AFTER THE CLOUDS--THE SUN!
The party to which the renegade Parsons had applied for assistance
waited a long time for his coming and were about to give him up, when
they were surprised by the appearance of the doctor and the beautiful
Olive; and when all had been explained they waxed most exceedingly
wroth and determined to leave the traitor to his fate.
In that they were wise.
Notwithstanding all the promises given to the scout, they had numerous
spies out, and upon the first symptom of retaliation they would have
ambushed, and cut to pieces the entire party--so little faith is there
to be put in the word of the generality of Indians.
That the renegade would be punished far more effectually than they
would have had the heart to carry out they did not doubt, and leaving
him to his fate they returned to the waiting wagons, resumed the
journey that had been interrupted, and pressed forward to make up for
the precious time that had been lost.
It was almost as heaven for the doctor and Olive to be together again
and in safety, and each had so much to tell that the long summer days
were far too short. The sufferings through which they had passed made
their love doubly dear, and they longed for the time when they could be
joined in marriage.
That, however, was denied them until some settlement could be reached.
But while thinking thus of their own happiness they never failed to
remember the scout and Burning Cloud with tears of gratitude, and as
the days lengthened out into a week, they wondered very much what had
become of them.
One night their suspense was unexpectedly relieved. The couple were
found waiting for the train on the banks of a river, and thenceforward
the scout resumed his old position of guide, and as they were gathered
around the little camp-fire he filled in the outlines of the story that
the doctor had merely sketched.
When the first frontier fort was reached there was a double wedding,
and though Olive shone in all her wondrous beauty yet the dusky child
of the forest almost rivaled her in her semi-savage charms. This
proceeding the scout, though more from bashfulness than for any other
reason, had somewhat opposed.
"We have been married once," he said, "and ther Cloud am satisfied and
so am I."
"It was a heathen ceremony," suggested Olive, who, womanlike, had her
peculiar notions of what constituted the fitness of such things.
"Wal, it mought be, but thar hain't no priest nor prayer-book that kin
bind us any tighter than we now am, nor make us any more true."
"That may be. But remember you come of a Christian people, and must
educate your wife."
"When I hain't got no edercation myself!" he laughed.
Nevertheless he consented after having a talk with the Indian girl, and
finding it was her wish to be married by the "Medicine of the Manitou
of the pale-faces," and so it was done.
"And speakin' of the Medicine," the scout said, a few days afterward,
when they were talking over the subject, "reminds me of ther old one of
ther Sioux."
"What has become of him?" questioned the doctor. "I owe him a deep debt
of vengeance, but I fear it will never be paid."
"Ef it hain't by this time I am very much mistaken."
"You did not kill him?"
"Not exactly, but I reckon it resulted in ther same thing."
"I do not understand how that can be."
"Wal, I'll tell yer, and that puts me in mind that I promised you,
Cloud, ter do so some day. Don't yer remember what I said erbout er
leetle business?"
"She never forgets what her brave tells," was the truthful and
characteristic answer of the Indian woman, who looked up to her husband
as no one of purely white skin would ever have done.
"Fust I must give yer er description of what kind of er den the old
Satan kept."
He proceeded at length to do so, and then described how he had removed
the ash and untied the animals so that both they and the terrible
serpents could have full play.
"He must have met a fearful death," replied the physician, with a
shudder.
"Thar hain't no doubt on that. Ef he chanced to miss ther
sarpints--which I don't think he could--thar b'ar and ther wildcat must
have gone fer him savagely and chawed him up in erbout no time."
"But his death was as nothing compared to that of the wretched white
man."
"No, heaven keep us all from sich er one!"
* * * * *
The journey was finished without accident, and a few years later
both the doctor and the scout had made themselves comfortable--one by
practice and the other by patient industry and hunting. But never have
they--never will they forget the terrible scenes through which they
passed, and their children hear the story told with shudders. What then
must have been the reality?
THE END.
* * * * *
DIME POCKET NOVELS.
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1--Hawkeye Harry. By Oll Coomes.
2--Dead Shot. By Albert W. Aiken.
3--The Boy Miners. By Edward S. Ellis.
4--Blue Dick. By Capt. Mayne Reid.
5--Nat Wolfe. By Mrs. M. V. Victor.
6--The White Tracker. Edward S. Ellis.
7--The Outlaw's Wife. Mrs. Ann S. Stephens.
8--The Tall Trapper. By Albert W. Aiken.
9--Lightning Jo. By Capt. Adams.
10--The Island Pirate. By Capt. Mayne Reid.
11--The Boy Ranger. By Oll Coomes.
12--Bess, the Trapper. By E. S. Ellis.
13--The French Spy. By W. J. Hamilton.
14--Long Shot. By Capt. Comstock.
15--The Gunmaker. By James L. Bowen.
16--Red Hand. By A. G. Piper.
17--Ben, the Trapper. By Lewis W. Carson.
18--Wild Raven. By Oll Coomes.
19--The Specter Chief. By Seelin Robins.
20--The B'ar-Killer. By Capt. Comstock.
21--Wild Nat. By Wm. R. Eyster.
22--Indian Jo. By Lewis W. Carson.
23--Old Kent, the Ranger. Edward S. Ellis.
24--The One-Eyed Trapper. Capt. Comstock.
25--Godbold, the Spy. By N. C. Iron.
26--The Black Ship. By John S. Warner.
27--Single Eye. By Warren St. John.
28--Indian Jim. By Edward S. Ellis.
29--The Scout. By Warren St. John.
30--Eagle Eye. By W. J. Hamilton.
31--The Mystic Canoe. By Edward S. Ellis.
32--The Golden Harpoon. By R. Starbuck.
33--The Scalp King. By Lieut. Ned Hunter.
34--Old Lute. By E. W. Archer.
35--Rainbolt Ranger. By Oll Coomes.
36--The Boy Pioneer. By Edward S. Ellis.
37--Carson, the Guide. By J. H. Randolph.
38--The Heart Eater. By Harry Hazard.
39--Wetzel, the Scout. By Boynton Belknap.
40--The Huge Hunter. By Ed. S. Ellis.
41--Wild Nat, the Trapper. Paul Prescott.
42--Lynx-cap. Paul Bibbs.
43--The White Outlaw. By Harry Hazard.
44--The Dog Trailer. By Frederick Dewey.
45--The Elk King. By Capt. Chas. Howard.
46--Adrian, the Pilot. By Col. P. Ingraham.
47--The Man-hunter. By Maro O. Rolfe.
48--The Phantom Tracker. By F. Dewey.
49--Moccasin Bill. By Paul Bibbs.
50--The Wolf Queen. By Charles Howard.
51--Tom Hawk, the Trailer.
52--The Mad Chief. By Chas. Howard.
53--The Black Wolf. By Edwin E. Ewing.
54--Arkansas Jack. By Harry Hazard.
55--Blackbeard. By Paul Bibbs.
56--The River Rifles. By Billex Muller.
57--Hunter Ham. By J. Edgar Iliff.
58--Cloudwood. By J. M. Merrill.
59--The Texas Hawks. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
60--Merciless Mat. By Capt. Chas. Howard.
61--Mad Anthony's Scouts. By E. Rodman.
62--The Luckless Trapper. Wm. R. Eyster.
63--The Florida Scout. Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
64--The Island Trapper. Chas. Howard.
65--Wolf-Cap. By Capt. Chas. Howard.
66--Rattling Dick. By Harry Hazard.
67--Sharp-Eye. By Major Max Martine.
68--Iron-Hand. By Frederick Forest.
69--The Yellow Hunter. By Chas. Howard.
70--The Phantom Rider. By Maro O. Rolfe.
71--Delaware Tom. By Harry Hazard.
72--Silver Rifle. By Capt. Chas. Howard.
73--The Skeleton Scout. Maj. L. W. Carson.
74--Little Rifle. By Capt. "Bruin" Adams.
75--The Wood Witch. By Edwin Emerson.
76--Old Ruff, the Trapper. "Bruin" Adams.
77--The Scarlet Shoulders. Harry Hazard.
78--The Border Rifleman. L. W. Carson.
79--Outlaw Jack. By Harry Hazard.
80--Tiger-Tail, the Seminole. R. Ringwood.
81--Death-Dealer. By Arthur L. Meserve.
82--Kenton, the Ranger. By Chas. Howard.
83--The Specter Horseman. Frank Dewey.
84--The Three Trappers. Seelin Robins.
85--Kaleolah. By T. Benton Shields, U. S. N.
86--The Hunter Hercules. Harry St. George.
87--Phil Hunter. By Capt. Chas. Howard.
88--The Indian Scout. By Harry Hazard.
89--The Girl Avenger. By Chas. Howard.
90--The Red Hermitess. By Paul Bibbs.
91--Star-Face, the Slayer.
92--The Antelope Boy. By Geo. L. Aiken.
93--The Phantom Hunter. By E. Emerson.
94--Tom Pintle, the Pilot. By M. Klapp.
95--The Red Wizard. By Ned Hunter.
96--The Rival Trappers. By L. W. Carson.
97--The Squaw Spy. By Capt. Chas. Howard.
98--Dusky Dick. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
99--Colonel Crockett. By Chas. E. Lasalle.
100--Old Bear Paw. By Major Max Martine.
101--Redlaw. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
102--Wild Rube. By W. J. Hamilton.
103--The Indian Hunters. By J. L. Bowen.
104--Scarred Eagle. By Andrew Dearborn.
105--Nick Doyle. By P. Hamilton Myers.
106--The Indian Spy. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
107--Job Dean. By Ingoldsby North.
108--The Wood King. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
109--The Scalped Hunter. By Harry Hazard.
110--Nick, the Scout. By W. J. Hamilton.
111--The Texas Tiger. By Edward Willett.
112--The Crossed Knives. By Hamilton.
113--Tiger-Heart, the Tracker. By Howard.
114--The Masked Avenger. By Ingraham.
115--The Pearl Pirates. By Starbuck.
116--Black Panther. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
117--Abdiel, the Avenger. By Ed. Willett.
118--Cato, the Creeper. By Fred. Dewey.
119--Two-Handed Mat. By Jos. E. Badger.
120--Mad Trail Hunter. By Harry Hazard.
121--Black Nick. By Frederick Whittaker.
122--Kit Bird. By W. J. Hamilton.
123--The Specter Riders. By Geo. Gleason.
124--Giant Pete. By W. J. Hamilton.
125--The Girl Captain. By Jos. E. Badger.
126--Yankee Eph. By J. R. Worcester.
127--Silverspur. By Edward Willett.
128--Squatter Dick. By Jos. E. Badger.
129--The Child Spy. By George Gleason.
130--Mink Coat. By Jos. E. Badger.
131--Red Plume. By J. Stanley Henderson.
132--Clyde, the Trailer. By Maro O. Rolfe.
133--The Lost Cache. J. Stanley Henderson.
134--The Cannibal Chief. Paul J. Prescott.
135--Karaibo. By J. Stanley Henderson.
136--Scarlet Moccasin. By Paul Bibbs.
137--Kidnapped. By J. Stanley Henderson.
138--Maid of the Mountain. By Hamilton.
139--The Scioto Scouts. By Ed. Willett.
140--The Border Renegade. By Badger.
141--The Mute Chief. By C. D. Clark.
142--Boone, the Hunter. By Whittaker.
143--Mountain Kate. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
144--The Red Scalper. By W. J. Hamilton.
145--The Lone Chief. By Jos. E. Badger, Jr.
146--The Silver Bugle. Lieut. Col. Hazleton.
147--Chinga, the Cheyenne. By Edward S. Ellis. Ready
148--The Tangled Trail. By Major Max Martine. Ready
149--The Unseen Hand. By J. Stanley Henderson. Ready
150--The Lone Indian. By Capt. Chas. Howard. Ready March 23d.
151--The Branded Brave. By Paul Bibbs. Ready April 6th.
152--Billy Bowlegs, the Seminole Chief. Ready April 20th.
153--The Valley Scout. By Seelin Robins. Ready May 4.
154--Red Jacket, the Huron. By Paul Bibbs. Ready May 18th.
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