Copyrighted, 1884, by Bnnu nu: Alum. Entered a: the Pm: Office: at New Yurk, N. Y., :1. Second Chm Mall Manor. Why 7. 15M.

 

vol. III “.50 Pnbluhed Weekly by Beadle and Adam, F Prloe. No. 17

3 "en’- No. 98 WILLIAM $12, NEW YORK. "'0 Gem"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

m.

NICK WHIFFLES AND CW.

 

 

,\

 

~ Oregon Sol.

 

 

- w---“

Dragon Sol;

NICK WHIFFLES’S BOY SPY.

BY CAPT. J. F. C. ADAMS.

CHAPTER I.
. .a “ CONDEMNED DIFFXKILTY.”

“ WHEN a man has got to say yes or no, and
can’t for his life make up his mind which he
orter say, then I allow he’s in a condemned diffi-
kilty; but, when you’re in such a kentry as this,
where the vnrmintu are all around you, it‘s the
best plan to be ’spicious of ’em all.”

Thus spoke Nick Whitfies, with the old smile
lighting up his honest, homely countenance, in
reply to.a remark of his friend, Oregon Sol, a
brother trapper, as they half‘reclined on the
face of a large flat rock, far up in the wilds of
the Northwest. one pleasant summer day, a
number of years ago.

“There's my gran’father,” continued Nick,
“who used to be the most onsus icious old gen-
tleman that I ever knowed. remember one
day, when a man come along and offered to sell
him apiece of land that he said was just the

 

‘ place to raise elephants onto. to sell to the cir-

cus companies. The old man borrowed the
money on a mortgage, and paid him his price
fur the land, and then went out there to begin
raisin’ them little pets. When he got there and
come tolocate his land, he found it was right in
the middle of the Wisconsin river, where the
water was twenty-four feet deep. That set the
old gentleman in high dudgoon, and he come
tearin’ back az’in, and went for that swindler;
but, when he found him. the chap axed his par—
don on account of the little mistake that had
been made, and said that the tract he sold him
laid a mile north of the spot where he had sup-
posed it was. My grap’father swallered it all
and went back ag’in as happy as he could be,
and when he come to make sure where it was,
he found that the only way to reach it was by
taking a balloon and going a mile and a half u

in the air. When my gran’fatber come MOE
ag‘in. he was never able to find the man he
bought the land OR of, which wasa good thing

‘fur the man. and it helped to make the old gen-

tleman’spicinus, and that's whv I ain’t ready
to say that this yere young Blackfoot is an
honest boy. though he does look as innocent in
the face as a spring chicken.”

_“That’s jest it,” assented Oregon Sol, as be
elected a mouthful of tobacco-juice, with such
3 ill as to knock a fly 01 the ear of the dog
Calamit that was stretched out dozin at their
feet; “ bar’s whar the condemned imkility,
as you call it, comes in. Sometimes I look into

the face of Mamnyo. the Indian boy, and I'

think if ever there was a young lamb goin’
round onto two legs, that ‘ere chap is him. You
remember down on Dent’s Bay, a month ago,
whenwe war flabin’. he swam out at night, fai-

‘chr a mile, and to tell us that a party of them

ens-ed Modem. led by Captain Jack, was

I ‘ :waltin' fur darkness so as to come down and

A, I r

w. ' .i'.

 

raise our ha’r. No mistake, Marunyo ke t as
out of a mighty bad scrape that time, and felt
like axin’ his pardon fur ever thinkin' anything
wrong ’bout him. Then ag‘in, thar didn’t noth-
in’ come to make me feel shaky, till a week or
two ago, when I war ne’r among the lava—beds
and see‘d Marunyo hobnobbin’ with these same
Modocs that are the meanest cusses that ever
went unscalped.”

“ Wal we’ve got to watch him mighty close,
that’s all,” re lied Nick. “Most of the Whiflies
family was a ’spicious nature. They always
had a ’spicion that thar was something extron-
nery in the way of smartness ’bout me, but
when I growed u , my mother said it was one
of them s’picions that never was confirmed. The
schoolmaster, howsumever, said I was a blasted
fool, the first time he sot eyes onto me, and that
spicion was confirmed. There was my aunt,
too, that had her fast beau when she was
seventy-three years old. She was so ’spicious
that she was too young to keep company, that
she made it a practice to set the dog on that
lIli.ev;:,)lul;ionary pensioner when he come to see

er.

“ Did he keep it up?”

“Wal, yes—that is till he hadn’t any more
seats left to his brooches, and then, when he was
layin’ in bed to get ’em mended so as to begin
over again, she run ofl with his father that had
been a widower for more nor forty years.”

“ But ain’t you a leetle inclined to be ’spici—
ous yourself?” asked Oregon Sol, who, on this
lazy summer afternoon, was disposed to humor
the loquacity of his friend.

“ That depends upon sarcumstances,” was the
reply. “ One time, when two other chaps and
me war arter the same gal, I‘d a. ’spicion that
one of ’em pla ed a condemned mean trick on
both of us. e was a. sort of a—”

' “ Hallo what’s up, Calamity?”

Nick’s yarn was cut of! abruptly, for the dog,
that hitherto had seemed to be in sound sleep,
suddenly raised his head and gave out a faint
whine, the meaning of which was evident
enough to the two trappers. It meant that
some one was approaching and that it behooved
them to be on too watch. I .

It was curious to notice the action of the two
trappers the instant the dog uttered his warn-
ing. Sitting upon the broa rock, as they had
been for the last houg they were exposed to the
bullet of any treacherous Modoc or Blackfoot
that might creep up to them. :But they knew
their latitude pretty well, and the instant the
sagacious dog apprised them of What was com-
ing they slid oi! the rock as silently as a couple
of serpents that had been basking in the sun.
and screening themselves in the bushes, awaited
until the precise nature of the danger should
develop it self.

Calamity, having uttered the man and risen
to his feet, stood with his nose pointed toward
the north, indicating that that was the direction
from which the stranger was coming.

Nick Whifies had seen signs of Modocs during
the last few days, and it had made him rather
uneasy, for it was only about a hundred miles
to the north of this that he and Oregon Sol had
their cabin or head quarters, from which point
they made excursions through long leagues of

 

.—'rr2*

 

 

 

    

Oregon Sol.

 

surrounding territory. Such a distance was a
trifling one, and if the treacherous Modocs were
thus close, there was reason to believe that they
would pay the cabin their respects before they
returned.

After rising to his feet, Calamity stood utter--
ly motionless for two or three minutes, when he
suddenly stretched out again, with his nose be-
tween his paws, as if he wished to finish the nap
which had been interrupted.

“All right,” exclaimed Nick Whifllcs, as he
witnessed the conduct of the dog, “ That shows
that there ain’t any of the red-skins jest now
that are tryin’ to bore a hole into our carcasses.
Come, Sol, we may as well git into that sunlight
ag’in and share it with the purp."

As the two trappers moved toward the tab~
ular mass of stone, 8. figure emerged from the
bushes u on the opposite side and approached
them. ithout exchanging any greetings, Nick
and Sol took their stations behind the rock and
awaited his coming.

It was the figure of a handsome, lithe, and
graceful Indian youth, dressed in Indian cos-
tume, with a face of remarkable beauty. He
had the dark, flashing eyes of the red man, and
the long, dark, sweeping hair worn by that
race; but his features were more regular, and
there was a certain grace and ease in his hearing
that would have drawn attention even among
the most noted warriors of his own peo le.

He carried a knife at the girdle, a on sil-
ver—mounted rifle in his right hand, whi e his
face was covered with paint—not of the hideous
style generally adopted by the red-skins, but in
the form of a dye.

“ Wal, Marunyo, you seem to be all in a
hurry," said Oregon Sol, extending his hand to
the young Indian as he came up. It was evi-
dent that he was a “brother” to thé two trap-

ers.

“Yes,” replied the youth, speaking with an
accent as pure as his own, “ I have much to do.
The red-men are still seeking wrong, and Ma-
runyo has many miles to travel to get to the
mountains ahead of the Modocs.”

“ Ain’t vou in the mountains now?" asked
Nick Whitflas, who did not understand precisely
his meaning. “That reminds me of an uncle
that I once had that built hima house with a
door back and front, and one day he made a
bet with his wife that he could get in without
her seein’ him. Wal, my aunt took the bet and
the old fool went out the door. She s’ osed he
meant to stay away till she got tired 0 watch-
in’, when he would slip in and win the bet,
so she made up her mind that she wouldn't be
cotched that way, and she watched all I the
rest of the day, but when night come he
hadn’t showed hlmself yet. That made my vir-
toous aunt as mad as thunder, and as she was

ettin s eepy, she hired a man to watch, with a
gig mus at, and told him to shoot the first chap
that he found tryin’ to steal toward the house.
She was always tender-hearted, was my aunt,
and she told the teller on guard that he must
make sart’in and kill the burglar at the first fire,
so as not to make him sufler too much. Wal,
they didn’t see him that night, nor the next
, one, nor the next month, nor next year,,and

my aunt cencluded that the old teller was gone

. . “It won‘t do any good, if

 

   
       

sart’in sure, and she went in mournin’ a year.
and then began to receive the devours of 5 dr -
goods clerk, that got four dollars a week, one ,
and things was pretty near in shape for them
to get 5 liccd, when who should come walkin’ in
the bac door one day but my uncle, who er
plained that in order to get into the house with-
out her seein’ him, he made a trip around the
world. He did surprise her, and won the bet-
;mlt the Whiifles were always a smart set of
o as.

 

CHAPTER II.
ran: YOUNG INDIAN mamas.

THE young Indian, like all his race, knew how
to hear pain and suffering without murmur
or complaint. He seemed accustomed to the
whimsicalities of Nick Whlmes, for althou h be
was in great haste, and had only turned a ittle
out of the way in order that he might exchange ‘
a word or two with his friends, he showed no
impatience, while the old hunter was indul ing
in one of his characteristic reminiscences, hen
Nick had finished, and before he could start of!
on another, Oregon Sol put in his question:

“ Don’t talk in riddles, Marunyo—but tell us
what the row is this time. You spoke of the
Modocs—what have they been doingi—scalpin’,
murderin’, sliootin’ and skulpin’, l s’pose; but
what has that to do with you?”

The young Indian pointed to the northward,
toward the for horizon, where the blue cloud-
like outline of a chain of mountains could be
seen against the azure sky. It was_a spur of
that mighty chain which, extending from the
arctic to the southern ocean, branches off in
vast ridges, some of them extensive enough to .
make independent ridges of themselves.

As the two trappers followed the direction in-
dicated by Marunyo, they knew that that blue
streak of elevated land was in British America.
Both had hunted the otter and beaver there,
when in the employ oi.’ the Hudson Bay Com-
pany, and if Marunyo mount to imply that he
was engaged upon an errand that would take
him there, both knew that a number of days
must elapse before they could see his face again.

“ Wal, we see where you're pointing,” said
Nick Whimes, after waiting a moment for the
red-skin to speak. “ That reminds me 01 what
my grandmother once did, when I was on a visit 7
to her. You see the old lady—”

“ The Modocs are bad people,” the Indian has-
tened to say, in order to arrest the threatened
anecdote; ‘ they are traveling northward to
ward the Saskatchewan."

“But they belong just the other way,” said
Oregon Sol, pointing to the s ulhward. “ Them
Modocs belong among the lava beds of Oregon.
I s’pose because it looks so much like the in-
turns] country round there, that they feel at
home.” , ‘

” But some of them are traveling northward,”
replied Marunyo; “there are enlya few, but
they are bad, and Mamnyo must follow and see
what they do. ‘ He will be back in a few days.
and then perhaps he will have mstory to ta 1.”
you have,” replied

Sol, “ while Nick is about: i’d like to- see the .

 
 

 
   
 
 

 

4 ' Oregon Sol.

man that could iet the start of him in tellin' a
yarn. I think t at when the last messenger
comes, Nick will ax him to hold on a few min-
utes till he tells him a little story about his
ran’father, or uncle, or some of his relations.
at, Marunyo, ain’t you going to tell us any-

, thing: about this trouble?”

' “Not yet,” re lied the Indian youth. who did
not seem to relisx this jocularity. “I go, but
soon will be back."

And without any further words, he turned
on his heel, and moving northward in thedirec-
tion in which he had pointed, disappeared the
next moment in the wood and bushes beyond.

And leaving Nick Whiffles and Oregon Sol to
themselves for a time, we must follow the ln-
dian spy upon his errand, which was destined
to prove the most eventful of his life.

It was late in the afternoon that he left the
company of his two friends, and without once
looking behind him, he moved with a peculiar,
loping gait directly through the wood, like one
who is certain of the precise destination toward
which he is hastening. He carried his insepar-
able rifle in his hand. and although his head
was turned neither to the right nor the left, his
senses were on the alert, and he could not have
failed to detect any suspicious sound or sight
near him.

For something like a, mile the route led along

, a ridge, when a stream of water of considerable

size was reached. Instead of advancing to the
edge. Mamnyo cautiously made his way b :ck to
the top of the ridge, and after some maneuver-
ing. managed to secure a position which aiford-

' ‘. ed quite an extended view of the riVer in both

directions.
Lying flat upon his face, with his body ex-
tended forward over what was here an over-

hanging bluff, the Blackfoot youth spent some,

fifteen minutes in scanning the extensive field,
which was spread out before his vision. Roving
hither and thither, his eye at last rested upon a
point about a quarter of a mile distant, and
upon the opposite side of the stream. Only the
sharpest vision was able to detect a faint col-
umn of smoke rising from some spot within the
wooi, when the fire itself could not be seen.
"He is there,” said M'irunvo to himsclf.
“Captain Jsck and Flat-Nosed Billy have come a
long wave from the lava-beds with the two cap-
tives. They must be very valuable, or they
.would not carry them so far into the woods.
‘But they mean that no one slnll steal them
away. nor that they shall esc ipe themselves.
But Marunyo is on their path, and he shall fol-
low them. if the trail leads him beyond the

», head-waters of the Siskatchewan.”

Mai'unvo remained a few minutes longer gaz-

" ing flxsdly in the direction of the Indian sign,

as it he hoped to detect something more ton-

'51th but failing to do so, and as the day was

revving rapidly to a close, he carefully made
his way down from the ridge, and drawing a
small canoe from its concealment, launched it
upon the river, sprung in and sped away like a
swallow. _

He headed straight toward the campfire, and

, ache was-paddling against the current he cross-
'\ed,ofv‘er,to,the other side, and ran in as close to

'the‘shore as possible, so as not only to take ad~

 

vantage of the more slowly-flowing water, but
to run so much less chance of being seen.

Having secured the position he was seeking,
he made his progress much more gradual than
it had been in crossing the river. It lonked in-
deed as if he was seeking to defer his arrival
upon the scene of the camp until after night
had fairly settled over mountain and stream.

Not much need was there of his waiting, for

already had the sun sunk out of sightin the Pa-
cific, and the moon, half-full, shed a dim, uncer-
tain light upon the river, while the little came
crept along in the bank of deep shadow, with
the silent, insidious motion of a phantom of the
night.
Why was it that Marunyo, the young Black-
foot, was so carefully following the boat con-
taining the two Modocs and their captives? It
was not the first time that these woman‘thieves
had stolen white people and either murdered or
made 01! with them. And knowing this, why
should the young Blackfoot take such an extra-
ordinary inferest in the fate of these two par-
ticular ones?

None understood more thoroughly the charac-
ter of the two men whom he was following.
Flat-Nosed Billy was one of the most treacher-
ous dogs that ever bore the name of man, and
the later crimes of Captain Jack, who crowned
his life of infamy with the hellish assassination
of General Canby, are so well known to our
readers, and so fully reveal his nature that no
further description is needed in this place.

Marunyo could have advanced to the camp,
where these two Modocs were masters, and he
would have been received as a friend. He had
indeed perforde more than one good office for
the chieftain, in his capacity of spy, and was
entitled to his gratitude.

But, that made the danger none the less. Cup"
tain Jack was now on a long journey from his
home in the lava-beds, and was doubtless keep-
ing a. sharp lookout to see whether he was fol-
lowed or not. For any one to attempt it was
ahout equivalent to a deliberate commission of
suicide.

This will explain the extreme caution of the
Indian spv. who, as he found himself in the im-
mediate vicinity of the camp, ceased paddling
altogether and sat for a few minutes intently
listening.

All was still, and reaching up, be grasped an
overhanging limb. and drew the little boat
against the bank. The next instant, he had
drawn the prow up on the land, so skillfully
concealed that it Could not be seen by any one
passin up or down the stream or bank.

At t is moment there was no more than a
hundred yards between the Blackfoot and the
camp, and he advanced, with the stealth that
he used when moving at midnight among the
liOstile warriors among the Klamath lakes.

Still this particular portion of a scout's recon-
naissance is not considered the most difficult nor
the most dangerous by any means, and it did
not require Marunyo a long time to gain a posi-
tion from which he was aflorded a complete
view of the camp.

The sight that met his eyes would have awak-
ened painful emotions in the heart of any one

except a Modes Indian. In the middle of I

"in; .....;......,

 

.ngmfi‘LV-I"  /

 

 

\

Oregon Sol. 1‘ 5

 

small natural clearing along the river was kin-
dled a small fire, over which Flat-Nosed Billy
was stooping. devoting all the energies of his
mind and body to cooking a piece of meat, large
enough to afford a good meal for half a dozen
men.

Captain Jack, the Modoc leader, was stretch-
ed out flat upon his back, with his feet crossed
and himself sound asleep. As he lay, the light
was reflected against one side of his face, show-
ing its horrible rcpulsivaness, which was on a
par with that of FlatNosed Billy, who was
ugly enough to give a brave man the fever and
ague, the first time he looked upon him.

But Marunyo had seen these two friends too
often to feel any great interest in them at this
moment. Two others helped to make up that
little party, in whom his interest was of the
profoundest nature.

One seemed to be a middle-aged woman, ex-
ceedingly well dressed, and with the air and
appearance of a lady of wealth and refinement.
She was seated on the sloping side of the hol-
low, and the light shining full in her face show-
ed how great her terror was of the two
wretches, who, for the time, were the arbitcrs
of her fate. Her wild looks wandered from one
to the other, and then at intervals her eyes
drop ed, and her moving lips showed that she
was ooking at and speaking to her companion,
whose head rested in her lap.

Marunvo strove hard to gain a view of the
face of this lady, but the position of the head
made his view very imperfect. The face, as re-
vealed now and then in the fitful flashes of the
camp fire, showed that it was one of great
beauty, and the outline of the figure, as seen in
the arms and shoulders, spoke of youth, symme-
try and grace. An observer :would have sup-
posed that the relation between the two was
that of mother and daughter, and such, we may
as well state at this point, was the fact.

Crawling as near the camp as was possible,
the Blackfoot l'lyflat upon his face and watched
with an intensity of interest which it would be
hard to describe.

Flat-Nosed Billy, whose face and features
fully justified the sobriquet, devoted his whole
attention to the vensiou which he was cooking,
apparently unaware that any one else was in
the vicinity. He hurl raked out some live coals
from the fire, and with the meat impaled upon
a number of green twigs, kept turning it over
and over, so that the rocess of boiling was as
perfect as it could wel be.

All at once he ceased his culinary attempt,
and gave utterance to nu exclamation intended
to signify that the work was completed.

The exclamation seemed to be understood by
the others. for the elder lady looked toward
him, and Captain Jack instantly rose to a
sitting position, and in his characteristic man-
ner, demanded his share. Flat-Nosed Billy, in
obedience to his noble leader. cut off about one-
half of the large piece and tossed it to him. The
Modoc chieftain caught it up like a dog and be-
ganfdevouring it with the rapacious greed of 5.
WO . ' .

A con le of >small pieces were flung to the
ladies, lat-Nosed ’Billy reserving a‘large portion
for himself, which in a very short time disap-

 

pearcd down his capacious maw, and he looked
around, as if he were able to dispose of the rest
of the animal, if it were accessible.

But Marunyo scarcely bestowed a glance up-
on the repulsive looking Modocs. His eyes were
fixed upon the two ladies, and he watched their
movements with a depth of interest that can
scarcely be imagined.

At a word fl om the elder, the younger raised
her head from her lap, and began eating the
food which had been given them. It was plain
that they had little or no appetite for the feast;
but evidently ate from a conviction of neces<ity.

The younger was dressed in a dark. handsome
traveling suit, so that she was as well provided _
for this enforced journey as if she had made vol-i
untary preparation. Her dark hair flowed
around a handsome oval face, and the flashing
black eyes spoke of one, who lacked not the will
but the power to exterminate these two scamps
from off the face of the earth.

Could anv one have seen the face of Marunyo,
the young Blackaot, as, lying upon the ground,
he watched the countenance of this lady, he
would have suspected that the young warrior
was smitten with a. stronger emotion than mere
friendship for her. His eyes seemed riveted up«
on her every movement, and when at last they
turned from her to Captain Jack, they flashed
with such a deadly hatred that that redoubtable
Chieftain might well have trembled had he been
aware of the same.

Not rash or impetuous, thegoung Indian did-
a rash thing. His rifle seemc of itself to creep
into position, and almost ere he was aware, he
was pressing the trigger—the aim being drawn
on the Modoc chief.

Crack! went the hammer. The cap only ex-
ploded. The rifle had “missed fire.”

That miss had saved Ca tain Jack’s worthless
life, but it imperiled theli out the daring young
Blackfoot. With a clear consciousness of his
danger, Maruuyo drew backward like a. snake
to cover; then rising, started on a run, closely
followed by Flat-Nosed Billy, but erelong threw ‘
him off the trail, and again headed for the river.

By a long and circuitous route he picked his'
way through the wild rocky region and ap-
proached the camp-fire mm a direction almost/
opposite to that he had followed at first. He
caught the glimmer of the camp-fire when at a
considerable distance, but upon coming nearer
found no one near it. The appearance of the
wood and embers showed that the party had
been gone some time.

Marunyo was considerably disap ointed, al-
though he had part1 expected somet ing of the
kind. He saw that a had nothing to do except
to resume his pursuit, which he did without de-
lay. His canoe, concealed with such care, was
drawn from the bushes, launched into the wa-
ter. and again he started up the stream, with
greater speed this time than before. -

Up the stream he paddled, with hands that
seemed never to tire, his senses all alert for
“sign” and to avoid a surprise. At length he
was confronted by a waterfall of considerable
dimensions, around which all comers had to
make a “portage.”

The Blackfoot had passed around the cataract,
and was picking h way toward the water

 

 

 

' appearance, in adeep, heavy slumber.

' a ' ' "Oregon Sol.

 

again, for the purpose of launching his canoe,
when he was startled by catching sight of a
light twinkling amon the stunted trees and
rocks that here lined t 9 river. He paused on
the instant, and laying down his canoe, started
upon a cautious reconnoissance of this new
camp-fire.

The result was the discovery that Captain
Jack and Flat-Nored Billy had made another
halt, which, from all appearances, was intended
to last until morning. Having satisfied himself
upon this point, Marunyo retraced his steps, un-
til he had reached a point below the falls, where
he paused at what seemed a suitable place, and

,bezan building a fire for himself.

This, to say the least, was a singular proceed-
ing, but it was followed by something still more
singular and startling. An hour after the start-
ing of the fire, the one single figure might be
seen stretched out in front of the blaze, wrapped
up from head to foot in his blanket, and to all

Still the
fire burned vigorously, for a goodly quantity
of wood had been heaped upon it, and the Black-
foot lay with his feet turned toward the em—
bers, as if he meant to continue comfortable un-
til morning. , -

‘ About midnight, the figure of a Modoc Indian
crept as silently as a shadow from the darkness
of the undergrowth, and advanced until he had
reached the outer rim of the circle made by the
blaze. where he paused. Here as the light fell
upon his repulsive features they showed him to
be no other than Captain Jack, who, in a crawl-

‘ lug position, raised his rifle and pointed toward

the unconscious figure.

It required only asecond for him to make
lure of his aim, when he pulled the trig—
ger. ~There was no “flash in the pen” in his
casa, and the bullet sped true to its mark,
fired, as it was, no further than tWenty feet
away.

Havin discharged his rifle the Modoc chief-
tain straightened up and stood looking steadily
at the prostrate figure for full a minute.

“Marunyo has died the death of a. traitor,”

‘ he muttered, “ but he was a good warrior, and

I will not scalp him. I .will leave him there for
the wolvos to eat.” ’
And, with this Christian-like expression, he

moved away toward his own camp, satisfied

‘ that he had ended all trouble from that

quarter.

He had scarcely disap eat-ed, when another
figure emerged from the arkness, and, advanc-
ingd to‘_ the prostrate figure, pulled the blanket
as: a.

‘This action revealed that, instead of a man
being within, there was nothing but a simple

' log of wood, skillfully arranged with the moc-

casins at one end, so as to resemble the figure of
asleeping arson.

It was arunyo himself who had played this
rather sharp trick, and a grim smile lit up his
face, as be replaced his own moccasins, and
threw his blanket over his shoulders, prepara-
tory to moving further away, where, if he

'IbOIe, he could s end a few hours in sleep,

without the risk 0 being broken in upon by his
enemies“ ~
_( ,“0aptain‘ Jack thinks there is none now to

 

follow him; he believes that the Drooping Lily
has no friends to save her. Let Captain Jack
look out I”

 

CHAPTER III.

A BIG “ YARN."
“IT’S a condemned ditfikilty, I allow ” said
Nick Whirfles, in re 1y to his friend dregon
Sol. “I've ciphered) over it many an hour,
and always come out where I went in. I think
I’ve heard my gran’father speak of the same
diflikilty at the time he was Governor of New
York. He found that he had promised one
ofl'lce to thirteen different burglars, and the
all swore they’d have his life it' he went ban
on his promise. And he knowed they’d do it,
and you see there was where the trouble come
iin. 7,He couldn’t see his way clear out of the

X.

“ But how did he get out?" asked the trapper.

“ Heavens! how should I know?” replied
Nick. “ I didn’t start to tell you a story. but
only a diffikilty that he got into. Some of these
days I’ll tell you how he got out of the scrape,
but only one thing at a time you know.”

“ But what has that to do with what we’re
talkin’ ’bout?”

“How in thunder should I know? I didn’t
say that it had any thing to do with it. But
you see that it’s gettin’ well into summer, and
if we’re goin’ to see any of them Hudson Bay
fellows, we’ve got to be moving northward.
They was down on the Saskatchewan last year
long before this time, and if we loaf about here
much longer we shall miss ’eni altogether.”

“-Wal, I’ve been tryin’ to coax you of! fur a
week past, but I couldn’t get you started,”.re—
plied Oregon Sol, determined that the blame
should rest upon the right shoulders. “ I s’pose
the Blackfoot will go with us.”

“I wouldn’t bet much onto that, fur if he’s
gone olf on a tramp there’s no telling when he’ll
come back ag’in. Some of these days he won’t
come back at all, and thenwe’ll have to go
alone, That ’ere Marunyo is aVery venture—
some young lad, andis bound to get into trouble
some day. He always reminds me of the time
I was with the brigade on the‘ Red River of
the North.’ ”

As Oregon Sol himself had been in the em-
plo of the same company, and had been with
Nic Whiflies a great deal of the time, he re-
marked that he did not see what there was in
such employment to remind him of the young
Blackfoot.

/“ I can't help it, if you don’t see what it is,"
replied the whimsical trapper; “ it ain’t the
fault of some people if they’re born without any
brains, though my old schoolmaster used to
think it was. We had a. good party of us at
that time, and now and then we come ’cross
some odd people. There was the Raven of Red
River, and lots of others, not to mention the
young Injun warriors. that arterward proved
to be gels of the female sex. ,We had some
lively adventures, then, me and Calamity and
mv horse Shagbark; and there was a nice lot of
folks that[ helped get out of the hands of the
varniints, by getting into their hands myself,
and having somebod to help me out. But we
all come out right si 0 up in the end, as I hope

 

 

 

 

Oregon Sol. ,9

 

we will do in this ’ere case. Do you know
what I think that young Blackfoot is drivin’
at?” suddenly asked Whiflles, forgetting all
about his promised reminiscences, and thinking
onlylof the new suspicion that had come into his
hea .

“How should I know?” replied Sol. “How
can I tell you what you’re thinking ’bout, when
half the time you don’t know yourself?”

“ l ’spicion that he’s arter some gel that some
of the red-skins have run off with. If that’s
the case, why, we’ve got to jino in with him
and go too.”

“Why so?”

“’Cause on account of the gal in the case.
Nick Whiflles ain’t the man to stand back when
there’s any caliker that needs his help. It was
always a weakness or the Whifiles family, and
it ruined some of ’em. There was one uncle,
the great traveler that rode all over Africa and

. Asia and New Jersey in a gig, because he was
afraid he would be blowed up if he traveled on
the cars or in the steamboats. He was at the
Cape of Good Hope one day, when he heard
that a young lady, belonging to a young ladies”
boarding-school that had just started, had got
lost among the bushes and hills to the north of
that place. You understand that the young
ladies institute had been started among the
Hottentots or Hotpots, or some such name, and
as she had engaged to do the washin’ and ironin’,
they couldn’t very well spare her, though it
didn‘t need such an inducement to start my

uncle off, for he was, like the rest of the Whimasl

family, ready to break his neck any time for
the sake of helping along some female woman of
the gentle sex.

“80 my uncle only waited long enough to
turn a collar that he had been wearing for three
or four months, when he jumped into his gig
and started for the country, where he had been
directed to go to find the interesting young
lady. I heard him remark afterward that the
greatest bother he had was with the roads,
which didn’t seem to have been paved or repair-
ed for a long time. One time, he met a. car-
riage comin’ toward him, and started to turn
out. The road was the sloping side of a moun-
tain, so that, when he started, he kept on turn-
ing out, till he and his animile had rolled three
or four thousand feet down the side to the bot-
tom. Unole said he didn’t mind the fall, and
the rolling over several hundred times, ’csuse
he was used to that; but he was afeard that
the chap that he turned out for might think
he done it on purpose, and didn’t know any bet-

ter

“But did he find the young lady?" asked Sol,
who seemed disposed to humor his propensity
for talking.

“ You on’t suppose he’d turn back when he
had made up his mind to do a thing of that
kind? That ain’t the style of the Whithes fam-
ily. There’s Calamity, when he fixes his teeth
into a bear. Injun, or other animile, there it’s
bound to stick So, as I was going to say. my
uncle s it on his hands and went at it again.
All the oppenhots that he met he stopped and
inquired about the young lady. They was the
most all-firedest stu‘pid set t at he ever see’d.

' Some of'em put-ten ed that they couldn’t un-

 

derstand what he wanted, and the others was so
dumb that he had to shoot ’em ofore they’d tell
him what they know’d. \

“But at last he l'arned ’nongh to find out that
she had been seen a couple of miles further on,
where the elephants and lions were rather plen-
tier than was healthy, and so he got in his'rig
again, jerked his lines, and started on on a jog-
trot for the place, determined more than ever
to git the gal.”

" Did he carry any weapons with him?”

“ Oh, yes; he alwavs had two muskets under
the seat of the gig. One of .’em hadn’t any lock
or stock, and the other hadn’t any barrel. But
take the two together, and they made one good
gun; and he felt that he could get along it the
elephants didn’t shove in onto him too fast.

“ His animilo kept up his trot till he had gone
more nor two miles, and he was looking around
for some signs of the female, when his boss gave
a shy to one side, so sudden—like that my uncle
turned over on his head, with his feet p’inting
up in the air. He was rather fat and heavy-like,
and he could sleep on his head as well as an
other way; and so, instead of righting himse f
ag’in, he aid still, with his head down, his feet
up, and his boss jogging-like. till he could look
round and see what it was that had skeered his
animile, for he know’d it must be something
onusual to do that.

“ It was a good time afore he see’d anything
to account for the sheer of the critter but at
last he see’d it, and what do you s’pose it was!”

Oregon Sol scorned to notify his friend again
that he had not the remotest conception of the
novel phase of the story he had .set out to tell,
and Nick Whiflies resumed: ‘

“What he observed was three lions and three
elephants galloping after him. It was a remark-
able coincidence that there should be the same
number of each kind of animals, but such was
the solemn fact, and they were all headin’ to-
ward him. He managed to straighten up and
twist ’round, so as to get on the right end,and
then he whipped up his boss to make ’im trot a'
little faster in the hope of gettin' away, but it
was a principle with that hoss not to go an
faster than that one gait, and so in unc a
stopped yellin’at and whacking him, an looked
round at the animiles that were keeping him
company. There was three elephants :on one
side the road and the three lions on t’other,
’cause you know them critters don’t han to-
gether very well, and they was all holdin’ ck
waitin’ fur the others to begin the tight, so as to
git a better chance.

“ My uncle wns a—lookin’ at the front elephant,
when he noticed the critter wink his eye in a
queer way at him. When the animal had done
it two or three times, then the great traveler
ses'd what it meant. It was the same elephant
he had seen in a circus company in the State of
Connecticut. It was at a time that my uncle
was driving a load of he to town, when the
elephant slipped ’long behind him and eat itall
up, and when he drove on the scales to get his
hay weighed, he looked round and found it all

gone.
“ Wal, of course. the elephant felt very tender

toward my uncle, and he meantall this winking

to let him know that-ho was his friend, and had .

\

 

 

 

w .‘,-,._.,._. . ‘H. A».-. .. ..‘..,..-....._.. . m, ..

V in :3 far Northwest.

 

é , Oregon Sol.

 

come along to stand by him and help him.
That made the traveler feel a nod deal easier,
and he kept jogging ’long, w lin' to wait till
the others got‘ready to make the attack.

“He did not haVe to wait long, when one of
the lions gave a sip and made a jump. He
went up pretty h gh in air, and just as he was
about to light. the elephant that had gone into

rtnership with my uncle, cotched the lion on

is task which went straight through him, and
held him pinned fast. About the time this was
done, the second lion was in the air and he
ootched him the same way on his other tusk, so
that he had them both fast, where they couldn’t
do anything.”

“ But, you said there was three of ’em. What
had become of the other?”

“ He was an awful fool. He might have
knowed better, but, I s’pose when he saw them

' two lions stuck on the tusks of the elephant, he

thought there warn’t nothin’ in the way to
hinder him from havin' a f'lll‘ show at my
uncle; so he give a big bowl and licked his
chops, and made a bigger jump than either of
the others. I allow t at things did look a little
shaky fast then, but you’ve heard how smart
some e ephants are. and this one went a little
ahead of any that I ever heard tell on. and if it
hadn’t been my own uncle that told me the
story, I would have thought there was some
little mistake about it. But, as I often heard
him tell it, there couldn’t have been. The sale
phant waited till the third lion was pretty Well
up in the air, when he whirled ’round quick as
a flash, threw up his tail, and caught him on the
end of that. Then he had all three, you see,
and the other elephants were kind of partners
of his and they traveled off with him, so that
my uncle was left alone to continue his journey

‘ after the young lady.”

“ Did he cotch her?”

“ Wei the old gentleman never finished the
rest of the story; when he got that far in it he
always dropped 03 to sleep. The Whifli'as fam-
ily were always great on sleeping. I once. had

' an aunt that made a bet—’

“Never mind about that yarn now.” inter-

” rupted Ore n Sol. seeing there was little pros-

t of Nic Whiflies ever reaching the end of
stories. “ You said we war to make a start
northward to-day. It‘s past noon now, and it’s
time we war on the move.”
v Nick seemed to reuse himself to a sense of his
duty, and coming to his feet with somethin of
the vim and activity of earlier years, be on led

to his dog, Calamity, that had wandered oi! in

the, woods somewhere. In a moment the saga-
cious canine came trotting forth as if he knew

., that something rather unusual was expected of
V him. and the two trappers, with the brute lead-

in the way, moved off through the solitude, for
a. undred yards or more, when they reached a
fantastic-looking structure made of skins. logs,
bark and branches of trees put together with no
little skill, forming a cabin with an interior

' of something like a dozen feet in every direc-

on.

This was the cabin home of Nick Whifllee and
801, when on their trapping expeditions

Its position was so se-

cluded and well concealed that it had never yet

 

 

been disturbed by the visits of any Indians, nor
white men besides themselves.

Here they had made their head-quarters for
several winters, and there was something in the
lonely life so attractive to both that they oc-
casionally extended their sta until far into the
summer, only visiting some 0 the frontier forts
for the purpose of disposing of their peltries, and
procuring ammunition and a few necessaries.

The trappers paused only long enough to fill
their powder-horns, and bullet-pouches, when
Oregon Sol mounted his little black pony, and
Nick Whiflies bestrode his faithful beast, Shag-
bark, and, with Calamity trotting beside them,
they turned their faces northward, and began
their long and eventful journey.

 

CHAPTER IV.
A LOST anon.

LEAVING the scene of their trap ing opera-
tions for the last few months, Nick hiflies and
Oregon 801 headed direct] northward, and con-
tinued that course for t e remainder of the
afternoon. Mounted on horses as they were, it
would have been impossible for them to havo
kept up their journey over the wild, broken
ground for any len th of time, but for the fact
that they were fol owing a sort of forest trail,
that had been used often enough to mark the
route with just enough distinctness for their
animals. ’

As was generally their custom, the intelligent
dog Calamity kept ahead of the others, picking
the way, and holding himself in readiness to

've due warnin of the approach of any danger.

he trappers re ied almost entirely upon him,
and scarcely spoke of or gave a thought to

nger.

From what has already been said, it will he
understood that there was really little occasion
to think of danger, for they were already so far
north that they were practically out of the
range of danger. When one approaches or
crosses the boundary line between the United
States and British America, he has little to
dread from the red-skins whom he encounters.
The more warlike and vengeful are further
south. and although he runs the risk of being
annoyed with thieves, yet it is not apt to be
anything more serious.

The precise cause of Nick Whifles and Oregon
801 moving northward at this particular junc-
ture. was not to follow or meet the young
Blackfoot, as might have been inferred from
what has already been told. but it was in order
to keep an engagement made almost a year be-
fore, with an agent of the Hudson Bay Com-
pany, whom he had met at Fort Alfred.

This man was engaged in purchasing furs and
peltries from Indians in Oregon and British
America, and wished to employ Nick and Sol to
visit a section of which he had heard consider-
able, in order to ascertain whether it was worth
while for the Company tosend half a dome
trappers down into that re on.

As the section referre to was somewhere
near their own hunting-grounds, the trappers
gladly undertook the job. They had spent a
mont in a thorough ex loration of the torri-
tory, finding it possesse only of medium ad-

qr

 

 

Oregon 801. ‘ 9

 

vantages, and were on their way northward to
make their report according to agreement.

The fact that the general direction they were
following was the same as that taken by Ma-
runyo, had occurred to them, as well as the
consequential fact that there was a strong pro-
bability of meeting; for a party of such ex-
Efrienced hunters as they, were pretty certain

detect each other, if they came anywhere
near each other.

But these facts did not influence them in the
least in the direction which they took. Ma-
runyo had used his canoe, and they could have
changed their course without trouble so as to
keep much nearer the river than they were do-

in .

The conclusion of both hunters was that if
the young warror wanted to see them, it was
his place to hunt them up, and not theirs to
hunt him.

Nick calculated that it would require some
three days of traveling before they could reach
Fort Alfred, which was on British soil, and was
one of the posts of the Hudson Bay Company.
There they expected to find the gentleman in
question, and to complete the engagement made
with him.

As the afternoon advanced, there was quite a
perceptible change in the temperature. They
were so far northward, and it was yet so early
in summer, that the only way to enjo the sun
light in all its fullness was by stretc ing upon
the face of some rock, where there was no wind
or shallow to disturb, which, it will be remem-
bered, Oregon Sol and Nick Whiflles were do-
ing at the time they were introduced to our
readers.

It was uite chilly now, and the wind that
struck their faces, as they ascended the top of
some ridge, or crossed some unprotected space,
had a stinging, cutting sharpness about it, as
it it came from the regions of eternal ice and
snow which could be seen towering aloft in the
western horizon. «

It lacked an hour yet of sunset, when Nick
Whitnee reined up his horse, and waited for a
moment until Oregon Sol could come up beside
him and do the same. They were on the top of
an eminence some hundred feet in hight, which
was covered with stunted pine, and from which
they gained quite an extensive view of the sur-
rounding country. .

Accustomed as the men were to the majestic
scenery of the West and Northwest, they seem-
ed impressed by the peculiar sublimity of the
region in which the now found themselves.
They sat for severe. minutes motionless and
silent upon the backs of their steeds, their eyes
wandering over the wonderful expanse stretch-
in out before them.

ears of the rough, dangerous life of the
Northwest showed themseIVes in the next ac-
tion of the two men, who, glancing only at the
prominent features of the landscape, began
searchin for signs of life.

While ick Whiflies’s keen eye roved 03 to-
ward the east, Oregon Sol, with scarcely less
keen vision, scrutinized the eastern and north-
ern territory.

Both were successful to a certain degree, for,

some two or three miles distant on the slope of

 

an elevated ridge, 'smoke could be seen rising
from among the trees, which grew here very
close together, proving that quite a goodly-sized
camp-fire was burning there.

His keenest scrutiny failed to reveal any si as
of persons, so he could only conjecture whet er
they were Indians or white men. Indeed he
had _no great interest to know, for he could
act imagine that he had any concern with

em.

“ Now, that ’ere is what I call odd,” suddenly
exclaimed Oregon Sol, when the eye had spent
several minutes in scrutinizing the country
about them. r ' '

“What's that?" asked Nick Whiifles, turning
his head u on hearing the remark. ‘

“ Why, ook at that feller of! yonder.” he
replied, pointing to a small stream less thana
quarter of a mile distant.

Looking toward the point indicated, Nick saw
the figure of a man standing on the bank of the
stream, gazing toward them. His dress showed
that he was of the same race as themselvas, but
he seemed to be entirely alone and without
horse, dog or even boat. He held a rifle in one
hand and was leanin back against a tree, as
though be imagined t 0 two hunters were about
to paint his portrait, and he was willing to.
stand there al day and bear their scrutiny. '

“ It ain’t a HudsOn Ba or Nor’wester,” re-
marked Sol, when they ha scrutinized him for
some minutes. ,

The sight of a man of their own race in a
solitude like this was such an unusual occurrence
that the trappers resolved on a closer acquaint;
ance. They were on the int of starting to-
ward him, when Sol calls the attention of his
friend to the fact that the stranger had already
made a move in their direction. , .

It was not until the stranger began moving
toward them that they observed his immense
size. He was fully six and a half feet in hight,
if not more, with his body filled out in propor»

10!].

The distance between the arties was so slight
that it took the men only a s ort time to pass it.
For most of the way he was invisible in the
wood, but in a short time he made his appear4
ance at the bottom of the ridge and walked
toward them.

“How do you do, Mr. Nicholas Whimesf” he
demanded as he approached and extended his
hand. “ 1’ guess you don’t remember me.” , ‘

“ Can’t say that I do,” replied the trap .
peering inquiringly into his face, as he rose ed
down and took his band. “ You’ve gota sweet
mterestin’ face, b ,gracious, you have: but i
don’t call to min that I ever see’d it before.”

The large, heavy-framed stranger enjoyed the
wonderment of the two hunters for a few min-
utes and then explained: ' i

“l was at Fort Alfred last summer when you
came up there and made the agreement with
Captain Green to come in this summer and give
your report about some place where he thought
there was a chance of finding some extra bea-
vers. I am Mr. Fitzsimmons, that was attached
to itéie ’hrigade in the character of a scientific

e. i
“ What are you doing here, then!”
a I’m lost?” -

 

 

 

 

10 Oregon Sol.

 

There was something so ludicrous in the idea
of this large man, after announcing himself as a

entitle guide, adding, directly on the heels of
- it, that he was lost, that both Nick and Sol in-
dulged in a hearty laugh. while he remained as
serious and solemn as if listening to his own
funeral discourse. _

“(Where is the brigade?” asked Nick.

“ Heaven only knows. Science has sent them
allto the dogs, yvhere I’m afraid I’m going, too,
unless science gets over the drunk it seems to be
on net now.”

. he man rattled on so incoherentlv about sci-
ence, and the dangers that it had inflicted upon

him, that the trappers for a time were disposed
to believe that he was some lunatic that had
broken loose and had wandered off into this part
of the world.

, Mr. Fitzsimmons was an Englishman. who had
been in the employ of the Huison Bay Company
for a couple of years. most of the time having
been spent in their office in London. The pic-
ture of robust health and vigor, he suddenly
formed the idea that his health was failing and

‘ he came on a visit to the wilds of America for
' the purpose of recruiting.
' He was a man of wealth and respectability,
and, desirous that his position and ability should
be rec nized,he announced himself as “sur-
veyoro the brigade," and proceeded to enter
'upon his duties at once.

Such! an office as “ surveyor of the brigade ”
had neVer been heard of before, and as he did
not interfere with the others in the discharge of
their duties, his conceit was not interfered with,
and he was permitted to raw about science to
his heart’s content. '

His principal business seemed to consist in
‘ , consulting a small pocket-compass. which he

~ brought with him from England, and in making
observations of the stars during the evening.
7 As-Nick Whiffles afterward learned, Fitzsim-

‘mons started out with the brigade, and for sev-

eral days they had no trouble with him, but at
the end of that time he insisted that some defer-
encemshould be paid to his scientific attain-
men .
v “ I carried the compass with me,” said he, in
explaining the circumstance “and I knew how
to box it, and at night I could read the stars in
the sky and tell ’em just where they was; but
that Captain Green is—”

“ But you hain‘t told us how you and the
bri ado come to be apart.” at in Oregon Sol.

' t was all their fault,” replied Fitzsimmons.
“ I let them all have their Way without trying
to interfere with them, till I observed how com-
pletely they were violating the laws of science
every day. One morning Captain Green re-
marked that he was anxious to reach a place
called Blackfoot Rock, which laid due north of
- us. Upon hearing that I took my compass and

i showed him the .way the needle pointed. and
that instead of going north. as be supposed. he
was roceeding almost exactly east. I explain-
ed tge .whole thing to him, and when I got
through what do you suppose he did? He just
laughed, and said that compass/ business was
played, ever since Chris Columbus started for
the EastrIndies. and by following the compass.
game up against America instead. I asked

I

 

him if he was sure that Blackfoot Rock was
exhctly north and he said there was no doubt
of it. Then itold him that I would go afoot,
and he would see how much sooner I would get
there than he. He replied that he would be ver
glad to make such an arrangement—and so
started.”

“ How long ago was that?”

“Nearly four days, and it Seems to me that
it is about time I came across that Blackfoot
Rock, which I heard described very accurately,
and which I’m sureI would identify the minute
I saw it. Do you know where it is?"

“ Oh, yes: we’ve been there often."

“How much longer will I have to travel to
reach ltl”

“ Wal,” replied Nick Whiflies, “ I think’if you
keep up a pretty good gait, you might do it in
three or four years. They say a man can git
around the world in that time and come back
to where he started from.”

“ But you said you were on your way to
Blackfoot Rock, didn’t you?” t

“ I'm on my way to meet Captain Green and
his brigade,” replied Nick Whitfies: “ but I ex-
pected to do it at Fort Alfred. Howsumever,
if he’s started for the other place, that’s where
I’m oin .”

“ hen I‘ll go with you, and let the compass
alone for the present.”

“We’ll be glad to have you, of course.” re-
plied Nick, with his old smile: “provided you
don‘t undertake to play the guide for us. You-
’ll «9ch us from trustin’ too much to a chap
that is going southeast all the time, and then
swears it’s due north.”

The Englishman was too much chagrined at
the ludicrous mistake he had made to run any
risk of repeating it, and he replied that. in de-
ference to the superior knowledge of Nick
Whidles, he agreed not to raise his voice a sin-
gle time in opposition to any plan or schemes of
his. And thus the two parties “ consolidated”
a once.

 

CHAPTERV.
wnmms IN DANGER.

Now that the destination of Nick Whiflies
and Oregon Sol had been changed from the fort
to the station or rock, the distance was thereby
so _much lessened that they calculated upon
reaching it by the succeeding evening, ro-
vided that nothing unexpected intervened) to
prevent.

After the two trappers had made a rather
careful survey of their surroundings, they con-
cluded to camp where they were, at the base of
the ridge. There was a stream of water near
at hand. from which they were confident of en-
ticing all the fish that were necessary for their

an r.

Egan was little danger to be apprehended
from the Indians, as the trappers were almost
too far north for that; but the fact that Captain
Jack and another Modoc, at least, had gone
northward, was enough to prevent that feeling
of absolute safety which otherwise wou‘d have
characterized Oregon 501 and Nick Whiflles.

By the time the arrangements had been com-
pleted, it was growing dark, and leaving Sol
and Finnimmons in charge of the. camp, Nick

a

Oregon 801. ' 11 -

 

Whimu movad off up-stream in quest of some-
thing for supper. .

The stream was really nothing more than a
brook, across which he could easily leap at any
place. The water was quite shallow and clear,
and there was no doubt that it was plentifully
stocked with fish; but, in the dim-gathering
twilight, as he walked slowly along the bank,
peering into the water, he felt that peculiar dis-
satisfaction with each place at which he halted
which will sometimes come Over a person. Just
as he was about to cast the line, it struck him
that the very place for which he was searching
was a little further on.

In this manner be advanced several hundred
yards from camp, until, smiling at his own
childishnese, he paused where a projection of
land produced an eddy in the stream, and
where he was certain of finding all the fish he
could need.

“What do you say, Calamity?” he said, ad-
dressing his dog, that had been walking con-
tentedly behind him; “ shall we settle and begin
work here? I guess.”

The trapper had furnished himself with all
the bait he could need before starting, and it
required but a moment for him to complete his
preparations.

It was a favorite custom with him when fish-
ing at night to kindle a fire upon the bank of
the stream. This was aIWays sure to bring the
fish around him, and he insisted that he always
caught much larger ones than otherwise.

In accordance with this custom which he had
followed so long, he proceeded to gather sticks
and twigs, and in a 'short time had 9. big fire
burning close to the edge of the water and
throwing a light far up and down-stream. ~

“That’ll fetch 'em,” he remarked to his dog.

I “We’ll soon have a. supper that ‘11 suit all

hands.”

He was not mistaken. He had scarcely
thrown in his line when it was seized by a
large fish. which was promptly landed upon the
ground beside him. The same thing was re-
peated again and again, and he had soon
secure? all that the three could possibly dis-
pose o .

This done he ceaeed fishing. and picking up
those that he had captured, proceeded to string
them upon a branch for the purpose of carrying
them back to camp, when the dog Calamity
showed b his actions that he desired to bear a
hand in t 9 business.

To gratify him, the trapper permitted him to
take the end of the branch in his mouth, and
although the weight was uite heavy, the pup
galloped away as delighte as if he were pro-
viding himself with the choicest dinner possible
after a prolonged fast.

Understanding as well as did his master
what was required of him, he sped straight to
camp with his load, and was there before Nick
leftthe little fire which he had kindled.

“No need to hurry,” he said, to himself, with
a grin, as he stood examining his rifle by the
firelight. “It’ll take a. few minutes for ’em to
br’ll them floppers, and by the time Oregon Sol
hu’em ready, I reckon he’ll find me a little
closer nor I am now. I don’t think it would do

to give that ’ere Fitzsimmous the start on either

 

m

of us. I hauled in eight or ten pounds extra. on

account of the length of his stomach. The

Wliifl’les were always blessed with a purty good

appetite, but I don’t b‘l’eve that ’ere English-

mnn has had anythinglo out for two or three,
weeks, and when that’s the case it’s pretty hard

to gauge a man‘s appetite.”

Somehow or other, as Nick Whifiles stood
here dallying with his gun and loitering behind
until his friend could make some progress in the
preparation of his Supper, he was conscious of a
curious feeling that he had noticed sevaral times
before, but only upon rare occasions.

It was a gathering and increasing conviction
that some one else was near him in his solitude.
It was this some strange sensation that had
warned him of the approach of danger more
than once, and that caused him to suspect even
now that something unusual impended.

Looking upstream, the surface of the water
ulcemed in the flrelight, as it flowed by in

majestic silence, while behind and across, the .

darkness was dense and impenetrable. A low
solemn murmur filled the air, as if it were the
sighing of the vast solitude.

Just above the tree-tops, the faint figure of
the moon could be seen in the clear sky, iislight
so faint as to produce no erce tith effect upon
the river and forest. ick hiflies had trod
the wilds often enough to become inured to
such scenes, but there was something to-ni ht
that in: essed him, as he had rarely been. m-
pressed efore. ,

Leaning his long rifle upon the ground, he
folded his arms over the muzzle, and looked out
upon the firelit stream beyond. As he stood
thus, with the camp-fire hurnin behind him.

his long, gaunt 11 me was broug t .out in bold .

relief, and viewe from the opposite shore, was
of startling distinctness.

He was wrapped in reverie—reverie of the
past. He was recalling the many eventful and
checkered scenes through which he had gone
and in which he had borne sucha prominent-
part. He saw again the figures of those with
whom he had, been associated—the, beautiful,
the grave, the gay, the old and young, the curl-
ous and strange—as they filed before him in a
phantom—like procrsfion.

But deep as was his meditation. he could neVer '
forget himself entirely. He alwe s realized '

where he stood, and so it was that w en a faint,
almost inaudible sound struc upon his car, be
instantly straightened up and listened.

“I beerd somethin onusual f‘ust then,” he
said, to himself, in a w isper. _“ knewéd there
was something in the wihd to-night. Yes, there
’tis ag’in.”

It was a soft, faint rustle, as if made by some .

one stealing throu h the forest, but it sounded
up the stream, an he knew it came from the
surface of the water. 7

“ It’s an Injun paddle,” he added, a few- min-
utes later. “I’ve heerd the same sound too
many times to mistake about it. Whoever it
is. he’s coming this way, and I’ll wait till I see

who it is that’s 03 on a. picnic excursion tog -

night.” a .
Gradually it became more distinct end the
trapper knew that it was approaching at n

leisurely gait. He could tell to: moment, when

 

A

 

 

 

  

 

Oregon sol.

 

it would reach a point opposite where he stood,
and still watching and listening, he calmly
awaited its arrival.

None could know better than did Nick Whif—
fies, how prominent a figure he would soon be
to the .inmates of the strange canoe, standing
as we have shown direcrly in front of the fire-
li ht, but, for all that, he made no move toward
shifting his position, so as to place himself out
of range of the strangers. who could so easily
pick him oil.’ with their rifles. He felt no mis-

vings, and was content to wait until they
8 ould reveal themselves.

' “I’m purty well up north,” he said to him-
self. “ The cold weather in these parts seems to
freeze the naterul deviltry out of a red-skin,
though there are some of the animals that it
would take a month in the middle of an iceberg,
with them as stiff as a gun-barrel, before you
could trust ’em. They may be strangers to me,
but,”he said, with something of pride in his

, modulated voice, “I wouldn’t be afeard to
Wager mv gun here that they’ve heard of Nick
Whiflies of’en. The Whiifles family always con-
trive to make themselves heerd tell of, in some
way or other. When they ain’t governing some
State, or making speeches in Congress, they’re
catching beavers or sarcumventing red-skins.
The canoe ’ll be in sight the next minute.”

80 it proved; for while he stood facing up-
stream in the darkness, the form of a canoe all
at once‘shot into view, as it entered the broad,

', > faint line of light thrown out by the fire. ‘

For a few seconds the trapper stood motion-
less, and then, as he discerned the two Indians
that sat within, he instinctivelv stepped back a

co or two and clutched his rifle.

“ Mndocsl” he exclaimed to himself; “they’re

, a. treacherous set, and I don’t like ’em, and them
is two of the worst of the whole lot. What
"are they doing so far north as this? They

, don’t belong here, and. I feel like ordering ’em
of! our trapping-grounds, back to their own
lava-beds.” _

He had recognized the two red-skins as the
arch villains Captain Jack and Flat-Nosed
Billy. He had seen them before, and he always

‘ 2  .' felt, as he'had declared, like sending a bullet

‘ through the head of each.
, Captain Jack, the notorious leader, was sent-
- edin the stern with all the dignity and import-
: ance of a king, while his companion was using
the paddle in a lazy, listless manner, as though
' he had the whole night before him in which to
perform a journey of a few miles.
' Upon seein the trapper they had been turn-
ed toward 3 ore, and the next moment the
prow touched the land, and Flat-nosed Billy

stepfied out.

, ‘ ow does my brother, the great hunter,
. ~ do!” he asked, as be extended his hand, which
was taken rather reluctantly by Nick, who re-

led:
r “ Purty well; I hain’t had to call in a doctor
N lately, and you look as though on wa’n’t trou-
‘blffdfiwith biliousness or loss 0 appetite your-
se .
, “Modoc warrior much well,” replied the In-
, dish in rather good English. ,
i r 'P I’m glad to has: it; he 9 you’ll continner to

V\  .yr‘

 

feel‘mgifiw th 9.  stomach ain’t of_

much account in this world. He’s sart’in to fill:
in some condemned dilflkilty. It was the Whif-
fles famiiy that made that diskivery a good
many years ago, afore I came into this trouble—
some world. But, Flat-Nose. ain't you a leetle
out of your latitude, in coming so fur north?”

“The Modocs go where they Wish,” was the
pompous reply. “Captain Jack and me have
been on a big hunt. Now we go back to home
in the mountains. Why comes my brother so»
far from home?”

“My home is anywhere in the Northwest,”
returned Nick, with a sweep of his arm. “ I am
on my way to Blackfoot Rock to meet the
brigade of the Hudson Bay Company.”

“ Then you go home?” was the next question,
whose quick eagerness did not escape the notice
of the trapper.

“ That depends upon surcumstances. It would
bother any of the Whiflles family to tell where
they’ll be or what they’ll do next week. Mebbe
I’ll come back, and mehhe won’t. If you’ll call
on me next winter, I’ll let you know.”

“ Does my brother come alone, so far north?”
contmed the Modoc.

“Sometimes he does, and sometimes he
doesn’t. Leastrate I ain’t apt to go fur with.
out Calamity and Shngbark.’

“But they do not meet my eyes,” said Flat-
Nosed Billy, looking about him, as if he ex-
pected to see them come out of the darkness and
approach the camp.

“ No; they never was very good on meeting a
feller’s eyes. Fact is, they don’t meet me very
often, onless I go to meet ’em myself.”

“ Good-night, m y brother,” added the Indian,
as he stepped back in the canes and picked up
his puddle again.

“ Good-night,” replied the trapper, with a.
fatherly wave of his hard, bony hand, “may
you have sweet dreams, as the virtoous always
deserve."

During this conversation, it will be noticed
that Captain Jack said not a word, nor did he
show any disposition to join in. All the time, he
sat motionless in the canoe, looking at the two,
as if he considered it beneath his dignity to take
part in such frivolous employment.

Ashe took no notice of Nick, the latter was
equally considerate in ignoring his presence, al-
together, directing his words entirely to his
companion, although he kept one eye upon the
leader of this detestable gang: and, as the canoe
slowly glided away in the darkness, he
stepped back, in the most natural manner in
be world. Seemingly, there was no object in
making such a movement, but, there was, never.
theless.

“ If I had only knowed it was them,” he
thought, “I wouldn’t give ’eifi such a good
chance, and they ain’t a-goin’ to 't it a ‘in.
There’s some condemned difilkilty that t em
varmints have got into I allow, to fetch ’em so
fur north as this. Wonder now if they ain’t
the scamps that Marunyo has been follerln’i
He started 01! this way, and them‘s just the ani-
miles to he in that sort of business. I hope the
Blackfoot has learned what it is. for 1 haln’t not
anything artic’lar on hand with the brigade.
l'would net as lief spenda weekin serena-
ventin’- them red-skins as not,” ‘ /

 

Oregon Sol. 18

 

He stood back in the gloom away from the i done it if they’d kuowed that you hadn’t gone

cam -iire, listening to the sound of the paddle of
the odoc, as it grew fainter and fainter each
moment, and then as he was about to start on
his return to camp, his attention was arrested
by the sound of another our being dipped into
the water at no great distance from where he
stood. This, too, came from a point somewhere
tip-stream, and was much closer than was the
other canoe when he first detected its approach,
owin to the precaution which was taken to
guar against being discovered.

“ That cha knows how to swing the addle,”
said Nick hiflles, as he stood and istened.
“ Onless a man has got as long ears as l have,
he ain’t apt to hear ’im. There’s some devil-
ment on foot, as sure as the world, and I think
it’s time that I found out suthing about it. He‘s
class on band now.”

A few moments later the second canoa
shot to view, following almost precisely the
tracks of the first, and the first glance showed
that it was occupied by but one single per-
son, who was the young Blackfoot warrior,
Marunyo.

“Just what I thought,” said Nick VVhiffles to
himself, again stepping forward in front of the
fire. “That’s what the red-skin is doing—fol-
lerin’ up them cussed Modocs, and if he keeps it
up much longer, he’ll be likely to come back
with his scalp left behind him. How is my
brother, Marunyo, to-night?” he asked, as the
Indian sprung out and teak his hand.

“ Have you seen Captain Jack and his men?”
he asked, disre arding the question.

“See’d ’91!) th. Shook hands with Flat—
Nosed, Bill, and my arm has felt ever since as
though I’d been stroking the hack of a rattle-
snake. You're follerin’ ’em, Maruuyo, and now
what p’ison diflikilty is on foot?” .

The Blackfoot then narrated all that has al-
ready been told the reader. After telling of
the trick he played upon the Modocs, by which
he made them both believe that he had fallen a
victim to their hatred, he explained that he re-
sumed the pursuit and continued it in a more
cautious manner, when, by some inadvertence
which he could not understand, he lost the trail
altogether, and only to-night was he enabled to
get upon it again, and it was due to accident
more than anvthin else, that he had found
them again. a bin not been able to catch a
glim e of them in the darkness and was not
posit ve that he was really pursuing the right
men, until his suspicions were confirmed by
what the trapper had told him. When he
learned further that the two Modocs Were alone
in the canos, he was completely astonished, and
scarcely knew what to make of it.

.“Then Drooping Lily and her mother have
beenh killed 1” he exclaimed, in a voice of an-
s .

glu“Not quite so bad as that,” replied Nick
Whimes, who was enabled to comprehend the
situation more correctly. “They've took them
precious animiles with ’em to the place where
they mean to keep ’em, for a few years or till
kin get a good his ransom for ’em.

the
.Theyy’ve fixed things so they can’t git away, and

Captain Jack and Flat-Nosed Billy has started
fur hum, ag’in. Mehbe they wouldn’t hava

 

under yit.”

“ Then I must turn back and hunt for the
place where she is bid, for Marunyo can never
go back to his bunting-grounds and leave
Drop ing Lily behind." I '

“ truck, I allow,” remarked Nick, with a
grin; “ ’spected it afore. That’s right, how-
sumover, cause I used to act that way myself."

“ Can’t my brother, the great hunter, go with
me?” asked the Indian, with such a wistful,
pleading look in his eyes that the heart of the
tra‘paler was touched.

' ould like to, by mighty, and I mess I
will, but i can’t do it right away. I te l Iyou,
Mnrunyo,” he added, “ you know where B ack-
foot Rock is, don"t yeri’

The young warror re lied in the afllrmntive.

“ l’m on my way to t at air, ’spect to be that
by day arter to-morrer, as l’m under an en-
gagement to meet the brigade. You can do
what huntin’ ’round you’ve got time to do: then-
strike fur that place, and Oregon Sol and me
it ill join forces with yer, and make a dead set
for the DrooPing Lily, as you call her.”

The eye 0 the Blackfoot sparkled. Nothing
could have suited him better, unless it was a
pledge from Nick that the junction should be
made at once.

“ Good-by," he said, taking his hand. “ When
the sun goas down the second time after to-day,
Marunyo will meet his brother at Blackfoot
'Rocqulang then shall come the rescue of Droop-
lng 41 .

“ You don’t think so much of the old lad as
the young one,” said the trapper, still hol g
the hand that rested in his own.

And then he was proceeding to give him some
advice lulpon love matters in his quaint, original
way. aturally talkative, he seemed to enjoy
hearing himself speak just now, while the Bloc -
foot, impatient as he was to get awe , reprehsed
his emotions, and listened With the eference of
a slave receiving the commands of his lord and
master.

Thus they stood face to face, with their hands

clasped and the camp-fire smoldering between 'i I « ‘

them and the forest, when there was the slight-
est possible rustling in the bushes in the rear of
the trapper. It might have been made by the
hopping of a bird or the falling of a leaf-so
slight and faint indeed was it, that neither of
the two men paid any attention to it.

But it had a deadi meaning: and within the . .
next minute the out ines of a crouching Indian
ware revealed in the shadowy gleam, on he stole
forward with the slow, cautious, and. perfect
silence of the creeping panther. . ,

He was exactly behind Nick Whiiflel, whose
large frame could easily obstruct the view of
Manmyo, as he stood listening to the words of
the hunter.

As he advanced still further in the dim th-
light of the camp-lire, and his hideous face re-
flected the features of the ModochFlat-Nosed
Billy. it could be seen that he carried a long,
gleaming knife In his right hand. ~

The woiflsh. ea? glance that be out upon
the form of Nick hiflelleft no doubt of mi
pur to bury the knife in his back the instant.
he s ould approach nigh enough. .

 

 

 

 

  

!

 

\

l
 r .
i ,g  ‘. vjstruggled and

..\

CHAPTER VI.
FOOLISE IERCY.

“I DON'T know a mighty heap-about you,”
said Nick Whiflias, still holding the hand of the
' ug Blackfoot in his own, and looking down
n his face in his quaint, fatherly we . “There
bosome things in your actions which i’m free to
say ain’t as cl’ar to me as I’ve see’d the sun
sometimes in the middle of the day. But sich
leetle difflkilties ain’t worth the bothering over,

when amen has got them diflikilties that are
p’izener than them. Now, I don’t know who
this here Drooping Lily and the elder gals be,
but, from your descri tion, I powerfully ’spect
that they’re of the emale sex, and you’re in
love with the ounger one. I’ve been in lova
‘ myself,” hea ded, with a sigh like that of a
pair of blacksmith’s bellows, “and I’ve heard
my father say that he was once in love with my
mother,a good many years ago; but he got
over it ag’ln as soon as they hitched together.
, There’s nothin’ like hitchin’ teams to cure a
feller'of love—which is the reason that Nick
Whifles don’t get married. He’s been in love
one hundred and eighty-four times, more or
‘ less, and there ain’t any doubt but, at this
‘ ,minnte, there’s about double that number of
female ladies down in the clearings that are in
love with him, and the only way he can keep
from marrying ’em is by coming out to the
trapping-grounds, so as to keep away from ’em.
As long as a woman sighs and- bankers arter
you, she thinks a good deal more about you
than she does arter she’s got you, and that is
’why I steer clear of the females when I find
that mv booty is beginning to distarh tha’r
‘peace of mind, and prevent tha’r eating more
'nor eight or ten ounds a day of pork and
beans. I s‘ so, arunyo, that you’re wonder-
ing what al this talk means, and what it has
got to do with Drooping Lily, and mebbe you’re
getti a little impatient to be elf.”

Elat— osed Billy, the Modoc, by this time had
reached the point nigh enough for him to strike
‘the fatal blow. He was still in a crouching

tion. and gras ing the murderous-looking

nife in his hand, e began rising slowly to his

feet so as to gather the force necessary to drive
the' low home.

‘1 "5 z a " Still Nick Whiifles was talking. in his humor-

ous way, with the Blackfoot before him, with

V . ‘ - ," no suspicion of the deadly enemy in his rear.

The latter had almost straightened himself,
,and was already drawing his hand back, with
, all the concentrated hatred and treachery that
‘ comes natural toa Modoc, when there was a
- sudden roWl, a whirring rush, and a dark body

bounds like an immense ball. from the dark-
ness, and the next instant Flat-Nosed Billy
rolled over upon the ground, with the teeth of
Calamity, fastened upon his throat.
The sudden, overwhelming shock caused the
knife to fly out of his hand, and he went
' backward with frightful violence, the dog cling-
ing to him with an immovshle gripe. The wreich
clawed with his hands in his
' qflm‘ts to get free of his merciless enemy.
-~ Flat-Nosed Billy was a terrible-looking object,
as he lay struggling 1n‘pon his back, with the
Jan“! at his throat. he fire-light falling upon
N9 M9; shoyved his black eyes protruding hor-

>

 

Oregon 80!.

ridly, while the checked respiration caused him
to gurgge and gasp like one who was strangling
to dent .

With the rushing charge of Calamity upon the
Indian, Nick Whiflies had wheeled with the
suddenness of lightning, while Murunyo stepped
cautiously back in the darkness, as if to prevent
himseldf being identified by the red—skin upon the
groun .

“ Oh, it’s a little difiikilty between Flat-Nosed
Billy and the pup.” replied Nick VVhiiflcs, who
fully understood what it all meant, and did not
fail to appreciate the inestimable service done
him by ins dog. “ It’s allch a principle of mine
never to interfere with other folks‘ quarrels.
I may say that it’s the principle of the Whif—
fies family, ever since my uncle, the traveler,
got into a p’ison difflkilty in India from poking
his nose into other folks quarrels. He was rid-
ing along one day in his gig, when he espied
two tigers fighting alongside the road. It made
bin: feel bad to see the way they was clutchin’
and clawin’ each other, and he hollered to ’em
to stop; but seeing they was too busy to take
any notice of him, he ’jlist drove his boss and
gig right atween ’ein. hat sorter parted ’em,
you see, but it didn’t pay my uncle very well.
Both the tigers went at the boss he was driv-
ing, and ten minutes later, by the watch, there
wasn’t anything left of him but his tail and
one shoe. My uncle had put on his spectacles
and leaned buck in the gig, expecting to see the
two beasts scatter like Satan, when they was
shoved apart; but when the hose-meat began to
fly, and one of the legs hit him in the face, he
concluded it would be a good idea to adjourn
his post of observation to some tree, and so he
did; though when he got there he hadn’t any
clothes left on him but his shirt-collar, and the
button was off that.

“Since that time, the Whitfles family have
been opposed to interfering in other folks‘ difli-
kilties. Me and the up have traveled through
the woods a good deaf, and I don’t like to bender
his enjoyment, and he does seem to enjoy put-
ting his teeth in the throat of a Modoc.”

This lengthy observation was uttered with
all the deliberation natural to the trapper, and
while he stood within a half-dozen feet of the
combatants, with the Modoo struggling despe-
rately to save himself from the horrid death that
threatened him.

The wretch saw that his only escape was in
the mercy of the masterl for the dog with his
teeth closed like a vise in his throat, showed
no disposition to relax his deadly gripe, which
must speedily end in death, unless released very

can.

So he turned his protruding eyes toward the
hunter. and moved one hand in supplication.
Nick Whiffles was not cruel at heart and never
could be. Accordingly, when his would-beas-
sassin made the appeal for mercy, he stepped
forward, and spoke sharply to Calamity.

“Let him go, pu , let him go! Because he
got himself into a pison diflikilty, and axes us
to let him out it won‘t do to refuse. Let him
go. pup, let him go!" ‘

Calamity had been taught from his earliest
youthto obey his master implicitly. He had
earned more than once that the hand that

-.—

Ore'gon Sol. ‘ 13

 

could cherish and lift up could chastise with
severity when it was deserved, and a word or
look from his master was always sufllcient to
insure instant attention; but he never hesitated
as much as he did now to render that obedience
and it required a repetition of the command
and a threatened bl0w before he unclasped the
powerful jaws and stepped back.

The would-be assassin was so near death that
Nick stood looking at him a second or two, fully
believing that his mercy had come too late; but
after some choking and gasping be revived. and
assumed a sitting osition. pressing his hand
to his throat, and g aring with murderous hate
upon the canine that had inflicted this terrible
in ury.

spying his knife near at hand, he reached
out his hand to take it, but Nick Whiflies antici-
pated him, by planting his foot upon it.

“I guess not. Modoc,” he said, as the red-skin
looked up inquirineg at him.

“That ’ere knife got you into a p’ison dini-
kilty with the dog, and l’d advise you to It it
alone arter this. I say, Flat-Nose, what did you
mean by coming up behind me in that style,
when it was only a little while ago that we
shook hands?"

After some hard swallowing and choking,
the Modoc was able to speak, and he told the
following lie, which did not deceive the trapper
for an instant.

“ Marunyo, bad Indian. He tried to kill Cap-
tain Jack, and Captain Jack send warrior Bil y
to kill him.”

Nick Whimes might well have asked why, if
he were seeking the life of the Blackfoot, he
should steal up behind another person with a
drawn knife; but he concluded for the present
that it would he better to affect a belief of this
transparent falsehood.

“ If such was your idee, Modoc, the Blackfoot
is here, and you may have your knife and take
it out with him, for he is here; while I look on
and see that you both have fair play.”

As Marun o heard these words, he stepped
forward wit his knife in hand, ready and
eager to settle their “ difilkilty ” then and there.

But such is not the st le of Modoc warfare.
He doesn‘t wish to meet is enemy face to face.
It must be under the guise of a flag of trace and
while one lies concealed in his lava-bed, or when
he can steal up behind him, as had just been at-

“wad.

hen Flat-Nosed Bill saw the dauntless

gang warrior standing foxehim, with his
ife clasped in hand, he shook his head.

“ Billy sick,” he said, rubbing his throat and
lookin very sick indeed, “he can not fight to-
day. e meet Blackfoot warrior some other
day and fight him with knife and gun. He go
now to great chief. Captain Jack.”

“Modoc,” said Nick Whiflies, speaking with
impressive earnestness, “if it ever run in the
Whime's family to thirst for a fellow beings
blow, it isn’t in the branch that I have t e
hon'or to represent. It has fallen to the lot of
this here rifle of mine to send many of our race
to their happy hunting-grounds, but I a truly
say it was never done onless it had to be. and I
can't help thinkin that there’s many a firm
when surciety we d have been more boast]!

.

 

if I had aimed and pulled trigger instead of rest—
ing it in the holler of my arm. I never had any
doubt about it, when the red-skin consarn was a
Modoc, for though there ain’t more nor about a
hundred of ’em, counting in the squaws and pap-
pooses, yet that’s just a hundred too many for
the good of the Nor’west. Fact, by m' htyl
There’s sure to be some p’ison difllkilty wit ’0!!!
tell the last one is wiped out from the face of
the varth.

“Flat—Nosed Billy, your name is a blamed
sight more handsomer nor your face and heart
is. You’re one of the most p’isonest noosanoel
of a lot that are all p’ison, and it goes ag’ia’ my
conscience to show on mercy, when you’ve
tried to sneak up behind me and stab me in the
back. The rattlesnake allers sends you word
afore he strikes, and once in a while you find a
red-skin that does the same, but he don’t belong
to the Modocs. But as I observed a minit ago. I
don’t hanker arter your blood, so you kin go.” i

The Indian stood motionless w ile receiving
this scorching at the hands of the trapper and
when it Was finished the base wretch had the
eflrontery to advance and ofler his hand to the
trapper as if desirous that he should forget the
dastardly crime, which he had come so nigh I
perpetrating. ‘

But Nick Whiffles recoiled and shook his head.

“ I’ve allers tried to live in such a way that
my dog there could respect as well as love me.
He wouldn’t do nevther if he should see me
shake hands with a Modoc. and as it is, it'll take
some time afore he’ll forgive me for dragging
him away from your throat. Take my advice,
Modoc and clear out afore it’s too late.”

Flat-’Nosed Billy did not repeat his rofler. ,
but turned on his heel and disappears in the
wood without giving utterance toanother word.

CHAPTER VII.
Monoo WARFARE. .

As the treacherous Modoc moved away, Nick
Whiflies turned to his dog:

“ Foller him, Calamity, fur a little distance,
but don’t you tech him onless he turns to come
back, and then you kin put your teeth inhia »
throat an’Jet ’em stick.” ‘

As the sagacious dog glided away likem
shadow, the trapper turns to Marunyo, with
his old, quizzical smile.

“I guess the purp won’t furgit, but if he
should happen to think the Modoc was meditatr
ing about comi back, I won’t scold him too
hard; and now, lackfoot,” he added more
seriously, “ l’ve got a word with you. It don’t
run in the Whiflles famil to speak with two
tongues except my uncle, t a traveler who said
he found it necessary now and then in his
travels. In the first place, I want to know
whether you knewed that ’ison Modoc was
creeping up behind me afore turned round to
see how he and the pup was maki outi” ..- .- 7..

Marunyo started as if he had moth:

ll. .

 

well he might at such a pointed .quettio
fore he couldlreply, Nick added: .1 -; .
" I’ll allowit’s coming to] y sharp ’int
to put such a question. but ~ may asws ~,tall -
you that there are some things about on that"
don’t understand and-don’t exactly 9; In
first place, eVery time I see you you’re in

r

 

 

our war-paint, and you have a habit of wan-
iering down in the Modoc country as though
on was on good tarms with ’em. I’ll allow
it“ the way you stood up afore this sarpint,
when there’s some signs of aoondemned difli-
kilty atween you, showad that you’ve got the
clear grit. ou seem a leetle amazed at the
we I’m talking, and mebbe you’ve got cause
to lie, but it’s best that we should understand
each other, and I tell you that Oregon Sol and
me think about alike on such things, and I allow
that the Eu lishman, Persimmone, would think
the snme,i he had enough sense to think as
deep as that. Mebbe you’re all right. and meb—
’ be you ain’t; I give you warning that if it
groves that you’re true-blue, I‘ll take off my
at to you and ex your pardon; but if you try
any of the Modoc style of business, you needn’t
expect the mercy he got. I guess now we un-
derstand each other, and I hope there’ll be no
diflkilty atween us.”

Harunyo stood like a carved statue during the
utterance of these words. Several times be ap-
peared on the point of speaking, but something
appeared to prevent him, and as silently as the
casein he turned about and disappeared in the

loom.

g' *‘Mebbe I done him onjustice,” mused the
' trapper, as he found himself alone, “but that’s
' the one unpleasant thing that belongs to the
' life of the hunter and the guide. I love the boy
'e h to wish to save him, if he has the heart
- ofn odoc, and the few words I said may be
the means of keeping him from some deviltry
‘. that he has in mind. It has a bad look for him
‘ to stand facing me, with that Flat-Nose creep-
in u behind me and he never seeing him; but
Hidiiin’t hear him, I’ll allow. that it’s possible
that he didn’t see him. It may be all right, and

it me not.”

As e turned to retrace his steps to camp, he

 htn faint rustling near him, and turning
his and, saw his dog, that instantl took his
at his side. It needed but a g ance from

master to learn that he had not molested the

assassin.
, “Sorry for you,” said Nick. as the two
moved off together; “ it allus grieves my heart
. to interfere with your pleasure and I know that
 you feel mighty disappointed; but cheer up,
pa ,‘and console yourself with the thought that
2 megbe the day of reckoning is very close at
’hand. There ain’t any diflikilty in this world
. but what there’s some way out of it: the only
trouble is that we can’t allus see it. When my
 father had his house burned down three times
" “heeaid there was some good in it, although he
- never was able to see exactly how it hel him
along, as twice when it burned he hadn t got it
More: 22:! the otherhtime tll‘ile intaiLrance com-
' ur up: ore ecou go is pay out
~.  but the advantage then was-that the in-
. ’ ‘ snranee men made a good thing of it.
' ’ ‘-' A Modoc will ellus act out his nature, and I
' . make on the , pup, that the next time
Flat- coed Billy tries to play that trick onto
_‘ me, I-won’t interfere atween you and him, and

l-hnpelthst will satisfy. ou, Calamity, and
‘ don't  see you s g any more over a
trifle like this

‘9 See here,”'suddenly exclaimed Nick, " we’ve

 

Oregon Sol.

 

.3-

been a little longer away from camp than we
expected, and, I don’t believe there’s any supper
left by this time. it won’t be a bad idea for us
to take a little with us anyway.

It required but a few moments to draw as
many fish as he needed from the stream, and
stringing these 11 on a. stick he carried them
back to camp, w ere. as may be supposed, his
sompanions were beginning to wonder at his

e ay.

Oregon Sol was stretched upon the ground
smoking his short clay pipe, and with his chin
resting upon his hands, with his elbowsjammed
into the earth, and his eyes fixed upon the
glowing coals, he looked as though he felt per~
fec'ly comfortable and happy.

Filzsimmons was stretched in a lounging po-
sition with his side toward the fire, while he
was attentivel examining his microscope, as
though it stil contained mysteries which he
was unable to fathom.

“ The wonders of science are inimitable,” he
said, as if speaking to himself, but meaning
that the others should hear his words. “ Igno-
rant and coarse-minded men may scoff and ridi-
cule, but they are only deserving of pity, be-
cause they are incapable of comlpreheuding all
the beauties of the lorious fle d that spreads
out before them, and n which they may wander
at will.”

“Don’t them cha 5 ever it in any difiikiltv
by going south in t at tie] , when the think
they’re going north?" inquired Nick hiffles,
as he sat down and began raking the coals pre—
paratorv to broiling his fish.

The Englishman turned, and after looking
with severe sternness at him for a moment,
said, in his majestic way.

“ Don’t meddle with things of which you
know nothing. Statements from ignorant men
are always pitiful and ridiculous.”

“ I didn’t make any statement, Persimmons;
I only and you a question; and I didn’t know
that science made people onpolite. When you
got lost in the woods, while ed on a scientific
trip, and axed me and Sol the way, we took
pity on you and showed it to you, and saved
you from starving. Howsomever, you won’t
run any risk in going off for a month now, fur
I s’pose it’s according to science that a barrel of
fish will last a man a month, and that’s about
what you’ve got under your jacket now. It’s
lucky that I thought to catch a few extra ones,
or I shouldn’t had any supper.”

“If you’d sent ’em on ahead you wouldn’t,"
said Oregon Sol. “ I was kept so busy cooking
’em that I hadn’t much chance at anything, ex-
cspt the bones, and when there wasn’t any-
thing more left, he remarked that fish wasn’t
as p enty in these parts as he heard tell, but he
guessed he had enough to stay his stomach till
morning.”

“Do you feel anyways faint?" continued
Nick Whiflles, looking toward the dis
Britisher with an expression of great solicitude.

Fitzsimmons waved them away, and made a
reply which he intended to close their mouths
and crash them completely.

“It‘s a well-settled fact in‘ science that men
who have large brains and who use them much,
require a great quantity of phosphorescence,

Oregon 801.

1"

 

such as is furnished by fish. The wonder to me
is that two such grOSs-minded bein a as you
should evar feel the need of fish at al . As for
me, I crave it constantly.”

“ Which nobody can deny,” said Oregon Sol.
“ I never see’d such a craving store. A couple
of men like you would breed a famine in this
Northwest if they stayed here one season.”

The Englishman saw that it was useless to at-
tempt to “chat!” with this wag, and so he be-
stowed his peculiar attention upon the little in-
strument, with its dancing needle, which he
held in his hand.

Nick Whiffles turned toward his companion,
and as he ate his fish, related what had occurred
up the river while he was absent.

Oregon 801 was greatlv dissatisfied with the
account. He knew Nick Whifllcs’s many peculi-
arities, but he did not suppose that any of them
extended to the point of sparing the assassin
whose arm was arrested just as he was in the
act of driving the Weapon home.

Furthermore, he believed it was a mistake in
permitting Marunyo, the Blackfoot, to know
that he was under suspicion, asit would put him
on his uard and make it the more difficult to
detect in: in his treachery.

The trapper was unable to appreciate the
charity that really prompted Nick Whiflles to
do this. He did not see that the notification
was made with the express purpose of saving
thlef young warrior before he implicated him~
se .

However, it was done now, and Oregon Sol
was enough of a philosopher to see the folly of
regretting it.

“Are you sart’in that Flat-Nosed Billy or
Captain Jack won’t sneak up to us during the
night?” he inquired.

“We'll fix it so they can’t,” was the reply.
“ I’ll put Shagbark in one place, your animal in
another, and let Calamity superintend the whole
business, and if him or any other Modoc can git
by them, he’s welcome to the scalp of Nick
Whitfles, which they are his sentiments.”

“ And I may as well ‘express my sentiments,”
said Ore on Sol, in a low, but earnest voice,
“ which t ey are that if this is goinito be your
way of treating Modocs you and I ave got to
part com anv mighty quick.”

Nick himes smiled as he made reply:

“ That's all right, Sol; I told the varminl: that
I knowed I’s’ making tool of myself as well as he
did, and there won’t be any more such business

oina on. so don’t let us hear any more about
a. I had enough diffikilty in getting the other
pup ,put of the sulks, Without bothering over
u‘u.

Oregon Sol finally yielded to the imperturba-
ble good nature of his old friend. and as the
night was pretty well advanced, the arrange-
ments were completed for turning in.

The two sagacwus animals were stationed as
Nick Whimes had hinted he meant to place
them, and Calamity was made to understand
how great responsibility rested on his shoulders.

“Idou’t know what we’ll do with him.” re-
marked Nick, when these arrangements WPre all
made and they had come back to cam . He re-
ferred to the Englishman, who was st ll stretch-
ed upon the ground, studying, his compass

 

“ He’s big ’n‘ngh to know how to take care of
himself. but than he don’t seem to know ’n’ugh.
after all.”

Very properly the scientific Britisher paid no
attention to such ill-mannered slurs as these.
He concluded that it would not pay to do.so,
and so he riveted his attention upon the little
dancing needle before him.

The trappeis did not hesitate to wrap them-
selves up in their blankets and stretch out upon
the ground, where they almost immediate]
sunk into deep slumber which. unless disturbe ,
WMS certain to last until morning.

The Englishman continued to find instruction

and delight in the little instrument before him‘

for an hour longer, when he began to droop,

and his head sunk upon the arm; so that when.

midnight cums all three were sound asleep, and
With no human being standing guard when
they had received such evidence of their enemies
being in the neighborhood.

At midnight the camp-fire was so low that the
three figures Were only dimly visible, as they
lay stretched upon the ground. The treppers
rested as quietly as infants, but FitZSimmons
emitted a snore that must have been audible for
a hundred yards, and more, upon such a still
night. It was its steady rise and fall that pre‘
vented its awaiting the other sleepers.

Thus matters stood when another

Calamity, who came from the wood like a.
shadow; with a slow, measured tread he advanc-

ed to where his master lay, and thrusting down

his nose, rubbed it against his face.

“Wal, pup, what is it?” asked Nick Whiflles,
arousing himself on the instant; ‘ ‘

It would be hard to explain in what articu-
lar way the dog made his reply, but he id it so
effectually that it was fully understood on the
instant. It may have been (and very probably
such was the fact) that the act itself of arousing
hisi master indicated that something was
am as.

Nick reached over and touched the shoulder
of Oregon Sol, who opened his eyes at once.

“I guess some of the varmint are about,”
whispered Whitfles. and without another, word
the two crawled away in the gloom, where they
rose to their feet. '

“ Hadn’t we better wake him?” asked Sol, re-
ferring to the Englishman.

“Not just yi't-; they must have heard him
snoring as soon as they got within a. mile of

camp, and it he should stop all at once'they’d-

know that we’d found ’em out.“ ‘

Sol coincided with these views, and leavin‘
the sleeper undisturbed. the irappers separa ‘
taking nearly opposite directions. “

Calamity accompanied his master.‘ and had 

gone less than a hundred leetwhen he paused
and stood like a dog pointing game. '

The trapper did not speak, even in the lowest “

whisper, ut looked and listened. The ' loom
was too great even for such keen eye: as is to
penetrate, but his ears notified him' that some
one was advancing directly toward him. v

As noiselessly as a shadow he ate ped aside,
and the next second afl re pa
almost to brush against im. Nick did not

turb him, but waiting to see whether there was

figure up; -
neared upon the scene in the shape of the dog '

mdcoseenou hr

 

m.

“at...” _. .fi-

"-4; v

‘ pan-1H,.“ ,._m_n.c._ game...

  

      

l
i



 

that went down the river in the canoe.

 

 

‘\

18

any more, and finding none, followed him. He
moved toward the camp-fire.

The strange Indian advanced in the same
cautious manner until he was withina few feet,
when he assumed a crouching position and be-
gan stealing toward the form of the sleeping
Englishman.

Nick Whiflles waited until there could not be
a possibility of a doubt of his intention, when
he acted promptly and effectually.

A sharp crack of the rifle, and the red-skin,
with a bowl, fell prostrate on his face, stone-
,dead. his outstretched arms touching the person
of Fitzsimmons, who continued sleeping as
soundly as ever. -

. ' “ Watch out, pup,” said Nick, as he hastily
reloaded his piece, and then advancing to the
camp. be stirred up the fire.

“ Nothin’ on my side of the house,” remarked
Oregon Sol, as he came forward, and both
trappers leaned over and scanned the figure,
by the additional light thrown out by the em--

bars.

“ By mighty l” exclaimed Nick, as he identi-
fied the tribe of the red skin. “ it’s another Mo-
doc, assure as I’m alive. What are so many

v of ’em doing in this part of the world ?”

“And it ain’t Captain Jack nor Flat-Nosed

Billy, neyther; but it’s one of them same var-

r mints. sart’in sure. Where do you s’pOse he’s

come from?”
“ He has been sent here by them two criltwfieiés
a _
Nose was afeard to come himself, and so he
went this wretch.”
“ Tellin’ him, I s’pose, that if he didn’t make
(out to get his knife into_you, you’d set him

 onto his feet and give him a chance to try

’in.”

‘ » Nick only smiled at this thrust, for he knew
‘ ‘he deserved it; and after scanning the features
’ of the assassin for a few minutes longer, he re-
, marked: *

“Never see’d him afore; have you, 8011”
“Yes, I remember him. He and three others

‘ . murdered a family of settlers—man, wife and

four children—near Klamath Lake, last sum-
mer. I happened to be in that neighborhood,
just then. and started in pursuit of ’em; but they
all got off in the lava-beds, where it was no use

totr and follow ’em.”
“ f you didn’t see him, how do you know
that hes the animilei"

“ Don’t you observe that scar that runs across
his face from one eye to the corner of the mouth

V ‘ . ,on t’other side, taking in the lower part of the

none, on its way? There’s Scar—Faced Charley,
that is marked different, and this is the only
one in this tribe that has such a scar. I’ve
heard him spoke of a good many times, as one
,of the‘ worst skunks in that little tribe, that
'hain’t got anything else in it but skunks. He

' [got that hurt when he was trying to murder a
white boy, ascotched up a hatchet and gave

him a wipe across the face that laid him out
v fur a time, Wonder if there's any more of them

’ critters ’bouti”

“ Guess not. I think he’s been sent here; but

ifrthere be any more, we kin depend upon Ca-
lamity, more nor on ourselves.”

_ They. decided to remove the body, which was

‘r -.

"yl

 

Oregon Sol.

carried to the river and consigned to the rapid
current, which speedily carried him beyond all
human sight.

This done, the trappers returned to their po-
sitions by the camp-fire, where they stretched
out and went to sleep as before. and seemingly
forgetful of the frightful tragedy in which they
had so recently acted a part.

Fitzsimmons did not open his eyes until after
daylight, When the others were stirring, and as
they told him nothing of what had happened, he
does not suspect, even to this day, how it was
that Nick Whiflies was the means of saving him
from a sudden and terrible death.

At an early hour the three resumed their

ourfiiey northward, on their way to Blackfoot

oc .

 

CHAPTER VIII.
THE FUR BRIGADE. ’

THE sun was low in the sky ona beautiful
day in summer when a party of hunters, trap-
pers and vogugeurs, to the number of fifty odd,
ran their half-dozen large canoes close to the
shore, and springing out, began their prepara-
tions for the night encampment.

They were in British territor , and were on
their return to Fort Alfred, hav ng been absent
from the post for several months, employed in
making their tour along the Saskatchewan and
tributaries for the purpose of gathering in the
furs and peltries that their agents had been col-
lecting during the winter months.

They had secured a large and valuable collec-
tion, too, most of the canoes being piled high
with the soft, velvety furs, ’which offered the
m0st pleasant of couches, where, at night in
midsummer, the air was cnol and bracing. In
some of the boats there was scarcely room for
the rowers, while the rich burdens bore all
down in the water Within a few inches of the
gunwales. «

On the morrow the hardy) woodmen expected
to reach the fort, and this alt was, as we have
intimated in another place, in acmrdanca with
an agreement made between Nick Whiffles and
Captain Green, the leader of the Hudson Bay
Brigade. The mutual ledge was given, half a
year before, that on th 5 night the company of
trappers were to encamp at Blackfoot Rock,
or, in case they could not make it in time, Cap-
tain Green agreed to have a representative
upon the spot, to receive the message of Nick
Whiffles and Oregon Sol, and_ pay them the
stipulated price.

By a coincidence that was remarkable, when
the ength of the time is considered, the brigade,
asthey were termed, had struck the place on
the very day agreed upon, and Captain Green
was not a little pleased at the neat manner in
which it had been brought about. . ,

Of the two score and a half of men, there was
not one who did not know what his duty was,
and who did not set about it at ones. They
were as busy as bees, and it was a pleasant
sight to ,note the perfect system that reigned
over all. While some devoted ,themselves to
the care 0 the boatswith their precious cer-
goes, guarding againstan mishap of the night,
a the way of storm, win or, t eyes. others be-
gun cutting dam: and gathe 3 fuel for the

\

\

Oregon 801.

19

 

large campfires that were soon kindled, and
throwing outabroad, cheerful circle of light
in the darkening gloom of the night. Still oth-
ers could he noticed bringing cooking utensils
and boxes containing the most indispensable
condiments from the boats, and perfecting their
arrangements for the preparation of the food
for the wolf—like appetites of these brawny
Anaks of the Northwest.

Captain Green, the director and head of all
this hu~tle and work, stood near one of the
camp-fires, watching the movements of his
men, and exchan ing a word now and then
with a. young gent eman standirg beside him.

The latter was the son of the commandant of
Fort Alfred, and was a “city chap," who had
come from London in the same vessel that
brought over Mr. Fitzsinimons. He had little
taste for the life of the backwoods, and had dc-
clared almost before he had seen the frontier
post ovar which his father presided. that he
meant to get back to London and civilization as
speedin as possible. As several months must
necessarily e a so before he could return in the
supply ship 0 the Company, he consented to
go with his friend Fitzziminons on a tour with
the brigade. At the time the scientific gentle"
man got lost. young Swoper was tempora—
rily absent on a hunt, or he would have got lost
with him.

Swopsr was rather conceited, and treated the
hunters with such undisguised contempt, that
he was not popular with them, and even Cap
tain Green only endured him for the sake of his
father. They had not much liking for Fitz—
simmons, but he was not as offensive in his
manner as the young cockney.

Captain Green stood somewhatapartfrom the
others, and he would have preferred to stand
alone, but as he was about the only one who
would hold any converse with Swoper, and that
youn gentleman was there, he could not well
aflor to dismiss him.

The captain had just made some response to
some observation of his companions, when the
latter exclaimed:

“Helloa, ’ere is my friend, as sure as I'm
alive. I‘m dooced glad to see ’im, but who the
dooce hare them beggars that he ’ss with ’imt”

“Be careful,” admonished the leader, as he
turned and recognized the men a proachiug.
“ One of them is known as Oregon 55:, a some—
what celebrated trapper, and the ot er is the
famous philosopher and huntr r, Nick Whitfles,
that you have heard me speak of so often.”

“’0—-’o! and that’s the man," replied the
cockney. elevating his eyebrows with surprise;
“ he don’t look like much of a teller.”

As the trio a preached, there was naturally
hand-shaking all around, and an exchange of
courtesies between the two Londoners who had
been Separated for the past few days. Then fol-
lowed several introductions, and while Oregon
Sal sauntered of to exchange greetings and re
new acquaintances with the membqu offhe
brigade, and those who remained behind paired
off. Fitzsimmons and Swoper. and Cs «ain
Green and Nick Whifiles. the young coo ney
thawed considerable curiosity regarding the
famous trap :- philmppher, and asked nu-
merous goes on: of Fitzsnnmons about him.

/

 

He kept his a e upon him, and when he saw the
captain pay im a handsome sum of money in ’
recognition of his services, he seemed to think it
was a suitable occasion to open a. conversation
with him.

“And so you trappers work for money, do
you? hl thought you trapped the woods and
shot bears and trapped beavers and halligatora,
121:1.(1 l f’lou’t know what not, for the love of the

mg.

Nick Whiflies turned about and looked steadi-
ly at the youii man a moment, as if to take
his measure. t iequired but a few seconds for
him to do so, when he made answer in his
drawling way:

“Bears and beavers would be easy ’nough'
cotchcd, if they was all as big fools as you are. -
But as there ain’t a beaver in the Nor’west but
what has more brains than you have. yousee
there is more work than play about it Fact,
by mighty!”

Captain Green and Fitzsimmons both laughed
at this rather penal al rrply of Nick, uttered
“ith such an irresistible waggisliness. Swo r
flushed, and showed that he was angered. ~ n-
stead of laughing the whole lhingpfl. and back-
ing out of such an um qual contest, he was on-
ly the more eager to overthrow his antagonist.

“ You are doubtless unau are hot whom you‘re
haddressing, sir. hi would ’ave you know that
hl‘ni ’erbert Su'oper, son hot the commanth
hoi’ Fort hAlired.”

“You be, ehi”retnrnt~d Nick, scanning him
from head to foot. “Colonel Swoper is a man,
every inch of him, and when you tell me you’re
his son, I can’t help thinking what a double
shame you commit; for you derive distinction
from your ancestor. as it were. and bequeath
disgrace to your osterily—that is, if You ever
have any, which t ie good Lord forbid 1”

Young Swoper was compelled to hear the
snicker'of his friends again, and he hastened to
drown it in some more original observations.
The hight of his ability enabled him to ask a
few questions in the way of quizzing, as he had
frequently done at home among his companions.
This, the resort of the weakest wits, he proceed-
ed to carry out, by making his uesiions as ir-
relevant and absurd as possible. in the hope of
com lling the trapper to appear ridiculous.

" )0 you gentlemen ’ave good appetites?”

“Good appetites allure run in the Whifllel
family, but the biggest hogsI ever see’d wasthe
Englishmen that sometimes come over with the
Hudson Bay folks. Howsumever, appetite is a
good thing, which Providence ginerallygives to .
poor folks, so that they may like what they eat,
while the rich don’t often have it, ’cause they
may eat what they like.” . .

“You are quite a remarkable philospher," .
said Swoper, in mock compliment. “Such a
man as you ought to travel and let the wot
see more of van.” .

Nit-k Whiflles shook his head. , , V

“The obliection to that is that I’d see more
tools than would wise men. Out herein the
Woods, when 1 don’t meet one at my own race
and color sometimes for daysand weeks, I begin .
to think that there ain’t a great many tools. and
scamps of my own race arter all; but the minis,
I approach a dozen or twenty white Insulin;

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Oregou Sol.

 

sure to run ag’in’ one of them chaps that arelikc
the skunks—good for nothin’ except to smell
sweet and strong. No matterif it’s the brigade
away up here in the Nor’west, that fool is sure
to turn up. But then I had an u‘hcie once that
was a great iravoler."

” Ah—al you did? What part of the world
did he visit?”

“Every part, I ma say, and when he came
back he writ a boo about ’em. There was
Chippy, now, I call to mind what he said about
that.

“ You do. oh! what did he write about that?"

“He said it was the land of contraries. That
flowers didn't have any smell. and that female
ladies didn’t wear any petticoats; the roads
didn’t have any carriages, and their ships were
like our canoes. without any keels; the old men
fly kites. and thar compasses all p’int south,
though, for that matter, they don’t p‘int north
in this part of the world, as Persimmons there
has found out. When a man in China gets puz-
zled he never Scratches his head, where if you
take 03 your hat you insult a man, and when
503 want to go in mourning you put on white

ll B.’

" Well done.” added Fiizsi'mmons, enthusi-
astically; “there’s more in your head than there
looks to be. You’ve come in contact before with
men who have made some investigations in sci-

, once and history. What you’ve said I can cer-

tify as being truth.” ,
‘Sorry you said that," replied Nick, “ ’cause
I- never had any doubt of what my uncle, the
trpveler. writ till you throwed it on by what
you’ve just said. I hope this other pup won’t
say he agrees with me. for then I’ll be sart’in
film’s some of the Whiifles family have told a
e.
“I guess you two gentlemen had b tter let

,' Nick alone." laughed Captain Green. w othor~
r ongh'l

enjoyed the discomflture of the two
Woul ~be wits. “ You can’t make anything 03
of him, and the more you try the worse you

’ catchit."

“hI aren’t ’alf-tried.” replied Swoper, pom-
pguslv: “if Mr. Whifiles was a man of some

donation, hl shoulln’t be afraid to measure
swords with ’im; but it’s ’ard to talk to a man
that 'asn’t the brains to comprehend you."

"Then I s’pose you allus ave an oncommon
dimkilty in talking with any one," said the trap-
per. “’specially if he’s a man of sense. Some
olks are the wisest when they’re asleep or

v dreaming.”

I

"Do you hover hiudulge in the luxury of
dreams?" asked Swoper, catching him u in-
stant! . “ What do you know of dreams?

“I on’t pretend to much book-l’arning,” said

iflles, more seriously than before: ‘but a
man can’t come to my age, even though he

‘ spends most of his time in the woods, Without
‘ l‘nrnin something. God and Nature are allus

before im, and he sees ’em when his eyes are
shot; they foller him evarywhere, and he can’t
forget ’em in his sleep. You ax me what I know

,’bout dreams, and I can‘tfiay that I know much,

’oauso nobody does; but- my dreams are mostl
pleasant, which I fear yours ain't, ’cause t
who a good digestion and a clear conscience

\ to make ’oni so, Dreams are the vision: we

.Li

 

are awake to when we’re asleep. The ’re the
life of death; the sights that the blind see;
the sounds that the deaf hear; the lan uage
of the dumb; and to me they’re dim spea ings
of what is to come in that sleep which knows no
waking. l‘ve road somewhere that sleep was
the twin brother of death——-’7

“What do you mean by a, twin brother!"
was the exceedingly silly question of Swoper,
intended to cast ridicule upon the “old man
eloquent.” .

“ If your mother had been so unfortinit as to
have a natural-born fool, at the same time you
come into the world, you and him would have
been twin brothers, and the other one would
have had the most sense. And now. young
man, let me give you a word of, advice; you
never will amount to much, and it ain't your
fault, ’cause it wasn’t born in you; you’re one
of their chaps that thinks it’s a. disgrace to
work, and 1 don’t doubt despise your own
parents ‘cause they do it. Idleness is the hard-
est work for them that ain’t used to it, and dull
work to them that are. It’s a disease that soon
eats into the heart, and corrodes your heart
while it digs under your health. Depend upon
it, that nothing is 80 hard to do, as to do noth-
ing. Men spend vears in working for the time
when they needn’t work, and then find that the
hardest work of all, and— But what’s the use in
talking to a man that can’t understand?"

And Nick Whiflies deliberately turned his
back upon the two Englishmen. and began a
confidential conversation with Captain Green,
as though his disgust was too great to permit
him to look upon them even.

They sauntered away arm in arm, as though
they were the victors instead of the vanquished,
though there can be but little doubt that they
were greatly relieved to escape the scathin
they were receiving at the hands of Nic
Whifles.

 

CHAPTER IX.
THE FIRST TRAMP.

EARLY in the morning the brigade had eaten
their breakfast, and were ready to start on their
return to Fort Alfred. Captain Green was de
sirous of securing the, Services of Nick Whiffles
and Oregon Sui for the Hudson Bay Company,
but the former shook his head.

“ I’ve got u. little private business of my own
to look arter. If nothing pertick’ler comes up
in the summer and fall—that is if I don’t run
across any condemned difllkilties that I have to
straighten out, I’ll turn in with you and try
another season."

None knew better than Captain Green that it
was useless to attempt to ciange the mind of
Nick, and so he urged him no further, but bid-

ding the two trappers good-by. told them that

he, should count with a great deal of confidence
upon seeing them at the fort before a year
should have elapsed. ‘

Ar the canoes pulled away 11 -stream, Nick
and Sol stood upon the shore wav ng their good-
by. They were especially affectionate in their de-
monstrations toward Swoper and F‘itasimmons,
who had sense enough to forget the rough treat«
ment they had received at the hands of the phi-

\

Oregon Sol.

21

 

losopher of the woods, and they returned the
signals declaring the old fellow to be a. brick
after all.

And so the parties separated.

When the brigade had passed the curve in the
river and was fairly out of sight, Nick turned
about, and the two walked to where their horses
were crop ing the grass. Here they stood be-
side them or some minutes debating as to their
future movements.

“I told the Blackfoot to meet me here this
morning,” said Nick Whiflles. “and he hasn’t
kept his agreement as well as Captain Green and
the rest of the men done.”

“ Mebbe he won’t come at all,” replied Oregon
Sol, who had received the full particulars of the
last interview between Marun o and his friend.
“ When a red-skin gils his her up in that style,
he’s apt to show it, and like enough we’ll never
see the red—skin ag’in.”

“ That might he,” replied Nick, “if he was a
ginooine Injun; but it’s the condemned difllkilty
fur me to think all the time that he's one of the
true blue. There‘s something in his ways that
looks too much like a white man’s.”

Oregon Sol’s face wore a serious expression.
Hedwas silent a. moment, and then looking up, he
8h] 2

“ Nick, I’ve never heard you speak that way
afore. I’ve had sech thoughts, but I never let
’em out ’cause they seemed so foolish like, but
thar’s something else ’bout Marunyo that works
me more nor his looks (10.”

“ What’s that?" inquired Whitfies, with no lit-
tle curiosity.

“ Sometimes, when he’s speaking, there’s some-
thing that comes over me, as though I had heard
that voice before. I’ve had the feeling a good
many times. and it bothers me a good deal, fur
I can’t figure out where it was that l heerd that
voice. nor how it is that it strikes me that way.
Does it ever not the same with you?”

Nick shook his head.

“ Never; l’ve had mv doubts ’bout his being
a reg'lar varmint, and I’ve got ’em yit, but I’ve
never had a s‘picion that I’ve ever see’d ’im
store the time we run ag’in’ ’im, a couple of
years a o.” e

“ I web I could feel the same way,” said Ore-

gon 80‘, as if speaking to himself, “ fur it’s one
of them thin s that sometimes keeps me from
sleeping‘at a! . How long are you going to wait
here? . .
“ We’ll hold on a little while longer, and then,
if we don’t see nothin’ of him we ll head south
and leave word for him to fuller. Calamity, I
wish you’d go over on Blackfoot Rock and see
whether the oung man is in sight. You’ve
been up there fore and know the way.”

The large sha gv dog that was sitting at his
master’s feet, 1 cking i chops, and patiently
a waiting their decision, arose, turned about, and
trotted toward the riVer. There was a solemnl-
ty in his movement and action that proved that
he was a canine little given to trifling, and with-
out any evidence of the waggish disposition
that was such a prominent characteristic of his
master.

Into the river went the dog, and addled as
straight for the opposite shore as if e was fol-
lowing a ferry-line that was stretched over his

 

head. As he walked out upon the land, he us-
ed only long enough to shake his shaggy id,
when he disappeared behind the huge mass 0
rock towering to such a great hight. ,

“Can he get to the top?” asked Oregon Sol,
who had been attentively watching the move-
ments of the sagacious creature.

“You heerd me tell Captain Green howmeny
times I have been up there In self," snid Nick,
in reply. “ Well, every time WFnt up the pup
went with me, and I guess he’s old ’nough to go
it alone.”

It was no light task for any one, man or ani-
mal, to clamher to the top of Blackfeet Rock
but the trapper nhver felt the least doubt about
the success of his favorite.

_Severa1 minutes passed, and while they stood
discussing the many excellencies of Calamity
a faint bark was heard, far up in the air, and
looking up they saw the diminutive figure of
the do on the highest point of Blackfoot Rock.
At sue a distance, he appeared scarcely larger
than a fly, but there coul be no mistake about
his identity.

The creature retained his position perhaps ten
minutes, during which he gave out his short,
peculiar bark some half-dozen times.

“That means that he sees somethin ,” said"

Nick, who understood the meaning of is dog
as well as if he possessed the gift of speech. “
guess the Blackfoot isn’t for away.” ‘

Shortly after, Calamity was seen breasting '

the current again, and, as he came out an

gave his hide a shake that sent the water and V

spray fl ing in every direction, Nick Whimes
put to h m a series of questions, as Searchin as
if the dog were submitting to a cross-exam ne-
tion upon the witness-stand. ' _

“ Marunyo is close by," said the trapper, look-
ing about, as if he expected him to show himself
at once; “ the pup has seen him, and we sha’n’t
have to wait long.”

“ That’s the fact," said Oregon Sol, “ for there
he is this minute.”

The handsome graceful figure of the Black-
foot emer ed from the woods at this juncture,

and he a vanced straight to them, making a.‘

kind of military salute to the two trappers.

“ Well, Marunvo. we came near giving you
up.” said Nick Whimes as he took his band.
“ We’ve been here all night, and was just talk-
ing, about going away, when you showed your-
so

“Marun 0 has been a good many miles,” 1'!-
plied the lackfoot, by way of explanation,
“and he has not shut his e as fora ong time
that he might meet his brot ers.”

This did not leok as though he was very deep-
ly offended by the lam words that had been
spoken to him by ick, and the latter, with
characteristic good lease, determined to make
no reference to it.

"Wal, my son, the next question is whether

all this tramping that you‘ve been telling us
’bout has done you any good. Have you l‘ar‘n-
ed anythin ’bout the two females that Captain
Jack and lat—Nosed Billy took away with.’em
in the canoe!”

The black eyes of the young Indian flashed, n . I

he made answer: I ,
“Marunyo has followed them as the hound
, A , ' .

I

 

  
 
    
  
   
  
 
   
   
    
  
   
    
  
 
    
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
   
    
  
     
   
   
    
  
   
    
     

 
 

1. follows the deer. He has found the place where

' ‘ the Drooping Lily weeps.”

“.That’s the kind of talk that amounts to
something. I ‘s’pose the old lady is with the
Di'ooping Lily?"

Marunyo nodded in the affirmative.

“I observe that it’s the young gal that you
.speak ’bourL, as though her mother wasn’t of
much account. Don’t you forgit, young man,
that if that gal is the right kindof animile in
calico she thinks a, good deal of her mother, and
it won’t do fur you to furgit all ’bout the old

' lady when you‘re courting the young one.”

Marunyo showed considerable confusion at
the pointed references of the trapper—but he
made no allusion to them. He was too much
occupied just then with the question of the rescue
of the ladies from the power of the murderous-
minded Modocs.

, “Will the hunters go with me to save the
Drooping Lily?”

“And her mother, too,” added Nick, in his
comical way. “You nod your head that you
mean her—but it’s time you begun practicing in

' the way of showing some thought of her, even
if you haven’t got it.”

Nick turned to Sol, as if he wished him to an-

,, ' swer the question of the young Blackfoot.

. ll' " r, The former stood back a. little, with his arms
folded, and looking fixedly at the young man,
as if studying his countenance and listening to
his voice. ,

- When appealed to in this manner, he did not
speak, but nodded his head to signify that he
was willing to do Whatever his companion wish-

- ed him to do, and Nick Whifllas took upon him-
self to reply for both.

Laying his hand upon the shoulder of Ms-
mnyo, he fixed his keen gray eyes upon him, and

 

 

d.

“ Blackfoot, we’re going to trust you, and
whenIsay we, I mean the nup and Shagbark
the pony, not to mention Oregon Sol. If you
talk with two tongues. we’ll diskiver it in time
to put you in such a condemned p’isou dilflkilty
that you’ll never tramp the woods ng’in nor
think you hear the voice of Drooping Lily sing-
ing to you, when you’re looking at the stars.
We’ve waited here on purpose to meet you, and
we are going to do what we can to git them
females out of difflkilty. It’s airly in the day,

,,and if you feel like travelin’, go ahead, and we’ll

foller.’ '

‘ “The war-paint that COVered the face of the

Blackfoot could not conceal the expression of
.‘1 deli ht that came over it when he heard these
\' we 8 from Nick Whiflies, and saw from the
 r fmauner of‘the two trappers that they were as
  ~' readyas he to start on t e expedition.

5'. .‘ Marunyo was without any animal of his own,
A, , V and he needed none. Young and active. almost
l , ’ tireless in muscle and wind, he could travel as
‘ ' ; “Aer, at a moderate speed, as the best horse that
2., “i 2 he could ride.

' , , 1 As he moved away the hunters mounted their
_ . animals and foll0wed after him in Indian file.

' Calamity, took his place directly in front of
-’ Shsgberk, the pony. and a few feet in the rear
. of the Blackfoot. By this means he could give
, is master timely warning of any danger that
z. I  rod-skin might lead them into, and Nick un-

 

,r‘:.,‘:. ' _

   

If

 

  

 

Oregon 801.

 

 

derstood the sagacious animal well enough to
know that he would do it, as surely as if a hu-
man being himself.

Oregon S )1 kept a rod or so in the rear, and
an ordinary observer would have suppOsed it
was on account of timidity; butNick knew bet-
ter. He was well aware that his old compan—
ion was in one of his moods and be respected
his seelings enough at such a time to make no
attem t to disturb him.

If ick Whitlles could he waggish and humor-
ous at times, he could be considerate nlso.’ He
never willingly injured a person‘s feelings, and
in quizzing a person he did it in such a way that
he could take no offense, unless, indeed, the
other first attucked him, as was the case with
Swoper, the Englishman, when the old trapper
was as severe as any one could wish.

He. had learned. during his companionship
with Oregon Sol, that the latter, like most peo-
ple, had his secret sorrow. He. had suffered a
blow in his early manhood, which had been the
real means of his taking to the Woods. Preci=e-
ly what it wns Nick could not tell. for he had
never asked; but he needed no telling that it
was the cause of these spells of absent-minded—
ness. and occasional inorosmess, that came over
his friend. At such times Nick generally left
him alone. He felt enough sorrow and sym u—
thy for him to make proper allowances for is
change of mood, and he did not add to it by any
unseemly jest or resentment upon his part.

If the Blackfoot had traveled so many miles
during the days and nights passed—andNick
Whiflirs did not doubt in the least that he had
done so—he showed no signs of it, as he led the
way with a free, bold step, apparently as fresh
and vigorous as if he had merely started out
this fine summer morning for the purpose of
stretching his legs.

The trapper had seen thousands of Indians,
and some of the finest specimens of mankind
probably that ever lived, yet he was certain
that he never beheld greater perfection of form
a d grace of movement than was in Marnuvo,

ho strode along before, seemingly unconscious
of his beauty, power, and wonderful reserve of
strength.

“ It seems onpossible that such a good-
looking fellow as that'can bee. villain,” mut-
tered Nick to himself; “and yet, that don’t
make no difference, for ,here is me, the best-
looking member of the Whiflies family, when I
was young I was one of the worst boys in the
kentry, though I’ve got over itunow and am just
t’other 

After fo lowing a southern direction for many
hours, Marunyo turned more to the east, where
the way was rougher and their progress was
more difficult. In' some places it required con-
siderable skill on the part of the horses to pick
their way along‘ the rocks and through the
gorges and ravines. .

But the Blackfoot appeared never to hesitate
or to be at a loss for the proper course to ursue.
He led the way as though he had spent is life
among the mountains and knew every step of
the way.

“ I s’pected he would aim for this neighbors
hood,” said Nick, who, having no one to whom
he might talk, spent the time in talking to him-

/

«.4-

  
 

   
 
 

 
 

 

Oregon Sol. 28

 

self. “ Captain Jack knows this part of the
country well enough to know where to hide his
jewels. I ’spect that old sinner has stowed them
gals away here, where he means to keep ’em till
he kin get a. big ransom for ’em. That old dog
is as smart as he is devilish."

As the day advanced, Nick Whiflies profiered
to Marunyo the use of his horse and urged upon
him to ride awhile, but the Indian would not
consent, and they continued plodding along un-
til the day was nearly ended.

At night they encamped in one of the wildest
places of the Northwest—so walled in on every
side b mountains and broken forests that in
scarce v any direction was it possible to gain a
view of more than a hundred yards.

Nick Whiflles had been in this section but once
brilore, and that was at least a dozen years
Erevious, so that, although he retained a general

nowledge of its characteristics, yet, as be de-
clared, he felt more like a stranger than he had
felt for a long time.

“But,” said the Blackfoot, “ we are now
within half a mile of where the Drooping Lily
and her mother sigh and weep and pray for the
coming of their friends."

 

CHAPTER X.
AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.
‘NICK anrLEs, understanding the nature of
the business upon which they were engaged, had
rovided himself and the others With a good
ihnch at the hands of the brigade before they

left Blackfoot Rock. This obviated all neces-

sity of flringa gun for some time at least to
come, while they were in proximity to their
foes. Silence and caution were the most im-

ortant requisites toward success 'just now, and
{he three men realized the truth to its fullest ex—
tent.

Marunyo‘proposed, as they came to a halt,
that they should not kindlea re; but both Nick
and Sol had such a distaste for encampin in
the darkness, that they searched out a s el-
tered nook under the rocks, which was really
more of a cavern than anything else, and here
they kindled a small fire, which enabled them
to see each other’s faces and to converse more
understanding] y of the position in which affairs
stood.

Whimes had supposed from the remarks of
the Blackfoot that he knew precisely where the

rison place of‘t'he captives was; but upon close

uiry he found that such was not the case.
fie had followed Captain J ack,and Flat-Nosed
Billy to this section, but had lost them and with
all the skill at his command could not tell
whither they had zone, or where they had been
revious to their departure for home again, dur-
vnviiiwhich the attempt upon the life of Nick
ifles was made; but, convincod that the
spot he was seeking was somewhere in this
neighborhood, he had made a careful search
without any success exce t to discover that
when Captain Jack and is companion left,
others remained behind to take their places.
They were among the mountains somewhere,
and were doubtless guarding these women with
the greatest care.
“That's it,” said Nick, when he had drawn

 

all these particulars from the Blackfoot. “ Ca

tain Jack has got so much deviltry on his ban a a

that he has gone to ’tend to it. and has left two
or three Modocs here to stand guard over the
gals till he is ready to visit ’cm ag’in. I an ,
illsrgnyo, do you know the name of these or t-
ers.

“De Long,” was the prom tre l .

“Old ac uaintances of ydhrs’ip ghat is did
you know em afore they got into this little
diflikilty?” ~

The answer to this was equally as ready:

“Captain De Long is rich man; his home is
in ’Frisco: he is fine man. He brings his wife
and daughter in Oregon to see their friends;
they stay here when the weather is warm in
summer time; they go fishing; they hunt. Ma~
runyo sometimes go with them. He oes 13 to
start them a deer. and comes back an they are
gone. Captain Jack has stolen them; he takes
them far away in the mountains where he hides
them. Then he will send word to Captain De
Long that he can have wife and Droopmg Lily
for big sum of money; he wait a while, and
if captain not~send the money, then he kill
them.” .

“ And if he can git hold of the money before
he lets go the gals, he‘ll kill ’em then too. He
will, by mi htyi

is gone."

“ So I think,” said the Blackfoot, eagerly.
“ W hat think you?”~to Oregon Sol.

The latter was leaning upon his elbow, smok-
ing his pipe, and had rallied from the gloomy
revorie into which he had fallen. He nodded
hssdhgad in acquiescence, and removing his pipe,
a e :

“Seems to be sart’in that the critters are 'V

somewhar in this part of the world. With the
help of “3‘3qu there we kin soon find out to-
morrer, an t en we’ll sail in." ’

Nick Whiflles shook his head, as if he was not
exactly suited with the reply. '

“It won’t do to go into that kind of busines
Sol.” he said; “it would make a condemne
dimkilty. When one of the red varmints finds
he can’t keep his prisoners, then he puts his tom-
ahuwk into tha’r skulls, and I reckon Marunyo
here ain’t trying to get Drooping Lily, unless
she’s got some breath in her body.”

The Blackfoot shuddered at the bare sugges. V 

tion, while his fine dark eyes flashed.

“It must not be; it must not be.”

“That’s my oEinion, So], and yours, too, as
you come to thin over it.” ‘

“Of course,” returned the trapper. “How
many of the varmints do you spose there is
keeping watch over the gals?"

“Two or three, I should think. We’ve got
to get ’em away, or manage to steal on ’em so
sly-like that they won’t get a chance to kill ’em.
it’s like] if they don’t ’spect some of us are
about, t eg‘ll scatter, and while one or two
hang roun the gals, the others will be off on ..

hunt or fish; that’s the way we want things
fixed, and we’ll be a set of the cussedest fools f
we don’t put this little business through in the
ri ht kind of style.” ' V

‘ We’ll be likely to have some trouble in get! ‘7 _
ting ’em down to Fr’isco; for you see it’s a long

\
\

  

That’s the Modoo of it; so the "
safest plan 5 for us to get them away while he ‘

 

    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
   
     
 
  
 
    
   
   
    
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
   
  
  
     
   
  
  
   
 
    

-,‘

 
     

 

way from here, and we shall have the Modocs
arter us all the way.”

“That’il be the easiest art of the business;
for I think when Oregon 01 and Nick Whiflhs
sit in the woods thev are at home, and if I can’t
throw a. pack of Modocs oi! the trail, it I’ve
’n’ugh start to git out of their Sight fur half an
hour, then I'll commit suicide for grief, as an
aunt of mine did when she, met an ancient
lady at aparty who was able to drink three
more cups of tea than she was, and that was
better posted in the gossip of the neighbor-hood."

“Don’t you think that Captain Jack, if he
hain’t already come back here, will do so, artcr

\Ieeing the Blackfoot, and urter finding out

that it’s likely some of us has follered him to
this lace!”

“ don’t believe the captain will, ’cause he
never likes to be away from the mum body of

, his tribe for any time; but it’s very likely that
Fiat-Nosed Billy isn‘t many miles away from
us just novv.” ,

"Of course, sence Captain Jack has fhnnd
outthat this pertik‘ler devil of his is sart‘in in
receive all kinds of favors, he’s jist the sur int
he’s goingr to send along to look out for us. e’d
be a. feel if he didn’t."

“Easy, now,” replied Nick Whifflcs, with n

~ grin and a deprecatory wave of the hand.
‘Thut ’era little episode is buried in the vister
of the past, as the poets say. Don’t fotch it up
ag’in until arter this business is setlled.”

Oregon Sol understood the meaning of this
hint, and perhaps it was this, or it may have
been the recollecLiOn that Nick himself had been
considerate toward him when he was in no hu-
mor for jesting, that caused him to desist from

' , chafing his friend when such a good opening

was given.
As it was. they settled down into a more seri-
' 0115 discussion of the prospects, and they pcr-
'fected all their arrangementsior the morrow.
It was agreed that at daybreak they should
separate, and spend the entire day in reconnoi-
tering through the mountains, unless they should
'sooner succeed in eflecting their object. As it
' was believed to be more than likely that erher
the hiding-place would be discovered or some of
the Modocs encountered, a. system of signals was
agreed upon, which they Were confident could
be em loyed without their meaning being sus-

' , poem by the red-skins.

Above all things, it was important that the

presence of the three men in the mountains

should not become, known to the Indians. it
was understood by each that, in case any unto-
» ward accident should reveal their presence to
one of these devils. that same personage was to
be wiped out wls'rlgliout the least ceremony, 11 on
, the well-establ' ed adage that dead men tel no

It i. _. tales.

During this conversation, the dog Calamity
lay stretched near the fire, with his nose between

5, his feet, and apparently sound asleep; but all
knew that he understood very nearly as well as

 they the important matter which they were dis-

cussing.
'As proof of this, when Sol proposed to send
thecanine out on his own book to prosecute the

'- , catch for, the Modoo hiding-place, the pup

Iliad his head and looked st‘ the speaker wit

Oregon Sol.

 

an expression that seemed as intelligent as that
of any person.

Nick was inclined to adopt the plan when it
was first suggested, but he afterward concluded
to let him keep company with him. It was un-
dersLood that, it no important discovery were
made, they were all to meet in the present place
at nightfall; while, if any one should gain the
intelligence that all wars seeking, he was to
summon the others around him by one of the
many signals agreed in n.

Thus matters were discussed until a late hour,
when all three turned in for the night. The fire
was nearly out, and Calamity stretched himself
in front of them, while the two horses were
grazino so close at hand. that none of the sleep-
ers had any fear of being disturbed during the
night b their enemies.

be t ree men were unusually tired, and they
slept heavily. The sagncious dog seemed to un—
derstand their condition, for he was restless and
watchful. Could he have been seen in the dark—
ncss, it would have been noticed that he tree
quently raised his head and snuiIed the air, as
though he scented some sort of danger which he
did not precisely understand.

Then, after lying motionless for a few min-
utes, seemingly asleep, he would suddenly start
up, as if disturbed by some bad dream. After
walking around the sleepers several times, he
would come back and lie down again.

As yet no alarm had Come from the two
horses, that had ceased grazing, and were both
reposing upon the ground, and Calamity, like
his master, appeared to rely in some degree on
their sagacity, to aid him in his duties as senti-
ne .

Thus matters went on until past midnight,
when Shagbark gave out the slightest possible
sound. It was not a. neigh, nor a whinny. but
seemed to have been made by the motion of one
of his hoofs, as he lay upon the ground. I

Slight as it was, it caught the ear of Calami.
ty, who was on his feet as quick as a. flash. In-
stead of alarming the three men over whom he
was standing guard, he whisked out in the dark-
ness toward the spot where the two horses were
stretched.

There was acertaiu friendly familiaritv be-
tween these two dumb servants of Nick Whit-
fies. As Calamity came up he rubbed his nose
against the long head of éhaghark, who bent
his nose down as if to invite it.

Thus they remained for several minutes, com-
municating with each other in that langua e of
their own which is so readily understood by
each other, but which is a “sealed book,” and
will probably always remain such, to the great-
est human linguist.

When this sort of biliin and cooing had con-
tinued some minutes, the og turned about and
walked away in the darkness, taking a direction
diflerent from that leading to the spot where
his three friends were sleeping. After his de-
parture all remained silent for several minutes,
and then was heard a sudden fierce struggle, as
if two animals had grasped in a deadly embrace
and were rolling over and over among the stones
and leaves. Once or twice a low rowl as if
made b Calamity, might have been card, and
then al was still. .

-r.

 

 

Oregon Sol. 25

 

Only a few seconds did this strange, savage
fight continue, when the dog emerged from the
dense darkness, entered the cavern, and resumed
his place as sentinel. All this was done so
quietly, that not one of the three men stirred in
his sleep, or gave evidence of the slightest dis-
turbance. The dog lay with his nose resting on
his paws, apparently in as deep slumber as any
of them, but he was alive to the responsibility
that rested upon him, and he had already proveu
how keen the vigilance was which he maintained
in this lonely but dangerous re ion.

The three men sorely ueede such refreshing
sleep as this, and the two horses reposing so
quietly upon the ground were scarcely less
fatigued, so that it was a fortunate thing for all
that, as the hours of the night wore away, they
snifered no further disturbance, and it was not
until the morning sun sent its rays into the
ravine, in front of their quarters, that they open-
ed their eyes. and roused from their slumber.

Nick Whiflles's knowledge of his dog Calamity
was so intimate and perfect that he knew the
instant he cast his eyes upon him, that something
unusual had occurred during the night, and he
demanded of him what it was. The canine, by
way of reply led him a hundred yards, beside
a mass of roc s and stones, where was stretched
the lifeless figure of a Modoc.

“What I ’spected,” said the hunter, to his

faithful animal; “it’s been some of them var-
mints that has happened down in these parts,
and seeing our light has stole up to find out
what mischief there was about. You knowed
we was tired and didn’t want to ’sturb us, so
you wiped him out yourself. Wal, it was very
clever to us, pup, though it wasn’t quite so
clever to the varmmt, as he would testify, if he
had the chance, and I hope it’s done you some
food. I’ve noticed you've been sulkin’ for the
est day or two, on account of the condemned
fool I made of in self in lettin ofl’ Flat-Nosed
Billy when you ad him foul ut,” continued
the trapper, as seriously as if he were pleading
his own case in court, “I explained the whole
thin to you, and wanted that to be the end of
it. now, pu , how do you want it to be?"

Calamit fris ed around in such away that
there coul be no mistake about his good nature,
and his master smiled in a fashion which showed
that he was fully as much pleased.

“That makes things square, then,” he added,
as they began retracing their steps toward the
cavern, or rather, camp: “ no more sulking. pup,
’cause you know I’ve told you afore or the ter-
rible fate of one of the Whiifles family, that got
so deep into the sulks that they had to hitch a
couple of bosses to him to pull him out. Fact,
by mighty l”

When the little lparty had assembled in their
cavern retreat, an Nick Whiflies had told the
doings of Calamity, it was decided to send him
out on a little scout of his own, while the rest
were engaged with their morning lunch. He
could easily acertain whether they were under
surveillance or not. and it was all-important
that the matter should be settled on the spot.
The dog was gone scarcely half an hour, when
he trotted to view again, his actions and manner
showing that he had found“ the coast clea r.”

Nothing 'now remained to do except to SI“

 

about the work that had brought them thither.
No better place could be found for their horses,
and they were left where they were, while the
three men mowd out upon their stealthy Search,
separating immediately and moving with such
cen-rity that in the space of three minutes all
were lost to sight of each other.

We leave Murunyo and Oregon Sol for the
present, and follow Nick Whifl‘les and his dog
Calamity, as fortune had willed that they were
to open the curious events that wereso soon to
transpire.

.It may be said that each of the three devoted
himself with all the energy and skill at his com-
mand to finding out where among the moun-

tains around them the captives were bid, for by ‘

thistime they had all settled down to the con-
Viction that it was somewhere close at hand.
Neitht‘l‘ Marunyo nor Oregon 801 were in the
best condition possible lo prosecute his peculiar
work. The , former was so nervous over the

certainty that he felt at being so near the ob- ,

ject of his love, and the latter was so “ duster-
ed " at some strange thoughts that had begun to
agitate him, that they were not likely to do
themselves justice in the emergency that was
likely to come upon them at any moment.

And so it was fortunate that it came to the lot
of Nick Whimes, who was as cool and collected
as he always was, to unravel some of the myr
terv by which he was surrounded.

Nick, assisted by Calamity, spent many hours
in the search, but when noon came and passed,
neither dog nor master had made the slightest
advance toward the discovery which all three
were so anxious to make.

Nick had not forgotten the system of signals
that had been agreed upon, and now and then
he communicated with Marunyo and Oregon
Sol, but from neither came any message denot-
ing‘ progress.

hus matters stood, and the afternoon was '

pretty well advanced, when Nick suddenly do-
scried upon the rocks above him a small ente-
lope that seemed to have paused and stood
gazing into the depths below without noticing
thnhliunter and dog who had fixed their eyes up-
on on.

Nick was debating whether it would be pru-
dent for him to risk a shot, when he caught the
faint sound of a gun, and he saw the animal
make a sudden desperate leap, falling lifolsls to
the ground almost at his very feetl

CHAPTER‘ XI.
A SUDDEN DISAI’PEARANCE
THE instant the antelope fell, acrushed

 

and sliapcless mass to the bottom of the v
ravine, Nick Whiffles stepped back, con- ~

ceach himself, and waited and watched. '

lie was not kept long in waiting, when he ‘

dcscricd the Indian making his way among
the rocks until he reached the placewhere
the creature lay, over which he stooped and
began cutting some select portions to take
away with him.

“ 10's it Modoc,” said Whifies to himself:

“ and one of the very dogs I‘m looking for,

We’ll folier him, pup."



 

 

 

,g.
i, :, " 9°
F .

 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  

This was a matter of considerable diffi-
culty; but the trapper was accustomed to
such work, and he set about it with all the
skill of which he was master. It was really

;  l' Calamity himself that was the pursuer, Nick

sending him ahead, while he followed and
kept himself out of sight of the Modoc, who

1
:1
= i would be much less likely to notice a quad-

ru¥ed than a biped.

~ he route led up among the wildest fast-
nesses of the mountains, and Nick was be-
ginning to mutter to himself, and wonder
whether he was oing up among the clouds
to find his frien s, when the dog stopped
with a low, almost inaudible whine.

“It‘s there, is it?" he exclaimed, looking
about, and unable to see the Modoc, or any
, 5 thing resembling a retreat or hiding-place.

A, He was near the highest portion of the
‘ ' mountain, with rocks and era-gs and stunted
pines all around him; but, if there was any
‘place in which a man could hide, he was de-
termined to “ root” it out.
, The trapper had formed the conclusion,
without any tangible ground to base it upon,
that there was no more than three Modoes
I that had been left in charge of the captives
by Captain Jack, and since the death of
one of‘ the number during the preceding
night, there could be but two, unless Flat-
Nosed Bill 'had returned. It followed,
therefore, t t if the guard could be engaged
, Jib a regular fight, there was no reason wh
’jt‘hey should hesitate to attack them; but it
7 was like assailing a party within the walls of
a fort, where every advantage was in their
favor. In case the Modocs were driven to
«ltheywall, there was no question but what
they would turn‘upon the females and put
them to a horrible death. The object of
' [Nick Whiffles, as a consequence, was to get

/

 

 

 
  
  
  
  

’ r r in the “rear” of the red-skins, or between
them and the captives, and prevent any such
' , terrible coup d’etat as this.

“Where is the spot that that varmlht dis-
ap ared?" he asked of the dog, after both
’ bade stood several minutes, and the master
"was still unable to locate the vanishing-

point of the red-skin.

The dog replied in the most intelligible
* .‘languave at his command. His nose was
inted as rigidly as a. ramrod toward the
ggoken rocks that rose beyond and above
.' them, and he gave out a low whine to signi-
 fy that he was pointin at the very spot
I 'where the man had been ast seen.
. “.'~I’ll”be skulped if there ain’t another con-
demned dilfikilty,” growled the impatient
trapper. “This must be the place where
' myuncle found his real estate located among

5 The only conclusion that he could come
~‘to was that the Modoc had clambered up

.' ‘v  'the clouds.”
i
1

   

\

 

OregOn Sol.

among the rocks and gone on beyond and
behind them; but if such were the case, the
action of Calamity was altogether out of
keeping with the sagacity which he was ac-
customed to display. ’

Nick Whiifles scratched his head and
looked at the dog, and then looked at the
rocks and didn’t know how to explain it.

“ That’s 1g‘list the place for one of them crit-
ters to lay
off a gentleman like me as he undertakes to

walk 11 in a square fashion, and I’ll be con-l

demne if I want to try it. Why don’t you
move on, pup?"

But the dog refused to budge an inch, and
growing impatient at the passage of time,
and the failure to accomplish anythin ,
Nick cocked his rifle and moved cautiousfy
forward.

He literally felt every step of the way,
keeping all his senses on the alert, for he re-
alized, as fully as could any one, to what
personal danger he was exposed.

Searcer twenty yards of comparatively
level surface remained between him and the
spot where the massive rocks were tumbled
upon each other in the wildest confusion,
and Nick Whiflies had advanced three-
fourths of the way across this without de-
tecting anything unusual, except that the
dog} Calamity seemed to be ver uneasy,

l' e had remained standing fike a pointer
until his master had passed a few feet be-

ond, when he followed, but with such a

esitatin step, and such manifest disap—
proval, t at Nick's conscience caused him to
turn round more than once and debate with-
in himself whether he ought not to turn back
altogether, and seek some sheltered spot
where he could study out the field more at
his own leisure.

He felt that the only reason his faithful
friend changed his position was to keep him
company, and protect him, if possible. from
the peri that was increasing every moment.

“I s'pose I’m making a fool of myself,”
he thought, as he stood motionless a mo-
ment, and then started forward again, “but
there allus had to be some one in the Whif-
fles famil to make a fool of himself for the
benefit 0 t’other ones, and I may as well be
one for the benefit of myself—”

He was still moving about, and carefull
advancing toward the make, when he an -
denly stepped upon vacancy and disappeared
like a flash.

Nick Whiflies fell a distance of about
twenty feet into 'blank darkness, alighting
upon his feet and receivin a severe shock.
I e was confused for an nstant, but his
shrewd intellect told him that in moving
about and looking upward he had steppe
into an opening, of which he had no sus-

at down on his belly and pick.

 

 

 

 

Oregon Sol.

2?

 

picion, and which must have been used by
the Modoc in gomg to and coming from his
retreat in the mountains. With all the trap-
er's extensive knowledge of the ways and
Sevilments of the Indians, it had never oc-
curred to him that the Indian had disap-
peared into the ground instead of above it.

Rallying his senses, he looked about in the
darkness in the effort to gain some idea of
where he was. Looking upward he could
see the irregular opening over his head,
throu h which he had just fallen, with the
dog, galamity, peering down in the gloom
upon him, as if inquiring how his master had
made out.

“Oh, I‘m here, pup," he said, in a voice
just loud enough to be heard by the brute,
“and I'm shook up a considerable, but it's
all the same. I guess ou'd better come
down here with me, fur think 1 shall need

our help to get out of this condemned difli—

'1t .’
H‘ehad scarcely said the words, when down
-came the dog, narrowly missing striking him
upon the head and shoulders.

Master and dog now being together, there
was need of all the wits at their command, a
fact which was fully understood by both.

The trouble was that as they stood upon
the hard, flat surface of the rock, they could
not catch the slightest glimpse of anything
like daylight, in any direction, except by
looking upward at the hole through whic
both had descended, but through which it
was impossible to make their way again
without outside assistance. _

“ That’s what I call a rather onhandy style
of stairs," said Nick Wliifiles. “Twenty
feet down at one step is inconvenient to per-
sons with a weak constitution. It makes me
think of the cellar stairs an uncle of mine
once made. It was quite that style, and he
said, when explaining it, that it would keep
people from running down thar too often,
and he wouldn’t have so much pie stolen.
When his wife had to go down it didn't take
her long, but it was onhandy 'bout pulling
her up, as they had to let down a hook and
rope, and fasten it in her back hair; but come,
let us l'arn something instead of foolin’ away
our time.”

It was very certain that whoever spent
their time in those underground quarters
did not remain around the opening, and
Nick and Calamity began moving for-
ward, groping their way along with great
cautions

By stretching out his arms, the trapper
found that he was following a passage some
six or eight feet in width; but, as it extend-
ed in both directions, it was uncertain
Whether he was going toward or from the
point‘he wished to reach. Unaware of what

4

 

pitfalls might be in front, he let Calamity
take the lead, knowin r that the instinct of the
brute was far more re iablc in a. case like this
than the reason of man.

Perhaps fifty feet had been passed in this
manner, when a slight sound reached the ears
of Nick that seemed like the moan of waters;
but as it instantly ceased again, he suspected
that it was the voice of persons talking. He
stood for several minutes listening, but not
hearing it, he moved forward. By this time
he was out of sight of the opening, and look
in whichever direction he chose, it was black.
starless night. ,«

A short distance further the do uttered 9K
faint whine, as an indication that e had dis-
covered something. Nothing, however, could ‘
be seen, and the twain moved forward again
for a few steps, when a faint lighting up
showed they were approaching some sort of
opening.

“ I guess We’re going to l‘arn something,”
said Nick to his dog, as he felt that he was
upon the eve of making some important dis- ,
eovery.

The light continued to increase as they
cautiously advanced, and by—and-b ‘
tected the glimmer of something li e a fire,
but he could not make certain what it was
until he had penetrated some distance fur-
ther, when he saw that a small wood fire was
burning at one side of the cavern. .

Such being the cage was proof that those
who had kindled it were not far away,
though Nick for a time was unable todlsé
cover them. '

Still advancing,
stealth of shadows, with his eyes and em as
wide open as they could be, the fire was seen”
to flash 11p suddenly, as though some one
had thrown additional fuel upon it. . * ‘

At this increased illumination, two fl res
were instantly revealed—the fl ures 0 two
women—Mrs. De Long and er dau hter
Juliette—those for whom Marunyo an
trapper-s were searching.

They were strangers to Nick Whitfles, he

having never set eyes on them before, but ~‘ 

the circumstances under which he saw them
could leave no doubt of their identity, and
as he looked upon the beautiful face of the
younger as revealed by the fireli ht, he could
not wonder that Marunyo had fa len so ho -
lessly in love that he was willing to risk Bis
life a hundred times over, for the sake of
rescuing her from her dreadful ca tivity.

It was Juliette who had stirre the smelt _
dering embers, and thrown some other sticks
upon them, and the flame showed that the
place where she and her mother stood was
an expansion of the passage into something
like a room, which had been fitted up as 9.
sort of Indian lodge. V,

the /

herds-.3, ”

y

\

with the silence and", 

 

 

I.
j l:
l

nfl....1..s.,._

“‘1‘”;— ~41“? " 7:

:23“

Oregon Sol.

 

The first effort of Nick, after recognizing
the two, was to ascertain whether any other
Indians were in the vicinity. Looking hither
and yon, he could see nothing of them, al-
though that was no reason for supposing
they were not in the immediate neighbor-
hood.

After stirring and replenishing the fire in

I § the manner mentioned, Juliette sat down he-
aide her mother, upon a flat stone, and he

'1  ' could hear the murmur of their voices, al-

though unable to distinguish a Word.

Nick Whitiles, wrapped in impenetrable
darkness, stood for fully fifteen minutes
looking upon the two. and endeavoring to
make certain whether he could open com-
municatiou with them without giving the
alarm to their jailer at the same time.

He knew that one of these Modocs had
gone down the opening a few minutes in ad-
vance of him, and the question was as to
what had become of him.

,1“ Finally Nick concluded to make an at-
tem t to apprise them of his presence, and
his esire to help them out of their “con-
demned difllkilty.” He therefore moved
forward until he was within a dozen yards,
and e(lust beyond their sight, when he
paus ,.

, ‘ At this very instant one of ’the burning

’  fagots fell forward, and made a sudden in-

._.’ crease of light, by the aid of which both me-
‘ ther and daughter caught sight of the hunter
, and his dog standing near them.

I ‘ Juliette gave a slight scream at sight of
the stranger, and the trapper, fearful that
their fri ht might defeat every measure look-

" ring to t eir rescue, called out in a cautious

undertone: ' ,

“Don’t be skeart; it’s me, Nick Whiffles

.and Calamity. We’ve come to make a call
. onto yer, and ax you if you wouldn‘t like to
.take a promenade out of this condemned

 

 

 

 

4E.
.. I

 

.v iv.
3;”, -. difilkilty, and (go back to your home ag‘in.”
’ There can] be no mistake about the
"friendliness of that voice and person, and

   

both mother and daughter were ready to
m for‘joy at the knowledge that some one
come to their rescue, even though that
person was a stranger to them.
_ Before they could more than realize the
disposition of the trap er, the latter asked
them, in the same guar ed voice:
“ Are there any red-skins close by?"
“No,” answered Mrs. De Long; “you
need not be afraid to come forward.” '
 ' “I ain’t exact] afeared of ’em except on
U , your account. a and Calamit kin en-
erally manage to take care 0 nurse was
among the Varmintsl but if any of ’em are
hanging ’round loose it's best to know it.”
., As he uttered the last words, Nick Whit-
' do: come forward by the camp-fire, and

 

saluted the ladies with rough but genuine
courtesy.

“You both look purty well," said he, as
he looked from one to the other, as he gave
way to his characteristic sense of humor.
“ If young gals want to git pale and interest~
in‘ like, thar ain’t nothin’ better than to keep
out of the sunlight-though I think you
didn't come down here of your own free will
and accord. How many of the lujuns are
here watchin’ you?” he asked, abruptly.

“ There is nearly always one here or close
by, but the rest are on the outside guarding
that point,” replied Mrs. De Long.

" How many of them are there?"

“ About half a dozen.”

“ Helloa!” exclaimed the surprised trap-
per; “ I hadn’t counted on finding so many
as that; but there was one of the p’is‘on noos-
ances that come down here ahead of me.
“That‘s ’come of him?"

“ He was here and passed on by toward the
outlet.
hearing.”

“ I thought there must be some place where
you could git out better than the condemned
one by which I come in. It was only the
good Lord that saved me from breaking my
neck."

“ Oh, we are so rejoiced that some one has
followed us here.” said the lady, devoutly.
“Juliette was in despair, and I was almost;
but I told her that Heaven would not forsake
us, and it has not. I am so glad we are go-
ing to be rescued."

“ Don‘t be too sart’in of that," replied Nick
Whiffles; “that‘s the business that brought
me and Oregon Sol, and Marunyo here; but
the thing ain’t done yet, and may be it won’t
be done.”

 

CHAPTER XII.
THE sunrnxsme SURPRISE.

NICK WHIFFLEH was uneasy because he
knew that he was standing directly in front
of the fire, expOsed to the treacherous shot of
any Modoc who might be coming in, While
he was deprived of the power of returning or
preventing such a shot.

Hastin explaining the position of things to
the ladies, he dcadened the light of the fire as
much as possible, and they moved back, until
he was protected b the gloom from which
he had first emerged):

” New, gals,” said he, in his hasty, busi-
ness-like manner, “ I want to l'arn just how
things is. How do you get out of this con-
demned place?"

Mrs. De Longh answered the questions
promptly and wit intelligence. '

-“ A hundred feet beyond the fire, the
cavern opens into the outer air. The pas-

I do not think he is within sight or-

Oregon Sol. 29

 

sageway is quite narrow, and night and da ,
there are three or four Indians on the loo -
out there. It is the only way by which this
place can be left.”

“ The back door, then, is to come in by
and not to go out. That puts the matter in
a condemned bad shape, and there’s going to
be a ditflkilty afore we kin get out. If I was
only on the outside. we could haul you up
through the hole overhead-but as that can't
be done we’ll have to take the chances-hello,
pulp. what is it?"

Is paused but a moment,whcn he said in
a whisper:

“One of the varmints is coming. I‘ll step
back out of the way, and be keerful not to
act so that the ‘11 ’spect I’m about.”

Nick move( a few paCes further back,
where there was no possibility of his being
seen, and had scarcely done so, when the
Modoc. who had killed the antelope, came to
view, bearing in his hand some meat that
had been cooked upon the outside. He
threw a piece to each-and then stood with
his back to the fire and his eyes fixed upon
them, waiting to see them make their even-
ing meal.

tanding thus, he offered the best target
possible to Nick, who drew his rifle to
his shoulder with the intention of firing,
when he made the mortifying discover
that in his fall into the cavern he had struck
the lock against some obstruction in such a
way as to render it useless.

alamity appeared to comprehend the mis-
hap, and made a move as if he were anxious
to dart ahead and take the place of the bullet,
but his master restrained him.

The Modoc remained but a few minutes,
when he turned about and sauntered awa
in the direction whence he came. Nic
Whiflles‘ waited until the sound of his foot-
steps had died out, when he camealittle
nigher. As he did so, Juliette moved to
meet him.

“You spoke of Marunyo being with you,"
said she, in a timid voice: “why is he not in
the cavern with you?”

“Hezbherc.” .

It was the low sweet voice of Marunyo
himself that uttered these words, as he
walked forth from the gloom and took his
place beside the astonished Nick Whiflles,
and the delighted Juliette, explaining as he
did so, that he had discovered the place
where the tra per had made his descent, and
‘aftcracarefu examination of the s t he
had learned the truth and ,had .fol owed,
without waiting to summon Oregon 801, as
he should have done.

Neither Marunyo nor Nick knew exactly
where the egress from. the cavern was, but,
after a hasty consultation they decided to

 

giaike the attempt to escape without any moro
e ny.

The plan agreed upon was very simple.
Mrs. De Long and her daughter were to
move forward to the outlet, as if they had
determined upon making the attempt on
their own account exclusively. Upon reach4
ing the outside of course they would be
stopped by the Modoes, who\would be likely
to gather about them in such a way as to en-
able the ladies to decide how great the force
was that they would have to encounter in
making the rush, and if there were no more
than three, Juliette was to give a si rm], and
her two rescuers would make a ash and
overwhelm them.

If there were more than three fully armed
and waiting, the captives a eed to turn back
in the hope of speedily gaining a better 0'0-
Rortunity, when the two men could take the

Iodocs at a greater disadvantage.

It took only a few minutes to come to an
understanding, when the mother, taking the -
hand of her daughter, moved off in the di-
rection taken b the Indian who had brou ht
them their foo , the trapper and Blue 001:
following close behind.

A few steps only and the passage made

such a curve that the light of the opening -

was seen. It was narrow and some dozen
feet in hight, opening in a slanting direction,
so that it would be hard for a stranger to dis-
cover it from the outside.

Nick followed a short distance in the rear,

and when they were still about twenty feet . ~ - ‘

from the opening, he halted, Marunyo stand-
ing immediately behind him, with t e dog at
their feet, and calmly awaited the critcal
moment.

Juliette was slightly ahead of her mother,

and as she advanced further into the dinb .
light than the other. the two men saw one‘ 01'

the Modocs approach and order her to turn
back. She stood parleying with him; and
her mother, with the purpose of actin out
her part fully, made as if to pass beyon her
daughthcr.

At this, the Indian laced himself in the

way of both and ma e such a threatening  
gesture that they started back affrighted, ' - ' ~

caring that he meant to strike them With 1.
upraised tomahawks. '
As yet no other Indians had appearedand:
the one whom they saw before t em was the
same that had shot the antelope and that
had passcdin ahead of the rescuers. ‘ -
At this instant Mrs. De Long made the sig-
nal to the letter. that all was favorable. _ .
“ Shoot him down,” whispered Mama 0.
Nick Whimes raised his gun, but recol ect-

ingi the mishap that had befallen it, instant- '
y

owared it again with the announcement

thathowupmlustolm ‘ a ‘

 

.‘hfl

   

 

' hind with the purpose of covering their 1‘c<

r‘ flight should remain undiscovered for a little

' no companion but Calamity, who had stood

’ 'thou ht it was one of them ditfikilties that

-' You remember me telling you about a great

' , arterward that on the very day he was hung,
, a mort age on his house was to be fore-

'. " ‘ ing the widow, and at the end of a respecta-
' .ble time—something like two weeks-mar-
‘ » ripd her, and on the whole you see it were

I V which they were making their way, the hun-
‘- . ter still talking in his familiar manner with

'._' Lot warnin ,.andcthe'trapper paused
, ' what the get Was;

 

'30 , Oregon Sol.

 

Marunyo then threw up his own weapon,
took a nick aim and fired.

The istanee was so short that he could
not miss his mark, and the Modoc, with a
bowl of agony, threw himself forward and
fell flat upon his face, at the feet of the hor-
rified Juliette De Long.

Calamity rushed forward to finish the red-
skin, but by the time he reached him there
was no necessit . The wretch was (lead.

Nick and Mhrunyo hurried forward to
close in with the other red-skins, but upon
reaching the opening none was to be seen.

Both stared around in a confused way [or
a few minutes, and then the trapper said:

“They ain’t far away; take the gals and
make for the camp, while me and Calamity
foller along and watch for the varmlnts.”

The Blackfoot obeyed on the instant, not
knowing how soon some of the Modoes
might return, while the trapper loitercd be.

treat as much as possible. -
It was already growing dark, and if their

while longer there was every prospect of
making good their escape, or, at least, of se-
curing a start which would be of incalculable
advantageto them. . ' '

Ina few minutes the fugitives were out of
eight, and Nick found himself pushing his
way along through and over the rocks, with

by him through so many “ dithkilties” and,
'dan era. 1 "

“ here are some diflikilties which come to
atelier when he ain't lookin’ for ’emv,” said
the trapper, apostrophizing his dog, “that
' make things all the better for their comin’. I
allow that when I dropped through that hole
'that I got shook up considerable, and I

wasntgoing to help anybody along in the
world; but you see how it has come out, pup.

uncle of mine, that died on account of a dif-
flkilty in breathing, caused by a rope that
got drawn too tight around his neck ; —wcll.

is going out leaked like one of them things
that was bad all around; but it was found

closed, at the man that had it went to court-

for the bes ."
They were now in a dark ravine, along

his dog, when the latter gave out his whine

 

$0366

Nothing could be seen, look in whatsoever
direction he chose, and feeling much more
anxious about his friends than he did about
himself. be instructed him to go ahead and
help take care of them. Calamity showed
some reluctance in obeyino', but nevertheless
he disappeared, and N leQVVh‘lfllCS continued
his way along through the ravine, that was
becoming denser and darker every minute.

He judged that he was still several hun-
dred yards from camp, when he heard him-
self hailed.

“ Stop there. my brother.”

Looking up, he saw the figure of an Indian
no more than a dozen feet distant, standing
with his rillc pointed straight at his heart.
Recalling the uselessncss of his own gun,
Nick felt that he was fairly caught.

‘f That is you, Flat—Nosed Billy,” he said,
coolly, as he recognized his captor. “
catchcd you a while ago and let you off, and
I s’pose you want to git me in the same difli—
kilty and serve mc'thc same way.”

As Nick said these words, he saw two
or three other dark figures moving toward
him, and he then felt he was caught in a
trap.

“My brother must die,“ said Flat-Nosed

Billy, eagerly. as though unable to conceal
his exultation at the fortune that had
placed the great hunter and trapper in his
power. “He hunt no more; Modoc catch;
he dicl" .
a ' There was no. doubt but what the devilish
wreteh meant.t ‘murder, the man who had
showed him we \mcrcy' when he had no
claim to it. '

“Wal, Modoc, I b’lieve you‘ve got me
this time," he said, with -a sigh; “they said
I was a fool to let you 011’, when I cotchcd
you fair and square, and there‘s no doubt

was. Nick Whiflles tries to live so
that he‘s ready to go when he’s sent for,
and if you‘ve made up your mind that you
can’t be happy without having my life,
why make your aim sart’in, and pull the
trigger—"

(717101.: / went. the rifle, but it was not that
of the Modoc. The bullet went crashing
through his skull, and as he fell flat upon
his face, the well-known war-whoop of the
Blackfeet was heard, uttered and repeated
again and again. until it seemed that a bun-
dred of them were plun ing toward the spot.

The Modncs scattere in terror, and Nick
Whitfles found himself alone. Looking
around. he saw the figure of Marunyo no
preaching.

“ Well done,” exclaimed Nick, as he took
his hand, and warmly pressed it; “it was
well done, I say. Flat-Nosed Bill has gone
under,. killed by your bullet, an you give)

out such a big lot of yells that they thought - .

s...‘ V M... .,-i_s.-.-_- .v- -.A .. . .

._ 1r. m-_wr “4..

  v "v —-+~—+--' -

 
  
 

 

  

   

 

Oregon 801. ' 81 -

 

all the Blackfeet this side of the Rocky
Mountains had come down upon them, and
so they cleared out. Give us your hand, and
I hope you’ll for ive all the oncomfortable
thou hts I’ve he lbout you.”

“ ll right,” said Marunyo, cheerfully;
“when the dog come in, we knew some-
thing was wrong, and I started back; I got
here just in time, and all is well. They are
all waiting in the camp; so let us hurry.”

“ Is Sol there?"

“Yes; he staid to watch Drooping Lily,
while I came to look for you."

“ Then we‘ll jine them right away."

 

It was in the wilds of Upper California
that a party of live was edcamped. They
had approached so near to civilization that
they had dismissed all fear of pursuit or dan-

er from the Indians. Oregon 801 and Nick

hiilles had agreed to accompany the others
to San Francisco. at the request of the ladies,
whoinsistedthat they should make the ac-
uaintance of the husband and father of
t ose who had been in the hands of the
Modocs.

Marunyo had washed the paint thoroughly
from his face, and the result was the aston-
ishing discovery that he was a. white man
with not a particle of Indian blood in himl

This had been known to the ladies, who
had met him as a White man, and knew that
he was acting as a spy in the interest of the
settlers in Upper California and Oregon. Ilis
naturally swarthy complexion, black eyes
and hair, and his experience in the woods,
enabled him to counterfeit the Indian so
completely as to deceive those people them-
selves. By this means, he was enabled to do
more eficctive work for his own race.

After this revelation came a more amazing
one. Oregon Sol had often noticed some-
thing in the tones of Marunyo’s voice, in his
looks and peculiarity of manner, that re-
called his own little boy, that was stolen
years before, by a party of Indians in north-
ern Missouri, and of which he could never
gain any tidings. His loss had nearly broken
the heart of the mother, and the father, to
kill his own grief, took to the woods.

When Sol found out that Marunyo was
really a white man, he began questioning
him closely, and the resul was the discovery
that he was in reality his ong—lost son.

The joy of the father at this knowledge
cannot be imagined: and he declared that he
only felt one pang-which was that his
wife could not have been s ared to see this
day—but then She was in eaven. looking
down upon them, and so it was all right
after all.

Marunyo, the accepted lover of Juliette
1101401159116 nowa genuine white man,

 

 

gave up the wild life 'of the woods, and be-
came a thoroughly civilized beino‘, the
happiest of men, when he was enabled to
calfl the beautiful girl his own—his cherished
w1 e.

Nick Whiflles and Oregon Sol were urged
to make their home with them; but they had‘
ranged the woods so long that it had become
second nature to them, and they continued
their hunting and trappingr in the 'eat
Northwest, sometimes penetrating into Iud-
son Bay Territory, and returning at regular
intervals to visit and spend a few days with
the son and husband, who has figured in
these pages as the INDIAN SPY.

THE END.

Bari EWEW

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