Beadle's Dime Novels No. 316: Hurricane Bill — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

72 -HURRICANE BILL. sible that some of the rascals may break throngh, and if they once get among the defiles yonder, would give us trouble to find them. Remember, any who come through here, are en- emies, and I look to you to give a good account of them. Go now. Vl be with you-in time for the fua.” Carmela, half senseless, had listened to the words of the bandit chief with a heart full of dread. She had sense enough to see that a deadly trap was being Jaid for her friends, from which escape seemed impossible. Yet she could do nothing—nothing but wait and pray. Black Garcia rode along, passing a narrow rock bridge upon each side of Which yawned a deep, gloomy pit, their sides rough, jagged, a fall down which could be nothing less than death. This was the place where Black Gareia had directed the six bandits to lie in wait for stragglers. A short distance further, then Black Garcia dismounted. As her feet tonched the ground, Carmela would have fallen, only for the outlaw’s supporting arm. The long ride had benumbed her limbs. With a short Jaugh, he lifted her and strode forward, pressing through a dense clump of bushes that apparently grew close to the face of a high cliff, A} was darkness the most intense as the leafy screen closed be- hind them, but the bandit strode on with the firm step of oné who thoroughly knew the ground. They were within a eav- ern of some sort, as Carmela knew from the peculiar echo that came from the bandit’s spurred boots. Black Garcia stood still, uttering a sharp, prolonged whistle. In a few moments a dim, star-like point of light appeared before them, and advancing slowly, the outlaw met the bearer of the torch, an old woman, | She held the torch downward, and revealed a narrow plank that evidently crossed some abyss. Blick Garcia crossed with a steady foot, though the elustic bridge swayed beneath the weight, and Carmela grew dizzy as she glanced down into the blackness, The depih she could only surmise. No mortal vision could reach the bottom by that faint light. The old woman led on in obedience toa few muttered words, and then paused, holding the light above her head. They stood within a small apartment that seemed cut out of the solid rock by the hand of man. It was fitted up ina Ccomicloooks.com) §