The Half Dime Library, No. 1042 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

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HG a : . : 4 7 ? . ‘i - "he j - . a é ‘© a > came out to see who it was, for it was not | hearted and completely ruined in fortune if Pony Rider time, and beholding the Wild Ir Little Grit had seemed completely used | Rider, he said esti up, upon his arrival at Rocky Glen, after his | marvelous ride, he certainly did not look'so, when the next afternoon he came out on the piazza to welcome the parties back, who had gone in search of Bessie Benton, A little pale and haggard, a trifle stift he seemed, but withal a dangerous person to grap- i ple with in a close encounter, for his wiry frame had recuperated rapidly ‘from the fear- ful strain put upon it. ‘€ Couldn’t find hair nor ,hide o’ her, or ther bandits, Leetle Grit, tho’? we seen your work lying round, an’ a number o’ us rode to ther cliff ter see ther leap yer tuk; Jewilikins! but it were a flyer. “‘ An’ they tells me yer made ther big run? | Waal yer is ther boss rider an’ leetle one in this beur sinful airth, an’ no mistake,” and Trumps warmly grasped the boy’s band, and then continued; ‘* We'll hev a leetle game o’ keerds ter-night, Grit, my boy, an’ I wants yer round, fer thar is a row pendim’ atween me and thet Kid Glove Gambler, an’ it are all about you.” ‘‘T am sorry | cannot be with you to-night, Tramps, but 1 have an important engagement on hand.” “ Why you isn’t goin’ fer ter ride ag’in right off?” ** No; but I have something to attend to that I cannot neglect, and the nature of which I hope you will know to-morrow; by the way, where did you leave Daniel Benton?” ‘““QOh! poor feller, he left us as soon as he e’u’dn’t find his darter, an’ he gone back to her lonely cabing; I tell yer, Leetle Grit, I feels durned sorry fer thet man, an’ more sorrier fer his darter, an’ you and me will set out ter- morrer an’ look her up, ef yer kin spare . time,” “Oh yes, for there will be several riders sent down here to-night, to take Jockey. Jack’s place, and give Tiny Tim and myself a rest for a few days; now I must be off.” “ Don’t want no comp’ny does yer?” ‘“‘ Not this time, thank you, my good friends; ' Yshall ride Firefly, and these will go with me,” and Little Grit smilingly patted his belt of >. “'Bhey is durned good comp’ny fer yer too, '» or Lare a liar; waal, yer knows my shanty,\so look me up when I kin sarve yer, and, Leetle Grit, aeep yer eyes on thet Kid Glove gerloot, fer he hes it in him ter give yer trouble.” *T believe with you, Trumps, that he needs watching, and ’ll keep an eve 3non him,” and Little Grit went into the tavern w get ready _for his ride. “Well, my boy, you come to a sad home | now, for my Bessie has gone, and I almost wish you had allowed those devils to hang us both,” ‘‘Cheer up, Mr. Benton, for I have come to have a talk with you,” said the youth cheerily. “T am glad to see you, Wild Rider, but Re ge will not bring my child back, but come ae am not so sure of that, Mr. Benton, for talking does a great deal sometimes,” ** Little Grit, your words mean something, ” eagerly said the sorrowing father, grasping the youth by the arm, “True, they do mean something, but I can offer no explanation, only ask yocuif you have | confidence in me?”’ ‘‘Yes, to the end, my boy. mi ell, L believe t can restore you your datichter ere sunrise.’ “How? for Heaven’s sake tell me how, boy?” “ By paying a ransom for her.’ ‘A ransom! anything will I do to get back my child.” ‘A large sum is asked, Mr. Benton.” “My child is worth it, be it what it may.” ‘¢ But you are poor and—” ‘‘ Name the sum, Little Grit.” ‘Ten thousand dollars.” J will pay rt.” CHAPTER XX, WILD RIDER KEEPS HIS~ PLEDGE. Littie Grir fairly started at the words of the stock-tender. “© T will pay it!” He glanced into the man’s face and read there determination and truth, and no sign that he had made an idle assertion. But then how could a poor stock-tender pay so large a sum? was in his thoughts. ‘“You pay ten thousand dollars, Mr. Ben- ton?’ he asked in surprise. ‘Yes, I will pay it, my boy, for the restora- tion of my daughter; I do not wonder you look surprised, for you know just what I have received as ,stock-tender, and cannot under- stand how I eonld lay up such a sum. ‘‘But tell me to whom is this money to be paid, and by whom, and when?” “You are to give me the gold-dust, and I pledge myself to return you your daughter, or the metal, unless [ am killed,” “When do you want it?’ ‘“Now, if I can get it.” “You will wait until dark?” ‘Yes, for the sun is setting now.” sought another home, ‘But misfortune dogged me, and my wife dying, I drifted westward year by year, earn ing just money enough to educate my daughte at a good school where I had left her. ‘¢ At length I became what I am now, having’ failed in the mines to find gold and despairing of ever getting rich, I sent for my daughter to eome and live with me here, and the verg day after ber arrival luck changed, for | struc a rich lead of gold in my old mine back in th mountain, “Well, my boy, I determined to rem here as stock-tender until I bad back all ¢ my old fortune to give my Bessie, and I haye secretly bought back the old homestead, and in a few months expected to go Bast with my child and my diggings in gold-dust. ‘‘Now I have dug out and hidden away some fifty thousand dollars, and you may knew that it all should go to get my child back. “The secret I havo told to no one, excepting you, and I feel that you will never betray me; but those devils that strung me up hinted that Lhad gold hidden somewhere.” ‘“But how should they know, Mr. Benton” asked Little Grit. ‘“‘Thero is but one way; my brother is out here and he may know, having found out in some way that I had bought back the old homestead.” , ‘Your brother out here, you say, sir?” “Yes, and you know him, and I know him, too, though we have seemed not to recognize each other, yet I feel confident that he is feign- ing ignorance of who I am, though it has been fifteen years since we met.” ‘‘T cannot imagine who he can be, sir.” ‘““Grey Benton is his name.” ‘‘Ha! Gambler Grey, the Kid Glove Sport.” “ Yes, my boy, you know him now, and you know no good of him.” “True, sir, and I do not like him,” said Lit- tle Grit, frankly. ‘‘T cannot blame you, for he is a very evil man; But come, it is dark now, and I will get you the gold, and should aught befall me, you will know where my treasure is hidden, so that you can give it to Bessie,” and rising, Daniel Benton led the way from the cabin, and diving into the bushes back of. the stoekade halted on the bank of a small stream. ‘‘Do you see this rock, my boy?” &é Yes. ” * And yonder large tree in a line with it?” cc Yes. ”? "Well, watch me,” and so saying Daniel Benton waded into the stream, and with a sharp hook scraped the bottom until it caught in something heavy. eae ae - a ‘ . ay. . a} co '* ipso ee EER TE EEE EE PA EE AIS OT ET SE 8 ae , on ‘‘Here is my treasure-box, Little Grit,” and , Then you shall have it.” out of the sand he dragged a ‘rudely: ‘made box, » Ten minutes after he came out on the pine- ‘And you: really bave that sum, Mr. Ben- board piavaa, looking exceedingly trim in ap- ‘ ‘ ey 5" Ege. _. pearance, for he had donned a new suit, and . Helen Hewlett, who sat at the window, men- tally observed that she never saw a hanc- He oe somer youth. wr), » ** You are not going on another ride, Mr ie, ~ Little Grit,” she said pleasantly. pti Veg, but I am not riding on time chis }atternoon, Miss Hewlett.” *T feared you would be very ill, when I saw _ you lifted from your horse yesterday, and my - father was anxious to serve you in some way; But you look well this afternoon.” i “Oh, yes, Miss Hewlett, I am all right now, anda short ride will limber me up; but I have to thank you and your father for being very kind to me; here ‘eomes Firefly now, and I _ must be off, » and bowing politely, Little Grit tg ee walked out to where the stable bey held his ae orse, and mounting.set off at a canter, greatly the surprise of his steed, who seemed anx ious to ge at once ei the flying gait he was PF Tooréasing his ade after awhile Litthe Grit bn: ¢ oon had Firefly dashing a:ong, as though he ong carrying Express, .nd it was, not very before he came in sight of Dan Benton’s st fleas ng the = c i. A ‘ ¢ ‘ie oe ton?” “Yes, and far more; listen, my boy, and while we are waiting for darkness to come I will tell youa secret, that my child even does not know. ‘“‘ Having seett better days yourself, you can see that I have been educated, and I will tell you that I came-of good stock, and my parents were rich, “There were but two of us, a brother, ten years. younger than myself, and whom my nai idolized, and { was devotedly attached to, although he grew up very wild. «At the death of my parents my brother and myself ware left equal shares in the property, and all was left in my control, for he was not of age. ‘‘ But alas! I was no restraint upon him, and he ran through with his inheritance, aad knowing my love for him, did all manner of things that got him into trouble, well knowing that I would help him out. “The result Of all this was, that he veg- gared me, and t0’raise money committed for- ery and fled. «| ‘Well, I paid his debts, but the officers of *ha law were after him. and I knew that if crsgrine A roots the oube Sa \ taken £ could Fait save nim. “nd ang eet broken- , i Y and opening it, counted out sufficient loose gold to make up the amount demanded, and then returned the chest to its secure hiding-placey! while Little Grit wrapped up that which he had left out. : ‘‘You know the secret now, boy, and vou have the ransom gold, so go, and for the lov of God, bring me back my child, and breathe to | no one ‘what I have told you,’ said Daniel Ben- ton, with deep feeling. . ‘‘T will never betray you, Dan Benton, and will ever be the friend of you and your daugh- , ter;” and shouldering his weighty load of pre- cious metal, Little Grit returned to the cabin, and mounting Firefly, rode away in the direc- tion of his rendezvous with the Spirit of the Canyon, the moon lighting his pathway over and through valley, and then across the prairie to the Pilot Tree, which he fearlessly approached to find no human being near, Li CHAPTER XXI. | THE MEETING. 4 IT BELIEVE the woman meant what she said, and I will wait,” said Little Grit, as the moon ‘soared high into the heavens, and yet he sow ‘mo sign of the coming woman a sw It is iearenae that she hearin r caprive, ih genet shit . e ; pet ‘at ae ee vf Pas A ~ ete ~~ > &£ Pra ty e : “comicbooks.com =