Yellowstone Jack: Trappers of the Enchanted Ground — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

58 the emigrants stepped forward, but Campbell did not deem it prident to weaken the train much, so he selected three men. These he believed would be - enough, since his object was to avoid, rather than court a collision. Campbell led the way round by the a upper end of the canyon, following almost directly upon the footsteps of the doomed outlaw. They had not foHowed the canyon for more than a few hundred yards before _ they were interrupted by faint cries and % _ mistaking this. = « party screams from ahead. There could be no It was the complaints of some one who was being subjected to torture. Though expressing intense agony, sine voice seemed that of one well-nigh oshausted., - ‘““'There’s the devil’s own work going on there,” muttered Campbell, hoarsely. “ Look to your weapons, but don’t burn powder until [ give the word,” added the scout, as he resumed his progress. A few more minutes sufficed to carry them to the point from whence the tor- ture could first be seen, and the entire ebruptly halted, fairly sickening with horror and disgust. The naked body of a human being was suspeaded by the fect to a pine tree, his hands bound firmly to the trunk, so that he was held motionless, head downward. Before him stood a wild, blood-stained figure, flourishing a keen knife, with which he was literally flaying the unhappy wretch alive, by inches at a time | Long strips of skin swayed to and fro as the bared muscles quivered with the torture. The victim was a mass of blood from head to foot. His voice was faint and weak. Evidently his race was well-nigh run. “Keep under cover,’ Campbell whis- pered to his men. “I believe I know both those men. If so, our young friend may be safe yet.” Drawing s revolver, the scout glided rapidly yeb noiseless!y forward, keeping behind the madman, who was too by usily engaged in his long-deferred vengeance to take heed of aught else, and then Campbell dealt him a “quick, heavy stroke upon the back of his head with the brass- bound revolver-butt that felled him hke an ox in the shambles, _“ Come up, lads, and help me loose this poor wreteh, though I don’t suppose you'll fag! wuch aympatuy fer bim whey jou | ois limbs powerless. A spell ge YELLOWSTONE JACK, know it’s Mat Mole, the dain’ ole wh has brought all your trouble upon ou.” Dh The moaning wretch was gently lowered to the bloodstained ground, and then — Campbell added : ath “ Dose him, if possible ; I want hitn { to gh answer me a few questions. Do the best you know how, while I go and see if Foose “I Maynard is all right.” pS Campbell found Frank in a sort of 2 7. oe stupor. The horrible cries and sonic A « from without, unable as he was to learn | : the cause or purport, had thr own him a back not a little. | Fearing lest Mole should die too soon, Ky the scout returned to questionhim. But | the outlaw was already insensible to pain, and a few minutes later drew his final breath. Campbell had learned what a sad error Ny he had made in shooting the Kagle for — an enemy, and buried his mangled co in a deep cleft, covering it with bo a rw rocks, and earth. In another spot he. outlaw was burned. — es Then a rudo litter was made, : ae May- 4 nard placed upon it. The giant, who seemed now another person since the outlaw’s death, was unbound, and though watched, quietly walked beside the rest. The wounded man was safely conveyed to the corral, where he was greeted as one risen from the dead, but he still re- mained buried in that deep, heavy spony a ? that looked like death. OHAPTER XK. YELLOWSTONE JACK IS ASTONISHED. a v1 was with a sensation of chutteriees br | Ne horror that Yellowstone Jack felt himself dragged into the Boiling — ‘pe Spring by the weird woman, but the catastrophe could not be avoided, strug- sy cle ashe might. And then he felt the nH bony fineers of the hag clutching and tearing at his flesh like the claws of Some» a infuriated animal. - A dim , peculia tt light, like the “shadow | of a light,” then slow ly dawned upon him. A strangely sweet sound came indis- — tinctly to his ears, drowning the painful — ringing in them. Wild visions foated — ay before him, alluring, tantalizing, But when he strove to grasp PHBE, na ons 7