T. C. Harbaugh

“ Determined to set their doubts at rest, the red trio stole secretly from the crowd, crossed the square, and glided toward the scene of the tussle between Feel-the-Sky and his assassin.
“Stay hyar, or meet me in the lodge,” whispered Rube, this time at the right ear. “Some young bucks are up to su'thin'.”
He had caught enough of the young red's words to excite his curiosity, and leaving Midnight Jack in the crowd, glided off after the trio just mentioned.
Setting Sun had said that the startling death should be investigated in the morning, and before the beginning of the sun-dance. ”

“ But it was so incoherent that it tormented him.
“Am I never to find you, Dora?” he said. “Does another man hunt you for your pretty face? If so let him stand clear of Midnight Jack.”
That the dumpy man was old Tanglefoot the road-agent was certain. His companion was straight and well built, and was attired as many Indians were, in a cavalry jacket and blue pantaloons.
The name Golden George was not unfamiliar to Midnight Jack. It told him that another foe had risen against him in the very heart of the Sioux camp. ”

“ Men, women, children and dogs composed the disordered rabble that rushed toward the dancing square.
The girl-hunters joined the savages, and soon learned the true cause of the hubbub.
A young Indian stood over the rigid body of a warrior of his tribe. He was gesticulating wildly as words fell rapidly from his lips.
“Feel-the-Sky hez been found dead—knifed to the heart,” whispered Rube Rattler in an ear which he at first took to be Midnight Jack's, but the next moment, to his horror, he discovered that he had addressed a genuine Sioux warrior, who was staring amazedly into his face. ”

“ I'm still the Screamin' Eagle of Smoky Roost!”
“The law of the Indians has not been broken,” said Setting Sun at last. “Squatting Bear is not red. Red Cloud made him a chief; he got not his feathers on the war-path; he never hung in the sun-dance; his blood is not Sioux blood, it is thinner than the blood of our people. What say our people? Has our Teton brother broken the law?”
An imperious wave of the hand accompanied the Indian's question, and the wild yell that answered it told Midnight Jack that his terrible doings were approved. ”

“ Rube had made an important discovery. The dead Indian had been Dora's captor; this he had learned by following the three young bucks from the square, but beyond this he had not been able to proceed far.
“Every soul in an Indian town must be present at a sun-dance—captives and all?” said Midnight Jack. “So in all probability we shall have to go through it. But there is one who won't trouble us.”
“Yes, I know him; he keeps his word inviolate. We have but Tanglefoot to deal with.” ”

“ For a second that perilous error seemed to unnerve the borderer's heart, but his quick wit came to the rescue.
“The wrong ear, my brother,” he said, in Sioux. “You are not Squatting Bear.”
“Bear over there,” was the reply, and the Indian pointed to the other side of the crowd formed about the corpse and its finder. “Feel-the-Sky is dead. There are bad knives in the village.”
Rube nodded, and hastened to leave the dangerous locality, touching Midnight Jack's arm as he moved away, and without a word the twain slipped into another part of the awe-stricken group. ”

“ The Indians at once perceived that the whisky-smuggler was on the point of leaving, and began to make way. Setting Sun stepped aside, and said in an undertone—
“If the boy is Squatting Bear's friend, why does he tie his legs to the mule?”
These words, which fell upon Gopher Gid's ears, sent a thrill through every fibre, and the glance which the chief gave him made him for a moment wish to throw himself into the tawny arms, and find protection on the Sioux's breast. ”

“ With clenched lips, and eyes flashing anew, the bandit came back to the two spectators.
“I'll take the mule, boy,” he said, gently, and Gopher Gid slid to the ground. “With a fresh trail ahead, we will overtake the reddies before they reach the big village. I have my doubts whether Tanglefoot was going to Deadwood. The great sun-dance of the Sioux is near at hand; I guess he never misses such an affair as that.” ”

“ Keep your word, Golden George!”
With the last word the revolver and hand were withdrawn, and Golden George moved off without a reply.
“I wasn't mistaken!” Midnight Jack murmured, looking after the retreating figure. “It's only a question of time. One of us will have to kill the other some day. Now, Tanglefoot, look out for number one.”
Then he added, after a pause—
“The boy! I had almost forgotten him. I wonder if he understood my words? Tanglefoot intends to serve him like the wolf serves the fawn. When did that villain spare a captive?”
“Yes, when, Midnight Jack?”
The road-agent turned. ”

“ The heavy “navy” was clutched in the road-agent's hand, and before the imperilled person was aware of his presence, the muzzle of the pistol was thrust against the back of his head.
“There's death at your brain, Golden George!” whispered Midnight Jack, as his left hand dropped on the startled man's shoulder, and prevented him from turning round. “One word of warning and I'll burst your brain-pan. You are a man of your word—so am I. Swear to leave this Indian town immediately—nor to interfere with me here—or by the 19gold of Ophir, I'll kill you now where we stand! ”

“ Gopher Gid's arms were left free, but cords secured his legs to the stately cottonwood.
And the boy laughed grimly, and his eyes flashed with delight, as a long stick, green and stout, was thrust forward.
“Boy fight the dogs!” said the leader of the torturers in tolerable English. “If he kill 'em all Indians let 'im go, mebbe. White boy afeard to meet 'em?”
The crowd drew back, and the boy saw that the largest dogs were now held in leash with buffalo-cords, a reserve, probably, for the climax of the torture. ”

“ I am not to go back to the Indian lodges. I have a protector now. No! I am not an Indian girl. They dyed my skin—they—”
“I know you!” he interrupted, looking down upon her. “You are the little lady who stole the hearts of the young blue-coats at Fort Sully a few days ago.”
“Mr. Antill—”
“They call me Golden George beyond the Missouri—I mean west of the river.”
A cry of despair welled from Dora's heart.
With a powerful effort she started back, but Golden George pounced upon her like an eagle, and the next moment his eyes were flashing like a triumphant demon's above her. ”

“ At that moment a dark figure sprung into the lodge, and the little trapper went down before it. He felt the naked arm of an Indian about him, and the next moment the wigwam was filled with an unseen, jabbering crowd.
Resistance was in vain; the boy was overpowered, and almost before he could recover his scattered thoughts, he found himself dragged unceremoniously 28through the street. The figures of his captors, as he saw them in the starlight, were those of boys of his own age. There were sixty or more, and their savage delight knew no bounds. ”

“ Setting Sun is here. While our brother is away, the one thousand lodges of the Sioux are under Setting Sun,” continued the chief, with the haughty dignity of a king. “Squatting Bear and his little white have travelled long, 12Let them seek food and rest. The dancing square is not yet ready for the sun-dance. For three days our people have fasted; to-morrow the dance begins, and after that the great feast. Squatting Bear may eat, for he is our brother by adoption.”
Tanglefoot turned to Gid.
“Come, boy,” he said, “I've got a lodge hyar, an' we'll satisfy the inner man. To-morrow the fun begins.” ”

“ A moment sufficed to hurl the dead Indians to one side, and when the bandit rose from a stooping position, he held a female figure in his arms, and was looking into the whitest and loveliest face his eyes had ever beheld. ”

“ Before Midnight Jack could restrain his companion he was bounding toward the pole, in his hand a bloody knife which, with a well-counterfeited Indian yell, he had drawn from beneath the old cavalry jacket that loosely fitted his lank body. ”

“ He swore revenge; he has trailed the white Sioux night and day—he and his brother, the Red Jingo. He has been found, and the fire-water chief lies dead before you. It is the law of the red-man that the nearest of kin must avenge. We have done that; in the camp of the southern Sioux we have 24appeased our sister's spirit. What say Setting Sun and the chiefs? Has Running Water broken the laws that our fathers made long ago?”
“By the jumpin' jingo, what a speech!” ejaculated the Red Jingo, as Midnight Jack finished, and with folded arms, after the Indian fashion, waited for a reply. ”

“ Midnight Jack was silent for a moment.
“You'd better not, Rube. You'll have other use for your muscles before you get out of this devil land. Think of my sister—very near us now, no doubt. Leave the sun-dance alone; let Indians mutilate themselves.”
16But the old borderer was not to be diverted by his companion's word.
In his mind he had determined to attempt the sun-dance on the morrow, and become the only white man who had submitted to the horrible torture.
Silently the two adventurers glided from the square, and sought the lodge which Setting Sun had allotted to them as visitors. ”

“ Talking in this and a like strain, the road-agent did not seem to note the progress of his horse, but he suddenly spoke to the animal, which came to a halt in a beautiful spot not far from the banks of the Cheyenne river.
“This is the place for you, Dora,” said Midnight Jack, addressing the fair girl whom he had carried to this bewitching spot. “I'll visit your grave every day, and death shall be the portion of the fiend who ventures to despoil it. ”

“ The man what teches him teches the Thunderbolt of the Dark-edged Cloud. Say, did the Injuns take anything?”
“Take anything?” and Midnight Jack echoed the uncouth individual's words in tones so vengeful that Gopher Gid, who still sat astride one of old Tanglefoot's mules, started. “They took what Midnight Jack never took from any man—a sister.”
“I've heerd of you,” Rattler said. “You never took a thing from me, Midnight Jack, and I'm always ready to help the man what's lost any of his own. Put it thar! an' let us be friends.” ”

“ The fingers are getting cold. Is Tanglefoot really dead?
“I will end this!” he cried. “If I cannot pull my dead foe down, I will climb up to him. Who ever was caught by a dead man before?”
He swung himself against the tree, then he caught a limb with his only free hand and drew his body over it. But the other wrist was still griped by the deadly fingers!
The bloated but white face of Timon Moss was turned to the little trapper. His revolver was still stuck in his belt, and it was soon in Gopher Gid's hands. ”

“ Its last rays saw the opening of the feast that follows the sun-dance; it was Midnight Jack that glided through the village, hunting for his sister Dora.
Suddenly a hand was laid on his arm, and he beheld Mouseskin standing at his side.
“Squatting Bear had friends; they are whispering together. They say 25that the skin of our Teton brother is white, but they lie. They are mad! they swear to avenge the death of the white Sioux.”
“Not out of the fire yet!” muttered the road-agent, and then he drew the boy aside.
“You are our brother?”
“Yes; the whispering Indians lie. ”

“ They stayed the excited crowd; the wild cries for blood grew still; and Setting Sun advanced toward the daring man.
“Go on!” cried the chief. “We will listen to our Teton brother.”
“I have but little to say,” was the response, the speaker's eyes dancing with delight at the triumph he had gained. “Squatting Bear came to our lodges long ago. He brought a cargo of fire-water among us. He lived with us till he married one of our women, but we would not call him chief. In the land of the Teton Sioux he began to steal; he treated his Indian wife badly, and one night he slew her in the little wigwam ”

“ Though never seen in Deadwood in brigand costume, his personal appearance was well known to every one. They knew that there was a grease spot on the left side of his sombrero-like hat—that he wore a cavalry-button on his right shoulder, and that a few links of a gold watch-chain hung from his black courser's bit.
About the time when the ungenerous linchpin cast old Tanglefoot a wreck in the little valley, Midnight Jack rode upon the trail not many miles from the scene we have just left. ”

“ Another fainted from sheer exhaustion, and was released amid the plaudits of his friends, but the remaining four promised to eclipse Rain-in-the-Face's famous dance of four hours.
“Thar's my chance!” ejaculated Rube Rattler, as one of the self-torturers was borne from the scene of his terrible ordeal. “We've got to do suthin' to keep our reputation up. The dogs hev been eyein' us fur hours, sayin', 'Why don't you fellars show yer grit?' Keep an eye on Tanglefoot. Ef they'll let us alone, I'll beat Rain-in-the-Face's time all holler!” ”