THE AVENGER OF WOUNDED KNEE.
The renegade, as Vance Bernard is now known to be, rode slowly along over the rough country, holding on to the rein of the horse ridden by Jennie Woodbridge.
As they wound around a rugged spur, the sharp report of a rifle was heard.
"My God! I have received my death wound!" cried the renegade, and he reeled in his saddle, drew rein, and slowly slipped from his saddle to the ground.
Instantly Jennie checked her horse and sat motionless in her saddle, gazing about her in a dazed sort of way, when suddenly there bounded into the trail before her the tall form of a Sioux chief. Seizing the bridle-rein of Jennie's horse, he said in a voice full of triumph:
"The Snow Flower cannot run away from the Red Hatchet."
They were his last words, for a form came bounding toward him, and the chief turned quickly and raised his rifle.
But he was not as quick as the one running upon him, for a revolver shot rang out, and Red Hatchet fell dead, a bullet in the center of his forehead.
"Do not be alarmed, Miss Woodbridge, for I am Kit Carey now, not Moon Eyes, the medicine man," and the soldier stepped forward, while he added:
"The sooner we get away from here the better for us."
"But he is not dead, sir," cried Jennie, now finding her voice and pointing to Vance Bernard.
"Ah! I supposed Red Hatchet had made no mistake. Yes, he is alive, and——"
"Yes, I am dying, Captain Carey, for your words tell me who you are, and in your disguise as Moon Eyes you heard enough to hang me. It is better that I die by the redskin's bullet than upon the gallows."
"You deserve the gallows, Bernard, most certainly, for I now know you as renegade, road agent, and a Black Hill's bandit, by your own confession in the Sioux council lodge. But I am not one to strike a man when he is down, and if you will allow me I will aid you to your horse."
"No, no, let me die here; for I cannot live half an hour at longest. Then, too, I have something to tell this child, and it will ease my conscience, and you are to hear, too, Captain Carey."
"If you mean that she is not your child, she told me that in the hostiles' camp."
"There is more to tell, for it was I who attacked the stage-coach in which she and her mother were coming west to join Brookes Woodbridge, her father. The mother was killed by a random shot, and I took the girl and sent her to my wife, for I knew Woodbridge had struck it very rich in the mines, and she would be his heiress. Well, when he was about to go east, never having known of his wife's death, I killed him——"
"You murdered my father?" gasped Jennie, in a tone of horror.
"Yes, I confess all now."
"And my mother, too—now I know why I nevercould love you, as my father, though so I believed you to be."
"Yes, I am guilty of the crimes of murder and robbery, and more. I was a renegade chief over the Sioux against my own people. This my wife and son never knew, for they deemed me only one who had led a desperate life in the mines. But my wife can give you, Jennie, the papers that will prove who you are, and enable you to claim your name and the fortune that is yours. Now go your way, for the shots will bring Indian scouts here, and you may both be killed. See, I am getting generous, and losing my feeling of revenge with death's grip upon me."
"But I can take you along, and——"
"No, place your hand here over my heart and you will see that my wound is fatal, for I am slowly bleeding to death. Now leave me, Captain Carey, you and this girl, for her presence haunts me."
"I dislike to leave a dying man——"
"Hark! don't you hear the Sioux coming? They will care for me, and I will tell them that the Red Hatchet attacked me, I killed him, and the girl escaped—go! or it will be too late!"
This Captain Carey fully realized, and, springing upon the horse of the dying renegade, he seized the rein of Jennie's horse and dashed away just as a score of dark forms were visible in the moonlight coming along at a run.
CONCLUSION.
Kind reader, my story is ended, for well you know through the papers that the Indian war, beginning with the death of Sitting Bull, only a short while ago, has ended.
The hostiles, influenced by the speech of the renegade white chief, it may be, decided to come in and sue for peace, especially as the cordon of steel which General Miles and his commanding officers had so skillfully thrown around their retreat, brought them to terms, and forced them to bury the hatchet.
The body of the dead renegade, so a chief said to Captain Carey, was buried at a spot where it could never be found, for so the treacherous man willed it should be, and Red Hatchet found a resting-place in the camp in the Bad Lands.
To the home of the renegade Captain Carey escorted Jennie Woodbridge, and Mrs. Bernard and her son were told of the husband and father's death and his confession of guilt, and warned that the young girl should receive the protection she was entitled to from them, until she could arrange to go to her relatives in the east.
And thus parted Jennie Woodbridge and her rescuer, the gallant Carey, who at once returned to his post of duty, where he had reported to his commanding general all that had occurred.
With the Indian war at an end, Captain Carey is to be granted a long furlough, which he has applied for, as he is to wed at an early day the young girl he has so long and fondly loved, Violet Earl, who feels sorrow only for those whose affection for her handsome soldier lover must go unrequited.
And thus falls the curtain upon a drama of real life on the border.
[THE END.]
THE CREAM OF JUVENILE FICTION
THEBOYS' OWNLIBRARY
A Selection of the Best Books for Boys by the Most Popular Authors
The titles in this splendid juvenile series have been selected with care, and as a result all the stories can be relied upon for their excellence. They are bright and sparkling; not over-burdened with lengthy descriptions, but brimful of adventure from the first page to the last—in fact they are just the kind of yarns that appeal strongly to the healthy boy who is fond of thrilling exploits and deeds of heroism. Among the authors whose names are included in the Boys' Own Library are Horatio Alger, Jr., Edward S. Ellis, James Otis, Capt. Ralph Bonehill, Burt L. Standish, Gilbert Patten and Frank H. Converse.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE BOYS' OWN LIBRARY
All the books in this series are copyrighted, printed on good paper, large type, illustrated, printed wrappers, handsome cloth covers stamped in inks and gold—fifteen special cover designs.
140 Titles—Price, per Volume, 75 cents
For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price by the publisher,
DAVID McKAY,610 SO. WASHINGTON SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
HORATIO ALGER, Jr.
One of the best known and most popular writers. Good, clean, healthy stories for the American Boy.
Adventures of a Telegraph BoyDean DunhamErie Train Boy, TheFive Hundred Dollar CheckFrom Canal Boy to PresidentFrom Farm Boy to SenatorMark StantonNed NewtonNew York BoyTom BraceTom TracyWalter GriffithYoung Acrobat
C.B. ASHLEY.
One of the best stories ever written on hunting, trapping and adventure in the West, after the Custer Massacre.
Gilbert, the Boy Trapper
ANNIE ASHMORE.
A splendid story, recording the adventures of a boy with smugglers.
Smuggler's Cave, The
CAPT. RALPH BONEHILL.
Capt. Bonehill is in the very front rank as an author of boys' stories. He writes also under the name of Stratemeyer and Winfield. These are two of his best works.
Neka, the Boy ConjurerTour of the Zero Club
WALTER F. BRUNS.
An excellent story of adventure in the celebrated Sunk Lands of Missouri and Kansas.
In the Sunk Lands
FRANK H. CONVERSE.
This writer has established a splendid reputation as a boys author, and although his books usually command $1.25 per volume, we offer the following at a more popular price.
Gold of Flat Top MountainHappy-Go-Lucky JackHeir to a MillionIn Search of An Unknown RaceIn Southern SeasMystery of a DiamondThat TreasureVoyage to the Gold Coast
HARRY COLLINGWOOD.
One of England's most successful writers of stories for boys. His best story is
Pirate Island.
GEORGE H. COOMER.
Two books we highly recommend. One is a splendid story of adventure at sea, when American ships were in every port in the world, and the other tells of adventures while the first railway in the Andes Mountains was being built.
Boys in the ForecastleOld Man of the Mountain
WILLIAM DALTON.
Three stories by one of the very greatest writers for boys. The stories deal with boys' adventures in India, China and Abyssinia. These books are strongly recommended for boys' reading, as they contain a large amount of historical information.
Tiger PrinceWar TigerWhite Elephant
EDWARD S. ELLIS.
These books are considered the best works this well-known writer ever produced. No better reading for bright young Americans.
Arthur HelmuthCheck No. 2134From Tent to White HousePerils of the JungleOn the Trail of GeronimoWhite Mustang
GEORGE MANVILLE FENN.
For the past fifty years Mr. Fenn has been writing books for boys and popular fiction. His books are justly popular throughout the English-speaking world. We publish the following select list of his boys' books, which we consider the best he ever wrote.
Commodore JunkDingo BoysGolden MagnetGrand ChacoWeathercock
ENSIGN CLARKE FITCH, U.S.N.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, and thoroughly familiar with all naval matters. Mr. Fitch has devoted himself to literature, and has written a series of books for boys that everyyoung American should read. His stories are full of very interesting information about the navy, training ships, etc.
Bound for AnnapolisClif, the Naval CadetCruise of the Training ShipFrom Port to PortStrange Cruise, A
WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDON.
An author of world-wide popularity. Mr. Graydon is essentially a friend of young people, and we offer herewith ten of his best works, wherein he relates a great diversity of interesting adventures in various parts of the world, combined with accurate historical data.
Butcher of Cawnpore, TheCamp in the Snow, TheCampaigning with BraddockCryptogram, TheFrom Lake to WildernessIn Barracks and WigwamIn Fort and PrisonJungles and TraitorsRajah's Fortress, TheWhite King of Africa, The
LIEUT. FREDERICK GARRISON, U.S.A.
Every American boy takes a keen interest in the affairs of West Point. No more capable writer on this popular subject could be found than Lieut. Garrison, who vividly describes the life, adventures and unique incidents that have occurred in that great institution—in these famous West Point stories.
Off for West PointCadet's Honor, AOn GuardWest Point Treasure, TheWest Point Rivals, The
HEADON HILL.
The hunt for gold has always been a popular subject for consideration, and Mr. Hill has added a splendid story on the subject in this romance of the Klondyke.
Spectre Gold
HENRY HARRISON LEWIS.
Mr. Lewis is a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and has written a great many books for boys. Among his best works are the following titles—the subjects include a vast series of adventures in all parts of the world. The historical data is correct, and they should be read by all boys, for the excellent information they contain.
Centreboard JimKing of the IslandMidshipman MerrillEnsign MerrillSword and PenValley of Mystery, TheYankee Boys in Japan
LIEUT. LIONEL LOUNSBERRY.
A series of books embracing many adventures under our famous naval commanders, and with our army during the War of 1812 and the Civil War. Founded on sound history, these books are written for boys, with the idea of combining pleasure with profit; to cultivate a fondness for study—especially of what has been accomplished by our army and navy.
Cadet Kit CareyCaptain CareyKit Carey's ProtegéLieut. Carey's LuckOut With Commodore DecaturRandy, the PilotTom Truxton's School DaysTom Truxton's Ocean TripTreasure of the Golden CraterWon at West Point
BROOKS McCORMICK.
Four splendid books of adventure on sea and land, by this well-known writer for boys.
Giant Islanders, TheHow He WonNature's Young NoblemanRival Battalions
WALTER MORRIS.
This charming story contains thirty-two chapters of just the sort of school life that charms the boy readers.
Bob Porter at Lakeview Academy
STANLEY NORRIS.
Mr. Norris is without a rival as a writer of "Circus Stories" for boys. These four books are full of thrilling adventures, but good, wholesome reading for young Americans.
Phil, the ShowmanYoung Showman's Rivals, TheYoung Showman's Pluck, TheYoung Showman's Triumph
LIEUT. JAMES K. ORTON.
When a boy has read one of Lieut. Orton's books, it requires no urging to induce him to read the others. Not a dull page in any of them.
Beach Boy JoeLast Chance MineSecret Chart, TheTom Havens with the WhiteSquadron
JAMES OTIS.
Mr. Otis is known by nearly every American boy, and needs no introduction here. The following copyrights are among his best:
Chased Through NorwayInland WaterwaysUnprovoked MutinyWheeling for FortuneReuben Green's Adventures at Yale
GILBERT PATTEN.
Mr. Patten has had the distinction of having his books adopted by the U.S. Government for all naval libraries on board our war ships. While aiming to avoid the extravagant and sensational, the stories contain enough thrilling incidents to please the lad who loves action and adventure. In the Rockspur stories the description of their Baseball and Football Games and other contests with rival clubs and teams make very exciting and absorbing reading; and few boys with warm blood in their veins, having once begun the perusal of one of these books, will willingly lay it down till it is finished.
Boy BoomersBoy Cattle KingBoy from the WestDon Kirke's MineJud and JoeRockspur Nine, TheRockspur Eleven, TheRockspur Rivals, The
ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE.
Mr. Rathborne's stories for boys have the peculiar charm of dealing with localities and conditions with which he is thoroughly familiar. The scenes of these excellent stories are along the Florida coast and on the western prairies.
Canoe and Camp FirePaddling Under PalmettosRival Canoe BoysSunset RanchChums of the PrairieYoung Range RidersGulf CruisersShifting Winds
ARTHUR SEWELL.
An American story by an American author. It relates how a Yankee boy overcame many obstacles in school and out. Thoroughly interesting from start to finish.
Gay Dashleigh's Academy Days
CAPT. DAVID SOUTHWICK.
An exceptionally good story of frontier life among the Indians in the far West, during the early settlement period.
Jack Wheeler
The Famous Frank Merriwell Stories.
BURT L. STANDISH.
No modern series of tales for boys and youths has met with anything like the cordial reception and popularity accorded to the Frank Merriwell Stories. There must be a reason for this and there is. Frank Merriwell, as portrayed by the author, is a jolly whole-souled, honest, courageous American lad, who appeals to the hearts of the boys. He has no bad habits, and his manliness inculcates the idea that it is not necessary for a boy to indulge in petty vices to be a hero. Frank Merriwell's example is a shining light for every ambitious lad to follow. Six volumes now ready:
Frank Merriwell's School DaysFrank Merriwell's ChumsFrank Merriwell's FoesFrank Merriwell's Trip WestFrank Merriwell Down SouthFrank Merriwell's Bravery
VICTOR ST. CLAIR.
These books are full of good, clean adventure, thrilling enough to please the full-blooded wide-awake boy, yet containing nothing to which there can be any objection from those who are careful as to the kind of books they put into the hands of the young.
Cast Away in the JungleFor Home and HonorFrom Switch to LeverLittle Snap, the Post BoyZig-Zag, the Boy ConjurerZip, the Acrobat
MATTHEW WHITE, JR.
Good, healthy, strong books for the American lad. No more interesting books for the young appear on our lists.
Adventures of a Young AthleteEric DaneGuy HammersleyMy Mysterious FortuneTour of a Private CarYoung Editor, The
ARTHUR M. WINFIELD.
One of the most popular authors of boys' books. He writes also under the name of Bonehill and Stratemeyer. Here are three of his best.
Mark Dale's Stage VentureYoung Bank Clerk, TheYoung Bridge Tender, The
GAYLE WINTERTON.
This very interesting story relates the trials and triumphs of a Young American Actor, including the solution of a very puzzling mystery.
Young Actor, The
ERNEST A. YOUNG.
This book is not a treatise on sports, as the title would indicate, but relates a series of thrilling adventures among boy campers in the woods of Maine.
Boats, Bats and Bicycles
DAVID McKAY, Publisher, Philadelphia.