30 GospeL GrorGE. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr -. 10¢ - 31 THe New York SHarp. By Albert . Aiken... 10e 82 B’Hoys or YALE. By John D. Vose 210e 33 OveRLAND Krr. Bv Albert W. Aiken $ 10¢ 84 Rocky Movuntarn Ros. By Albert W. Aiken.. 10¢ 35 Kentuck, THE Sport. By Albert W. Aiken. ies # ; 36 Inson Dick. By Albert W. Aiken . ... i | 37 Bint, THE HUNCHBACK. By J. H. Robinson... $d 38 Vetvs~ Hann. By Albert W. Aiken. E 1€e 39 Tae Russtan Spy. By Frederick Whittaker. 16c | 40 Tae Lone Hatrep ‘ Parps.’ oJ. E. Badger, Jr... 10¢ 41 GoLp. Dan. By Albert W. Aiken. . We 42 Tue CaLiForNIA DETECTIVE. A. W. Aiken... . 10¢e 43 DarxoTa Dan. By Oi] Coomes .. GR Sia 3 oc 44. Otp Dan Racksack. By — Coomes.. ... . 10¢ 45 Otp Butt’s Eye. By Jos. # renee, Jr...... 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Author of ‘‘Silent Hunter," We 87 THe ScaRLET Captain. By Col. Delle Sara ... We 88 Bré-Grorce. By Joseph E. Badger, Jr. . 10e 89 THe Prrate Prince. By Col. P. Rotabaih 3 .«.30e 90 Wi.p Witu. By Buckskin Sam..... » ae | 91 THe Waoynine Oar. _ By Albert W. Aiken. 10e | 92 BurraLto Bru. By Major Dangerfield Burr .. ie 93 CAPTAIN Dick TaLeot. By Albert W. Aiken.. 10¢ 94 FREELANCE, THE BucCANEER. -By Ingraham . 10¢ | 95 AZHORT, THE AxmaN. By Anthony P. Morris, 16¢ | 96 DovsLE DeaTH. By Capt. Fred. Whittaker. oo 97 Bronze Jack. By Albért W. Aiken ue *98 THe Rock Riper... By Capt. F. Whittaker.. . 0G 99 THe Grant RIFLEMAN., By Oll Coomes - We 100: Tue Frencu Spy. By A P. Morris.. 10¢’ 101 Toe MAN From New York. By A.W. Aiken. lhe 102 Tue Maskep Banp. By George L. Aiken .. 1fe 103 Merur, THE MutTineer. Col. P. Ingraham.. 102 104 MONTEZUMA, THE Merciirses. By Ingraham. 1Ce | 105 Dan Brown or Denver. - By Jos. E Bey br | 106 Samus O’Brien. By Col. Delle Sara . . 107 RicHarp TALBOT OF CINNABAR. 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— >) ». Phe True Higher Law, _ ‘The Ship and the Bird, Dime American Speaker, No. 1, ¢v America, J. Jeboom’s Oration, : of Washington, | A Dutch Cure, Piea for the Maine Law, | The Weather SS Ee es _ She Italian Struggle, osophy Appli | ae ndence, An Old Ballad. r Contry, Penny Wise, Pound Fool- The Paneity. of True ago fish, A gla of the Revo’n, | Sat’d’y Night’s Enjoy ts, The Fruies of the War, “In a Just Cause,” The Sewing-Machine, No Peace with Oppres- frue Manhood, * I~ sion, The Mystery of Life, A Tale of a Mouse, - The Ups and Downs, A Thanksgiving Sermon, ; Great, _. The Cost of Riches, r imp and Ris’g, | Great Lives Imperishable A. Ward’s Oration, *, The Prophecy forthe Y’r og Nationality, Unfinished Problems, ur Natal Day, Honor to the Dead, Solferino, Immortality of Patriots, Intelligence the Basis of | Webster’s Polit’] System, The War, [Liberty. | A Vision in the Forum, Charge ef Light Brigade, | The Press After the Battle, | Woman's Rights, The Glass Railroad, Right of the Governed, Case of 4 mage pa My Ladder, _ Prof. on Phreno A oman, Annabel Lee, shui Alone, Mogan Sage Name, The Rebellion of 1861, The Sailor Boy’s Syren, i on. Dime National Speaker, No. 2. Union and its Results, Ohio, Mur Country's Future, Oliver Hazard Perry, The Statesman’s Labors, | Our Domain True Immortality. Systems of Belief, Let the Childless Weep, e Indian Chief, Country’s Sars fy The Independent Farmer ’ Union a Househoki, Mrs. Grammar’s Independence Bell,- How the Money Comes, The Scholar’s Dignity, | Future of the Fashions, The ee ai of Progress, A Ch Chant, Swability of Christianity, ‘ The One Great Need, Tecumseh’s Speech, . } Territorial Expansion, ha Hopkins, he Bashful Man's Story, he Matter-of-Fact_Man, Rich and Poor, Bee the Eclipse, he Beaut es of the Law, Ge-lang! Git Up, The Rats of Life, Creéwning Glory of U.S., Three Fools, Waskington, Great Inheritance, ogy on Henry Clay, . | Our Country First, Last, | 1 t : ; : : : : } . Loyalty to Liberty, and Always,” British Influence, Defense ef Jefferson, National Hatreds, ~ Murder Will Out, Strive for the Best, Early Rising, Deeds of Kindness, Gates of Sleep, The Bugle, A Hoodish Gem, Purity of the Struggle, Old Age, Beautiful and True The Worm of the Still, Man and the Infinite, Language of the Eagle, Washington, The Deluge. ’ Dime Patriotic Speaker, No. 3. merica to the World, eur Cause, [tion, a Kentuckian’s appeal, Kentu St The Precious Heritage, The Draft, _ Union Square Speeches, The Union, Our — Call, The Story of an Oak Tree, _ L-e-g On My Leg, History of Our FI Tame We her's iktrents, We Owe ts the Union, Lincoln’s M Last Speech of Seephen A. Douglas, Great Bell Roland, The New Year and the | King Cotton, [Union, Rattle Anthem, The Ends of Peace, Freedom the Watchword Grisis of Our Nation, Duty of Christian triots, Turkey Dan’s ration, A Fearless Plex, The Onus of Slavery, A Foreigner’s Tribute, The Little Zouave Catholic @ath The “ Speculators,” _ Dime Comic Speaker, No. 4, Kle onthe War, ' A Song of Woe $e fan Considered, we Trip to Richm’d, ‘The Rising, ‘asp and the Bee, ‘omic Grammar, No. 1, rm Not a Single Man, A. Ward’s Advice, Suzfuz on Pickwick, Someo and Juliet, Happiness, ‘Pexan Euloginm, ‘ow to be a Fireman, ‘The United States, op £ Y's Acc’t of Himself, ical “arenology, Benes s le People,’ What is a Baghelor Like? funny Folks, ‘arody, . The Mountebank, Compound Interest, A Sermon on the Feet, Old Dog Jock, * The Fishes’ Toilet, Brian O’Linn, Crockett to Office-seekers ‘Who Is My Opponent? Poktical Stump Speech Comic, Grarimar, No. 9, Farewell to the Bottle, The Cork Leg, The Smack in School, Slick’s Definition of Wife,. | Tale of a Hat, The Debating Club, A Dutch Sermon, Lecture on Locomotion, Mrs. Jaudle on Umbr'lla, . or. ry eat Fat we, ct Range site fe 7 Une oe wae REF Bs \ ; Be Ts ape oa ita i ea ae HE DIME SPEAKE : SE ae 4 Dime Elocutionist, No. 5. SEC. L Prrvcre.trs oF True Envnciation.—Faults in Enunciation; How to Avoid Them, Special Rules and Observations. SEC. I. Tse Art or Oratory. Sheridan’s List of the Passions: Tranquillity, Cheerfulness, Mirth, Raillery, Buffoonery, Joy, Delight, Gravity, In- uiry, Attention, Modesty, Perplexity, Pity, Grief, elancholy, Despair, Fear, Shame, morse, Courage, Boasting, Pride, Obstinacy, Authority, Commanding, Forbidding, Affirming, Denying, Differen greeing, Exhorting, Judging, Approv- ing, Acqu ting. ae Teaching, Pardon- ing, Arguing, Dismissing, fusing, Granting, De- pendence, Veneration, ope, ire, Love, Re , Giving, Wonder, Admiration, Gratitude, Cu pic Persuasiov., Tempting, Promising, Affecta- tion, joth, Intoxication, Anger, etc. SEC. 0. Tse Component ELEMENTS oF An. ORA Tion.—Rules of Com tion as applied to Words and Phrases, viz.: rity, Propriety, Precision. As applied to Sentences, viz.: Length of Sentence, Clearness, Unity, Strength. Figures of Speech; the Exordium, the Narration, the Proposition, the Confirmation, the. Refutation, the Peroration. SEC. TV. RepresEnTATIVE EXERCISES IN PROSE AND Verse.—Transition; A Plea for the Ox; Falstaff’s Soliloquy on Honor; the Burial of Lincoln; the Call and Response; the Bayonet Charge; are of a Life; the ag the Bells; Byron; Macbet and the Dagger; amlet’s Soliloquy; Old Things; Look Upward; King William Rufus; the Eye; an Essa Onto Musik; Discoveries of Galileo. SEC. V. OsseRvaTions oF Goop AUTHORITIES, Dime Humorous Speaker, No. 6. A Sad Sor Poetry Run Mad, | A String of Onions, Right Names, 1A Tragic Story, Scientific Lectures, Cats, : The Ager, Courtship, , The Cockney, | Debt, | The Codfish, Devils, ; Fate of Sergeant Thin, Dow, Jr.’s Lectures, | The Features’ Quarrel, Ego and Echo, | Hamerican Voodchuck, Fashionable Women, The Harp of a Thousand Fern Thistles, Strings, Good-Nature, | The Last of the Sarpints, Gottlieb Klebcyergoss, || The March to Moscow, Schlackenlichter’s snake, | The Mysterious Guest, Hosea Biglow’s Opinions, | The Pump, How the Money Goes, | The Sea-Serpent, Hun-ki-do-ri’s Fourth of | The Secret, * July Oration, | The Shoemaker, If you Mean No, Say No, | The Useful Doctor, Jo Bows on Leap Year, The Waterfal Lay of the Henpecked, | To the Bachelors’ Union Lot Skinner’s Elegy, |_ League, Matrimony, | United States Presidents, Nothing to Do, Vagaries of Popping the | Old Caudle’s Umbrella, | Question, Old Grimes’s Son, ) What I Wouldn’t Be, Paddle Your Own Canoe, | Yankee Doodle Aladdin, Parody ..on “ Araby’s | Ze Moskeetare, Daughter,” { 1933. Dime Standard Speaker, No. 7. The World We Live In, | John Burns, Gettysburg, No Sect in Heaven, — Woman's oo 5 Authors of our Liberty, | Miss Prude’s Tea-Party, | The Real Conqueror, The Power of an Idea, | The Citizen’s eritage, aon Beneficence of the italy uffrage, [Sea, The Mechanic, Dream of the Revelers, Nature and Naivire’s God | HowCyrus Laid the Cable | The Modern Good, [Sun, | The Prettiest Hand, | Ossian’s Address to the | Paradoxical, Pa- | Inde vendence Bell—1777, | Little Jerry, the Miller, The The Blarney Stone, F Thouglites, The Student of Bonn The ies’ The Broken Household, ife, The Bible, The Idler, The Purse and the Sword The bay eel My Country, The Two Lives, True Moral Courage, The True Scholar, What is War? Judges not Infallible, Butter, Fanaticism, My Deborah Lee, Instability of Successful | The Race, Agriculture, {[Crime, | The Pin and Needle, Ireland | The Modern Puritan The People Always Con- | Immortality of the Soul, Music of Labor, , [quer, | Occupation, Prussia and Austria, Heroism and Daring, Wishing, A Shot at the Decanter, Dime Stump Speaker, No. 8. Hon. J. M. Stubbs’ Views | The Limits to Happiness, on the Situation, Good-nature a Blessing, Hans Schwackheimer on! Sermon from Hard-shell Woman’s Suffrage, Tail-énders, {Baptist, All for a Nomination, The Value of Money, Old Ocean, {Sea, | Meteoric Disqhisiticn, The Sea,the Sea, the open | Be Sure You are Right, Star Bangled Spanner, | Be of Good Cheer j | Stay Where You Belong, | Crabbed Folks, [Shrew, | Life’s What You Makelt,| Taming 8 Masculine | Where's My Money, Farmers, [Our Country The True Greatness of ; a from Conscience, ‘s Relation to Society | The Cold-water Man, r- can RS. Numbers 1 to 24, inclusixe. Each Speaker, 100 pages i2mo., containing from 50 te 75 pieces. = Pee Sea m SARS ed 7 A ait TERI > Permanency of States, Liberty of peers New England and ‘Union, The Unseen Battlefield, Plea for the Republic, Ameriea, [Fallacy, “Right of Secession” a Life’s Sunset, Human Nature, Lawyers, Wro of the Indians, Appeal in behalf of Am. iseriesof War,{Liberty, A Lay Sermon, A Dream, Dime Juvenile A Boy’s Philosophy, Hoe Out Your How. Six-Year-Old’s Protest, The Suicidal Cat, A Valediction, Popping Corn, The Editor, The Same, in rhyme, The Fairy Shoemaker, What Was Learned, Press On, The Horse, The Snake in the Grass, Tale of the Tropics, Bromley’s Speech, The Same, second extract The Fisher’s Child, Shaks an Scholar, A Maiden’s Psalm of Life, A Mixture, a ‘aed Bal laying h, Why Live for Something x Lay of the Hen-Pecked, The Outside Dog, Wolf and Lamb, Lion in Love, Frogs Asking for a King, Sick Lion, Country and Town I___e, Man and Woman, Home, ‘Phe Lotus-Planter, Little Things. A Baby's Soliloquy, Repentance. A Plea for E Humbug Patriotism, Night After Christmas, Short Legs, Shrimps on Amusements, Ben Buster's Oration, Hans Von Spiegel’s 4th, Josh te Advice, A Hard-shell Sermon, The Boots, The Squeezer, Noah and the Devil, A Lover's Luck. Hifalutin Adolphus, Digestion and ise, ee Disad lee, ages, Gushalina Bendibus, Sree fe ie Shen ing for the Sheriff, Daking a Shweat, Then and Now Josh Bill ‘s Lectuxng, Doctor De Blister’s Ann't, Consignments, Bar pean Speech an Bryant's A Colored View, Original Maud Muller, Nobody. 1.— DEBATING ° Its Office and Usefulness, Formation of, Constitution of, By-Laws of, ° Rules of Government, Local Rules of Order, Local Rules of Deba*e, Subjects of Discussivn. Wikeus wet ‘good y there are few Debaters, : Prerequisites to Oratori- The Low f Debate, e ic The emcee of Debate, Maxims to Observe, The Preliminary Premise, Order of Argument, Summary. Te pee t Astronomical, The Moon, t Duties of American Ci The Man e Temptations of Cities, Broken Resolutions, There is no Death, Races, A Fruitful Discou : A Frenchman's D r,t Unjust National Acqui'n The Amateur Coachman John Thompson’s Dau’r, House Cle It Is Not Your B asiness. Speaker, No. 9. | How the Raven Pecems A Mothe Work, | other's e Same, My Dream, Rain, Til Never Use Tobacco, Mosai A ic, The Old Bachelor, Prayer to Light, anaes mS Lament, na’s Johnny Shrimps on Boots Mercy, Choice of ow ay 8 | Poor Richard's ; Mer ee eae | Nothing Honesty Best Policy, | Heaven, | Ho for the Fields, | Fashion on the Brain, On Shanghais, y ca, paca 5 ra Seup, / Nose and Eyes, Malt, ney per, Little Sermons, Soufiles on Electricity, The Two fradles, : | The Ocea 1 Storm, | Do Thy Little—Do it WeB | Little Puss, aaadiicee [Fever | Prescription for Spring Dime Spread-Eagle Speaker, No. 10, | Drum-head Sermons, ; me mpl Philosopedis | ** Woman's Righ | Luke Lather, > | The Hog, Jack Spratt, The ent Bachelor,” ) Jacob Whittle’s Speech, Jerks osticates, A Word with Snooks, | Sut Lov: ; A Mele sn sm
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fl STORIES. My MOTHER-IN-LAW. By “Bricxror.” Tindtmtione by Pw Hepkins. 88 pp., Paper, 8vo. M This is one of the most humorous stories of the day. Every man and _ ¥omau in the country should read this serio-comic experience of a man with jas mother-in-law, who made home torrid for him, and how he succeeded, after aeiaey sone Bnd fethizen, in getting rid of her. “OR FIRST “BABY; or; Tax [xreticrries or Our Honey- moon. By the author of “‘ My Mother-in-Law, ” ete. Illus- trated. Paper, 8vo. ‘This is a witty and charming narration of a young married couple. It pre- gents vividly the first attempts of a young husband at housekeeping. ' SMITH IN SEARCH OF A WIFE. By the author of “Our First Baby,” etc. 64 pp., Paper, 8vo. This story is not founded on fact, but there is so much comical human . @ature in it that truth couldn’t make.it any better. It should be read by every- body contemplating the great lottery of oe Laughably illustrated by 7homes Worth. ARMING FOR FUN; or, Backyarp Grancers. By “‘ Brics- Pp.” Illustrated by Thomas Worth. Paper, iarge 8vo. aac es The experience of Timothy Budd and his wife at city gardening is brimful of fun ; and thousands who read it will exclaim: “I've been there!” PARSON BEECHER AND HIS HORSE. By “Bricxrop.” Illustrated by Thomas Worth 96 pp., Paper, large 12mo. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, brimful of fresh, brilliant humor and yzughable situations, the author claiming it to be the best of his many humor- ous croductions. FRED DOUGLAS AND HIS MULE. Companion to “ Parson ; Beecher and His Horse.” By the same author, Mlustrated. 96 pp., large 12mo. As astory of the late war it deals with people who “ were there,” and will ®edoudly popular with tne “ Vets,” many of whom enjoyed the very fun that is bere depicted. “BIG JOKE BOOK SERIES. “‘OH! MAMMA, BUY ME .THAT!” Illustrated. 64 pages. GRIN’S CATECHISM OF FUN. Tllustrated. 64 pages. THE TROUBLES OF MR. AND McGINTY’'S JOKE BOOK. WIT AND HUMOR OF THE BENCH AND BAR. 48 pages. ‘WIDE-AWAKE SKETCHES. Illustrated. 80 pages. SOME SCREAMING YARNS. ROARING JOKES FOR FUNNY FOLKS. Illustrated. 64 pages. - *« JOLLY JOKES ; «THE BUTTON BURSTER; or, FUN ON THE RAMPAGE.” Illustrated. 64 pages 4 LAUGHING GAS; or, DRIVE DULL CARE AWAY. yaa 64 pages. PUT THROUGH; or, FREEMASONRY AND O EXPOSED. »By ‘‘ Bricxrop.” «FUN ON THE ROAD.” PRICE 12 CENTS EACH BY MAIL. POSTAGE STAMPS TAKEN. HUMOROUS PUBLICATIONS. THE CELEBRATED LAUGHING SERIES. = Aay of the above books sent by mail on receipt of 12 A CouLecTion OF JOLLY JOKES AND Fue MRS. BOWSER. Illustrated. 64 pages — Illustrated. 64 pages. ‘ Illustrated. 64 pages. FOR JOLLY PEOPLE.” Illustrated. 64 pages. FELLOWSHIE —” Tllustrated. 64 pages. ; in A Recorp or AMreRIcAN Wit AND Humor. 48 pages. BOUNCED; or, THe ADVENTURES OF AN UNLUCKY Man. Be Joun Carzoy. Illustrated. . Paper, 8vo. me THE QUIET YOUTH; on, Jusr Lixe Has UNCLE. By “ Brice- ome ror.” Illustrated. Paper, large 8vo. ») BEANWHACKER’S TROUBLE; orn, Nor a Brr ‘Lime F&F Uncie. A sequel to ‘‘Just Like His Uncle.” By Joan Carsoy. Illustrated. Paper, large 8vo. DEACON BOGGLES AND HIS LIVER PAD. By Waa ¢. Wanver. Illustrated. 64 pp., Paper, 8vo. ; This book is a humorous record of the Deacon's frantic struggles with tha, malignant enemy of the human race—the dreaded Liver Pap. THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS SHOWN UP. By “Brice Top.” Illustrated. Paper, 8vo. ‘Don’t make any mie take.” Tied JOINING THE GRANGERS; or, ExPERIENcE oF SASSAFRAS Dopverer. By the author of ‘*‘ My Mother-in-Law.” 64: — pp., fmo. oe DRY GOODS DRUMMER. By Tom Wonper. 8&8 pp., 16mo, This is one of the funniest of all the Laughing Series, and its glimpsesof the at a trials, scrapes, and troubles of a Drummer on his travels are precisety the 7 medicine to cure the blues and make the reader happy. TRIP OF THE 5 SARDINE CLUB. By “ Bricxtorp.” 96 PRs OF. 16mo. Profusely Illustrated by Thomas Worth. hee This book is full of fun and sentiment, giving personal observations and) c historical reminiscences of places on the Hudson between New York and Albany. fe a SCRAPES OF FARMER SKOOPENDYKE. Illustrated. rage es buys a Billy Goat. He Gives Widow Snugg a Sleigh-ride 4 His Experience with Dr. Bungle. Mrs. Maloney’s Goah, z etc., ete. Paper, 8vo. 80 pages. cents. Postage stamps taken.