Beadle's Half Dime Library (no. 1152) (1904 08)
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Copyricat, 1878, By BrapLe & Apams, No. 1152, Ned Hazel, The Boy Trapper; The Phantom Princess. BY CAPT. J. F. C. ADAMS, AUTHOR oF ‘OREGON SOL,” ‘‘ GLASS EYE,” ETC, Published Every Month. CHAPTER I. A ‘* CONDEMNED DIFFIKILTY.” ‘‘ Hern I am in a condemned diffikilty ag’in,” muttered Nick Whiffles, as he seated himself on a broad, flat rock, on the bank of the Elk river, far up in Oregon, close to the boundary line be- tween that then wild territory and British | America. The eccentric old ee had spent many years in roaming through the vast solitudes of the North-west, sometimes in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and some- times in the employ of the North-west Fur Company, but perhaps more frequently entirely alone. A manof his culiar temperament and astes was sure to be widely known, both at the far- scattered trading-posts and among the numerous trap- pers and huntérs that wan- dered through the vast wil- derness, which, at that com- paratively recent day, knew scarcely any thing of the ad- vantages of civilization. As was the invariable cus- tom of Nick, when in a quan- dary, he relieved himself by self-communing. “The Whiffles family was always noted for the wa aney. tal of getting into dif- fikilty. The first thing I re- —namber was getting spanked on account of some condemn- ed diffikilty that I had got into with my mother, and the next thing was the measles and peng me NP, ep and then when I got fairly over them and a dozen other disoases, our house took fire and burned down, and about the time the old gent got it rebuilt, it took fire and , to ed down ag’in. Wal, he didn’t say nothin’, but when the. cabin went the third time, he got mad and said that thing was getting rather monotonous, and he would ‘fles, Esq., it was Old Nick, so I ditin’t bequest at all, but then, as orerure else had been willed away already, I didn’t lose e Wi < ‘fll AER MARA it Ia cs ea ial a! ll tl! et! et i et a PTeeeE PRT ESS e ERS Ce eR USEC Cee CES C CCT Eee eee eee eee eee eee Pee eee eee eee eee eee ee eee ee ee eee ee eee ee eee -AVERS & CO., Publishers, (JAMES SULLIVAN, PROPRIETOR), 379 Pearl Street, New York. Mi, et the much after all. My older brother got the house, but, afore he could move into it, there came a bi freshet that carried it down-stream, and tha was the last of that. ‘‘There was no end to my diffikilties. When I got to be a young man, I spent a whole sum- mer’s earnings in buying a suit of clothes. I had got to be a little tender on a cross-eyed girl that lived about a half-mile off, and, as soon as I could stow myself away in my new suit, I started out to see her. She gave me a hint that she wa’n’t particklerly anxious, as; when I went to go in the house, she set her dog on me, and the very first dash he made, he ripped out the whole seat of my pants and run away with it, so that there was no chance of putting the miss- ing cloth back ag’in. ‘Wal, Nick Whiffles has seen a good deal in a NED Hazel, Yisk BOY TRAPPER, CNR a oop Ly a eae al ied = ‘. OF | Yb 44 50c, a year. fo the way of diffikilty since them days, but, some how or other, tie ood Lord has broths hia through all right, and, although I bear a goed many scars, I’m yet sound in limb and and able to eat my usual hunk of venison, folle# the trail of an inemy, or run my eye old Humbug here in a way that’ll make her bite when she barks; and for all this I’m thankful.” The old trapper was silent a few moments, as if in deep reverie. Near by, his horse, known aa Shagbark, was lazily cropping the grass in @ way that showed he was in no famishing condi tion, to say the least. At the feet of Nick Whiffles flowed the Elk river, que and unruffled by the slightest ri of wind, On the other side, and as far as eye could reach, stretched the Oregon wooda. ‘here were woods on every hand, and far off im the distance could be seen the white peaks of the Rocky Mountains, their tops covered with the snow of centuries. It was one vast solitude, such as it had stood at “ crea- pant adi v reine up- on the figure 6 ) as he half-sat and haltee. clined upon the stone, it would have been easy to imagine him some statue cut from the rock itself, re But, as Nie remarked, a 1e Opening of our story, he was yn a S scideroied 1- kilty ’— nothing very seri- ous, it is true, bat enough te cause him some annoyance, and to occasion him consid, ra communing with bim. self. Three days before, he had cronsed the une into British merica, and was naling his way toward the Sask chewan, when he turned out of his path, somewhat, te call at Fort Wilbur to see some of his old friends, when bs pea ae tates of the Oregon De t the Hudson Bay Com was expected in wi ben had meth gps into several com of the aces tae on hele way down the Elk river, for the al yg of : in the possession of a of Blackfeet; whose was on the northern bank of the stream. tra 4 E ie E ape cee ry TE geal
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he felt under a sort of 9 on to accept, end lie turned the head of his horse, Shagbark, toward the south, and, accompanied. by his sa- gacious dog, Calamity, made the best possible time for Elk river again, i The particular ‘‘ diffikilty” to which he re- ferred was this: His cabin was about twenty miles away from where we now find him, and there he had a young. protege of his—a bright- eyed boy known as Ned Hazel, a sort of waif of the woods, that had come into his hands, in a singular manner, a number of years before, when he was little more than a mere child. He had been left at the “ cottage,” with the under- standing that his adopted “ father” was not ex- pected to return under three weeks, aud now he was back again at the end of that number of days. He was anxious to take the little fellow on this short excursion, and had stopped at his house in the hope of finding him, but he was off ona hunt of his own, and Nick, not daring to wait, had hurried off for Elk river, where we now find him. ‘But where was the brigade?” Above him or below him? That was the question for him to decide, and having no data by which to make his calculation, he set it down as a ‘‘ condemned diffikilty.” He had sent Calamity a half-mile up the river to watch and to report to him the first appear- ance of the brigade, while he enjoyed the un- comfortable sensation of knowing that, as likely as not, the party for whom he was waitin might be drawing further away from him eac moment, “'There’s a company of them Nor’-westers somewhere in this neighborhood, and if they happen to run ag’in’ the brigade, there’ll be the condemnedest diffikilty ever heard tellon. Hel- lo! what’s up, Shagbark?’ His horse had suddenly ceased eating, and raising his head, with the grass unc ewed in his mouth, gave a whinny, clearly indicat- ing that some one or something was approach- * What is it?” asked Nick, instantly becoming all vigilance himself, The horse held his head motionless for a mo- ment, and then resumed his cropping the grass as unconsciously as before. Nick les smiled. “That means it’s Calamity coming. You critters understand each other about as well as I understand you both.” The words were yet in his mouth, when the huge dog that had been the companion of Whif- fles in so many exciting incidents of his life burst through the undergrowth and signified his e by whining, wagging, and licking the d of his master. The latter patted his head with no less delight. “What is it, Calamity, for I know by your ways that there’s something coming down the river? Is it the brigade or some other sort of animile?”’ How, or by what means, Nick got at the meaning of the dog, it would be impossible for us, an J: outsider,” to say, but it required only a few moments for him to learn that it was not be brigade, but a single canoe descending the ver. “That much being sartin,” said Nick, “the diffikilty is as to who handles the dle; like enough some murderous Blackfoot; but,” he added, with some hesitation, as he narrowl scrutinized the actions of his dog, ‘‘ the animile don’t actin that way. He seems to have a bet- ter opinion of the chap than me.” As it was impossible to gather the full mean- ing of Calamity, Nick could only cast his eye up = river, and wait for the mystery to solve it- self, He was not left long in waiting. Around the curve in the river, just above him, a small cance suddenly shot to view, in which was seated a small boy, as a hunter, and using the By Sg paddle with no slight skill. e eyes of Nick Whiffies sparkled as he re- the lad, and he rose and waved his hand as a signal. ‘Bless the soul of little Ned; his own father couldn’t love him any more than I do.” The water splashed and flashed in the sun- light, as the lad sent his little boat skimming ever the surface of the water. A few moments oe were needed for the prow of the canoe to the gravel at the feet of the hunter, who advanced to the water’s edge to greet his “Give me oe epetiand Ae Cell me whether you have f i ” “Notting, uncle Niak.” — we're in a ed diflicilty. Amaginasy- Suddenly he turned to Ne Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. . CHAPTER II. THE HUDSON BAY MEN. AN observer would not have failed to be struck with the contrast of appearance between Nick Whiffies and the boy with whom he was conversing. The hunter was bronzed, scarred and tough- ened by the torrid heat of summer and the Arc- tic coldness of the tempésts that during the win- ter months sweep over the plains and'mountains of the North-west. His face was shaggy with its untrimmed grizzled beard, and his hair, that escaped from beneath his coon-skin cap, was sil- vered by the same hand that spares none of us. There was immense strength in those long, mus- cular limbs, and although Nick generally moved with a slow, shuffling gait, he was capable of astonishing quickness and celerity of movement when necessary. Ned Hazel, as he was called, was about fifteen years of age, rather slight for that number of years, with eyes as bright, and cheeks as deli- cately ruddy, as if he had been born and reared in the palace of some noble in sunny France. His movements were all grace, and under- neath the delicacy of feature and color was the d basis of rugged health that had already triumphed over obstacles under which many a man would have succumbed. -There was no doubting that the deep affection of Nick Whif- fles was fully reciprocated by Ned, whose lus- trous eyes glowed with a bright light when he looked the grizzled old hunter in the face. The boy began frolicking with the dog, while Nick turned his eyes up-stream, with an anxious expression of countenance that showed that his mental ‘‘ diffikilty ” was far from peine purely “Were you looking for me, lad?’ ‘That was what brought me here.” ‘¢ And what reason had you to think me here, when you see’d me start for Fort Wilbur?” sa Poem Nick,” replied Ned, pausing in his gambols with Calamity, ‘“‘ you hadn’t been gone a half-day when I happened to think it was just the time last year when you went down the river with the brigade, and I knew you ex- pected to do the same this spring; so I was sure Ase had forgot it. But you was so far away hat there was no use in my trying to overtake ou, and I gene perhaps ee wouid think of it and come back yourself. Sure enough, when Tcame back, I found signs in the cabin that told me you had been there. I understood what it meant, so I made for the river, and jumping in- to the canoe, here Iam—” CHT only knowed— Hark!” suddenly ex- claimed Whiffles, his face lighting up, while he assumed an attitude of attention, ‘Did you hear nothing then, yonker?” Yes; it is the brigade,” replied Ned, also in- tently listening. ‘Yes; it’s the brigade,” he quickly added; “just hear them!” Through the quiet air, mellowed and softened by the intervening distance, came the sound of male voices atneiag. in time with the regular sweep of their paddies. There was a profundit. of tone, and an impressive melody in the blend- ing of the score and more of voices that struck the ears of both Nick and the boy. ‘*T’ve heard that same thing many a time be- fore,” muttered the hunter, more to himself than to his companion, “‘ and it allers sakes me feel dll-overish. Three years ago, when I was on the Saskatchewan, I was asleep one night, in my canoe, when I awoke and heard the brigade | about a mile up tho river, where they were en- | camped, sing. [ listened awhile till they started | off on the identical bymn that I used to hear | sung when I was a boy. Wal, ’fore I knowed it, the tears were running down my cheeks, and I was in the little village church at home, with my old gray-haired mother and father, the choir singing that same hymn. “ Wal, wal, what’s the use?” He drew his hand across his eyes, as though some mist obscured his vision, and, with a great sigh, turned his. back upon the past and looked up the river—into the future. Two large boats, or canoes, a moment later, glided to view, the melody swelling out with a full volume, as it was free from all intervenin, obstruction, and floated over the smooth face o path canoe was capable of holding twenty- five or thirty men, pur at present sere were ite tle over twenty in the entire . They were furs and peltries, and took with them a working crew and nv more. A few moments after they = age abs Nick Whiffles ste: to the edge of the stream and motioned his hand for them to s He was recognized at once, and a ———— roach. canoes 7 instantly headed toward shore. The inmates showed no intentien of landing, but the foremost rounded to for him and Ned to step aboard. | ‘‘We yield you the place of honor,” said # round-faced, Scotch-looking Spe arse whom Dick recognized as William Mackintosh, a lead- ing man in the employ of the Hudson Bay Com-~- pany. ‘There is room for your boy and your dog. I don’t suppose you want to take your horse along?’ “No: I will leave Shagbark here.” ‘Suppose he wanders away?” “* Te Poke better than to go very far; and he and Calamity understand each other so well that they're sure to find each other out. Come, dog, in with you, and lad, do you foller.” Calamity sprung lightly into the front of the canoe, while the boy leaped, as ee as & fawn, after him. Then the old hunter followed, with more deliberation and dignity. As he glanced over the crews, he identified quite a number, and nodded good-naturedly to them, But no other salutation passed. between them, they attending strictly to business, leaving their director, Mr. kintosh, to play the part of host. The latter chatted pleasantly with Nick, but all the time he nervously scanned. the lad, who sat playing with the dog, and occasionally glanc- ing at the shore as they glided by. “Nick,” said Mr. Mackintosh, after a while, “JT had heard that you had a boy, but I never “. him before. He doesn’t resemble you a it.” “ And why should he?” ““T believe you can always detect a likeness between father and son, and I’ve been studying for the last ten minutes to see where it is be- tween you and him, but it isn’t there at all.” “T never was married, and consequently E never had a son. He is no more a relation of mine than you are.” ‘¢ Ah! who is he?” ‘* Ned Hazel.” ‘‘T know, but where did’ he come from, and how is it that he is in this part of the world?’ Nick seemed on the point of replying to this qmestion in full, when he suddenly checked him- se “Tf it’s all the same to you, Mr. Mackintosh, we won't talk about that thing. You under- stand?” The Scotchman did understand, and showed his good breeding by skillfully turning the con- versation upon business matters, ‘* We shan’t make the Indian village to-night, I'm afraid, Nick?’ The hunter turned his head, and scrutinized the shore, a moment, so as to make sure of his location before answering. ‘*No; but there is going to be a full moon, and ou can goa good distance; you orter try and it it near daylight.” ‘Can we do it by rowing an hour or two this evening?” ‘* Yes; powerful easy.” ‘‘Then it shall be done; we can make a good dozen iniles before night,” “Yes; as we've got the current with us.” “You haven’t seen any of the Nor’-westers, have you?” ‘* Not lately; but there’s a party of ’em some- awhar in the country. I’ve run ag’in’ signs of ’em, and then I’ve heard of ’em through some of the red-skins.” ‘*T hope they won’t get down to the Black- foot village ahead of us, for we count on mak-~ ing a good haul there.” “*T don’t think there’s any likelihood of that but some of them chaps ar’ as cunnin’ as foxes.” ‘*T hope, too, that our party will not encoun- ter. them.” As Mackintosh added these words, it waa with a seriousness which showed that he was earnest in the wish which he had expressed. CHAPTER III. THE PHANTOM PRINCESS. Just as the shades of night hoa settling over Elk river and the adjoining wilderness, the brigade (as it was improperly termed) turned the heads of their canoes toward shore, and landed at a point where there was a sort of natural clearing in front of a dense wood. Here the fine discipline of the party was made manifest. A certain nuniber at once busied themselves in gathering wood for fuel, others brougbt forth the provisions, which they always carried with erin while every one seemed to have some particular duty to ophacne baer Bee: understand what it was Without any di on from the leader of the ‘ The Hudson Bay Company, although trading. Indians, stil its agents, with friendly gee
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: ed out on my back in the woods, looking within their ‘territory. When they penetrated into the oregon department, they —. went prepared for any emergency, and the cau- tion that distinguished all their movements showed that og were not without apprehen- sions regarding their safety. Two of their members, therefore, took upon themselves to act the part of scouts, while Nick Whifiles, for the satisfaction of himself and Mackintosh, started out to reconnoiter the country that immediately surrounded them, He went entirely alone—that is, with no com- panion except his inseparable friend Calamity. Mackintosh waited until certain that the trap- r was fairly out of the camp, aud then, while his men were busy at their respective duties, he turned to the lad and invited him to seat him- self upon the blanket at his side. The boy obeyed cheerfully, but showed in his manner that he had some curiosity to know what it all meant. The Scotchman had made up his mind to doa thing about which he had some compunctions of conscience, that is, he intended to question the se without the knowledge of Nick Whiffles. t the same time, he wished to do nothing ip itself wrong. Doubtful whether the lad knew the. precise nature of the relationship existing between him and the eccentric trapper, he de- termined carefully to avoid enlightening him in that respect. 1 Speaking in the most matter ho said: “Your name is Ned, I believe?” ‘Yes; Ned Hazel,” “Not Ned Whiffles, eh?” Fee no; Nick is not my father; only my un- e. That point settled, the interlocutor felt the ‘way more clear. “How do — like this sort of life?” “Very well.” The manner in which this reply was made proved that the lad, to say the least, was not perfectly satisfied. : “This out-door rugged life is certainly very healthy. I presume you do not know of sucha think as sickness by experience?” “No, sir,” was the respectful reply. ‘You talk like a boy of some education. Do you know how to ji ‘Oh! yes; Nick can read a little, and he brought me some books from the forts that I have studied; but then, I don’t know much,” naively added Ned, with a smile. ‘* You are about fifteen years of age, I should judge. “That's it, exactly.” ‘4 boy who has spent all his life in the woods isn’t apt to acquire as much as you have done.” This was a feeler thrown out with an object, and it accomplished its purpose. “But I haven’t always lived in the woods.” ‘¢ Ah! how is that?’ : “Didn’t Ned tell you that he found me ina canoe, drifting down the river, and he picked me up, and hunted a week for my owners, and never learned a thing about me? Tf he didn’t tell you, that’s the way it was. He ook me to his cabin, and I’ve lived with him” 7er since, until we love each other just as thou, 1 he were really my father.” e. y, you have ae a romantic history,” said Mackintosh, ski osity from the youth. ‘Do you recollect that trip down the river at such an early age?” “**Gometimes I think I can, but I ain’t sure. I was very young then, and dressed in baby- clothes.’ ‘“ What became of those clothes?” “All lost, I suppose, long ago, as I’ve never seen them.’ ‘‘ They ought to have been kept, as they might have afforded some clew to your identity in after years.” “Neither Nick nor I care about learning any- thing more about me.” x you have any recollection of anything that happened before Nick found you? You know that persons can sometimes remem things far back in their childhood.” The boy was silent a moment before answer- -fuet manner, ing. % Sometimes I remember a little—only a lit- e.” “Let me ask you to describe your remem- ces?” : “It’s hard to do; they come to me in dreams sometimes. Then, when I hear men singing away om, it reminds me of pupeching = have heard very much like it, away back, when I was very small; and then sometimes, when I am stretch- up fully concealing his curi- | Ned Hazel, The Boy Trap had occasional difficulty with some of the tribes | through the trees at the clouds, I camrrem that 1 once have seen tall houses, standing close together, and a great many peopls walking be- fore them—” ** That: shows you have been in a city,” inter- rupted the Scotchman. ‘ There be some pictures of such places in m books, and I know [ve seen them somewhere,’ ‘*Can you remember any figures or faces?” ‘*T can-remember a woman’s face that used to bend over me.” ‘* How did it look?’ ‘Oh! so beautiful! like an angel's.” **' You can’t describe it?” *““No one could—sometimes I think it must have been the Phantom Princess.” “The Phantom Princess!” repeated Mackin- tosh, in amazement, ‘ What do you mean by that? Whois she?” “*Haven’t you heard of her? But here comes er he'll tell you all about her, for he knows er. The Scotehman started, and hastily said, in an undertone: ““Oblige me by saying nothing to Nick about the questions I have asked you, and leave me to find out for myself all about the Phantom Prin- cess. Ned looked somewhat surprised, at this re- quest, but he nodded, as he rose to his feet, to — y that the request should be respected. Vick Whiffles seemed entirely unsuspicious of the interview, and came up in his usual cheery humor. ‘Me and Calamity have made a sarcuit,” said he, ‘‘and we can’t find any sign of a red-skin near. I’m glad your feed is ready, for I’m as hungry as my grandfather was in England, when he chawed up the Prince of Whales, and chased his father into his palace. The Whiffles famiiy was always noted for their eatin’ rclivities; my grandmother used to amuse herself by: settin’ on the scales and eatin’ b’iled chickens till their heads that were chopped off would outbalance her, and then she throwed away the bones, so that they didn’t count.” ‘You are no great eater yourself, Nick?’ “Oh! mighty! no!” sighed the trapper; ‘‘I was such a small eater that [ was considered a disgrace to the family, and was turned out on that account, My grandfather fit in the Revo- lutionary War, and when he retired on a pen- sion, he got five hundred a year, which he laid out one month in Bologna sausages and salt mackerel, and then bein’ as he hadn’t any more to live on, he pined away and died, afore he could get his pension increased.” The supper being ready, the trappers gathered, in several groups, and sitting down tailor-fash- ion, fell to with the vim and vigor of men who were in the enjoyment of perfect health and di- gestion. Nick Whiffles, Ned, and Mackintosh ate ina group by themselves, while all were so occupied with their empléyment that scarcely a word ew 9 set except in the way of request for 00 ; It was a singular scene. The somber forests in the back-ground, the broad, smooth-flowing river throwing back the yellow light of the im- mense, roaring camp-fire, and two large canoes resting against the aati and the figures of the men engaged in eating. _ The warm light of the blazing fagots was scarcely needed, as the full moon was now sail- ing above in an unclouded sky, and the view up and down Elk river was quite extended. : A full half-hour was occupied in the supper, at the termination of which the pipes were pro- duced. With scarcely an exception, the mouths of the trappers began issuing such volumes of smoke as to make it seem that the entire party were wrapped in a misty cloud. ne ae Mackintosh produced a case of cigars, inviting Nick to join him, but the hunter declined. “Tt ain’t often I smoke, but when I do, I don’t care about chawing terbacker at the same time. “ And I never smoked or chewed at: all,” added Ned, whereupon the Scotchman replaced ee with a word of commendation for the ad. With the taking of their pipes by the tra pers, their tongues seemed y be unloosened; and a perfect Babel of talk and chatter raged foratime. There was a fine flow of animal spirits upon the and joke enliven camp-fire. These were hardy men, toughened by the terrible winters of the North-west, by the tem- pestuous violence of the regions of the Saskat- chewan and Mackenzie. They had tramped on snow-shoes along the coasts of Ungava and rt of all, and many a jest the intercourse around the er, 8 James’s bays, and over rivers where’a dozen feet of solid ice intervened between them and the crystal waters beneath. This was a sort of holiday to them. The un- usually severe-winter had ended and the spring had fairly set in. The ice had left the streams, and the deep blue of the ake indicated the ap- proach of mild weather. ere was a crisp coldness of the air, especially in the morning and evening, which made the warmth of camp- fire and blanket very agreeable. But the weather was just the thing for active exertion and exercise, and it would not have been changed by any member of the party, had he been given the power to do so. During the cold months that had just ended, the agents of the great fur companies of the North-west had been busy catching numerous fur-bearing animals of that territory. With the opening of spring, these were being gather- ed in, while others were making a tour amon the Indians further south, to purchase all tha could be procured of them, An hour’s rest, and the signal was given to start again. Only a few minutes were required for every thing to be placed in the canoes, when they shoved out intg stream, As before, the canoe of Mackintosh took the lead, Nick Whiffles sit- ting in the front, the Scotchman next, while Ned and Calamity took positions in the rear of them. The long, sweeping pacenes were dipped dee in the water, and the boats glided forward with that easy, swift motion which is seen when a vessel is under control of skillful oarsmen, The round, full moon, shining in an uncloud- ed sky, was directly overhead, so that the som- ber forests threw only a narrow strip of shadow along the shore, The men did not sing, as was their usual cus- tom when sweeping along in this manner, but their pull was steady and uniform as though they were keeping time with the motion of some “ director” elevated above their heads. The consciousness that they were in a terri- tory with an air of hostility about it, was the cause of this, When theré was no certainty but what the crack of a hostile rifle might be heard at any moment, there was no disposition on the part of the men to make their location known to any lurking foe. I seemed impressed with the solemnity of the scene, and Nick Whifiles and Mackintosh conversed only at intervals, and then in tones so low that no one else comprehended the words uttered, Even Ned, with his arm thrown affec- tionately over’ Calamity, appeared lost in medi- tation. Perhaps the strange questioning of the Scotchman had again called up those shado imaginings of which he had spoken; perhaps h mind was running back to that vague period that preceded his falling into his hands; and he saw once more the tall houses, and the beauti- ful face bending over him, as he saw them in dreams and reveries, when alone upon his couch, or in the vast wilderness that had so long been his home. Several miles were ie ye in this manner, and the surface of the Elk river was as smooth as a inirror, except where the swift-cutting canoes and the long, sweeping paddles rippled the water. Suddenly Nick Whiffles felt some one grs.39 his arm, and turning, he encountered the face of Mackintosh, who, posing ahead and down-stream, said, m an agitated whisper: “Took yonder! What is that?” Looking in the direction indicated, Nick saw what, without any effort of the imagination, might be termed a “ spirit canoe.” Several hundred yards ahead was a small In- dian canoe, in which was seated the fi ofa woman apparently motionless, The t and its occupant were both of a snowy-white color, and seemed to have risen from the bed of the river. The crews of the two large boats had discern- ed it at the same moment, and, by one impulse, all stopped rowing, while they gazed in breath- less amazement upon the scene. What could it mean? Was it a warning from the spirit world? Was it a human being? Had one or even two of these trappers, with- out any other companions, seen this vision, they would have fled in superstitious terror, as. if from the presence of the Evil One himself; but with ascore of hardy, brave men, they felt too ee much courage to in fear, although every member of the party was imp with a strange, chilling sensation at the singular it. The tact that ever living member of tater pany saw it distinctly unmistakably, pre- vented anything like ridicule or jesting. _
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“Fave you ever seen it before?” asked Mack- intech. Yes,” repliadiNick, gazing steadfastly xt it. What is it?” “ The Phantom Princess !” “What's that? I never heard of it until to- ” a: You know what tho critter is, then, as well as I do.” ‘* Fave you ever spoken to it?” ‘‘Yes—but if never answered; I’ve see’d it, put T nover could get any nearer than we are Rooy. “There 18 a mystery about it, certainly,” added Mackintosh, as if a ava be? himself, and then turning about so as to face his men, he spcko ina c’.eery voice: ‘Wall to, boys; if you can overtake that crea- tare I'll divide fifty pounds between you, when wo get back to the fort.” The courageous words of their leader acted like magnetism upon the trappers; their paddles were dipped by one impulse, and the two heavy canoes sped forward as if rowed by the great crew of the Tyne. Mackintosh leaned forward and peered at the white canoe and its ghostly occupant. “Do you think we can catcii her?’ he asked, in a whisper, of Nick. ‘*WNo,” was the reply; “ there ain’t a human livin’ that can do it.’ **¥7e can try it, at ae ~ “S’pose you do; if you go to put your arms = Nalgg she’d go up in the air, and that would be the last of her,” “‘T am not as superstitious as you, Nick; I think she is real life and blood, and we are going tJ unravel a curious mystery.” At the end of ten minutes, it was plain that the ‘‘ Phantom Princess” was as far away as when first discovered. Mackintosh spoke sharply to his men, and they bent every energy to the work; the water foamed at the prows, and the woods glided rapidly back, like the figures in a panorama. The trappers were toiling as they had never toiled before. What boat could keep peace with them?” ‘* Woe must overhaul her, Nick!” he added, peering forward again; “we aro gaining; I am sure of it— What!” ‘* What did I tell you?” The white canoe and the Phantom Princess had vanished, CHAPTER IV. THE NIGHT SPY. Ay! while Mackintosh and Nick Whiffles, and the men who were constantly glancing over their shoulders, were gazing. ot the mysterious eanoe and its occupant, it had disappeared as a flash of sunlight 1s sometimes obscured by the pasting shadow, The Scotchman rubbed bis eyes and looked again, **Tt is gono, sure enough!” he muttered, as he sat down, disappointed, chagrined and the least bit frightened; “what has become of it, Nick?’ “T ain't acquainted with the kind of animiles called spirits,” was the prompt reply. ‘I’ve tried chasing her afore, but what’s the use?” ‘*T gin’t prepared to believe in ghosts and uch nonsense,” was the stubborn reply. “For all that female has got out of the way im a style which 1 don’t exactly understand, I am satisfied tat she is real flesh and blood, and like enough some outlandish contrivance of the very Indians we are going to visit.” The men had been quick to detect the faux pas, and were now pulling with a steady, s'ow stroke, as if they were wearied with their exer- tion, Maekintosh permitted them to do this for sometime longer in the hope of seeing the Phan- tom Prineevss again; but, satisfied that her dis- appearance was for that night at least, he gave ts orders to stop for the night. Once more the peowe were turned in shore, and the crew landed. The prows of the boats Were pulled up the bank, the blankets taken out, and two huge fires kindled. Around tl:ese stratched the score or 30 of men, their feet fto- ward the fire, and their heads outward, Ina tev moments, the only ones who were awake were the two acting as senti and whose du- ty it was to keep the camp-fire burning brightly. As was his invariable cus when the two wore traveling ther, Nick Whiffles and Ned Hazel were enfolded in the same blanket. With their bodies so close that the warmth was mutu- ai and reciprocal, the two passed off into sweot aad refr slumber. Tt was a strange and powestol Se of love that wnited the grizzled old trap and the fair- beired, ruddy-cheeked boy, w face and ap- pearance proved him to be of no mean birth. Beadle’ Shee al The unraveling of the mystery of the Phan- | tom Princess, demands at this pomt that anoth- | er porsonage shouldireceive more particular no- tice. That personage is one of the men who is now acting as sentinel over the sleeping trappers. } his name is Hugh Bandman, an Englishman by birth, who has been in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company for something over ten years. He is pleasing in appearance, of rather a sad countenance; but there is none who stands higher for honesty, modest daring, and perfect trustworthiness in every respect. He was si- lent and rather uncommunicative, except now | and then, but he was held in the highest respect by his associates. There was something con- | nected with his early history, before he left En- | land, known only to Mackintosh, which doubt- - threw a shadow over his whole life, and had | much to do with his burying himself from the | civilized world in the wilds of British America. He was in the boat containing the director of the brigade, and none rowed harder than he for the purpose of be froma the Phantom Prin- cess. It had been noticed by all those who were acquainted with him, that he always showed a | peculiar zest in engaging in ay. enterprise or adventure that seemed to offer anger or curi- ous experience, To-night he was more moody than common. With his gun upon his shoulder, in “the usual manner as a sentinel, he paced back and forth, looking down the river, as if in quest of the phantom that had caused him and his compan- ions such wonderment an hour before. After gathering enough wood to keep the camp-fires burning for some time to come, he said to his companion: * You can keep watch a half-hour or more while I am gone?’ His friend nodded to signify his willingness and he at once moved away from the camp and disappeared in the gloomy depths of the sur- rounding woods, In a brief time Hugh Bandman was making his way along the shore of Elk river, moving with the stealth of a Blackfoot Indian upon the trail of a foe. So silently indeed did he ad- vance that he might have passed within an arm’s length of the listening red-skins without his Sa rei being discovered, © did not pause until he reached a point about a quarter of a mile below the camp. Here the dense undergrowth ceme down to the very edge of the stream, and offered a most se- cure hiding-place even at noonday. Secreting imself in this cover, he prepared to watch the surface of the river, flowing so calmly beneath the radiance of the moon. **T wonder if I am to see her again,” he mut- tered, as he seated himself. “I thought I caught a glimpse of the boat awhile ago.” Looking to the right and left his view was uite extended up and down the river, but his sight failed to reveal anything, and he drew a deep sigh of Sisappaby tacnt, “T can’t stay here long. I would not have Mackintosh wake up and find me gone for all the world. He would be sure to suspect some- | thing.” Hark! his strained ear caught the sound of soinething like a faint ripple. ‘That was a paddle, or an animal stepping into the water!” he whispered, as he teatiait for- ward and looked up affd down the river. Gliding close along the inner shore, so as to be enfolded in the thin ribbon of shadow, he dis- cerned the ghostly canoe and occupant, It was moving slowly along, as though carried by the current alone, and, as he looked, he saw the same spivit-like figure of a female sitting in the stern, and a second form in the prow, “There are two of them,” be thought, as he cone breathlessly at the sight; “‘ we did not see he:n both before.” Still intently watching them, he saw that the figure in the forward part of the boat was much smaller and lighter than the other. ‘‘Mother and daughter!” was the thought that instantly flashed into the mind of Band- man, as he fairly devoured them with his eyes. A supernatural air was attaching to this curi- ous scene hard to shake off; but the trapper was a practical man, and he would not believe that ae not material flesh and blood he saw before “Tf they would only move or speak!” he mur- mured, seeking to shake off the oppressiveness that rested upon him. : They did not speak, but a movement was made, She who sat in the stern di a pad- dle into the water, and the same soft, rippli sound came to the ear of the trapper agai ‘She's is a human being,” he concluded, with / They Blackfoot village, and. were certain o ere) a sigh of satisfaction. ‘‘ What will she de if} hail her?” He was on the point of calling to her mage than once, but restrained himseif, from a con viction that the canoe and its occupants would vanish from sight as suddenly as it did when under the scrutiny of Mackintosh and Nick Whiffles, So he stood still, watching, listening and wondering. He was in hopes that the boat would shoot out from the shadow, where he could gain a better view of it, but it remained where it was, but floating downward, unti} Hugh saw that he must move with it, if he ex: | pected to keep it under surveillance any longer. He step carefully back, out of view of the river, and stealthily made his way a rod or twa further down-stream, In his haste, he was con scious of making a light noise, but not enough, as he believed, to disturb any one. But when he reached the stream, and looked expectantly out upon the water, the boat was zone! . Up, down, across, everywhere he looked, but it had indeed gone, and was to be seen nowhere, * There is something supernatural in this!” he exclaimed, as he turned about and made his way back to the camp-fire, returning, as he had pro- mised, within a half-hour of the time of his de- parture, But no word escaped the lips of Hugh Bang- | man of what he had seen that night. —_—_. CHAPTER V. KNIVES AND SKINS, NATURALLY, the trappers, upon awakening the next morning, foot fronky’ ciscneeed their singular experience of the preceding night. The majority agreed that it was some In contrivance, although of what character, or what its purport was, no one undertook to con: jecture even. Nick -Whiffles was thoughtful and reserved. He seemed like another person, devoid of hia eccentric humor and geniality of spirits, Whon he was appealed to, he refused to make an satisfactory answer, and appeared unwilling te hold any conversation docatting it. Mackintosh was the only one who seemed un. affected by the occurrence. He laughed and chatted with all, and when one or two ventured | to rally him upon his disappointment, he re- plied: “The thing ain’t ended yet; I’m bound to get at the bottom of that mystery.” Again the two canoes put out in the river, and the long paddles of the trappers swept the boat forward with the same power and grace, but they still refrained from breaking out into their usual chorus and song. were now within the vicinity of the coming upon Indians in a very short time, Mackintosh and Nick Whiffles were convers- ing together about ‘‘ business,” when their canoe turned an mg bend in the stream, and they saw the town they were seeking, within a stone’s throw. A clearing, of several acres’ extent, came down to the river, and on every other side were the dense, “continuous woods” of Oregon. Very nearly in the center of the clearing, and a hundred yards back from the stream stood about twenty lodges, made of bark and skins, and of a character that showed they had been built with the purpose of withstanding tie rigor of the winters in these latitudes, e prow of the canoe had scarcely turned the bend, when ‘such a Babel of shouts and hal- loas filled the air, that the trappers apes rowing, and Mackintosh looked to Nick WwW for advice. The old hunter smiled, ‘That's the way the critters say how do yow ‘¢ What shall we do? Go. ahead?” “ Wait a minute.” With which he rose in the canoe so asto make himself visible, and then swinging his coon-skin cap over his head, called out to them in the Blackfoot tongue, that they were friends who had come to barter with them. : spoke, and an 5 Nick was recognized before he instant hush fell upon all, so that his words were easily understood; one of their number called back that they were ready to trade, and invited them to come ashore. ries lained what was said to Mackintosh, an 7 ‘Put me ashore, but don’t any of you folka land, I know these chaps and I’m afraid you'll git in trouble.” _ “But, suppose they offer you violence, do yeu
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Ned Hazel, The Bo A A ERENT ESET we are going to sit still and permit “Tl take care of myself. Ned, stay where you are; Calamity, come with me!” As the prow of the canoe touchod the land, Nick and his dog stepped ashore, the former turning around and adding a word: “Keep your men together; don’t let one of them land.” Mackintosh nodded his head to signify that he understood, and the old trapper moved away in the direction of the village. may be supposed, his movements were watched with the most acute interest by his friends, who were ee pawcue painful misgiy- ings, as they saw the Blackfoot men, women, and children close around him, ere he had ad- vanced half-way across the opening clearing, ** How easy they could hew him to pieces ere he could prevent it,” thought Mackintosh, who was painfully excited. But, Nick Whiffles was the picture of the cool- ness of self-possession. With his face cut across by his huge grin, he greeted tho Indians, calling several by name, with a readiness which show- ed, indeed, that they were old acquaintances. Calamity was not so well pleased. When he saw the red-skins swarm about his master, he growled and showed his teeth, and one hailf- - i warrior, paying no attention to him, sud- enly felt his teeth nip his coppery calves. With a yell of pain, the savage made a jump up in air, as though he had suddenly stepped upon something hot, and drew his tomahawk upon ee Dee d Nick, 1 his h h “Don’t!” sai ick, laying his hand upon his arm; ‘the pup has atreedy] been skulped a half- dozen times; and I don’t think you can gain much there; besides, the man that runs ag’in’ the pup runs ag’in’ me.” ere was a smile upon the face of the trap- per Be be eerie Pet Saige Ee there was 0 a dangerous ¢ ° sharp gray eyes. Several were laughing at the discomfiture of the young warrior, and he slunk away and mingled with the others. About this time, a number of dogs became aware of the presence of another of their own ies, and they came bristling upon the scene. There were a half-dozen of them, and they came growling around the stranger in a most threat- ening manner. Calamity treated them all with dignified indif- ference, and all took the hint except one mon- grel cur that would not be put off. After sev- = ‘ah act he finally few, with open mouth, a ; Ere hisown mouth could close, the massive jaws of Calamity snapped shut, with the throat of the presumptuous canine between them. When ty loosened them, his victim drop- ped as lifeless as a stick to the J persgge Nick had managed to see this, and he re- marked, as he turned his head: “Since Calamity has saluted that animile, I don’t think, considerin’ him as a dog, he’s of wmuch account. When you get through with ‘em, Calamity, set ’em down soothin’-like, jist as a cat doos her kitten.” The other curs did not seem particularly anx~ ious to be “‘ soothed” in this manner, and they took good care to give their ferocious visitor a wide berth. Nick mana: the negotiations with the skill of a Bismarck. He had learned from Mackin- tosh what he had to offer in the way of barter, and he wes not long in ang out that the peeetos had a most valuable lot of beaver- pktilis, which they were saving up inanticipation of a visit from the agents of the North-west Fur Company, but which they were very ready to exchange with the party that would give them the best bargain. They wanted knives, ammunition, blankets, and ornanients, and these were just what the trappers had brought with them. en informed of this they scattered to bring forth their pelts. Piles of furs and skins were fetched from the different lodges, and then car- ried down to the river-bank, where they were thrown into a large heap, and the owners wait- ed for the “ barter” to open. This wes speedily done, Nick still acting as negotiator. Glittering knives and gaudy fritkets were handed over to him, and he passed them to Wae Blackfeet, receiving their furs in re- turn The negotiations progressed very satisfac torily and with considerable expedition. The Blackfeet had been in this kind of business be- fore, and they knew very well the price that the trappers would pay for their furs; so there was little haggling to check the bartering. The two canoes were ranged alouyside the ! bank cnd the furs were passed to the men, who ay placed them.in position, At the end of a coup were ail completed. ‘The entire pile of peltries was transferred to and distributed between the two canocs, Indian men, women and children were dancing with delight, and even the dogs seemed to share in the general exultation. Occupied thus in frolicking over their new pos- sessions, they did not think much of opening ae tilities with the trappers, It would have been in Keopings with the treacherous character of the Blackfeet to have attacked these men and robbed them of the goods they had just sold. Had they been sure of success, this is just what they would have done. But there was that in the appearance of these same iiudson Bay trappers which satisfied the y ‘Trapper. . le of hours the bargains | | conclusion to unravel the mystery re red-skins that there might be a slight unpleas- | antness, and very possibly a disappointment in undertaking such a thing. Understanding what was passing through the minds of these dusky scoundrels, the whites con- ducted themselves accordingly. Their rifles and side-arins were displayed, and possibly the men put on a fiercer expression than usual. His work done, Nick Whifiles very quietly stepped into the boat, Calamity whisking after him. At the same instant the paddles dipped into the water, the canoes instantly made a gap between them and the shore, and then, rounding in the river, started up-stream. The Indians still danced with a “wild de- light;” Nick Whiffles stood in the boat smiling and waving his hand, like a father uttering a blessing on the heads of his frolicksome children. The he es? rowed with their werful stroke, and a few minutes Jater the Blackfoot village and its boisterous natives were shut from view, ' CHAPTER VI. ‘WILL YOU DO IT?” A FEELING of relief came over the ag bo as they felt thay were out of sight of the dan- gerous Blackfeet, and that every minute was taking them further away. As the distance increased, the low hum of a song began to be heard among them. It rapid- ly grew louder, until it swelled out into the same deep, musical melody that these men have so often awakened among the mountains of the North-west. There were voices rich in music among these trappers, and scarcely anythi more charming could be imagined than to stan on a mountain several miles distant, and hear the song borne to you on the still air. Nick Whiffles had stated to Mackintosh that the Indians were expecting the appearance of the North-west crew, so there was reason to fear that they were somewhere in the neighborhood, and a collision was sible. Indeed, it seemed more likely than not that the two parties would meet, as the other brigade would be certain to descend the Elk in ting the Blackfeet, Mackintosh and his men had several days’ paddling to do before they could reach a point where they could leave the Elk, and thus get off the road of their rivals, who, finding that they had been outwitted, would be very apt to make some dangerous manifestations. The air was clear and bracing, and the two large canoes continued their swift course up the river with no interruption at all, until the usual time for halting, when the moon was directly ONick Whiffles having pert ngage Nick Whiffles havin ormed his e ment for Mackintosh” received a very liberal fee from him, and understood that he was at liberty to depart whenever he chose; but, as they were carrying him toward the lonely spot in the wilderness where his cabin stood, he pre- ferred to remain with them through the greater part of this day, at least. When at noon the boats turned toward the shoie, they had put a good number of miles be- tween them and the Blackfoot village, so that they. gave no further thought regarding it. before, they were surrounded Mf dense woods, and several of the men, upon landing. instantly plunged into the forest in quest of game. hile the others were occupied in their various duties, Mackintosh requested Bandman to walk aside with him, The two moved silently away among the trees, until they were beyond sight and hearing of their friends, when they seated themselves upon a mound of earth, and the Scotchman first spoke. Pe Hugh,” said he, in a low, confidential tone, “T have rather a curious proposition to make to you.” | never has been the firs | and you have never been known to fail in any- ; thing ‘“‘Tam ready to hear it,” replied the trapper’, in a serious voice. “To come to the point, I have come pe rdin this Phantom Princess, as she is called, and have flxed upon you as my agent.” ‘Why have you selected me?” . “for several reasons. One is that I know you better than I do the rest, and my knowl- edge of you is such as to give me the fullest faith in you. I can say that, during the long service that you have given the company, there complaint against you, ou undertook.” , Bandman bowed his head to signify that he appreciated the compliment. Indeed, there was a certain dignity in the manner of the trapper, that would have impressed one in his favor. ‘* All this is preliminary,” continued Mackin- tosh. ‘If I were asked to select \a man from my party, who was free from superstition, there is only one about whom I d feel any cer- tainty.” ‘* I suppose you refer to me?” said the trapper, with a smile, **Of course; brave as Nick Whiffles undoubt- edly is, it was easy to see last night that he was impressed by what he saw, and holds a super- stitious feeling about the Phantom Princess. I am satisfied, in my own mind, that, curious as was the scene, the actor in it was as much flesh and blood as either you or I, What do you think?’ “*T agree with you,” “T did not doubt it. Furthermore, I believe that the mystery of the Princess lies in the Black- foot village that we visited aire S 4 Bandman started so perceptibly that Mackin- tosh laughed. “What is it, Hugh?’ “ Rather strange,” replied his friend, with the same wan smile, *‘ but, somehow or other, it is the same conclusion that forced itself upon me, while we were trading with them Rosier. **Good reason for believing we are right; did you observe anything that could give you a clew? “ Nothing at all; I was on the look-out for it all the time, but could detect nothing.” “Have you any reason then for your belief?” ‘Probably no more than you have; I am sat- isfied that this Nick Whiffles knows more about the matter than he is disposed to tell.” “Undoubtedly; but there is no use of qués- tioning him; his lips are sealed, and he would resent any interference,” ‘‘ Well, I am ready to hear any proposal,” said Bandman, after a moment’s silence petween them, *“* My official position under the company pre- vents my engaging personal in any ioe of this character, as you can ily see; but there are several things that have awakened my sus- icion since Nick Whiffles joined us, and I have The strongest desire to probe them to the bot- tom, You are the man 1 wish should undertake to clear up the doubt about this Phantom Prin- cess, Will you do it?” dman was silent a moment, and then, look- ing down to the ground, he spoke as though communing with himself. “T have a great desire to do so.” Will you undertake it?’ ‘Vout ‘That settles the great dificulty,” said Mack- intosh, with something of his natural cheeriness of manner, and then he added, in the same thoughtful tones: ‘Tf I were talking to another person, I should name some pecuniary inducement—but not to you. You have an abundance of wealth in Lon- don, and I know no money could tempt you to engage in anything against your own desires.” ** Of course,” assented the trapper, with a sigh; “T have some curiosity regarding this person, and will undertake to identify her,” “Yt will be necessary for you to visit the Blackfoot village, and there will be no little personal danger in doing so,” ‘“T know it,” was the reply. “To give a color of authority to your under- taking, I will make you the bearer of a message to the chief from me, asking him to catch and save all the peltries for us during the coming winter. Perhaps that will assist you through. “Tt is a good suggestion,” said Bandman, not a little pleased, “ and with the exercise of a lit- tle tact upon my part, I think I can succeed, There is one promise, however, that I must ex- act of you, upon which depends my acceptance of this mission.” ‘Tt is given before you ask it.” “It is that, if I do not returm to you, you wil ‘ oe sa] “|
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“It was whether he shoul make no attempt to assist me. No matter what ms to me, you are not to interfere, but wait till I appear before you, and if Ido not put in an appearance, you may know that that is an end to my history.” *T cannot recall my promise,” said Mackin- tosh, with a sadness of manner; “ but it is given with a heavy heart.” Ever since the interview began, Hugh Band- man had been debating a quastion with himself. tell Mackintosh his own personal experience of the preceding jo, ae when he learned that the Phantom Princess had a companion with her. More than once he was on the point of doing 0, but his natural caution intervened, and when the interview was drawing to a close, he had decided to make no reference to it at all in his presence, ; “You can leave us to-morrow, or to-night, even, if you choose, without attracting notice, as the men are used to such things on your part, and then all will be left to yourdiscretion. You need no directions from me.” “jZ hardly know how I shall act,” continued the trapper, in that same absent way, “but I will trust in Providence, as I have always done in the past, and I am quite hopeful of coming out right.” “So am I; I shall look anxiously for your re- turn to Fort William.” ““T would prefer that you would forget all about me, au not expect me, until I appear be- fore you. ‘*T would prefer to do that if it wero possible, but such things are not so easily done!” The two men talked together a few minutes longer, and then, as there was nothing of im- portance to add, both rose to their feet and be- gan walking back toward the camp. While engaged in talking, both had heard several reports of guns, from which they con- cluded that the hunters who had gone out in search of game were mesting with good success. But when they emerged from the wood, they saw atonce that there was some unusual ex- citernent in the camp. The men were gathered in a group around two of the hunters, who were talking in an excited manner, “What is it?’ asked Mackintosh, as he hur- ried forward, “The Nor-westers are coming down the river, and a half-dozen of them fired at us.” “How near are they?” ‘They will be in sight in five minutes!” CHAPTER VIL THM PEACE-MAKER. Tre tidings that a company ef trappers be- longing to the North-west Fur Company was close at hand was indeed exciting; but when it was learnod that they numbered forty men, and that they had fired at the two hunters, the in- stant they recognized them, the news was indeed alarming. There was no doubting the dispeSition of these men; the rivalry at the time of which I am king was so great between the agents of these two great companies, who both claimed Oregon Territory as their own trapping-ground, that more than one collision had occurred in that country, and there was always imminent danger when two of their parties encountered. The two hunters stated that they had brought down a buffalo, that, badly wounded as it was, managed to run to the bank of the river where it fell dead. They hurried forward, and were om the point of applying their knives to the ani- ‘nal, when a shout caused them to look up, and ‘hoy saw three large canoes, scarcely a hundred vards distant. {t required but a moment for them to see that thoy were Nor’-westers, who showed they were ~jually quick in identifying them, by sonding Sees shots after them, accompanying the rame with insulting epithets. The men instandly took to their heels, and here they were. “ Did you fire at them?” asked Mackintosh. “* No; we left in rathertoo much of a hurry.” “T am glad of that; I don’twish to have a ht with them, and they can’t say we have ven them the provocation.” “We've given ’em the big kind,” said Nick Whiffies, ‘ and if you ain’t mighty keerful, there’s going to be the aduachonetines diffikilty you ever heard tell on. Turn the heads of the eanoes tother way!” This was uttered in such a peremptory tone that a number of men sprung forward and obeyed it, = they find out we've been down to the village i got the peltrics they’re after,” re- marked Nick, in explanat.on to Mackintosh, OSES SS ES RE oe ee a ee ee eee Se ee ee ip-sti eee There was barely time to explain this ruse to the men, when the three canoes made their ap- pearance. Catching sight of the men on shore, a volume of shouts arose, that made Mackintosh tremble for the result. ‘‘Let me do all the talking,” said he to his men, ‘‘and avoid anything that will provoke them.” The boats headed for the landing, and in a few seconds the three ranged themselves along- side the shore and rested on their oars. In the three boats were forty men—mostly Americans, although here and there asprinkling of other nationalities could be discovered. They were a tough, courageous-looking set of men, dangerous to any sort of foe. The leader or director of the expedition was a long-whiskered Missourian, who sat in the stern of one of the boats, smoking a large meerschaum ipe, é Good-day to you,” said Mackintosh, advanc- ing to the edge ot the water, and nodding pleas- antly to this individual, whose reply came in a grutf voice, “What the deuce are you doing in Oregon?” ** Hunting for furs.” “T should think it’s about time you infernal Hudson Bay men learned that this country be- longs to the universal Yankee nation.” “That question is not yet settled,” replied Mackintosh; ‘‘ we trapped in Oregon a hundred years before the North-west Fur Company was formed,” “Just because wo let you—that’s the only reason. ‘ Yhere are treaties in existence giving us the privilege.” “‘ Let’s see them!” was the characteristic de- mand of the Missourian, starting up in indigna- tion, ‘Tam not in the habit of carrying treaties around in my breeches pocket. I have seen the treaty; but your government and mine are now negotiating about this very thing, and until a decision is reached, I claim that my right is as good as yours to hunt and trap in all of Oregon.” * And Pll make affidavit it isn’t; haven’t you heard the news?” “* No; what is it?” “ The treaty has been concluded; Oregon is ceded to us, with the understanding that at the end of ten years, all of British America, Rus- sian America, and Greenland are to be annexed to the United States, and I; Jake Belgrade, am to be appointed territorial Governor.” If Mr, Belgrade, of Missouri, had not drawn it quite so strong, possibly he might have suc- ceeded in making some impression upon the matter-of-fact Scotchman, but the latter merely smiled, and replied: “T haven’t received official notice of it yet; when I do, it will be obeyed.” “We have,” was the remark of the Missou- rian, ‘‘and we’ve come to Oregon for two things —0one is to hunt furs, and the other to clear all you infernal Hudson Bay men out. What do you say, boys?” ““ Ay! ay!” was the deep-mouthed response of the men, eager for any thing that promised the excitement of an affray, ‘So if you chaps don’t want to get eternally nipped out, you had better git up and git, in about three shakes of a lamb’s tail.” “tam a subject of Her Majesty and I take no orders from any one except from her officers, my, nyt “We've flaxed you Britishers more than once, and we can do it again.” Mackintosh fancied that he had his temper under full control, but he was not proof against the exasperating manner of the Missourian, and, if any one thing was certain at this point, it was that, unless some third party interfered, there would be a bloody and desperate encoun- ter between the men, within the next ten min- utes. Nick Whiffles plainly saw this, and stepped forward at the critical moment. _ “Mack, if you will allow,” said he, address- ing the Scotchman, “‘ Tl put in a word or two—” At this juncture, the North-west men recog- nized the old hunter and all cheered him. Every one knew him either personally or by agence and they respected and admired im. Mackintosh comprehended the delicate situa- tion, and with a graceful bow, stepped back, and made way tor his friend. Nick, with his long rifie in one band, with his face, looked ‘serenely toward the Nor’-wes- te rs. ‘What do you chaps want?” “We want them Britishers to vamose the ranch,” replied Belgrade, ow al, ain’t they doin’ it, as fast as they com?” “That don’t lock much like it,” said the Mis- sourian, pointing to the canoes; “‘ your boats are headed down-stream; that ain’t the way to get out of Oregon.” “ Ain’t you willin’ that they should go down soe river and get some peltries of the Black eet? ‘*Not much; that’s just what we're after, and we intend to manage that business our selves,” ““S’pose, then, I kin persuade ’em to turn nef go up-stream, there’ll be no dif ity? ‘“* Being it’s you that has asked it, there won't be—but, we come into Oregon with our minds made up to shoot every Hudson Bay thief we found in the place; this thing has gone too far already, and we cracked away at ’em the min- ute we got sight of a couple of them up the river a little while ago.” ‘*Keep easy there,” said Nick, ‘‘till I can speak a word or so to Mack here.” Whiffles. turned about and began conversing with Mackintosh in a low, earnest voice, oeca- sionally indulging in quite excited ges while the members of bot parties watched the two men with no iittle interest. The interview lasted but a short time, when Nick turned to Belgrade. ‘‘ Tt goes rather ag’n’ the grain to knuckle un- der in this ere sty)o—-if I was the man ther’d be a conderaned aiffikil ilty afore I'd pull down my flag.” _‘*What does he say?” inquired the Missou- rian. ‘‘ That’s what be says,” was the reply, as the hunter pointed to a half-dozen men who were busying themselves in turning the canoes so ag to head up-stream; ‘‘ Mack, hoviever, says he reserves the right to protest ag’in’ this proceed- ing.’ % Protest and be hanged,” replied Belgrade, Oregon isa part of the Uuited States, and na infarnal red-coat has any right on it, without first asking permission of Uncle Sam, and if thia thing isn’t stopped, there’s going to be war. I’m going to stir up Congress when I get back, and get’em to notify the Hudson Bay Com- any that if they don’t stop fooling and eep off our land, we'll bombard London, and capture her and her whole caboodle of a tami- ly, and hold ’em for hostages, I reckon that’lJ bring ’em to their senses.” And with this grandiloquent flourish, Mr. Belgrade gave the signal for his men to resume their course down-stream; but they had taken scarcely a dozen strokes, when he gave his part- ing shot: * We'll watch for you, and if you undertake to steal by, we'll shoot every one of you, in spite of Nick Whiffles.” The Hudson Bay men preserved their solem- rt of mien, until their rivals were beyond sight, when they indulged in some rather broad smiles at their success In outwi them, ‘‘When they get down to the vi and find that we’ve been there,” said Ma tosh, ‘I wonder if any of the company will be able to do justice to their feelings.” ‘*T s’pose the part I played come as near lyin as any ining could,” said Nick, ‘‘ but I didn’ see any other way of getting you out of the condemned diffikilty.” CHAPTER VIII. THE BOY TRAPPER AND THE DAWNING OF LOVE, Tre Hudson Bay men resumed their journey up the Elk river, Bein with eens d any intermission until nightfall, when, as usual, they hauled up for the por pore of encamping. Around the camp-fire pees story and jest until a Jate hour, when all, excepting the usual sentinels, turned. in for the night, and at an oagy hour the brigade was under way agnuin. At noon the river made a sweeping bend toward the north, which, followed up a few miles further, would lead into unmistakable British territory, where there was no danger of molestation from any members of the great rival fur company. ‘ At this point, Nick Whiffles and Ned Hazel left the company. By 3 had made the nearest int to his home, and henceforth would draw urther away from it, The ach was pleas- ant, and marked by go eeling upon both sides, but there was nothing of a pathetic char- acter in it, as they expected to meet again ina Calamity at his side, and wit a huge grin on | few weeks at the furthest. a ah te
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Nick and the boy stood on the shore, waving | his long-barreled rifle, and seating himself by farewells to them, until around one of the many | the door, began to take it apart and clean it, and turns in the river they disappeared from view, | leavin him thus occupied, we will see What has : ; § pied, Gig ts the wikdernges, whiowt fax bene. nt |” Ties Had weak eetetip elaine, heii x : 8s, se e, e went cheerily along, humming a mer- The point at which they- had left Shagbark, | ry tune, and feeling ~ joyous as a child does horse, was rc miles are and out of | who is Aig rapidly and in the enjoyment of heir course; so Nick turned the duty over to | fine health. Caianity, , ” Now and then he lost sight of the ereek as he ‘You know where woe left him, pup,” said he, | was compelled to leave it to find better walking; addressing the canine; ‘go, fetch him back.” but of course he followed its general direction, Nod Hazel himself did not understand this | as he knew that the trap he was seeking was on pwnage any arenes than did ee eee | - bank. On his way he passed woe had once og, Who, with a pleased wag of his tail, gal- 2en a large beaver-dam—but it had been aban- loped away in the direction of the faithful ani- | doned several years before by these sagacious mal, animals, and as it now appeared, it looked ** He'll he at the cabin with him assoan as we,” | somewhat like the ruins of some old town or vil- _— Fake a as oe ish Be er a ag and | la Cc. arene ge hae esumed their journey through the woods. assing a short distance beyon is, Ne Although the spring had fairly opened, the | reached the trap for which he was searching. A trapping season was not finished. The fur- | glance only was needed to show that it had bearing animals were still covered with heavy, | caught a beaver, and that the animal had been oo er Lanes. eet eee. ob a — ghey Se ps a fow Jaco ; a ‘oer ers. Nic Nes was still engag- at’s strange!” exclaimed Ned, as he s red in pundiche, and, on starting for Fort Wil. | looking at the trap; “* somebody has interfered liam, he had left the matter in charge of Ned, | with that. If Nick was here, he would hunt ay a3 followed him down the Fie made p Rover for signs, and I guess I may as well un- 1im the more anxious to return and ascertain | dertake it, too,” his luck. A moccasin-print was § eedily discovered in “There were good signs of beaver where I set | the soft earth, but it was of such delicate beauty apy last two traps,” remarked N ick, to the boy, | as to weg se no pg warrior had made it, as they walked along; ‘‘andif I ain’t mistook “That has been done by some girl,” added the most mightily, — ee be some fur found in | boy, in greater reeotens ere than éver, ‘She em, when we git back.” has been here very lately. They were yet a mile or two from their cabin, ** And she is here now, too.” when they turned off to the left, and finally Ned Hazel started as he heard these words ut- reached a creek that came down from a chain | tered, in a clear, musical voice, at his very el- of ee some — away. 3 Foct bow. Bde at once, he fairly gasped at the ong this water the experienced eye of the | vision he saw. trapper. saw many signs of vers, to which he A girl, somewhat younger than himself, but directed the attention of the boy walking beside | with a complexion as clear and pearly-tinted as him. Where the indications were not readily | the sea-shell, and features of wonderful beauty, erceived, he took as much care to explain them | stood before him. Her hair, of rich auburn © him as though he were a paid instructor for | color, hung down her shoulders, and her dress teaching him the “‘ profession ” of trapping. was purely Indian in its character; but there * Now, tad,” said the old trapper, as he looked | was no mistaking her for one of that people. down benigantly upon the boy, ‘‘ you’ve spenta | Her features and appearance were too decided- bay plingeomael of years hig as tne pe ly Sarees ft te sen yoo risa rape reckon you've larned a powerful sight more | Shes ng at t. rith an innoe nor I knowed at your age; so Vll let you go up | inquiring expression, and he stood gazing at her Yuis creek, and look arter the upper trap, while | in silent wonderment. . l tend to the others.” According to the eternal fitness of things, the _ So they separated. Niek made the round of girl was the first to speak. : Ais traps, and was delighted at his good fortune, | I let the beaver ce because it was suffering for in all, excepting one, he found a prize. The | so much that I pitie Sat Sit lars DeaIy @aded theis vattertnan, | yrOn! no—no,” stammered Ned, not a little coming, but he sy y ended their : \ o and slinging oom oner his shoulder, leisurely | eee wy oes care if you let all the © his way to his cabin, avers in the country loose. The rh was about half gone when he ‘*T wouldn’t do that, because all. the beavers reached the building that, during all his wander- | ain’t caught,” replied the girl, with a laugh; ings, he had always looked back to as his home. | ‘‘ but it cried just like you would, if a bear True, he was often absent for weeks and months, | should catch you.” sometimes away up among the frozen regions ‘* How do you know I would cry?’ demanded along James’s Bay, and then far down toward | Ned, feeling a boyish resistance to being con- tho head-waters of the Red River of the North; | sidered such a child as all that. “If a bear but always, when he spoke of returning home, | should catch me, I would turn about and fight it; you are not angry, are this was the place he meant. ’ e It was constructed with some little skill. It had been located where two immense rocks made a right-angle, so that two of its sides were impenetrable stone; the rest was made of logs and bark, with a sloping roof to shed the rain, and an opening, and an immense nn napoy to serve ~ a door, which, when necessary, could be closed by a rock. Within thislived Nick Whiffles and Ned Hazel. They had spent many happy years here, and hoped to spend many more, ear by was a rough but secure shelter for Shagbark, where, when he chose, he could seek | refuge from the storm, Calamity, as a matter me laugh. ou ain’t afraid of me, are you?” of course, claimed the cabin as his head-quarters. You don’t look as though you would hurt The house was not very attractive from the | anybody.” outsids, but a good deal of comfort had been | ‘“ What is you name?” found there, not by Nick alone, but by many | “Ned Hazel.” wanlerers, both white and red, through ‘this “That is a pretty name; I suppose they call- “ Not if he had you fast so that you couldn’t move hand or foct,” persisted the young miss; “this poor beaver was hurt, too; it almost made me cry to see it,” Ned felt as though he would cry, too, if it would be any satisfaction to this young lady; but, as it was, he would much prefer to be con- sidered a man in her presence; so he straightened himself Ae and leoked as tall as possible, as he continued: ‘You don’t know how you startled me when you spoke.” “* Yes, I SS for I saw you jump, and it made great wilderness of the North-west. ; ed you that because your eyes are such a pretty Having slain and skinned his beavers, Nick | hazel color. Do you want to know my name set about Peper’ supper for himself and Ned ‘*T do, indeed,” replied the lad, blushing to his from the tails of the animals, These, when as earefully cooked, afford a delicious and nourish- ing food, and are highly prized by the trappers who spend so much of their lives in these t regions. Calamity and Shagbark returned in the course of an hour. Both looked sleek and happy, and the tough, long-haired pony showed no little de- ober | petted and caressed ae ee mas- ter. He had enjoyed a good play-spell, and was given liberty to continue it indefinitely, as there was no telling when his owner would start on his travels again. ? ‘ The meat cooking, Nick Whifiles took down tS) ‘* All alone?” “Why, no, of course not; haven’t you ever seen my mother? She and I dress in white, and sometimes I go with her in her canoe at night.” ‘ What!” exclaimed Ned Hazel, “‘ are you the daughter of the Phantom Princess?” **T don’t know who yqu mean by that, but I am the daughter of my mother, and I promised to return to her; so good-by, Ned Hazel.” “ Good-by—you—you-—angcel!” stammered the blushing Ned, as tie little fairy tripped away, yee. : ; “Tt is Miona, and I live among the Tndians.” Ned Hazel, The Boy Trapper. CHAPTER IX. THE SONG OF THE SIREN, Youne Ned Hazel stood for a few minutes gazing at the point in the wood where the won- erful girl, Miona, had vanished. Then, yielding to a strange impulse, he dashed headlong after her, not knowing really why he did so. The glimmering of a new emotion was in his heart, and he felt impelled by a desire te see and speak to her again. He was just of that age when the delight of y ung love was tho sweetest, and the romantic, joyful feeling seem- ed to take entire possession of him. And then, she was the daughter of the won. derful Phantom Princess about whom he had heard so much and so often, and who was in- volved in such a strange mystery! But, rapidly as he moved, he was too slow te overtake the girl, who flitted like a fawn through the wood. Reaching the edge of Elk river he saw nothing of her, She had disap- ared as éntirely as did her mother a few nights before, when pursued by Mackintogh and his trappers. For fully half an hour he stood on the shore, gazing wistfully up and down-stream, but in vain, and, with a sigh, he gave up the search as fruitless. ‘Perhaps I shall see her again,” he conclud- ed; ‘‘at any rate I'll set the trap, and if it catches a beaver, she will come and let him out, and I will get another chance to see and with her.” The afternoon was well gone, and he knew that Nick would be expecting him, so he con- cluded to take another Jook up and down the river and then to make all haste home, The glance which he cast. up-stream showed him a small canoe descending, and in it was seated a single person, managing the paddies with a deliberation which proved that what- ever might be his destination he was in no great hurry to reach it. ‘* Some camper going it alone,” concluded Ned, as ho still lingered and watched. Yielding to a feeling of caution, which his ex- perience in the woods had taught him, he step- od back, so as to be invisible to the stranger himself. It was barely possible that he might be an enemy, and bis prudence could not come amiss under any circumstances, As the figure came closer and closer, some- thing in its appearance struck Ned as familiar. He scanned it more closely and suddenly wader- stood matters. It was Bandman! What could he be doing here? ““T suppose he’s going on some errand for Mackintosh,” coneluded Ned, as he turned on his heel and started homeward. He did not forget to pause and reset the ie 4 which had been disturbed by Miona, with the wish that she would make it another visit, just about the time he would reach the ground. And then, as he resumed his homeward walk, another conviction made itself known. While talking with the girl, something in her face seemed familiar. It was only the faintest, most shadowy resemblance to something that he had met somewhere before. Whether it was awa back in that dim period preceding his own ad- vent into this solitude, or whether it had visited him in his dreams, he could not say; but he clung to the belief that it was no fancy of his; and specula and unable to solve what it meant, he finally reached home, where old Nick icp just beginning to wonder at bis prolonged elay. oe cl But what meant this canoe voyage of Hugh Bandman? on ad has probably suspected what it meant, A few hours after the separation of Nick Whiftles from the Hudson Bay trappers, a party of friendly, Indians had been encountered, who had a few furs to sell, A halt was made and a barter effected. Among the purchases made, was a small canoe, which was turned over to Hugh Bandman, with the cautious remark that he might use it whem ever he chose. He chose to do so at once. ““T may as well begin this business without any further delay,” said he, as he stepped with- in and took the paddle. A few words were interchanged and then the ies separated. The Indians of whem the t had been purchased remained on shore, so that Bandman descended the streem again with- out any company at all. He saw nothing of Ned Hazel, and passed di- rectly by him without suspecting his presence or proximit Shall I be able to solve this mystery?” asked AY
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Pama} 9 : Me ¥ ~ her te lonely tre as he thourhtfully plied his roddle. “Can it’ bo that Mackintosh suspects? To—impoes‘ble |” Ile wes pale and his lips compressed, as though acitated by some eek on, and now and then he gave utterance to his troublous thoughts. “Tt may be—the date—thero are several thines—but no, such a thing was never heard of in the wildest romance—but I shall never ro- turn from this expedition until I have learned—” * Hist! what was that?’ His heart gave a great bound, and he held the dlo % gens in his hand and scarcely thy Whils he Ieaned ‘forward, he saw in the dis- tance, gliding closo to shore, what had met his vision twice before. It was theo Phantom Prin- cess in her white canoc! The boat was so white that at first glimpse it seemed like some strange bird hunting its way back again to its home, deep in the primeval wilderncss; but as he looked, hoe could discern ' the form of tho Princess herse¥ seated in it. Her daughter, dressed in her gaudily colored was reclining in the bow, but she was so concealed by the intervening figure of her mother that the trapper saw nothing of her. “Tt is sho—it is she!” muttered Bandman, “fand she must sec me, I will follow her.” Qe paddled more vigorously, in the hope that she would permit him to eS or overtake her; but he was not long in learning that it was her wish that their relative distance should be maintained for the present at least; so he ceased his efforts and followed her more leisurely. J Before he was aware, night was upon him, and he discovered that ho was followiug her by moonlight—a bright, clear moonlight, that serv- ed almost as well as the day, inasmuch as she avoided the shadow of the shore, and kept as néar the middle of the stream as possible. , Bandman scarcely removed his eyes from her; his great fear was that she might take it into ead to whisk as suddenly out of sight as she did when pursued A Bee trappers. . He found that, with coming of night, she rmitted him to approach considerably closer her canoe. Indeed, scarcely more than a hundred yards separated them, and had she chose, they could have easily conversed in an ordinary tone, Bandman made several attempts to lessen the distance, but ho saw that it rested entirely with et and she governed her progress entirely by A couple of hours passed thus—although the trapper was not conscious of the lapse of time —when he became aware that the Phantom Princess was upping. Singing, it is @, in a low, faint voice—but in tones of irrepressible sweetness. She was uttering no words, but rather hum- some plaintive air, that came to the ears like the sad, touching strains of the wind-harp. The trapper ceased rowing and bent his head to listen. It cams to his ears, like the tones that visit us in our dreams of the angels, and, as he sat motionless, he felt then more than ever before, that there must be something supernatu- ral about this wonderful being whom koe was following with such resolution, He looked up to sec if she was still paddling away irom him. No; she too was resting on her oars, and both were floating with the cur- rent. He was drifting away more in a dream than in his waking senses, The voice never rose above that faint, tremu- lous, touchingly sweet toue, that seemed to penetrate his very being. Hark! Why does he gasp and start? Surely he has heard tat strain before! Yes; long years ago it had melted his heart with tondorness, aud now it fairly drove him wild. “T will overtaks you! I can stand this no longer!” : And seizing his oar, ho rows with a furious energy such as he has never known before, _And is there no hand raised to stay him? Ah! cay he is surely rushing upon his doom, I thither by the song of the siren? CHAPTER X. DOOMED. Tr was like the fabled siren of old. Hugh Bandman scemed literally powerless to resist the impulse to approach that wonderful person- 6 known as the Phantom Princess, ‘he voioe, naturally of the tenderest sweet- peg See every accessory to make it impressive in highest degree. Tho silent river, with ie chet, woods on every hand, the silvery it, and the mystery which superstition had thrown about her; all these, added to the arly nervous condition cf the are, ded to highten what at any time would have produced a powerful effect. Bandman, as I said, plicd his paddle as he had never plied it before, I¢ was with the foeling that he would overtake and look more clearly upon her face, even if it cost him his tifo. Ile saw, too, after going a short distance in this furious manner, that he was reaily gaining upon the Princess—very slowly, it is true, bu unmistakably nevertheless, She, too, was using her oar with extraordinary power, and the two boats shot forward with surprising velocity. The canoes were as near the center of the stream asmicht be, end cach was heading down the river. Despite tho extraordinary efforts of the fugitive, the voice seemed to float over the water with undiminished sweetness. Allat once it changed—changed so sudden] and so radically as to be startling. Tho sad, plaintive character was lost, and it took an ex- ultant, joyous strain, as if the singer was tri- umphant over some trouble that had long dis- tressed her. Different as it was in every respect, exccpt in the wonderful sweetness of its tones, it had, if possible, a far more powerful attraction to the maddened pursuer. Had she really desired him to overtake her, she could scarcely have taken a surer means of doing it; for the distance now eT ene until less than fifty yards separated them, and every thing indicated a speedy termination of the race. At this juncture an alarming phase of the contest manifested itself. Had a person stood upon shore, and watched the two boats, he would have discovered a third, some distance in the rear of the second, This was much larger than either, and in it were seated five Blackfoot warriors of the fiercest and most treacherous character. The trapper saw them not, and if he had, he scarcely would have heeded thom; but they were drawing near him, with the switt, stealthy, and sure approach of the panther upon its sleep- ing victim. as the Princess Balak weary? +4 Prhyre her stroke wac .osing its quick elas- city, ani rate than slacken his own speed, so as not to over’ too rapidly. Sure now of coming up with the mysterious woman, a strange fluttering took possession of the trapper. Sy 7 yt of danger and severe mental suffering, given him a stoicism and maatery over his emotions such as a Black foot himself might have coveted, but he was now swayed by feeling such as he had not known for a long, long time, “Strange! strange! cari it be?’ he kept mut- tering, leaning forward, and straining his vision to get a nearer view of the female. © had discovered some time Lefore that there was a second figura in the boat, but he paid no heed to that. His whole attention and mind were centered. upon her—her—tho Phantom Princess, Stroke by stroke he advaneed, until scarcely a score of fect separated the two boats. Then he trapper paused rowing, in doubt what was best for him to do, She had ceased sinving and paddling, and sat motionless in her boat, quietiy contemplating him, wit turned head and motionless arms. At the same time that Bandman stopped his efforts, the Indians, a hundred yards in fie rear, did the same, and began stealing nearer and | nearer, resembling stiil more the insidious ap- pron of the panther to its unconscious vic- m. Bandman was sitting raotionless, scarecl7 knowing what to do, and yet gradually drawing nearer, when the Phantom Princess spoke, a My Bi you pursued me?’ “To find out who you are,” was the instant response of the trapper, who appeared to rouse fiom his spell by the voice of the charmer. ** Have you ever heard of me before?” “‘T have heard you called Phantom Princess. Do you live among the Indians?” “I saw you and your friends at our village the other day, when you came after furs,” “ Were you there?’ continued Hugh, earnest- ness making his questions more pointed than otherwise they would.have been. “T sat in my lodge, with my daughter, and we watched you until you went away.” ‘Why did you not lot us see youf? ‘We are seen—or 1 am only sacn—at night, by your people.” : pris That is a strange fancy—may If ask why it * You will learn before you rete ™ Beadle’s .HalfDime Library. There was a significance in these words which Hugh Bandman would have noticed at any eee time; but, half wild with all sorts of conflicting thoaghts, he was in doubt at times whether he was acting in a dream or a reality. Scareely without knowing it himself, Band~ man was so toying with his paddle that he was drifting closer and closer to the white car«. Close as he already was, he was unable to gain any thing like a fair view of her face and fez- tures, as she held them shaded in such a way _that it was impossible. There was a wild, maddening, distracting sus- picion still controlling and urging the trapper onward. More than once the deciding question was upon bis tongue, but he foreed it back. “You a a long ways from your home,” said he, | “YT have been many miles further,” she an- swered, ‘‘and Lave never yet lost my way.” “You are not a Blackfoot; you have once lived somewhere else among civilized people, How long have you been with the Indians?* This question was unanswered. For some reason or other, the Princess declined to say any thingatall. Her silence first reminded the trapper that he was asking some questions with- out any authority, and with Httle regard to propriety. ‘Still, in a certain sense, he was desperate, and he continued: ; “‘ May I ask your name?” “You mentioned it yourself a few minutes “The Phantom Princess is a title—not a name.” - “Tt is the only one by — T am known ey 2 the white people and my adopted kx: ‘‘Have you your daughter with you?” “T have—her name is Miona.” “A beautiful Indian name—are Pe now Tex turning to your home in the village?” 4“ MY am.” “May I go with you?” “Vou Tee? go!” “What” At that instant Hugh Bandman heard the splash of a paddle, and in alarm turned his head—but it was too late. The five Indiaus were upon him, all armed to.the teeth, and ready to riddle him at the first show of resis- tance, He saw this and quickl evitable; but he turned id you do this?” “Yes,” was the reply of the Phaniom Prin- cess, as she caught up her paddle and cashed away almost with the speed of aswaliow. And then her Jaughter, rippling, Joyous. and reusical as ever, came back to him across the weter. “Poor thing, she is crazy!” muttered Band- | man, as he gaved after the swift-vanishing ca- submitted to the in- ward her with the noe; ‘and [ have been the foo’ t: follow her in a wild, unreasonable belief tha, sh. was another person.” ns CHAPTER rit, IN THE TR4Y. Wren Hugh Barcman heard the avers) the Phantom Princess, he ha not thelea:t diva of her insanity, and at the same time he +i » cisgust at the part he hei played ina fu:co which now bid fair to beco.ne a tragedy. “ Why had not Mack ar.d I brains enoush to take 2 common-sense view oi the materi” he | asked himself, ‘Cand why was I such a céneum- | mate fool as to imagine such a thing prs:icie, ! that they two could be ore?” But, his situation was so serious as to Gemny.d his attention and thoughts. He saw hiw iLe | cunning fereale had lured him on to his cwn :'e- struction, and then exulting at her worl, nad hied away, leaving him with his capters. His first supposition was thet they wow’? put | him to death instantly, and his feeling cr roc n- e a f tai depression was such that he cared very ‘iit.a what they did with him; but a few miinvtes seemed te show him that their intention was to take him to the village with them. Their first pro ing, after mekirig eure of his capture, was to deprive him cf his werpozs, after which, two of the Indians, paddle in hand, ped into his canoe, and one took his seep ia front and the other in the bow, so that, placed between these two savage warriors, with the other three following close in their wake, it would have taken a man with supertuman power to make himself free from them. But there was no danger cf Hugh Bandman making any such attempt. There was a mo- ment, when live was never so precious to him— ites bw es de Oi I CoP ey er Bln Nae ath RR rite motets 2 aS ae 1 ae ee We oP p Ny Re =
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and it was then that wild, delirious hope was Eee tak cilaed ana fall despair: Thad Ee} , an Spair suc- ceeded, He was indifferent to what became of “¥ have carried tho burden of life for a long imo, until it has no more attractions for me, and I may as well lay it down in this solitude 88 among my kindred, On the broad earth thero is no one who cares for me.” This was a sad wail to utter, but Bandman felt it, as he resignedly folded his arms and re- ed quiescent in the power of his captors, The Indians seemed to have no appreciation of the sentimental, and they kept steadily on, with that deliberation of movement seen when oarsmen are conscious they have started upon a long journey. Besides the mental depression, asort of physi- cal exhaustion succeeded the undue excitement under which the trapper had been laboring, and a sort of drowsy stupor came over him, and lulled by the soft, St motion of the boat, his head dropped upon his breast and he sunk into a dreamless slumber. Several times he opened his eyes, but it was only to hear the regular sweep of the Indian pad- dies, and to see the dusky figures of his captors very near him. Once he roused enough to rec- ognize the dark line of wood along shore, and to geo the full, round moon riding high in the sky, and shedding her silvery radiance over the Then he sunk off into slumber again and did not rouse until it was broad daylight around oh “ Scarcely any halt was made by the Blackfeet during the succeeding day, and Bandman, wrap in his own meditations, did not at- tempt to exchange a word with them, in the broken English which they occasionally used in speaking, ag though they were inviting him to 8& 2 snigeoomey ot a mouthful of food was partaken by any member of the party during the entire day. When thirsty, the trapper dipped his hand in the water beside the canoe, and scooped up snough to slake his thirst, Just at nightfall, the village was reached. The arrival of the prisoner caused very little ex- citemont. Several gathered around the white man, but no violence was offered him, and he was conducted to a lodge near the center of the town, into which he was ushered, and then left entirely alone, Naturally tho captive looked about at his sur- roundings. The ere 2 was a powerfully con- structed one, quite , With a bundle of ropes in one end, and upon a sort of stump near the middle, burned a light of oil, rudely made, but servizg to illuminate the interior quite well. Upon the same stand lay some cooked meat, anda sort of gourd of water, Indeed, the ap- eratne of everything indicated that prepara- ion had been made for receiving the prisoner. The Phantom Princess had doubtless preceded the coming of the white man, by several hours, ee nad seen that things had been put in a shape or him. “Doubtless this den has been used for the sama purpose before,” concluded Hugh, as he gazed wonderingly about him; “here the pris- oners that she lured to their destruction are placed, and perhaps given a little time to pre- pare for death,” Frightful as was the situation of the trapper. he did not need the sight of the food to remin him that he was half-famished. He attacked it with such vigor, that when he had finished, nothing but a few scraps of bones remained, | His hunger sated, something like a reaction came to dman, and a new desire for life came to him. Reclining upon the pile of buffalo- hides, he endeavored to think seriously of his situation. ‘He was so cramped from sitting in one position so long in the canoe, that hestretch- ed out flat upon his back and looked up to the rugged ceiling of poles and bark overhead. “Hero I am,” he mused; ‘there can be no @oubt that I am intended for death, and I see no earthly prospect of escape.” Then turning his head toward the opening through which he had entered, he added, in the game musing tone: “Tf am not bound, and it would be very easy for me to spring to my feet and dash out into the open air; but, of course, this lodge isunder the surveillance of more than one pair of ey and I could not get a dozen steps away withou being caught, and no doubt subjected to great ignity. : eR Sttine his head back, he closed his eyes. “Tt was her wish; she planned from the be- ginning to draw me into this, and how well she » Ned Ha ne ; has succeeded... Her manner assures me that che has done this thing more than once; how panely hapless beings have spent their last hours 176! ‘*She must be insane, and must hold a power- ful influence over these Indians; that doubtless is the reason she is called a princess, and then her way of dressing in white and painting her canoe that color, and her extraordinary skill in handling the paddle, have given her the name of the Phantom Princess among the supersti- tious hunters and trappers of this region.’ Then he suddenly thought of the com ny of North-west trappers that had gone ahead of hizn to this village. What had me of them? Most likely, after finding that they had been outwitted, they had continued on down the river, knowing it was too late to return, and overtake the offending party that had discomfit- ed them, ; Again his thoughts came back to her who was the cause of this calamity of his. “There is a method in insanity, and there must have been some powerful cause to turn her mind in this direction. She must have re- ceived some terrible wrong at the hands of her peace to cause her to turn with such implaca- le hatred upon them. * Who can she be?” “She would not give me her name, All T know is that she has a child with her, whom she claims as her daughter. here, then, is the father of the girl? Can it be that his treatment of her was such as to change her feelings to- ward all her race, and to cause so niany inno- cent to suffer? “So it seems to me,” he added, as he continu- ed the train of thought— ‘’Sh!” A slight rustling caused him to turn his head; the Phantom Princess was before him! CHAPTER XII. FACE TO FACE IN THE DEATH-LODGE, HuGs BanpMAN sprung to his feet, and con- fronted the woman who had entered the lod He was pale, and quivering like an m, while she stood as immobile as a statue of ice. He stared like a man who had lost his senses. His breath came through his closed teeth as foongh he were choking. He could only gasp, “ My heavens!” and than he sunk back senseless upon the skins behind him. The Phantom Princess still did not stir. She was dressed in the same white, ghostly robes, and her large dark eyes were fixed upon him, as toe 8 they would pierce him through and through, In a few minutes his strong nature reasserted itself, and he roused up again, Rising to a sit- ting ¥ spp raat he groaned: “Oh, Myra! Myra! do I dream, or is it you indeed?” Then she spoke, in the low, terrible tones of intense passion: ‘Yes, it is I, Myra—she whom you once call- ed your wife, I am not crazy, as you imagine, Isaw you when you came with the party the other day; I knew you; I felt that my day of revenge bad come; Providence had opened the way, and I knew that you would be thrown in- tomy power. I followed you; I drew you on— and you are here; and when you leave this place, you go to your death!” While she was speaking, she stood with hand uplifted, as though pronouncing judgment upon him. He could only reach his arms imploringly toward her, and moan his agony, which was too great for words. _ “Your perfidy toward me nas caused me to hate the face of all my race; and the hate of a dozen years is all centered upon YOU. It is I who brought you here—it is i who will delight in your suffering and deaths tet that thought fill your ss moments upon earth. I now ou -by! ; With theair of an empress, she turned to walk out. She had reached the entrance, when the miserable man found his voice, cs wait one moment!” ‘‘ Well?’ she said, pausing and half turning round, but making no motion to return. “Come back, I command you; you must listen to me.” p ‘Tecan hear what you have to say without coming nearer you.” “Tf you are in your right mind, tell me—tell me, T implore—why you left me in London?” “Tell you why Tiett you!” she repeated, her whole being consumed with scorn. ‘‘ Why do ou ask such an idle question? Must I refer to ae time when you won my heart—when I gave ay my love, and when I stood beside you at as a LL — hel zel, The Boy Trapper. — ene then, when I discovered, a week later, that you had deceived me—that I was not your wife—can ver wonder that I fled from you as from a pes~ lence?” “Was that why you left me?” “Was not that a thousand reasons? Disgrac- ed, dishonored, was I to remain in London, with no friend in the world? No; God restrained me from suicide, but I left the country forever; I came upon my uncle’s vessel to Fort Churchill; there I remained until my daughter was born, and then I fled into the Woods I found m way, after many weary days and nights of sui- fering, to these people. ey had pity upon me; they treated me kindly, and with them I have lived ever since, and with them I expect to die. I have befriended no white man—none ex- pe Nick Whiffles, who is different from others of his race, and who was so kind to me that f can feel no hatred toward him. “But I am the enemy of all others, and to no one am I such an enemy as to you. You are now in my power; you have tasted a woman's love, and now you shall taste of a “woman’s HATE!” Singularly enough, Hugh Bandman was now quite cool and self-possessed. It was an unnatu- ral calm, but it was a calm, nevertheless, ““Myra, before bidding each other farewell,” said he, as he leaned upon his elbow, “we may as well understand each other. I will answer any question you may propose, and will you do the same for me?” ‘Let me hear them,” she replied, standing as motionless as before, but the picture of the in- tensest excitement. ‘By what means did you learn that you were not 4 wife?” “What matters it how I learned it, so that I did learn it?” “You have notanswered me. Wasit through Richard McCabe?’ “Tt was.” “What proof did he give you?” “He brought me a note from the man wh¢é had acted the part of minister in marrying us. He repented the part he had played in your agent, and begged me to do what I cout not—forgive him,” 2 You did not see the man, Mr. Dumfries, him- q ‘He had not the e to show his face—so he sent the note; that told all—was not that en- ough?” f Did it ever occur to you that you might have been deceived!—that Mr, Dumfries did not write or send you the note?” **T do not know what you mean.” ‘*To be brief, then, Mr. John Dumfries was a regularly-ordained minister of the Church of England; you are my lawful wife, and he never sent you a note or a word to the eontrary.” “But I have the note with me,” said sho, turn- ing about, and walking toward *Let me see it,” said Bandman, with that same wonderful coolness of manner, as he reach- ed out his hand for it, She hesitated a moment, and then, walking a step or two nearer, flung it at him, as though Sm SoU not trust herself to approach any nigher. < Were T ina civilized country, I would not trust: you with it, but it can make no difference now, Hugh Banéman picked up the folded bit of paper and opened it. ~ It had been carefull e- served, and he read it without difficulty. en he had — he folded it up again and threw it toward her. “Just what I expected—that is the hand- writing of Richard McCabe, and he wrote it on P to destroy your happiness and mine.” ‘*T will not believe it—it cannot be true!” was the impetuous exclamation of the Phantom Prin- cess, advancing still closer. ‘‘Somehow or other, I have alway; ancied that you and I would meet again in this life, and I have always gone prepares for it, as “you will shortly perceive. Listen, then, Myra, bo g few words of mine: “Richard McCabe wes an‘admirer and lover of yours before Isaw you. He did all he could to win you, but failing, and finding that you and I were plighted, he still sought to prevent our marriage. He. went to you with whisperings against me, but ia scorned him; he came to me with insinuations against you, but I thrust him out of the house. z thougbt that that was the last of him, so far as concerned us, but it was not. A week after our marriage, I came home one evening to find that you had fied, You had left no word of explanation behind he altar, secretly but lawfully married, as I | you, so that I had not the slightest suspicion of believed, in obedience to a request of yours: and | ‘why or where you had gone. I could only
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. tla ered ee 2 . cee, a Pecans =$ Pret.) oom 5 OE RT EE SE TS ey cee Se S-r¢ “8 =r ' ok lieve that you had gone off in some mental aber- ratiou, and a number of the best detectives were put upon your track. They learned nothing of what had become of you, and I came to the con- clusion that you were dead in the Thames, ** Not the slightest suspicion of the true cause of your absence had come tome. My marriage was a secret from my friends for the simple reason that I lacked a few months of reaching my majority, and was. not yet legally my own master, A fow of, my intimate friends were in the secret, and one evening, when McCabe was rather the worse for the wine he had drank, he said something that roused the most dreadful suspicion in my mind. JI could not get much ont ot him, but enough to satisfy me that you were hiding somewhere, under tho belief that I had done you some great wrong. “The few words that I. got from him were uttered accidentally. When he was himself, I taxed him with it, but he had no recollection of what he hag said, and denied all knowledge of ou in themost solemn manner. Nevertheless ig appearance convinced me of his guilt, and t employed a man to watch. “McCabe did not know at this time whither you had gone, but he had a suspicion, and he discovered it at last, and he followed you. When my man found that he had embarked for North Aimerica in one of the Hudson Bay Com- yahy ships, he became satisfied that you had ouo the sane some weeks before. ‘When he told me this, I remembered you had an uncle who was the captain of one of their vessels, and there could no longer be any doubt of the direction you had taken. Prudence would heave suggested that I wait until his return, and learn the truth from him, but that would have necessitated a delay of several months, which would have driven me mad, so [ set sail in the very next vessel that left for this country. “We encountered the ‘ Albatross’ as we en- tered Baffin’s Bay, and I went on deck and saw your uncle. He told me Ais lips were sealed, and refused to answer me any questions abt all, even after I had made him understand that you had been deceived, **T had no doubt at all that you were at Fort Churchill, but I did hope to gain some particu- lars of him; I did not, and’ so we separated. “While entering Hudson’s Bay, we wero caught in a tempest and wrecked. We lived on that barren coast for several months, and then were picked up and carried to Ungava. It was then a long time before I could get across to Fort Churchill. ‘*T succeeded at last—but when I reached the pe a year and more had passed since you left ndon. ‘At Fort Churchill I learned that you had been there, and that a child had been born. You had recetved ‘the kindest treatment, but when the short, beautiful summer came, you had escaped and fled no one knew whither. “McCabe was dead; the miserable man had followed A to Fort Churchill, but one day, when hunting near the fort, he got caught in a anow-storm, and vished within a hundred yards of the gate of the fort. “Then I set out to hunt for you. For two ears I never ceased my search, excopt for a ew hours, when exhausted rature compelled me to do so, ‘The end of it all was that I learned nothing at all of you, and I agreed with Mackintosh who knew my secret, that you and your child had perished somewhere in the wilderness. He wished me to return to England, as he thought the charge would benefit me; life had now lost its charms for me, and I was willing to die here. I refused to go, and engaged as an ordinary Srp under him. “Thus I have been employed ever since. Once or twice during the past five years I heard of the Phantom Princess, but no suspicions of her identity cams to me until within the past few days. This is the first time I ever accom- panied Mackintosh to this village, and when I gaw you, I thought it barely possible that you might be my long-lost wife, You know what has followed.” ~ During this narration, Myra had remained standing in the same immovable, statue-like po- sition, while Bandman sat — the pile of skins, talking as though he were discussing some ordi- business matter. He now rose to his feet and adyanced nearer. “That you may not doubt my word, I have always carried the proof with me,” With which he drew a package from his inner marriage, properly Tee Sas = as eraser ’ Meee - te pone Se GE ae et ee ee ees witnessed, and signed by Rev. Mr. Dumfries who had officiated in the capacity of minister a) the time. All thisshe saw. Then that wild, fierce light, born of long suffering and hate, died out, and, in its stead, came a deadly pallor to the face— the pallor of despair. A ery bubbled up from her lips like that of a mother over her lost dar- ling. Her arm, outstretched, moved to and fro as if to dissolve some horrid vision, and her staring eyes glared in their intense gaze on va- cancy, as she wailed: ‘‘Poomed—doomed! and by my act! Oh! Hugh—darling Hugh! hia to this—nvy hand!” she sobbed, hoiding out before her that beautiful white hand. ‘* He never wronged me—he loved me through all these dreadful years—he sought me out in these dreadful wilds to say that he loved me, and Ilured him on—on to the Death Lodge— to the Death Lodge /—I, his wife!” The hand moved in the air again; then she stood like one frozen in her sorrow, still as the dead, for a moment only, then dropped to the ground as one dead indeed. Her husband 5 egy toward her and lifted her head upon his lap. Fondly he kissed the lips again and again, pressed the head to his breast, and while his eyes rained tears, murmured: “My wife—my own darling wife—united again, after all these long, crucl years. M yra my own—my dearest, Poor, deceived Myra, forgive all, and with death staring me in the face, I plead for your love.” Opening her eyes, she looked ycarningly at him for a moment, and then reaching up her arms, closed them about his neck. ‘' My husband!” Their hearts were too full to speak further, and for several minutes they could only mingle their tears. Then they sat side by side and talked for a fow moments, when Myra said: ‘“You are condemned to death, dearest Hugh; there is no escape for you, but I will die with you; that at least shall be my expiation. . Oh the wrong I have done! Alas, that, now that if have found out what life is, it should be so soon ended!” ‘Perhaps there is happiness yet for us; you are free to move about without question; go and see Nick Whiffles.” **T will do so at once!” she exclaimed, spring- ing to her feet. ‘‘ He shall save you—save you, Hugh! God has sent him to this wilderness for this work—to save you, my husband!” CHAPTER XIIL, A JUVENILE WOOING, THE next morning after the meeting of Miona and Ned Hazel, the lad went early to the trap that had been visited by her. He found a squealing beaver in it, but there was no kind hand to set it free. He let it ery for a while in the hope of drawing his visitor to the Bpot, But, aithough he waited some time, she came not, and he was compelled to kill and carry it home, The same thing took place on the second morning, but the third saw his ardent wishes gratified. There was no beaver in the trap, and he stood feeling as grieved and arc rae as a young gentleman could well feel whose dearest hopes had been blasted, and who was ready to lio down and die.in despair. While in this miserable mood, he raised his eyes and saw two persons standing before him. ne was the Phantom Princess, and the other was Miona, her daughter. ‘They were standing side by side, neither dressed in white, but bot in the brilliantly colored dress of the Blackfoot squaws who stood high in the graces of their warrior husbands, Ned blushed, and saluted them with natural gallantry. Myra said: ‘‘T am looking for Nick Whiffles; is he at home?” ** He was there an hour , when I left; he is cleaning up his gun, py eet want to see him, you will-find him there. [ will show you the way.” *No; Ido not wish you to do it,” said she, interposing. ‘‘I know the way there myself. I only wanted to make certain of finding him,” “Tam sure he is there; it is all of two miles distant, and you had better let me go with you,” said Ned, who did not like the idea of losing the companionship of the girl, now that she had been so long coming. “I would prefer that you should remain here,” she said, quite earnestly. ‘I wish to see him on very particular business, and wish no one else near.’ “You don’t sup I would stay near, while you were talking?’ said the lad, reproachfully. re quainted, I had ho ing to remain and keep her company.” glowin me, an “No, but as I shall lease Miona here until T turn, and, as she says you and she are ac- that you would be will- Oh! Pll do that!” exclaimed Ned, his face with delight. ‘I have my gun with ; I will take the best of care of her.” “Don’t be gone too long,” said the young maiden, as her mother started to move away. ‘1 will be.back by noon,” she replied, as she Kissed her good-by, and speedily venished in the orest, “TYonly wish it was night,” thought Ned, as My hand has brought | he realized that he was along with the one of whom he had been dreaming day and night, ever since he had first met her. But he felt certain of several hours with her, and a sense of! pleasurable delight came over him, and he suspected that Miona was quite willing to spend that time in his company. Innocent and pure-minded as was Miona, and ignorant, too, of the great emotion of love, she was artless and unembarrassed. Ned, despite his backwoods training, was naturally polite, his genuine goodness of heart resem lings in a great measure, the kind nature of Nick Whiffles, “Tam so two unconsciously walked tion of the river. “Why, what’s the matter with her?’ ‘Something dreadful—she would not tell me what—but she has done ames but ery and pray ever since we started from home. Saw the Indians scowl] at her, and several of them seem to be angry about something; but she cries so much that I have been crying too.” And her pretty eyes filled with tears, while Ned wanted to comfort her, and wasn’t exactly certain how it should be done. “T didn’t see that any thing smuch was, the matter with her,” he said. ‘ Sho wasn’t crying when she went by here.” ‘* Because she has wept so much that she can- not, Iam glad Nick Whiffles is at home, for if she had been disappointed in seeing him, { don't know what she would have done.” “Tf Nick can do any thing in the world for her, he’ll do it; I know Nick. ‘“T can’t understand how he is to help her,” continued Miona, with a look of great perplexi- ty; “‘for she has a good many friends among the Indians, and she is considercd’n sort of queen among them, But I think it must have some- thing to do with that white man the Indians have in the Death Lodge.” ‘* Who is he?” asked the astonished Ned. ‘* Somebody followed us in a canoe, and the Blackfeet caught him, and I suppese they will put him to death, as they have a good many others. She keeps talking about somebody named Hiugh; do you know anybody by that name?” Ned did not, although, had she said Bandman, he would have recognized it. “Well,” added Miona, with a sigh, “I sup- pose she will tell me some day. ere we are at the bank of the river, and yonder is my ca- noe,’ ** Let us go look at it.” ** You can ride in it if you choose.” The boat, of a natural dusky bark color, la bute short distance away, and the two made their way to it. “We have a long time to wait; let us cross over to the other side and explore it,” said the girl, stepping lightly into it. Ned was only too happy to tr in the ex- cursion, so he followed her and took up the oars. “Which way shall we go?” he asked, for- petting that she had just told him the diree- ion. * Across, I said; or; if you wish it, you can goup or down, but we mustn’t be away when mother returns.” Ned handled the oar with no littie skill, and he sent the light canoe skimming swiftly over the river, which at this particular place was quite broad. Miona sat in the prow of the boat, as though she was mistress of the situation, Ler large, lus- trous eyes fixed upon Ned Hazel, who, blushing deeply, plied the dle with all the grace of —— he was Bone le. ane ‘ouching the opposite bank, the girl sprun lightly out, and Re tolicwed her, pacsing ion enough to draw the canoe up out of the way of the current. The boy carried his rifle with him, as was bis invariable custom, and he only wished that some huge bear or other animal would eross their path, that he might show the beautiful prattling maiden at his side how much he was for mother,” said the girl, as the away in the direc-
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— i | - willing to do for her; but no danger appeared, and he could enly do bis best to keep pace with the wonderful volubility of her tongue. Meager as was the education of Ned Hazel, he could tell from the conversation of the girlthat | a sentient being capable o she had acquired a great deal of knowledge, and | affection, he concluded at once that the Phantom Princess musé be a personage of wonderful wisdom to Lave taught such a small girl. Now and then he-stole a side-glance at her and oneach occasion he was reminded of that Singular, shadowy resemblance, of which we have spoken. It puzzled him greatly, but at last he fathomed the mystery. It came upon him all at once. She looked like the trapper Bandman; who sat next to him in the canoe, Strange that he had not noticed it before. ‘** Have you always lived among the Indians?” ‘asked Ned, as he walked slowly and thoughtfully beside the girl. ‘Ever since I can remember,” she replied; **but you can see I am not an Indian. Way do you ask?” “T have often wondered, since I saw you the other day, how it was that you and your mother was in this out-of-the-way place,” “So you have been thinking of me?’ asked Miona, turning her laughing face toward that of her companion, “Tshould think I had,” replied Ned, again blushing. ‘I hayen’t thought of much else. I asked Nick all about you.” ‘* And what did he tell you?” “ He told me to keep still, and he didn’t know anything to tell me.” ‘I guess ho don’t know much about me, but he has heard of mother before.” ‘“ Yes, but I couldy’t get him to toll anythin about her. Fact is, he don’t seem to like to ta rmauch about her.” ‘“‘ Have you lived in the woods ever since you can remember?’ asked the girl, ** No,” was the prompt response. I was born in some city, and left here by somebody.” ‘‘-You don’t know by whom? How strange that neither of us can tell how it is we came to live here?” . **Do you lov6 this life?” Miona was silent a few moments before she answered: “Yes; but sometimes, when mother has told me of the cities and. countries that are all over this beautiful world, I feel a longing to go and see them.” **So do I,” said Ned, with compressed lips. **T have a kind of faint memory of things very different from these, and I will tell you some- thing, Miona, if you will keep it a secret.” “Of course I will.” “I don’t intend to spend my life here. When ) get to be a man—” : Why, you are nearly a man now!” inter- rupted he girl, with a laugh. ‘Do you think so?” asked Ned, delichted, “Well, when I get to be a man I’m going to leave this place and see the world.” ‘*1 would do so, too, if I were you.” * And Miona, why won’t you go with me?’ ‘Oh! Lan’t leave mother,” said the startled 1; ‘‘ what would become of me? But I will ry and coax her to go.” Ned took the hand of the girl as they walked toward the river, and told of his ecands of what he would do when he should reach the state of manhood. She listened attentively for several moments, and then suddenly paused. ‘* Mother is calling me, and we must hurry back!” CHAPTER XIV, A FRIEND IN NEED, Nick Wutrr.es sat in the front of his cabin, cleaning his rifle. **Tt don’t much need it, I swa’r!” he muttered, as he drew the greased rag through the barrel, and then squinted down the shining bore, ‘cause only t’other day I done the same thing; but, then, as I hain’t got anything better on hand, (ll do it by way of exercise.” : He smiled to himself at his own conceit, as, having extracted the last speck of grimy powder from the piece, he began screwing it onto the stock again. This done, he proceeded to screw the cap upon the ramrod. “There’s nothing like having everything in order, as my ather used to obsarve when he used to larrup us boys with his cane, so as to ut us in a meditative mood. Pe There!” he exclaimed, when ever ens was finished, “‘I reckon she’ll do. Now Pll try a Ned Hazel, Th The pinch of powder was poured down the | narrow bore, tt then the bullet was rammed | home, A cap was placed on the tube, and then | he raised tho piece as lovingly as though it were reciprocating his ‘Hello! yender is a squirrel a-settin’ purty high up on that limb. Ef old Nick hasn’‘t lost his cunning, ho wouldn’t want a better chance for barking you.” ; The piece was brought to his shoulder, and his eye ran along the barrel for an instant, when there was a sharp, not over-loud, explosion, and the tiny animal flew several inches above the limb upon which it was perched, and dropped like a chunk of wood to the ground. The hunter, without stirring from tho log up- on which he was sitting, deliberately reloaded his piece, and then walked to where the squirrel was lying. Picking it up, he turned it over sev- eral times in his hand, and smiled as he saw there was not a wound upon it. The unerring bullet had struck the bark di- rectly beneath the belly of the animal, and sent up a shower with such violence as to fatally stun the creature, without breaking its skin. * The piece is good, and Nick Whifiles’s eye is still true. Here, Calemity, you’ve had your breakfast, but you can take this by way ‘of a lunch.” With which, ho tossed it to the pup standing at his side.- As he did so, the capacious jaws of the dog opened, and it was cleverly caught be- tween them. ‘There was a crunching sound and the next minute it had disappeared down his gullet. “There ain’b much symptoms of your appe- tite failing, pup,” remarked the hunter, as ho turned toward the cabin, ‘‘ I don’t think yow'll ever die that way.” Casting his eyes to the left, he saw his horse, Shagbark, lazily cropping the grass, the picture ofcontentmernt. Setting down his rifle just with- in the door, Nick proceeded to a large, old-fash- ioned box in the corner, which he opened with a rusty key that he carried about him, Within were a number of bottles, a few In- dian trinkets, and a bundle of clothes, that had belonged to a little child, There were the tiny shoes, the stockings, a handsome dress, apron, and linen. Nick was thoughtful, and his usually jocund face was sad and downecast. He held up the articles to. the light, and examined them with the tenderness of a parent who had buried her child, and was now leaking over the relics left behind. “Them garments was around Ned Hazel, when | found him floating in Elk River, in the canoe, Is’pese some mother has sewed ’em, to- gether, and if she’s living, she is still shedding tears over the boy that has never come back to her again. I feel that I have dene wrong in not finding the real owner of Ned,. I did try, but all the time I was yr ing that Iwouldn’t Varn any thing, and I didn’t. I orter tried harder; much as I love the lad, there’s some- body somewhere that’s got a better claim to him than I have, and if the good Lord will guide me, he shall be give back to them that he belongs to. I love him, as much as his own father or mother kin—but I’ve no right to keep him in the woods, when a younker of his paris is sure to make his mark in the world.” More than once while communing in thisstyle, he brushed the moisture from his eyes, and Le he attentively studied some marks upon the 1en, These marks were simply the initials ‘‘ E, M.” and beyond question they were the initials of the boy who was known as Ned Hazel. Nick Whiffles possessed little, if any, book- learning; but he was able to identify these. “T s’pose they stand for the lad’s name. E, might mean Ed’or Ned, and that’s why I called him so, What M means, I can’t figure. 1 did- n't take any name eg ee with that letter, for fear I might hit his ginooine a Re and his owner get on the track. , he h such a pur r of hazel eyes, that I called him Ned Hazel. Hello, Calamity, what is it? he exclaimed, starting up, as though detected in some guilty thing, as dog bounded into the cabin, with a whine. ‘Some one coming, eh? I must keep ’em out of here.” Nick was generally self-possessed at the most trying times, but he was greatly embarrassed at this moment. Without placing back in the box the precious articles, he had been examin- ing, he let them fall to the ground, and catching up his rifle, hurried to the outside. “Hello!” he exclaimed, as he encountered the Phantom Princess, almost upon the ver threshold, and feeling the obtigations of hospi- . — - —— . RS ey ne a, Oe AP rel) o Boy Trapper. as 11 rte he retreated a step. or two, and invited her 1 ** No,” said she, halting whero sho stood, and seating herself upon the log that he had vacated only a few minutes before; “the day is plea- sant, the sun warm, and I will sit here.” “Just as you please,” said Nick, not a little relievad, as he seated himself beside her, but at a respectful distance; ‘‘ you know my cabin is at your sarvice, and I'll do any thing in the world fur ye.” ““T believe it, Nick, and I have come to ask you to do the greatest service one being can do another.” ** Out with it, then.” And Myra Bandman then proceeded, in a deliberate and almost emotionless voice to relate her story. My reader has already learned it, so that it need not be repeated here. The hunter listened, without a word or ex- clamation, until she was through, “And now,” she added, in conclusion, “I will tell you what I want of you. Hugh been condemned to death, and the only human being who can extricate him from his fate is you.” “You are a sort of princess,” replied Nick, leaning upon his_rifie, and looking down to the ground in his gravest manner; “‘ haven’t you got the power to free him?’ **T could if it wasn’t for onething., Tho build- ing in which he is now lying is tho Death Lodge. Any person who is placed there is condemned to death already, and itis a part of the Black- foot religion that he shall not escape. They would not loose him, even for me,” “Has any thing been tried on the critters?” “Enough to know that neither he nor I can do any thing. He was the bearer of a message rom Mr. Mackintosh to Woo-wol-na, our chief, and when I took the chief to the lodge, Hugh delivered it with all the impressiveness at his command, and then I added my counsel to let him go free, lest we should be visited with the vengeance of the Hudson Bay men; but all pro- duced no effect upon. Woo-wol-na; I had lured my husband on, and he had been captured and brought in. Coming as a prisoner, it is decided . that he must die as a prisoner. Oh! how I have prayed, night and day, since then, but the most that I can do is to get the chief to postpone his death a few days.” ‘Does he know you're his wife?” ‘*No; I have not told him that,” “ Why not?” Tt would only work ill; he would be put to death the moment they discovered that. Hugh knows it, and he has been careful to keep the secret to himself.” ““What’s your ijee?” continned Nick; “do you think J kin talk Woo-wol-na into the ijeo of etting him go?” : “No one can do that; nothing less than a hundred armed men could do that.” “ What-do 2 think I kin do, then?’ “With the help of Heaven you must manage to release him by means of strategy. You have a wonderful cunning in such things: ou have befriended many men in distress, and I have been told that more than once you have rescued prisoners, almost at the moment of death.” “IT don't deny I’ve hada streak of Inck, in years past, in that sort of business; but this ere thing has .a harder look than anything of the kind that I ever took hold of.” ‘* Don't say, oh, my friend, that there is no hope?’ ey hain’t said that; my principle is not to give up a chap, even arter his hair has been raised, and the critters are yelling arter him, I don’t give up hope till a man has gone clean under, sure,” “Ob, what a relief your words are!” said. Myra, rising to her feet and standing in front of him, ‘ Will you do what you can, Nick, to befriend me?” I will!” was the firm and ready reply. CHAPTER XV. WILL HE SUCCEED? Nick WHIFFLES now made Myra Bandman sit down upon the log again, while he question- ed her freely and closely, How was the prisoner guarded?) Was there any one time more favorable than another to attempt a piece of sree? Could the a ogre ance of sudden, unexpected force accom it? Was Woo-wol-na to be frightened by any threats? Once outside the Death Lodge, how far must the prisoner go before reaciitg the shelter of the woods? as there any reason to’ believe that the Blackfeet ripe Se that the Phantom Princess had any intention of befriend- ing the man by action, asshe has already done by word! Did any of them know that she had FP %
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: | a “stance to riin across the cleari eo Ee gone toscshimf Were hermoyements watched? 2 Lary of tho red-skins manifested any differ- (..6 disposition toward her, on account of the favorable words sho had rttered? Did. Miona her daughter, know auy thing of the identity of the captive! How loug « respite was conceded to him? ‘ suddenly asked Nick, turning his head toward Lis companion with such an earnest expression that sho smiled, as sho answered: “Certainly.” “Til get you a piece of bark, ard you must scratch on it, with a sharp stone, that the pup uch, in substanco, were the questions ache has come to chaw off his cords, and that the ed by the trapper, and to them he received, in trict, the following answers: ; There wero always three fully-armed warri- ‘ors, at least, guarding tho approach to the Doxth Lodge, and it was by the permission of theso sentinels that sho herself had secured ad- mission to him, none of them knowing the mean- ing of her interview with him. Beyond question, the most favorable time to befriend him was at night, as tho cover of darkness was an advantage not to be compensated by any thing else. A sudden dash into the lodge by several men might succeed in getting the pris- oner away before the alarm could become gen- eral; but several men were needed to accom- plish this, and there was no time or means for procuring these. Woo-wol-na was uot to be intimidated by any threats, and all time spent in such attempts would be worse than thrown away, If by any ossibility the outside of the Death Lodge could » reached by Bandman, he had only a short to reach the forest, when, if the night was pretty dark, there was a chance of his getting away. It washard- iy possible that any of the Blackfeet suspected the relation between Myra and her husband or that she had any real purpose of befriendin him. She was so accustomed to coming an going at will that no one would suspect her er- rand in going up Elk river, and she was satisfied that no one was watching her movements. But tho earnest efforts of Myra to beiriend the hapless captive, she had every reason to believe, had won_her the dislike of a number of the vil- lagers. Woo-wol-na himself had given unmis- tekable evidence of his displeasure. Miona knew nothing at ell about the matter. Should remain in the power of the Blackfeet, he could not possibly escape death more than three days longer at the furthest. ** Another thing,” continued Nick, when these questions had al been proposed and answered: “ have they got Hugh tied up?” “T am sorry to say they have; he was left free until after I saw him, and then he was bound hand and foot.” “That’s good; I’m glad to hear that,” replied the trapper, emphatically; end noticing the look of surprise upon the face of the lady, he added, ‘‘Isay it’s good, because, if they’ve got him tied up, they ain’t apt to watch him so close, and then we've got all the more chance to untie im,” “T do not seo how that can be done,” said Myra, ‘*for no one can remain in the lodge long enough to unfasten his bonds, without attract- ing the notice of the sentinels.” ick Whiffles smiled in his moet benignant manner and pointed to Calamity, who was seat- ed on his haunches in front of them, “There’s the animile that’s done the thing a dozen times in his lifetime. Ef it hadn’t been for him, Pd qone under long ago, when I was tied hand and foot by the Sioux, and when he slipped in between a half-dozen of the varmints, - night by the camp-fire, and chawed ’em o0se, The face of the Phantom Princess lit up with ope. “Can it be possible? I never dreamed of such athing. There are so many dogs in the village that yours eould pass to and fro without alarm- ing tue Blackfeet. Then, when the cords were it unfastened, Hugh could make adash out of the door, and, favored by God, he might es- cape.’ ‘Hold on,” said Nick, in whose head the scheme was beginning to take shape; “‘ we must 9 | try and get the varmints away from the Lodge if only for a few seconds; if we can’t do thai, don’t see the first chance of Hugh giving ’em the slip.” The face of Myra saddened again, for the words of the trapper sorely disheartened her. ‘* You don’t see how it can be done, but I ig! do,” hen everything is arranged,” said she bri htening up again, , ; 0; it ain't,” was tho response; “‘arter it’s all understood between us, then Hy th has got to get the hang of t ; he’s got tote what “ eoge arte. to do it Atay second, or it’s all with us, ou i in?” Patt is Conbiful.” ce —_ “Sf there’s any other way of doing it, it will Rie ye Ses te a pl 7 : — i 7 ’ ot — A > ae a A yc i ~ ; 4 a 4 - oe wl s et SY TS, | minute the animile comes out he’s to foller him, and rush straight for the w you do thet?” “Of course.” “Wal, then, I don’t know but what we might as well be oif, as we need all our time.” Nick rose to lis feet, and with his rifle slung over his shoulder, started in the direction of the river, the lady and Calamity following him. He was so occupied with what she had told him, that ke forgot to close the door of his cabin and never once thought of the baby-clothes that he had left out, exposed to the view of any one who might chance to drop in during his ab- sence, As they walked along they kept up their con- versation about the all-important matter, Nick showed no impertinent curiosity about the his- tory of Myra and her husband; his whole mind was centered upon the task he had undertaken —that of freeing Hugh Bandman trom his hap- less captivity, A general Se had already taken shape in his head, but as he meditated upon it, he saw more and more clearly the difficulties, that were so t as to be almost insurmountable. The Blackfeet were always vigilant, and the fact of Bandman being an inmate of Death Lodge shut out all hope of further reprieve or liberation. Nick believed it possible that he might reach the wood, but the greatest danger was then, when the alarm should occur. The pursuit would be so quick and fierce, that in the moon- lig ht discovery and recapture seemed inevitable. is was the difficult — to be gotten over, and it was the one which gave him much con- cern, as he made his way through the wood, talking in anabsent sort of way, with the hope- ful, doubting, fearing woman whose impatience constantly carried her ahead of both him and his fast-walking dog. When the river was reached the canoe was me. The Princess looked around somewhat impatiently, and then called the name of her daughter. The latter heard her, as I have shown, and instantly replied, while she and Ned Hazel made haste to return. Soon the canoe was discerned rapidly crossin the stream, with the tw in it, anxious to no keep them in waiting. “Ned,” said Nick, as the lad ste oe “T shall be gone several days, saat w to wait home for me,” “All right,” was the cheery response. The boat put off again, with the three in it, and Ned stood on the shore waving them a good- by, 80 long as they were in view; and then when they disappeared from sight, he turned shout ana igi his way toward his cabin- ome. ashore, ant you VHAPTER XVI. A WISE BRUTE. HvuGH BsnpDMAN was reclining upon the pile of buffalo-skins in the Death Lodge, his thoughts sad, depressed and solemn. He knew that My) his beloved wife, had gone in quest of Nick Whiffles'a couple of days before. He scarcely dared to hope, and yet life tor many years had not been so precious to him as now. The long-lost wife, she toward whom his heart had yearned during the dar'x ears that had dragged over his head, and who nud never given him one loving thought, had lived to see the scales fail from her eyes, and turned to him now, with an affection deeper and more sanctified? than that with which she viewed him during those few days, when she was his happy bride, Yes; life was all sunshine and beauty, and he fm for it, with all the ardor and depth of his soul, _ But he could see little cause for hope. He was bound ani unable to help himself in the least. The Indians ‘vere vigilant and watchful, peopered to frustrate the first attempt to escape. © was condemned to death, and so far as he was concerned, he could not see how any human hand could save him. * Well, let it come,” he mused, with a sigh; “it is hard to be resigned, but I can die happy if I can once more fold my darling wife and lit- tle daughter in my arms.” It was night, and the same flaring oil light burned near at hand, so that he could view the whole interior. Water and food had been abun- a Lea the sapling rafters, covered with bark and skins, wondering whether, if free, there was any ready means of reaching the outside; but it wes easy to see that they were powerfully constructed, and if he were given the use of his arms, anda sharp knife, it would be the work of several hours to force his way out, and then he would be likely ~ to fall into the hands of his captors, the moment he reached the outside. But he had no means of lcosing the bonds upon him—so that, if Jeft alone, he knew he was sure to die, ‘* She has been gone two days, and she said she would be back to-night—for to-night decides pe 8h! was that a footstep?” e@ raised his head and listened, but nothing reached his ears, except the mournful sighing of the night-wind through the forest outside. The hour was late, and most of the Indians were asleep. Those whe were awake were silent and vigilant. Living such an Ishmaelitish life as these Blackfeet led, they knew there was no moment when they were safe from attack by es. : The dead of night was the favorite time of their own race for such forays, and at such times, therefore, a gocdly number were on Bandman had slept very little for the past two days, and a heavy drowsiness began settlin over him; and so, stretched ont upon his be of buffalo-robes, he dropped cff into a feverish, unrefreshing sleep. Now and then he woke with a start, certain that he heard some one in the lodge, but after listening a moment, he became convinced that it was only fancy, and sunk off into slumber again. But near midnight, he was awakened a genuine visitor, Something cold rubbed his face, and starting up, he recognized a large, ill- favored dog standing over him, whining and rubbing his nose against his cheek, “‘Get out!” gasped the startled prisoner, with ashudder cf terror, supposing that one of the numerous Indian dogs had been allowed to come in But the creature refused to retire, and Pand- man, nervous and feverish, was about to shout for some one to remove him, when he sud- denly recollected that he belonged to Nick Whiffles! At the same mcment, he observed a piece of bark tied about his neck, and suspecting at once what it meant, he succeeded in loocening it with his hands, bound and cramped though his arms were, The bark was thin and white, having been taken fresh from a sapling, end on the tender inner coating had been scratched some words, that now were well defined, owing to the dark- ening of the sap, where the letters had been traced. Bandman managed to read with little difficulty the following: “This dog has been sent you by Nick Whiffles, who is near at hand to befriend you. The dog will saad your bonds asunder, and then pass out the ge; the next mcment you are to do the same, and make a rush for the woods, where you will be met by Nick, who will do all he can to help you.” Hugh Bandmen made certain that he bad read and that he had undersiocd every word upon the strip of tark; then he quietly tore it in pieces, and east it from him, his done, he Icoked about for the hero, Cais- mity, aud saw tke tip of his tail as he whisked out of the door. ‘Has he deserted me?’ asked the captive, with a sinking of the heart, but he bad hardly uttered the words, when he comprehended the sagacity of the brute, One of the Indians had seen thet emong the several dogs, pPiaying ahout the Lodge, was one that had entered. Suspecting nothing, however. he had walked to the door cf tke cabin, and looked in, out of curiosity, merely to see what was going on. As he did so, the dog shot by kim into the open eir again, @:d he caw the white man look up alarmedly at him, and then drop his gaze, as in sad reverie. The Blackfoot stood a few minutes at the door, scrutinizing the interior of the Death Lodge. The light was burning brightly, and by it he saw no signs of any thing unusual. The top and sides were undisturbed, and from where he stood, he could see that the bonds of the prisoner were firm and secure as ever. Everything being satisfactory, he turned and moved away. It struck this same sentinel, that the dogs were nnusually frisky that night, and that they
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™” Ned Hazel, The Boy Trapper. woro very fond of frolicking in the neighbor- hood of the Death Lodge. He stood aid watched them for a few minutes, and then turned away ‘and joined his companions who were loitering near. Searcely was his back turned, when in went Calamity again. The sagacious brute went straight up to where the captive wastying, and, without any preliminaries, applied’ his sharp teoth to the thongs that bound his elbows, an ii a twining they were free: Vuen the thongs at the wrists followed suit. tio svas still Zastened,at the knees and ankles, and Calamity was about to attack these, when hs sserned to change his mind, and out of the door he went again. Bandman understood the meaning of this movement, and he took the hint at once, Liyinz on his side, he took pains to keep his arms behind him in the same position, as before they were unfastened, and the better to deceive his foo, he kept his head lowered, and began no'lding as though he was dropping off to sleep. Ho heard the cautious footstep of the Indian, and he knew that he was standing at the door, and looking at him, but still the trapper did not raise his head. In the utter silence which thus prevailed Bandman was fearful that the savage would hear the throbbing of his heart, and would pene- trate his calm exterior and see the tumult that agitated him. Could it be that his suspicions were aroused? d he been watching and seen the dog at work? Had the brute been outwitted by the greater brute of a man? Such and similar were the questions that agita- ted the captive during these dreadful moments, when he knew that the burning eyes of the In- dian were fixed upon him, not daring to guess what his next movement would be. If the red-skin had actually detected the ruse that was being attempted, Hugh saw nothing but failure before him. True, his arms were froe, and had he possessed a weapon he would have made a fight upon being approached by the dusky scomxtlrel; but he did not possess a knife, and could make no resistance at all. But he waited and prayed that his enemy would move away and leave him alone, for he felt that ho could not stand this searching scru- tiny much longer. Tho prayer was granted. His strained ears caught the soft rustle and heard the faint sound of tootsteps as the Indian turned poe his heel aud movedaway. Raising his head, Bandman savy that he was alone again, It seemed to the poor fellow that so much of the night had passed, that the morning—dawn of his last day—was close at hand. In reality ib was only a little past midnight; but he was becoming so distressed and agitated that he felt he could not stand this suspense much longer. Sh! here was Calamity again. Heaven’s blessings upon the noble creature, and upon his noble master, who was risking so much for a comparative stranger. a; ‘ As before, the dog proceeded to business with- out delay. A few vigorous clamps of bis jaws, and the cords parted at the ankles; those at the knees quickly followed, and then Hugh Band- man was free. Calamity stood a moment, looking straight into the face of the man whom he had benefited; then turned about and darted out of the door again. “The critical moment had come, and Hugh Bandman staggered toward the door, resolved fo maxe one last grand strugyle for life. CHAPTER XVII. RACING WITH A PHANTOM, At this critical moment the three Blackfoot sentinels were standing together, just beyond the Death Lodge, talking of something that was quite interesting to all. Not one of the three bad the remotest suspicion that an project was on foot looking to the rescue of their prisoner, Had they believed that any living person was thinking of such a thing, it is not to ba mips that all the cunning and skill of Nick iffles and his dog could have benefited Bandman in the least, Thoy were keeeing watch because it was an invariable custom of the Blackfeet to do so un- der such circumstances, and then it was not im- gossible that the prisoner might release himself, jiaough it was by no means probable that such thing could be done. a\s I said, the three were aie Hal my, Foo this manner, when one of them suddenly rned a bright, star-like point of light in the woods, and he called the attention of the others to it. All three turned their heads and carefully scrutinized it. It was small and glowing like a coal, and while they looked they could see that it was steadily increasing in size, showing that it was fire. Furthermore, it was upon the ground, and was burning without noise, and seemingly with- out any human agency, It was singular, to say tho least, and all thee | Reaching the point | Indians moved toward it. where it lay, they stooped and saw that it was a piece of excrescence, nearly spherical in shape, and commonly known as ‘‘ punk.” One of them kicked it about with his moccasin, and then tho question was how did it come there, or rather how did it come to be fired? There was something so curious in it that the three stood talking for a few minutes, and then they walked back again toward their station. And just at this moment it entered the head of one of the dusky scoundrels that this burn- ing point of light might have something to do with the prisoner in the Death Lodge. With a muttered exclamation of anger, he ran to the door and looked in, The captive was not there! For an instant the Blackfoot stood like one stupefied, and then he gave utterance to several dismal whoops, that sounded through the vil- lage, and awoke Woo-wol-na from his sleep. ithin five minutes ascore of warriors, with the chief at their head, were running. toward the sentinel, with the questions: ‘What is the matter? What has happened?” “The prisoner has escaped from the Death Lodge!” This was the alarming ery that went around, With tomahawk in hand, the chief strode up to the one who had announced the catastrophe. | “Dog! how came he to get away?’ he de aaraad, in thunderous tones. ‘““The Great Spirit helped him—” “Thou liest, thou treacherous dog. Thou didst it! Die the death of a traitor!” As the infuriated chief uttered the words, his tomahawk descended upon the skull of the doomed Indian, who sunk in his tracks and paid the fearful penalty of his remissness of duty. In the hubbub and excitement Woo-wol-na did not lose his presence of mind. He knew that the fugitive could be’at no great distance, and he yave orders for a dozen of his fleetest warriors to scatter and search the woods in eve- ry direction for hin, He suspected that the prisoner had outside help in making his escape, and he entered the Death Lodge himself and made a careful ex- amination. The thongs lay mpes the ground, and a glance showed that they but gnawed in two. He had givem instructions to his men ‘to bind the white iman, so that he could not get his hands to his mouth, and he concluded at once that this precaution had been neglected and he | had freed himself in this way. The other two sentinels, dreading the displea- sure of their chief, had taken care to scatter as soon as the alarm had spread, so that this means of information was taken from him. His next inquiry was regarding the Phantom Princess, She had been scen by a number early in the evening; but, upon repairing to her lodge, both she and her daughter were missing! His soul was filled with fury when he learned | this, for he needed no stronger proof that it was | through her connivance that the first and only victim had passed from this fated room without going to his death, All inquiry coutd learn nothing further about her, Noone had seen her within a few hows, and he had now only to rely upon his own cun- ning to frustrate her daring abtternpt to outwit him. He stood for a moment in deep thought, and then he roused up ready to act. f Well aware of the marvelous skill of the Princess in the use of the oar, he concluded that it would be called into requisition wpon the pre- sent occasion. Somewhere, therefore, at no great distance up the river, she was now, or soon would be, with her pag Striding from the lodge, Woo-wol-na made his way to the shore, where several canoes were always lying. He was accompanied by a half- dozen of his truest and tried warriors, and he still had strong hopes of success. It was barely possible that the fugitives had ‘one down the stream; but as this course would ave carried ‘them further away from what must have been their destination, i did not be- lieve that contingency probable enough to war- rant any effort in that direction. $s ” said he, as he seated himself in the bow, “‘and row as best you can.” There were no “slouches” in the canoe, and 1ad not been cut | kadai mand — — LES OE the boat fair'ty skimmed over the surface of the water, The moon was as clear and pores as u the preceding night, and the Indian boat shot out directly in the center as though disdaining the current, which, in reality, was so slight ag to cause scarcely any perceptible impediment, For a half-mile the progress was continued in this manner, and then Woo-wol-na gave the word for the boat to turn nearer shore, where the stream flowed more slowly. His reason for doing this was, in the wind- ings of the river there were many places where there was quite deep shadow, of which he wish- ed to avail himself. If the whites were upon the river, and should discern their pursuers, and should find there was denger of being over- taken, they could easily run in to shore, and se long as the darkness lasted could keep out of the way of all pursuers. His wish, therefore, was to steal upon them, so as to intercept and prevent any such flank The Indians used thei paddles with amazing 16 Indians us oir es wit strength and skill; nothing but the ripple o the water from the prow andthe soft wash from their oars could be heard, as they glided along the shore with such swiftness. On, on they pressed, their muscles seemi never to tire. Several miles were passed and st nothing was seen or heard of the fugitives. Woo-wol-na leaned forward over'the prow, his a eye piercing the gloom ahead, on the look~ out for the first indications of the parties for whom he was searching. Ah! it would have ay ill with the Phan- ea Princess had she fallen into his power at this ime, ‘ His whole soul was aroused, and he was in that mood when 5 eae womanhood or youth- ful innocence would have appealed to his merey in vain, Fully a half-dozen miles were , and he still nat Ct not his vigilance in the least, * Woon!” He uttered the exclamation with such force- ful suddenness that all the warriors stopped rowing on the instant. He explained by point- ing ahead to where, near the center of the stream, and so far away as to be only dimly visible, the white canoe of the Phantom Prin- cess was to be seen, The next instant, the paddles were dip deep, and the Indian canoe shot forward with a speed that seemed about to tear her in twe, Great as was the skill of the woman, the chief “she confident that his warriors could overtake er. When Myra Bandman vanished so suddenly from the eet of the Hudson Bay trappers, why were pursuing her, it was only by one of her | strokes no more skillful than the hundreds by which she kept beyond. their reach all the time. She was very close to the shore at the time, | and growing weary of the race, she made a dex- | terous flirt of her paddies that sent the canoe | under the overhanging undergrowth like a flash, where it was concealed from any who might be passing within a few feet. | But Woo-wol-na was familiar with her strata- gems, and there was no danger of his being de- ceived by any of them. is purposé was to keep them in view until they had pe riage near enough to send several rifle-shots after them, by which he hoped at least so to disable thom as to render further flight useless, They had gone some distance before the fugi- tives gave evidence of discovering their danger ; then the race began in dead earnest. As my readers are aware, the Phantom Prin- cess carried her busband, daughter, Nick Whif- fles and his dog, so that she was under such dis- advantage that she could not call into play all her astonishing skill, and the race had not con- | tinued five minutes when it was evident that the Blackfeet were gaining quite rapidly, | Woo-wol-na was the first to see this, and he cheered his men to renewed exertions. They atrained every muscle and gained faster and aste r. Just what the wary chief feared now took place. pew. of keeping in the middle of the river, where if were in plain view, the fugi. tives began making for the shore. With a howl of rage, the savage raised his rifle and fired) To his amazement it was answered from. the ca- noe, and the bullet sung rather uncomfortably close to his own ear. * But the exertions of his men were not relaxed in the least. possible they toiled the harder, and turned aside as if to head off the approach of the whites to land. The distance was too greet to accomplish aap: eo : za thing by this maneuver, and to the chagrinof
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bughest point, 14 Blackfeet, while they were watching the swan- like flight of the canoe, it flew under the shrub- bery along shore and was lost to view. But: Woo-wol-na and his warriors had marked the point where it had disappeared, and they kept on straight toward it, shooting under the bushes only a few moments behind. But there was no boat visible. It had van- ished as suddenly as when pursued by the trap- rs. But Woo-wol-na knew what this meant. The instant she had landed, the light boat had been caught up in the grasp of her friends, who would probably carry it halt a mile and then launch it again. Very well; if they could do that, so could he. Not hoping to overtake her in the woods, or to tell at what precize point sho would embark | again, the Blackfeot mide a rapid but wide de- tour through the forest, and coming back to the river ata point fully a mile above. : Here it was pees in the water again, and tney paused and listened. Nothing of the other boat was to be heard. “They will soon pass here!” said the chief; ‘we will wait for them.” Like a ther crouching under the bank and waitin ty its victim, the five Indians lay in yait. Daylight broke and found them. still there, but they waited, for Woo-wol-na knew that he was ae and his prey must sooner or »later pass in front of him, where escape would be impossible, Yes; he was right. CHAPTER XVIII. ALY UP!” Tas escape of Hugh Bandman from the Death Lodge of the Blackfeet was in accordance with tae scheme of Nick Whiffles, and, as the reader | has learned, succeeded pes ip I have shown you how well the pup Calamit rformed his part, and how the prisoner fol- | »wed him out at the very moment that he was | directed to do so. Without looking to the right or left, he headed straight for the wood, where he was met by Nick, who whispered: “« Follow me, and don’t make no noise.” The old trapper then headed toward the river, which was reached before the alarm of the In- dians. “T don’t know how long they'll watch that | burnin’ punk,” said he, as they a on the ed se of the river; “but it ain’ } owerful Here we are!” As the last exclamation was uttered, they caine upon the white canoe, in which Myra and her daughter were seated, that moment, terrible from its anxiety, husband and wife em- braced, and mingled their tears. But it was only for an instant, and while Miona was wondering what it all meant, they took their seats in the canoe and shoved out frem shore, Myra, as a matter of course, handling the paddle. The weight in the boat was more than it was | intended to carry, and it sunk alarmingly low in the water; but it was too late to rectify any error, and the devoted wife now called her enorgies into play. They had not gone far, when Nick saw that -pnother serious cuatetene had been committed. | Tae oar which the lady held in her hand was the only one in the boat. They ought to have haji two more, at least, for him and Hugh, by which the speed of the canoe could have been doubled. - As it was, she insisted upon using it harself; so that they could do nothing but re- main passive spectators. ‘Do you think we shall be pursugd?’ asked Bandman, turning toward Nick, who was ca- a Calamity, and praising him for the part he performed. “T don’t think so—I know so,” was the reply. “Tt must be near morning, isn’t it?’ “There be scveral god ours yet, in which we must do all we ; do you know I feel mighty mean, to set here and see that woman use that paddle?” ** So do I, but how can we helpit? But she will get tired of this after a while, and then Gur ve to give us a chance—Hillo! what’s ‘Tt is the alarm at the village; they’ve found out you're off, and now the fun will pe Precisely where the fun came in was more than the rest of the party could see. With the first sound of the commotion, the Phantom Prin- ceas increased the speed of the canoe to the Beadle’s likely they'll | sty there long, and then there’s a chance fur a.) diffiki ae ) Seteiianietee eee This, as has«already been said, was: far less than her ordinary speed, on account of the un- usual weight in the canoe, There was little said, for every member of the company was deeply impressed with the seri- ousness of the situation, and they fett that it was a time for deeds and not for talk. When the lady had carried the cance several miles, her husband insisted so strongly upon taking the paddle in hand that she consented, and he sent it forward with a speed fully cqual to hers. While this was going on, the watchful Nick | was on the look-out for pursuers. He knew that while the Blackfoot warriors were scouring the | woods in every direction, Woo-wol-na was. too sharp to forzet the river. He wes sure to take that means of pursuit, and it behooved him to see that his friends were not stolen upon and re- captured. ick was feeling quite hopeful, when his heart ve one extra throb as he discerned a dark ob- ject far down the river which resembled a ca- noe. He scrutinized it several moments until there could no longer be any doubt, when he announced his discovery. “The varmints are coming, sure,” “Let me take the paddle, then,” said Myra, with some-alarm, as she reached out her hand for it. ‘No, wife,” he replied, without checking his | labor in the least; “you have wonderful skill, but your arm is not as strong as mine, and I can carry this boat forward with as much speed as rou.” re Oh, Heaven favor us!” she prayed, as she covered up her face, as if to shut cut the sight of those who, after being so many years her friends, she now regarded as her bitterest ene- mies, Nick Whiffles was watching the coming canoe | as a. cat watches a mouse, It did not take him long to see that the Indians were coming up ‘ hand-over-hand;” consequently there was no use in attempting to compete with them, when the result of the race was inevitable. Certain of this, he said as much, and at his suggestion the canoe was headed toward shore, Seeing this, as has already been shown, the Blackfeet sent a spiteful shot after them. **By gracious! that looks like business!” ex- claimed Nick, as he sighted his gun in return. ‘*T guess Woo-wol-na, is in that boat, and he doesn’t feel much like palaverin’ over this mat- ter. I wouldn’t give much for the hair of any of us if they catch us.” It was Nick who fired the return shot that came’so startlingly near the Indians. He had no expectation and no wish to strike the pursu- ers, but it struck him that it might serve to show them that, if it should come to a fight, there would be some of it done by both parties. . Reaching the shore, all sprung out at once, | and Nick and Hugh caught wp the boat by con- | cert, and plunged into the woods with it. | Thus the suspicions of Woo-wol-na proved cor- | rect, for the fugitives were attempting the very | Stratagem of which I have spoken, “Well come back to the river about a half- mile,” said Nick, thus unconsciously running into the very trap that had been set for them. This was done, they reaching the river at just about that distance from the starting-point. ere the boat was launched, and they took | their seats in it again, They remained concealed, not wishing to put out until they could gather some idea of the locale of their enemies. They listened and watched, but saw and heard nothing. Calamity made a short reconnoissance through the sur- rounding woods, but he gave no indications of learning any thing. ‘‘Tt’s beginning to get light in the east,” said Bandman, who was quite impatient at the de- lay; “it seems to me we are losing very pre- cious time.” ‘*Go ahead,” replied Nick, ‘‘ but keep close to the Shore, and be ready to dart under at any minute.” In this way they coasted along, until they had me a distance, and the sun was rising. ick iffies had taken the paddle, and reach- ing a sharp point, he said: ‘We'll go in here awhile, and make a few ob- servations.” As he spoke, he shot round the point, and Ca- mers Arty: a low growl. fs ue t is it, pup?’ asked. his master, in rm. A wail went up from Myra, as Woo-wol-na’s canoe suddenly shot out, less than a dozen yards distant, and made straight for them, Nick Whiffles saw that it was all up, evd he made no attempt to escape! | Half-Dime Library. nr re CHAPTER. XTX. MORE LIGHT. Youne Ned Hazel was happy, as he left his frimds on the edge of "Hike river, and started through the woods for his heme. He whistled and sung, for every thing looked bright and cheerful for him. He was certain now that Miona was very lit- tle, if any, less than an angel, and that when he and she became old enough, they were intended | by Heaven for each other. ** ¥ love Nick,” he mused, as he walled along, ‘*put I am not gcing to spend my life as he does | his, in the woods. There is a great world around mie, and I must see it, and make n:y mark in it. I have got a father somewhere, 4: d I begin to feel like getting “eh prs with him.” He was full of dreams of a gloricus future, and of the fortune he was going to carve for himself. “T shall make Miona proud of mesome day,” he added with a glowing face. ‘‘I have grown to be a big boy, without knowing much of nooks, but I’ve the will and the brains, and J’U o it. Ah! the enthusiasm of youth! if it could only follow us through manhood, down the slo of life, what wonders we might accomplish! What heroes all of us would be! what victories the historian would have to write opposite our names! ; Re Yes, sir—that’s what ['m going to do—kel- oa! The last exclamation was caused by the sight of a man, that came into view just in front of him. The lad paused a moment, and then, as he recognized . Mackintosh, he bade him good-morning and walked toward him. “Tam looking for Nick Whiffles; I suppose you can direct me to his cabin?” “Yes; it’s close by, but you won't find him home,” “T am sorry about that,” said Mackintosh, ‘*for I have come on special business, What time to day will he be back?” “Not to-day, nor to-morrow, unless it’s very late to-morrow night.” The superintendent showed by his looks that he was greatly disappointed. He stood as if debating with himself. **Come to the cabin with me, and wait there till he comes back.” Mackintosh accepted the inwitation in an ab- sent sort of way, and the twv walked silently in the direction of the cabin, Reaching there, Ned entered first, and the first thing that at- tracted his eyes was the “ baby-clothes” lying upon the ground. “ Heiloa!” he exclaimed, as he stooped down and picked them up, ‘‘ Nick went off in such a hurry that he forgot to put them away.” ‘Let me seo them, please,” said Mackintosh, who was only a step or two behind; ‘these are the very articles about which I came to sce Nick.” Ned passed them over to the visitor without thought. The latter held them to the light turned very white, and trembled so that he sa down to keep from falling. .- “Oh, Heaven!” he gasped, looking ina strange, wild way at the boy. “What's the matter?’ asked Ned, surprised and alarmed. ‘“*Are these the garments that were around you when you were found?” “ So Nick says.” “Then you are my own darling long-lost boy /” exclaimed the overjoyed Mackintosh, as he threw his arms about the lad, weeping like a woman as he did so. As for Ned, he felt so strange that he hardly knew what to do, but he was conscious of a new emotion of pleasure, and something like an instinctive love for his parent caused him to re- turn the embrace, and to shed tears too. There was silence for a few minutes, and then, as the boy released himself, he sat down and looked up in the face of his parent, bis owt countenance ing with a heavenly delight. “T am so glad that you are my father,” h said; ‘tell me all about it.” j “Ever since I saw you the other day, I have ' had a curious feeling about you. our age, looks, and the account you gave of Nick Whif- fles finding you, led me to think it pouee you were my long-lost boy. The more I thought of it, the more determined did I become that Nick should give me an explanation of the matter, and that is why I have left my men and come to see him.” Pie aeee I ec a you?” Iw a y day awaits your moth- er!” continued Mackintosh: wiping the tears of joy from his eyes, and heedless of the question
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Se 4. 7 3 Fe, s came further Sout i gaged in fishing for a couple of weeks. Ned Hazel, The Boy Trapper. SE RET ASE OEE AT AT SS A NR A SE RES A RS OS AE ENE SE NE CARE SET ee MS ATE eS EE ee eon none Patera of the lad, ‘‘Whatahandsome boy you have ‘own to be; how proud I am, and how proud e@ will be. Come here, and let meshake teuda with you again.” At Iength the father grew more calm. “Your mother is now in London, where I hope you and I will soon join her. Are you to go with me?’ *T am wild for the chance; and will you edu- cate me?” “Nothing that wealth and love can do for u shall be undone.” 4 “T have been Page weary of this life; I ay want to see Nick and bid him good-by. He will be willing for me to go.” “You were born in London, and your moth- er accompanied me to Fort Churchill, when you were about three years of age. In the spring, when the weather was as charming as it is now, she started with me on a ramble along the banks of the Saskatchewan. We remained there only afew days, when, with a party of friends, we h to Elk river, where we en- As there was sometimes danger from wild animals, we frequently anchored our canoe out «in the river and slept in th:t. One night I was belated in returning to where I had left you and your mother. She was in such rugged health that I had little fear'in leaving her alone for a time; but I was later than I intended in getting back, it being past midnight when I reached the shore where I had left her. ‘*T found her asleep on the bank, but you and the canoe were gone. I awoke her in some sur- prise to know what it meant. She was more than I, for she had anchored out in the river, and lay down to sleep there, waiting for me to rouse her by calling to her. “But the. truth soon came out. Mary was a somnambulist, and in her sleep she had paddled ashore, and let the boat float down-stream with you in it. * As may be supposed, we started, almost dis- tracted,to hunt for you. That terrible search I can never forget. At the end of two days we found the canoe, but you were gone! ‘*T concluded at once that you had waked up, and, without knowing your danger, had crawled over the side of the canoe and was drowned. Then we spent days in searching for your body, but failed, of course. Your mother clung to the belief that you had been stolen by some. In- dian, and to gratify her I continued the search. “She clung to her belief for years, and it was only a short tirne ago that she gave you up and returned to England, I had so completely lost all hope, that even when I heard what you told me the other day, I was not convinced.’ “What is my name?” ‘‘Rdward Mackintosh; Nick got the first part ht.” ‘IT have a canoe,” said the boy; “‘let’s go down the river and meet Nick.” This was agreed to, and they started off at once. ——— CHAPTER XX. A STRANGE BARGAIN. For ons moment the group of fugitives in the white canoe sat dumb with despair, as they saw that escape was out of the question. Mvra Bandman covered her face, as if to shut out the dreadful scene; Miona sat paralyzed; Hugh reached out to take the rifle of the hunter. “Tet us die fighting!” he said, but Nick Whiffies drew back. ‘< None o’ that: leave matters to me.” The Indian canoe headed straight toward them, and there would have been a collision had not Nick waved them off. “ Don’t come any nigher!” This command, extraordi under the cir- eamstences, was obeyed, and the Blackfoot boat halted a dozen feet distant. He then ad- dressed himself directly to Woo-wol-na, speak- ing in the Indian tongue. % What do you want?” “ They belong to us,” replied the chief, refer- ring to his companions; “we have come for them.” “No you want me?” he asked. “You deserve deat Me es hee, in ‘ t, ‘but years ago, when I and a few of my tea le ord overwhelmed by the Shoshene, -you fought by my side; Woo-wol-na has not that day, and on that account he will not his brother, the great hunter; but your companions belong to me, and I must have yn them. : a and wife,” said Nick, still sing the Blackfoot tongue; ‘why do you wish thom bay 099 a was the Indian, it was plain to see that he was 1d hn by this information, but it did not affect his resolution. ‘*He has been condemned to death; he- has slept in the Death Lodge, and he must die.” “Is there no sacrifice we can offer that will answer for his life?’ Curiously enough, Woo-wol-na was struck with the question, and ho consulted for several minutes with his warriors, Then with a pecu- liar expression, he turned back again. ‘‘Is she his daughter?” he asked, pointing to Miona. “ Sho is.” ** And they wish her to go with them?” ‘They value her life like their own.” ** Leave her with us, and the rest may go,” This remarkable proposition of course was understood by all except Bandman, to whom Nick explained it. **No,” he replied, indignantly, “‘ we will die before we will desert our daughter, will we not, Myra?’ ‘ A thousand times, yes,” she added, pressing her darling child to her breast. Nick Whiffles now layed characteristic cunning. Waiting until the tumult had some- what spent itself, he asked the mother: ‘“Why do they want the girl to stay?” “The chief has a son, that he ytd to make a eat warrior, and he always said Miona should his wife.” The eyes of the old hunter sparkled. ‘«Thar’s no likelihood then but what he’ll take the best care of her, and suffer no one to abuse her?” ‘Of course; that is what he is after.” “ How old is the gal?” ** Only thirteen.’ *““S’pose I tell him you're willin’ to leave her five years, and to give her leave to marry his son, 1f she chooses—will you do that?” *Ohf how can I—” ‘Hold on,” interrupted Nick, rather sternly, “he’s got the power to take you all, and b mighty! it’s queer he don’t do it. I think it’s only his liking for me that henders him. You’ve a chance to save yourself and husband by takin a offer, and you're a blamed fool if you don o it. “ But, to desert her, Nick—think of it!” “Tis hard, I know, but I calculate, if the Lord’s willing, to spend the next five years and more in the woods, and [ll promise to look after the gal. I’m the only white man that dare go into the Blackfoot village, and I'll do it, and when the five years come round you shall have yer darter, ef Tha ve to lose my scalp in gettiv’ oe No red Injin ’Il make a squaw of her.” “And what says my own precious Miona?” “ For your sake, mother, it is best, I shall be happier than you can imagine in doingit. I shall be always cheerful in the knowledge that IT am not lost to you. I shall long for the five a to come round, for I know that Nick Vhiffles will keep his word.” : ““T swow to gracious! but she’s an angel!” exclaimed Nick Whiffles, as he drew his sleeve across his eyes. ‘I’m yer daddy for the next five years, fur sure!” Nick now resumed his negotiations with Woo- wol-na, who at first rejected them; but he final- ly consented, and the agreement was made. She was to spend five years among the Black- feet, and then, if she still desired to return to her friends, she should be free to do so. This was a great falling off from the original purpose of the Blackfoot chief; but his friend- ship for Nick Whiffles had a powerful influence in the matter, and, like a true Indian, his secret intention was that, when five years were up, she should still remain with him and become his ess pe ca! of in spite of herself and every- ! ne ually, Nick Whiffles’s intention was that ha eouda never marry any Blackfoot—he had other purposes in view. This arrangement was hardly completed, when Mackintosh and Ned Hazel made their ap- pearsace in their canoe. They had pursued — Bas leisurely down-stream, meeting them a ; Poor Ned was in consternation when he learn- ed all that had been done, but while Miona was a heroine, he could be a hero. As he shook hands with her and bid her farewell, he whis- pered: ‘* Remember, I promise to come for P His face, as well as his tone and told how deep was his feeling for the beau child of wet ak adios ” sh gn tore: ESHA “ OU. e p . dark — upon him. from whieh gleamed the Merten bee an rest was to the other boat, ove. pee eee enEIIEEIINNIIIETanracinee cane ERRRERERERERRREL EERE Ce and the sad parting took place—a parting | to be Pebnensihaned by avery participant. Ss Nick Whiffles listened to the story of Mackin- tosh, and said, in his own characteristic man- ner: “Dm glad as a man can be, but it’s hard, by mighty’! and I’m sorry, too!” nd the strong-hearted man, who never anates in the face of danger, turned away ard. wept, _ It was like robbing the parent bird of its nest- ling; or tearing from the sturdy oak the vine which had lovingly, through rains and storms, through sunny days and nights of sweet repose, clung to it for growth and protection. _Down the river floated the little cavalceade— Nick Whiffies on the lead. Was the old man so loth to part with Ned that he would not leave him? At the Portage to the English river the party ‘‘shored,” and passed on foot, through the forest, over to the stream down which to float to Fort Churchill. And yet old Nick left them not. Down to the fort Shey dropped ard Ned end Nick Whiffles passed its po togeth- er, hand clasped in hand. Great was the excitement and joy in the fort over the remarkable events which had tran- spired, and a general jollification took place, while the company’s transport, lying at the lit- tle dock, was carefully fitted up for the three additional passengers. The third day witnessed the departure. The white wings of the trim brig-rigged vessel were shaken out; and slowly she headed for the northward, On the dock stood Nick Whiffles, with bared head, waving his cap in adieu to his dear boy, whom the seas were to separate from him. Ned, standing on the after-leck, gazed upon, and signaled to the dear old man, until, down in the horizon, disappeared departed ones and those left behind. ‘** Miona is my only son, now!” murmured the old forester, as, leaving the dock, he dropped in-. to his canoe, and soon was lost in the mazes of the grim forest around, ‘* The gal’s got me round the heart-strings, an’ when my boy comes ‘ag’in, as he promi she shall be thar to welcome him, or Nick Whifiles’s skulp ’ll be dryin’ in a Blackfoot lodge!” THE END. Edward L. Wheeler’s Deadwood Dick Novels Beadle’s Half-Dime Library. 1, Deadwood Dick; 6r, The Black Rider of the Black Hills. 20. The Double Daggers; or, Deadwood Dick’s Defiance. 28, Buffalo Ben; or, Deadwood Dick in Disguise, 35. Wild Ivan, the Boy Claude Duval; or, The Brotherhood of Death. 42, The Phantom Miner; or, Deadwood Dick’s Bonanza. 49. Omaha Oll; or, Deadwood Dick in Danger. %5. Deadwood Dick’s Eagles; or, The Pards of Flood Bar, 73. Deadwood Dick on Deck; or, Calamity Jane, the Heroine of Whoo Bs he t Act of Dead~ "7, Corduroy Charlie; or, wood Dick, 100. Deadwood Dick in Leadville; or, A Strange Stroke for Liberty. 104. Deadwood Dick’s Device; or, The Sign of the Double Cross. : 109, Deadwood Dick as Detective. 121. Cinnamon Vie the Girl Sport; or, The Golden Tdol o Mount Rosa. 129. Deadwood Dick’s Double; or, The Ghost of Gorgon’s Gulch, 138. Blowde Bill; or, Deadwood Dick’s Home Base. 149. A mek 4 of Gold; or, Deadwood Dick’s Big Strike. 156. Deadwood Dick of Deadwood; or, The Picked Party. 195. Deadwood Dick’s Dream; or, The Rivals of the Road, 201. The Black Hills Jezebel; or, Deadwood Dick’s Ward. The above are for sale by all newsdeale five cents a copy, or sent by mail on receipt tt six cents each. BEADLE AND ADAMS, PuBiisHErs, 98 William street, New York
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J, FLANAGAN, #09 Midshipman Dare, the Pirate Catchon ¥95 The Young Cowboy Captain. 985 sue Two Midshipmen; or, The} Corsair-Chaser’s First ruise, BY DAN DUNNING, 348 @ ..4 Tack, the Seeret Service Spy. ? } 56 und Jack, the Invinchbles; or, The Diaboleal Three, S76 ivetective Dave’s Clese Call. Farrel Fox and His Girl Ferret. sve Varre)’ Fox's Sweep-Stakea BY GEORGE ©. JENKS, $445 Git Ther Owney the Unknown, 98 Git Thar Owney’« Pledge, The Demon Doctor} or, Deniholst, the Kid Dotective. 1 Double-Ourve Dan, tae Pitcher Detective, SS Fluse, we Sinver Detective; or, Owney in a New Role, #68 The Pitcher Betective’s Foll; or, Dan's Double Play, The Geenn Detectthet or. The Last Crulae ofthe tiack Bear, The Pitcher Petective’s. Toughest Turse, 768 Lavry the Thoroughbred; or, Beaten on Every Side, TTY tron Ilana, the Charnwd Detective 654 Unele Sam's Detective in Chicago. BY WM. GG. PATTEN, ae ho Velvet Sport; or, The Jubilee of Jacktown vanes Vieterys or, The Jasper City Clean Out, and » aleay, the Poay Pards, Vane's Vows or, The Crafty Deteotive’s Cratt. Vane’s Vengennce; or, The Wipe Ont, 7 ane’s ; ve nets $, Ape Game at Coffin. City. ; Vane, the Ventriloguist Vidoeg; or, Sport va. Sport. Violet Vane, the Vasoniched: or. The Life a isean igs = j | Vune’s Vialon; or, The Fiery Hand of Fate. ¥ Lhe Dlamund Mport } or, The Double Face of Bed Rock, 619 pen deer Mystery; or, Five in One, 81 Dalay ware tbe Sport from Denver. SAT OL] Gombshell, the Ranger Detective. 604 hrou Fern, the Men of Fire; or, Anong the Valtures. 619 The Boy Tramp Deteetives or. The Double Grip Witness G21 Dismal Dave’s Dandy Pard; or, The Clue to Capt. Claw 651 Bound Boy F rank, the Young Ainateur Detective HS ld Vuleany the Lone-Range Rider, gi Old Misery the Man from Minoourl. 774 Olour-firit Cal, the Never-Sry-Dle Detective, TV Sam Sheridan, the Secret Service Speciy’ 808 Cawboy Steve the Ranch Mascot. 880 Nobby Nat, the Tenderfvot Detective, S836 Sharper Stoke’s Pouble Deal. S57 Bpvtter Rebin New York. 966 Spotter Beb’s Bewery Racket. BY OOLONEL DELLE SARa&, {3 The Lion of the Sens or, The Vailed Lady, “4 Oo Dosamond ; or, The Gambler’s Big Game, BY CAPTAIN FRED, WHITTAKER, 16 The Ben-Cat; or, The Witch of Darien. 29 The Bumb Page or, The Doge’s Deughter. 48 Diek Durling, the Pony Express Rider. ige *ance and Lasao}; or, The Children of the Chaco. 154 The Sword Hunters; or, The Land of the 4 Riders 159 The Leoat Captain; or, Skipper Jabos Coffin’s 300 Tho Roy Bedoutnas or, The Brothers of the Plamed Lanee 314 Wolfgang, the Robber of the Raine. 44 pa one the epee ty pas or, Round the World, r Taeer} or, The ue of the Jungis. 1 Binek Nick, the Demon Ruler. 5S Joe's War Trail. BY OAPT. J. F. 0, ADAMS, Bel; or, Nick Whiffies’s ie 1 Nye, the Grunt Mhot ef the weet Ned sf the Boy Trappor. Nien W hidles’s Pets or, lr The Valley of Boath, Oo The Wh Indian; or, The Scout of the Yeilowstona ') Ola Zip’s Gabla; or, The Greonhorn in the Woods Jo, the Terror of the Prairie. +s ot, Tha Wild Rstoese ; Viole GH Vinler Violet TH5 Viviet Violet BY T. ©, HARBAUGH. 94 Midnight tack ; or, The Boy Trapper, 06 Old Froaty, the Guide; or, The White Queen, 2 & 55 Gold Trigger, the Sport; or, The Girl Avenger, 69 Tornnade Toms; or, Injun Jack Frem Red Core, 88 Ned Temple, the Border Boy; or, The Mad Hunter 98 Arkansnaw ¢ or, The Quorn of Fate’s Revenge.» 0? Navajo Niok, the Boy Geld Hunter. 15 Onptain Bullet; or, Little Tovknot’s Crusade. 31 Plucky Vhil; or, Kem, the Rod Jesebel. 41 Fill Bravo; or, Tie Roughs of the Rockies. 255 Captain Apolivs me King-Pin of Bowle. 267 The Buckskin Detective; er, The King of Read-agents. 279 Old Winch; or, The Buckskin Deaperadoes. 294 Dynamite Dan}; or, The Bowle Blade of Yochotopa. 802 The Mowntain Detective: or; The Tr.ygei par Bally. 816 Old Eelipsae, Tromp Card of Arigone, 826 The Ten Pards; or, The Torror of Take-Notice. 8386 Bie Benson; or, The Queen of the Lasso, B45 Pitiless Matt; or, Red Thunderholt’s Secret. B5E OCvol Sam and Par: or The Terrible Six. B66 Velvet Foot, the Indian Detective, BSG Captain Cutlass } or, be Brccaneer’e Girl Foo. 396 Rough Rob; or, The | win Champions of Blue Blazes, 411 The Silken Pathe or, The Rose a Ranch Robin. 418 Felix Fox, the Boy Spotter; or, The Gold Gang of New Youu 425 Toxas Trump, the Border Rattler. 86 Phil Flasn, the New York Fox; or, The Mystery of Room 91, 45 The City Vampires} or, Ked Rolfe’s Pigeon. 61 One Against Fifty; or, The Last Man of Keno Bar, 79 The Roy Shadow } or, Felix Fox's Huat. 77 The Exceistor Sport; or, The Washington Spotter, 499 Single Sight, the One-Eyed Sport, 502 Branded Ren, the Night Ferret. 512 Dodger Dilek, the Wharf-Spy Detective, Podgor Pick'’s Best Podge; or, Tle Gotham Gold Gang. 528 Fex and Falcon, the Bowery Shadows. BSS Podger Dick, the Dock Ferret. &48 Dodecer Dick’s Double; or, The Rival Boy Detectives, 558 Dodger Piek’s Desperate Case. 568 Dodger Dick. the Boy Vidocq; er, The Gang of Three, S78 The Two Shadews; or, Dodger Dick’s Stop Gane, B82 Dodger Dick’s Drops or, The Mnn from Jorwy, 594 Little Lon, the Street-Sipger Detective. 616 Old Skinner, the Gold Shark; or, Tony Shorp on Guard, 626 The Champion Parda; or, The Lucier of Silver Bar, 687 Diek Denn, the Dock Boy Detective. 645 Kit, the Pavement Sharp. v53 Billy Bantam, the Boy Beagle. 671 Jersey Jed, the Boy Hustler; or, Shadowing the Shadower. 685 Happytilugh, the Boy Musician Detective. or Paatesraek ¥ red, the Camera Sharp. 15 Wide Awake Len, the Quaker City Ferret, 82 Vntay Pell, the Pavement Detective; or, Trapping Big Game, 42 Billy Winka, the Bell Boy Detective, 54 EBllly Winks, the Boss Boy Shadow. : 68 Fagle Ned, the Boy on Guard: or, Tne Camp Bpiders, 80 Tonkaway Tom, the Red Whar 827 The Kantam Sport. 845 Clip, the Battery Ferret; oc, sack veutrs Foul May S97 Davy Doon’s Big Bounee. 905 Dandy Nugret, the Bo~ Shadow, 921 The Boy from Denver. BY CHARLES MORRIS, 4 4 4 4 4 PErtedrel ick 118 Wil Somers, the Boy Detective. 12V Phil Viardy, the Bossa Boy. 126 Picayune Pete; or, Nicodemus, the Dog Detective VSO Retective Diek; or, The Hero in Rags, 142 Mandsaome Harry, the Bootblack Detevtive, 147 Will Wildfire, the Thoroughbred. 152 Black Besa, Will Wildfire’s Kacer. 157 Mike Merry the Harbor Police Boy, 162 Wil Wildtire in the W ooda, 165 Rilly Boggage, tbe Railroad Boy. 17 A ‘Crump Card ¢ or, Wil Wilddire Wins and Lome 174 Rov Rockett; or, Mysteries of New York, 179 Bob Rockett, the Bank Runner, 18S Vhe Hidden Hand; or, Will Wildfire’s Revenge. IS7 Fred Halyard, the Life Boat Boy; or, The Smugglers. 189” Bob Reekett; or, Driven to the Wall. 196 Shadowed; or, Beb Keckett’a Fight for tafe. 2086 Park Paul, the Tiger King, 2123 Dashing Dave, the Dandy Detective, 2206 Tom Tanner; or, The Black Sheep of the Flock. 885 Sam Charcoal the Premium Darky, 235 Shadow Sam, the Messenger Boy. 242 The Two * taloeda”; or, Shenandoah Rill cad His Geng. Q5e Dick Dashaway ¢ or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago, 262 The Young Sharpe: o. Rollicking Miles ioe Trail, T4 Jolly Jim, the Detective Apprentice, 2AY Jolly Jim’s Jobs or, The Young Detective. 298 The W ater-Neund; or, The Young Thorougnored. 805 Dashaway, of Paketa: or, A Western Lad in Quaker City, Ralph Kendy, the Hutel Boy Detective. Tony Thorne, the Vagabond Detective. 855 The Reporter-Detectives or, Fred Figess Biixzard. B67 Wide-Awake Joe; or, A Boy of the Times, B87) Larry. the Leveler; or, The Bloods of the Boulevara, t Piretly Jack, ihe River-Rat Detective. 42% The Lost Finger; or. The Entrappod Cashler, 42% Fred Piver, the Revorter Deteetive. 48% Invineible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. 456 Rilly Briek, the Joily Vazadond. Wide-A\ wake Jerry, Detective; or Entombed Alive, 479 Detective Dodge : or, The Mystery of Frank Hearty. 43% Wild Dick Racket; or, How He Fought for Honor, Boats, the Koy Pirewan: or, Too Sharp for the Sharper, b68 The Sceret “crvice Boy Detective. 596 Jimmy the Kid; or, A Lamb Among Waves, #837 Tom Bruce of Arkananee or, The Wolfln the Feld. 655 Plucky Paul, the Roy Speculator, - 43 LF que Sam, the Daiay Patertines; « The Curbateone Retective; or, Harry Hale’s Beat, TST Netective Fran k's dncep-skea: me 869 Ned Norman, the Gamin Broker, S81 Turkey Billy, the Shine-’em-np Detective, 917 Flash Ttehtatins the Mountain Mascot. BY ALBEKT W. AIKEN, 11 The Two Detectives; or, The Fortunes of a Bowery Gir 76 Abo Colf, the Crow-Killer, » TP Sol Ginger, the Ginnt Trapper. 238 Joe Buck «of Angela and Hila Buy Papd. 7 New York Nat, A Tale of Trieks and Traps fz Gotham. $22 New England “fick 3 or, The Fortunes of a Poundling, 64 Nimble Vtek, the Cireus Prince. 498 Taos Ted, tae Avizann Sport. 10 Coo) Colorado, the HaliPreed Detective 18 Ceol Oolorade tn New York: or, The Gowboy’s Fight BY OAPT, ALY RED B. TAYLOR ©. 8 A, BOL Ruffalo Fitty, tha Bou Puliwhackar. 194 Bufolo BUs Bett +r. She Geqbler Gulia, BEADLE'’S«H ALF- PDIME* LIBRARY. Eath Issue Complete and Sold at the Uniterm Price of Five Cents, by all Newsdeasers. . BY J. W. OSBON, 469 Tho lival Glanta of Nowhar’. 408 Onctus Burr, the Man frem Hard Lack. SST Old Buckeye, the Serra Shadow. B@4 Pewder Phil, the Boy Minor, or, The Man Withoutal a 609 Kolly Dorrit, the Yeteron Detective. 620 Little Li htning’s League; or, The Mystery.o: the lolaad 688 Pluek aul, the Boy Preupector. Tek Solara pes, a Neel Fea a aia ° a ans ath; or, Ree! i 028 Gold-Bust Dan’s Snap-Shot, : BY JOSEPH EF, BARGER, JB, 2 Vellowstone Juek; or, The Tromso 45 Black Jolin the Road-Agent; or, The Outlaw’s Rejroat, 65 Wurricane Bill; or, Mustang Sam and His Pard, 119 Mustang Sam ; or, The King of the Pisins. 186 Night-Huawk Kits; or, The Daughter of the Ranch, 144 Dainty Lance the Bey Sport. 161 Panther Paul; or, Dainty Lance to the Reseue, 160 The Black Giant; or, Dainty Lance in Jeopardy, 168 pend Pash} or, Fighting Fire with Fire. 184 The Bey Trailers; or, Dainty Lance on the War-Path, 208 The Rey Pards; or, Dainty Lance Unmaska, Oale, the Caliban of Colestial City. 810 The Barranca Wolf; or, The Beautiful Decoy. 819 The Black Rider; or, The Horse-Thieves’ 885 Old Double Fiat 3 or, The Strange Guide 855 The King of the Wovds: or. Daniel Boone’s Last Teale 449 Kit Fex, the Border Boy Dutective. 625 Chincapin Ban, the oy Rk 677 Chinecapia Pan's Second Trafl. 688 Chincapin Pan’s Home Stretch. 698 Old Crazy, the Man Without a Mend, 7O8 Tivht-Heart Lute’s Legacy. 718 Light-Heawrt Lute’« Last Trail. 728 Ailverbinde, the Shoshone. 729 Allverblade, the Half-Blood; or, The Border at Bap 789 Milverblade, the Hostile; or, The Border Reag 748 Sfiverblade the Friendly; or, The Bordor Beagle’s Bey Pow BY ©. DUNNING CLARK, 185 Captain Paul; or, The Boy Spy of the Mountains. 280 Tho Yankeo ajah} or, The Yate of the Black BY LIFUT. I. D. PERRY, U. 8. N. 176 The Boy Runaway; or, The Buccaneer of the Bay, 180 The Sea Traler: or, A Vow Well Kept. 192 Oaptain Kit; or, The Mystery of Montauk Polat, BY JACK FARRAGOUT. B15 Ned, the Cabin Hoy; or, The Witch ot the Fort, 820 The Sea Sorceress; or, The Boy Shipper. BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 78 Blue Dick; or, The Yollow Chiefs Vengeance. 18% The Land piratent or, The League of Devil's Island 187 The Helpless liand; or, Backwouda Retribution. 289 The Gold-secker Guide! or, The Loss Mouptatp, BY BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG, 89 Taland Jims or, The Pet of the Fess. $91 The Oaptain of the Club; or, Tho Mval Athletes 101 Jack Markaway in New York. MISCELLANEOUS AUTHORS, 4 The Wild-lorse Hunters. By Capt. Neyne OG Frederick Whittaker. ® Adventurcs of Baron Munchausen, 12 Gulliver’sa Travels. By Dean Swift, 14 Aladdiny or, The Wonderful Lamp. 14 Rebinson Orusoe. (27 Lilustrations.) 18 Sindbad the Sailor, His Seven V oye 22 at Bena Serpent; or, The Boy Robinson Crosap, By Jnee wia, 88 The Ocean Bloodhounds or, The Ref Picsies o/ the Carribees, By S, W. Pierce. R6 The Boy Clowns or, The Arena Queen. By # 8, Finn. BS Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout. By Tens Jack. Gi The Roy Rifiess or, The Underground Camp. By A. C.Trons 95 The Rival Rovera; or, The Freebooters of tho Missiesippi By Lieut.-Col. Haseltine. 98 RNebin Hood, the Vutlawed Earl; or, The Merry Men of Green wood, By Prof. Gildoraleeve. 1065 Old Rube, the Hunter; or, The Crow Captive. By Captais Hawilton Holmes. 112 The Mad Hunter; or, TheCaye of Death. By Burton Saxe 124 Tsopy, the Texan; or, The Young Champion. By George eran. 128 The Young Privateer; or, The Pirate’s Btronghold. By Harry Cavenitish, 148 Sharp Samy or, The Adventares of a Friendlies Boy. By J Aloxander Patten, per: or, The Green Ranger of the Yeb- ron 227 Dusky Darrell, T lowstone. By Edward « 261 Fergus Fearnaught the Now Y rk Boy. 266 Kiliv’ar, the Guide; 51, Davy Creckett’s By Enaign C. D. Warren. 298 Red Claw. the One-Eyed Trapper; or, The Mtuld ot the Clif By Captain Comstock. B17 Peacock Pete. the Lively Lead from Leadville. By Liew tenant Alired Thorne. 828 The Rky Detective or, A Boy's Fight for Lifeand Honos- By Major Mickey Yree. 850 Red Ralph, the River Rovers or, The Brothe’s Re venge. By Ned Buntline, REG Kaltimore Ben the Bootblack Detective, A. ¥. Morria 874 Gold.DPust Tomy or, Ben’s Double Match. ots Fi Mores 876 Calfifornta Joe’s Viret Trail, By Colonel Thoma Hoyer Monstery. 418 Billy Fembehcll, tho Clif Climber. By ¥. 8. Winthrop, A7& The Binck Ship, By JohuS Warner 4484 Comanehe Dick and His Three Invineleles. By Heanrv J. Thomas, S82 The Cowboy Puke. 5S*@ Ariel 585 Will 4, L, uskon Trail 8069 Don Danton, the Gent from Ponver. By King Keene, of @ 814 Ave igh, the Frines Betective, By ©. B. THe» “e . . © ive. ~ 880 The Grim Lodrers In Rag Alley} of, Cithen Bel of Nuinber Seven. Ry Ren D. a eat 881 The Chicago Prumwmer’« Beal. By J. G. 841 i rjoge Charlle, the Cat’«- Paw Sport, uke “, $61 Billy Brine, the Swamp Fox. By Chas. FP. 879 Hine-Heht BI, the Sapphire Sport; or, The carey tive’s Lone Hand. By Kiog Keone. R A New Iesue Every Tuesday, , fa tor sale by all Betas by Sies® The Halt. Dime Library ; cents por copy, or sent by mall on receipt of si wats eau tg rte Fi Sab ee x ~@ ee ae T gemma