Read Ebook: Cato the creeper; or The demon of Dead-Man's Forest by Dewey Frederick H

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Ebook has 967 lines and 31477 words, and 20 pages

hen a tiger. If he laughed pleasantly he was in high spirits and his companions felt easy and secure. But that was seldom.

He regarded his men quietly, then looked toward an object, prostrate, a few yards away, and smiled quietly. Then he became demure, then said with a pleasant laugh:

"Well, boys, who is winner? Is anybody bankrupt?"

"Spades trumps!" vociferated a wiry fellow who had been regarding his captain anxiously. He had slightly offended him the day before. His face grew joyful, and as he swept his winnings between his knees, he cried:

"Hurrah fur Cap'n Downing, boys! three and a tiger!"

The cheers were given lustily. Downing bowed with a look of gratification.

"Thank you, boys," he said.

Then he turned to Cato.

"There is your job. Bury that villain!"

He turned, and followed by Fink, walked to his cabin, entered it, and closed the door. The men were hilarious.

He had pointed toward the prostrate object. Cato walked up to it curiously. What was his horror at seeing the body of Bill Jameson, better known as Fighting Jim, dead at his feet.

A bullet-hole was in his forehead, and in his stiffened hand was a long knife. The sinister countenance was ghastly and cold, and the stream of blood from the hole had congealed on his face. He was quite dead.

As he stood gazing nervously down upon the departed robber, his courage failed. This would make the third robber that he had buried in a month. They had all died by the hand of beautiful, girlish Captain Downing.

The scout, Bob Griffith, came up to him and touched his elbow.

The sweat started out on Cato's forehead. Without further delay he seized a spade and fell to work lustily; the captain was smiling.

"Golly, Mars'r Griffit'! wha' for he go um dead?" he asked, working hastily at a rude grave.

"Cap'n told him ter do suthin' he didn't like and he kedn't see it. He called the cap'n a doll-babby. Then cap'n draws and shoots, and thar Jim lays."

He was moving away when Cato caught him by the arm.

"Who's de next?" he whispered, with eyes rolling and teeth chattering. "Fo' God, I ain't afeard o' no man--yer know dat am de truf. But I'se done skeered at um cap'n, he so still an' fierce. He bad man--bad man--Cato t'inks de debbil cotches him, sure. Say, Mars'r Griffit'! who's de next?"

"Durn it, how do I know? Ef a man keeps a civil tongue and obeys orders, the cap'n is his good friend. But let a man jist buck ag'in' him--whew!" and Bob the scout walked away.

Cato dug the grave, then without ceremony rolled the body into it. Then he filled it in and stamped the soil down, thinking all the time he might be the next. With the laziness and heedlessness of a negro he had buried all the victims where they fell, one, not ten paces from the captain's own door.

After his work was finished the captain called him into his cabin, and ordered him to meet him at a certain place when the moon rose. Then he gave him a bottle of liquor, and some money, and sent him away.

After he had gone the captain mused deeply for a moment, then laughed.

"Before long I will be a Benedick!" he said; "a Benedick!"

"Speak to me, cap'n?" grunted Fink, from his pile of blankets and robes in his sleeping corner.

"No; I was just soliloquizing."

"Oh!" and Fink dropped asleep.

The captain smiled.

A WARNING.

On the skirts of Dead-Man's Forest, on the side opposite to that on which Cato the Creeper lived, was a small settlement on a hillside.

It was very small, numbering but about a dozen houses or cabins, and in the center on the hilltop was a small block-house.

The soil about the houses was somewhat cultivated and fenced, but the latter was hardly needed, for the settlers owned but few cattle and these were "kept up," to protect them from the Indians which infested the country.

The settlement, being on a hill, overlooked a fine landscape. On one side, and in close proximity, lay Dead-Man's Forest, with its acres of gnarled and towering trees, nestling knolls, and vast swamps--gloomy and specter-like, forbidding and haunted.

On the other side, the gazer looked upon a glistening river, winding its way through fertile and beautiful vales, dashing by bluffs and bickering down ravines. The hazy hills in the distance were tinted in the sunlight gloriously, and would be the envy of many a master artist.

On the same afternoon in which last chapter's events occurred, a young girl sat before a cabin, larger and more tasty than the rest, dreamily gazing into the purple-tinted distance.

She was very beautiful, and her beauty was of the pure and holy kind--virgin.

In her deep, earnest brown eyes a wonderful mellow light played and gleamed, and at intervals she sweetly smiled to herself. Her hair was a rich red-brown and fell in glistening waves nearly to her waist, and was confined at the crown by a bit of bright blue ribbon. Her snow-white dress was short and displayed a charming ankle and the comeliest of little feet. Her hands were shapely, and though somewhat browned by the sun, had not lost their original beauty.

But, though the form was of the fairest to look upon, her face cast it into the shade.

Blessed with clear-cut and regular features, with sweet mouth and decided chin, it would have been beautiful without her eyes, which were deep brown and surpassingly lovely.

Lovely they were at all times, but now in the light of the setting sun, they glowed with a new, glorious light--the light of a pure love.

She was the daughter of old Robert Jeffries, the prominent man of the settlement, and every man, young or old, in the village, would have cheerfully risked his life for little Katie Jeffries. Since his wife had died, years ago, she was all that was left to him, and he idolized her.

The sun went down, and still she sat there, smiling and blushing. Her father was away on some neighborly errand, and she was left alone.

But not long. A hurried, light step came up the hill, a form appeared in the dusky light, and she rose to greet a handsome, athletic young man who sprung to greet her, embracing and kissing her tenderly.

"My love!" he whispered, pressing her fondly to his bosom.

"You are late to-night, Walter," she said, in affectionate reproach.

"Yes, dearest; somewhat. But you know I have a farm, all my own, and I am working hard now that you may grace it, next spring. It won't be long, my darling, and then think how happy we will be. You will by your love make me better and a more earnest worker; and will save for me too; while I--"

He drew her nearer, fondly. She felt a delicious thrill, and nestled close to him.

"You will what?" she whispered, blushing at her boldness.

"Try to make life a sweet, happy dream, for my darling."

A few precious moments of silence ensued; then young Ridgely spoke.

"I've the nicest farm in the settlement for you, my darling. I have worked hard, it is true; but even when toil was the hardest and most trying to my patience, I have dissipated all discontent by thinking whom I was working for. You don't know how your love has soothed me, my darling."

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