Marion Marlowe in Omaha, or, Held up by Accident — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

she made a movement as if she meant to eke nis order. The man, still holding the weapon leveled upon them, came a step nearer. The hot breath from the panting nostrils of his horse came over her shoulder. : _ With her left hand she detached the com- n odore’s watchchain from his belt; then t arned and held it out toward the robber. #% sharp swerve of the horse followed, which brought the ruffian still nearer. - _ It was what Marion wanted, and in an in- stant she had acted. The long, lithe whip tr rned like magic in her fingers, and, with a flourish that cut the air with a hiss, it landed esiciy across the fellow’s masked features. _ At that same instant the commodore sprang from the sleigh and made a grab for a revol- a ver that lay in the roadway. _ face. His horse reared and plunged and ‘snorted frantically; then a fearful cut over Without fellow he hand sent his weapon spinning. uiting for anything more, thes wheeled around and dashed down the road at a headlong gallop. _ The commodore snapped the weapon after him, but every chamber was empty, and the i er arm . prevented his "reloading it juickly. What should @ do? The old ranchman answered his own “question in the fraction of a second. ts yy _ Reaching up to the sleigh, he caught Mar- a jon around the waist. The next second he had swung her to the back of one of the high- _ -waymen’s horses—the only one of the two that had remained beside his master. "The fellow was escaping. - - With a keen glance, he had discovered that _ the animal was both safe and gentle. He had also discovered that one of the ruffians “Quick! git after him, Miss Marler! Ye _ Again the whip was laid across the man’s ~ MY QU EEN. 2h “When tox settled with these hvyar rascals, Il] come arter yer like er cyclone !”’ “But vou—how will you come?” asked the girl, as she clung to the saddle. The commodore glanced around. The other horse had gone. chance of his “following like a cyclone.” “Never mind! I'll catch him, if I can! said the young girl, bravely. “Bind up your arm while | am gone. I may be able to get help, even if | do not catch the robber. Oh, There was not much I do hope this horse won’t throw me!” “T’ll resk yer!” cried the ranchman, in his hearty voice. The next second the brave young girl was off ike a whirlwind. a a * GHAPTER AT WORSE DANGER. As she dashed from his sight, the old com- modore turned back to his late assailants. There was a smile upon his bearded lips, in spite of the pain he was suffering, for Mar- ion’s bravery had thrilled every fibre of his being. | / “She's er fine one, an’ no mistake,” he mut- tered, as he pulled off his coat and tied his handkerchief tightly over the jagged bullet ‘Thet thar is courage, an’ She won’t ketch him, of course; hole in his arm. no nustake. nor come nowheres nigh him, but this hyar warn’t no sight fer her ter see. She’s safer on thet thar critter’s back. He’s too gentle ter throw her.’ He finished binding his arm, and then moved it slightly. It was a reltef for him to fined that no bones were broken. Then he turned to the two ruffians who were stretched upon the ground. The first one was stone dead, but the other was groan- ing. “Reck’n now yer won’t hold up no more honest men, yer lubbers,” he muttered, chuck- ling, as he raised the living man from the {77 COMmiIcoookSs.c@ =)