Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 1147 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

Se TET x . wy ¥. ve wh = vee re *s F nae re ae off» — a. a wd . > ‘ nO 9 - — ~~. é * -'? - a - he : ay ° >) % 7 a a } ol able fe Jb. oe ee a P an ¥ LJ an ae ee ee re + ee and hap mein. I’m afraid a cussed Washoe "Il find moe and Day, my hair.” ** All right; who shall I tell them’s down here wanting help?” , ‘*Tell them it’s ‘ Ananias Dick’ and they’ll understand,” With a broad smile upon his face Webfoot resumed his tramp, and a mile further on he was challenged by an outlaw. A few moments later he stood in the presence of Eva and Edith and three of the robbers, all of whom were greatly surprised to see him back so soon. ‘*Oh, Moses! did you meet my dear father that you are back so soon?’ Jiva asked. “Yes, I did, Miss Eva,” the fat man answer- ed, ‘*Heis but a few miles from here; but by the way, gents, Ananias Dick is lying down the pass Late’ badly wounded and he wanted me to tell you to send some one to help him away.” The outlaws started uneasily. ‘* Who wounded hin?” asked one of them, sus- picious of Webfoot. ‘*He got hurt in a big fight up the canyon. Didn’t you folks hear it? It was between the Utes and Washoes and was a scorcher,” ‘* ‘Which party whipped?” ‘¢ Ananias Dick said the Utes were repulsed,” Webfoot answered, evasively. | ‘Boys, we must know more of that affair,” said an outlaw; ‘‘suppose, Redwing, you and Wagner assist me to conduct the girls and this fat gentleman up to ‘Number Two Rest,’ and Moloch and [ll guard them while you fellers go after Ananias and the information we desire.” To this all were agreed and Webfoot informed that he must remain in the valley under guard until the two, Redwing and Wagner, returned; and, furthermore, he and the girls were to be conducted to a place of greater security further up the we The fat man was disappointed, yet entered no protest against this arrangment for he knew it would be entirely useless, in the face of the odds against him, As they turned to leave, Mose’s eyes fell upon his big cane ayibg YDOD the groundnear. It had been taken from him at the time of his capture with the girls, and he had Biven it up as lost. Stooping he picked it up, and waddled on, say- ing: « ‘* Bless my eyes, this ’s luck. I can’t navigate without a cane to do much good,” ‘‘Ther blasted thing’s heavy ’nuff to make a saint tired to tote it,” said Redwing, garru- ously, and the subject was thus dismissed. The girls and tho mountain tramp were hur- ried along over half a mile when the party, crowding Close upon the right wall of the can- yon, were suddenly challenged by the demand: “Who comes there?” It was a gruff, rasping voice that spoke. ~~ ‘« Wriends, Moloch,” answered Wagner, ‘‘ with prisoners.” ‘* All right, then; advance.” They entered a thicket. of low, scrubby trees and came to the mouth of a cavern in which sat a hideous, repulsive creature with but little sem- blance of man. He was a beardless dwarf of igantic size, and as he arose to allow the pony the cave, designated by the outlaws as ‘‘ Num- ber Two Rest,” the creature’s form and dress of skins recalled to Webfoot’s mind the description he had heard of the African gorilla. Into the cavern the fat man, and weary, de- spondent girls were taken. The dwarf struck a light, then Redwing and Wagener hastily departed to the assistance of Ananias Dick, leaving the prisoners in the care of Moloch and the other outlaw, who an- swered to the name of ‘' Falcon.” That Moloch was a man of herculean powers and nee cruelty, Webfoot had no doubt, and he shuddered when he thought what a demon the giant would be to contend with, should his anger be aroused, was a great relief to the maidens when the uly wretch went back to his watch at the en- trance to the cave, accompanied by Falcon. lager to know how their friends had all fared since they had been carried er in the coach, the maidens began to ply Webfoot with ques- tions, The fat man told them the particulars of his meeting with them, of the battle, and his mission back into the “Oh, dear!” exclaimed Eva, when he had : concluded, ‘if we could only escape that horrible e mouth of the cave we would be man at free 1”? ‘* Have you no weapons, Mose?’ asked Edith, ‘Nothing but this cane,” replied the tramp, “and I was afraid they would relieve me of it. Lut Il oe they don’t think I’m a very formid- Ow,” Webfoot Mose, the Tramp Ee ee ee eee SE LLL BLL LLL LLL LLL LS —— a ap ‘¢ A club in this place would be useless against such a monster as that Moloch,” declared Eva. ‘* Besides, both of them have knives and pistols.” ‘“*Td like to get out of here before them other fellows get back,” said Mose. ‘* Oh, surely you would not attack that giant empty-handed, would you, Mose? He would crush yqu in a moment, I know he would, Do not offend him, I pray.” Girls,” said the ran holding up his cane, ** this club is a more terrible weapon than you’d think from the looks of it, See here,” He took hold of the rough, iron ferule and pulled upon it, To the surprise of the girls they saw the cane began to grow in length. In other words, they saw there was a cane within a cane, and after it had been drawn out fully two feet the fat man drew a third cane out of the secon like the sectionsof atelescope. This he repeated, drawing a fourth out of the third—all four sec- tions remaining together, making a tapering cane fully eight feet in length. ‘‘ Why! what a cane that is,” remarked Eva. _ “Tt’s a ‘ telescope’ cane,” said Webfoot; ‘* and it’s a masked death-trap—an ingenious contriv- ance that was invented by an old detective friend. Those three smaller, or inside sections, are metallic ones—all hollow, of course—which makes the club so heavy. Inside this hollow is— But there comes that sneak, Falcon, and I'll tell you the rest another time,” Falcon came up and seated himself about ten feet from Webfoot and the girls, who sat to the right of their fat friend. An oil lamp set upon a little projection on the wall lighted the low, gloomy cave with a weak, sickly glow. ‘*Fatty,” said Falcon, as he seated himself, ‘* what does Judge Shannon propose to do about his girls?” ‘* He proposes an exchange of prisoners,” said Webfoot, playfully tappin x the earth before him with his long cane; “‘ he’ll release your lead- er, Cuba Kidd, if you'll release the girls.” ‘Do you mean to tell me Cuba Kidd is a pris- oner in his power?” exclaimed the astonished outlaw, “IT do; I saw the captain with mine own eyes. Bearslayer broke loose among them like a tiger, killed off his men and took Cuba a prisoner.” - ‘¢ Then I will consent to no such an exchange,” declared the outlaw, in apparent rage. ‘‘If Cuba Kidd’s such a fool as to be entrapped by a boy after half of the best men in our camp have iven their lives in his cause, he can go to the e’il for me, and the rest of us will take the ran- som money or nothing.” ‘* But the judge has no money with him,” said Mose; ‘‘and it will take several days to get around with it from camp.” ‘*T don’t care if it takes a month!” “* But these girls will be dead by that time.” ** No, I will take them over to head-quarters where they will be well cared for.” ‘* Of course, it’s for you to fix the terms, I sup- pose; but the judge t Susht you’d rather have your captain than the cash.” ‘‘¥or that matter, we can have both, and I will add that amendment tomy first proposition —that is, for fifty thousand dollars in hand paid, and the release of Cuba Kidd, the girls will be given up; and as soon as Redwing and Wagner return you can carry the terms to the judge, and I will await his answer in this can- yon. Tell him there will be no appeal from his so spc Pee ‘Sir,” said Webfoot knitting his brows, ‘* you are unreasonable.” ‘*That’s none of your business, sir!” retorted the outlaw; ‘‘ you have nothing to lose in this matter and something to gain.” ‘* But perhaps [ might make it my business.” ** Vagabond! don’t think because there are few of us that you can insult us with impunity. One word from me and that man Moloch will send you into quarters. Say, pass me that pole you have there: I'll take care of that.” It was Mose’s ‘‘telescope” cane that he re- ferred to. The tramp quickly raised the rod and reaching forward touched it against the outlaw’s breast. As he did so, the villain ut- tered a shriek of awful agony, clutched at his breast, started to his feet and fell prone upon the floor in the convulsions of death. A cry burst from the girls’ lips as they started uD. : ‘Come, gals,” said Webfoot Mose, springing nimbly to his feet and blowing out the light, ‘* we must elude that hunchback!” The fat tramp led the way to one side of the cave to elude Moloch, who, alarmed by the cry of Falcon, was rushing lke a tiger into the cave roaring out: Detective. —<—--— --- —— = ‘‘Ho, Falcon! what are the matter-ah? Fal- con? Falcon?” | st ne He rushed by the crouching trio blowing like a worried ox. ‘* Now for open air and liberty!” whispered Webfoot Mose. ; Silently yet swiftly the three hurried from the cavern. As they emerged into the open alr, a roar like that of a lion sounded behind them. ‘‘Oh, heavens!” cried Edith, ‘‘ that dreadful giant has discovered our escape!” ‘Rasy, girls, easy!” admonished the brave and fearless Webfoot who, stopping just without the cavern, turned facing the entrance, at the same time drawing out the joints of his big cane and extending the end of it before him. The next moment Moloch came tearing from the cave the very picture of an incarnate fiend. In his hand he clutched a murderous knife and with a snarl like that of a mad beast he rushed toward Webfoot. 3 But the latter was on his guard and threw up the end of his lengthened cane on a line with the giant’s neck and, as the latter rushed madly against it, the maidens saw a long, glittering steel blade or needle dart, like a serpent’s tongue from the end of the cane and pierce the throat of the BARS the point coming out at the back of the neck. With a gurgling roar like that of a half- strangled lion, the giant started back, clutching at the cane. He seized the end of it and en-~ deavored to wrench it from Webfoot’s hand, but the creature had received his death-wound and in the pes sunk to his knees, his eyes glar- ing like a dying beast’s. Webfoot jerked the cane from the fellow’s yielding grasp and quick- ly ‘* telescoping ” the deadly instrument, began ~ retreating from the cave. Moloch, true to his trust unto death, endeav- ored to rise tohis feet. The blood wasspurting, with each breath, from his mouth and the wound in his hairy throat. With a super- human effort he succeeded in gaining his feet, but staggered forward a few steps and fell heav- ily to rise no more. ‘ ‘Now, girls, brace up,” said the tramp, “‘ and in a few minutes we will be out of danger. We've got to dodge them two fellows that went up to help Ananias Dick, The yell of that hunchback undoubtedly reached their ears and may bring them back in haste.” _ ‘*Oh, Mose! what a brave, daring and noble man you are!” said Edith, as she laid her hand upon his arm and gazed up into his face through a mist of tears. ‘Thanks, Miss Edith,” responded the gallant Mose; *‘ I do hope you'll always think that way of me; but here we go!” The three moved briskly down the defile, Webfoot keeping a sharp lookout for Redwing and Wagner. Presently he saw the two outlaws coming on a run without their wounded friend. They had undoubtedly heard Moloch’s cry and were hast- eving back to learn the cause. The fugitives quickly concealed themselves in a dense thicket until the outlaws had passed, then they resumed their flight. They soon came to where Ananias Dick lay groa in terrible misery. “Well, old man, you're still in a terrible shape, ar’n’t you?” Mose said to him. ‘Yes; but how did you git the gals, fatty” asked the wounded wretch in 5 nh a surprise, ‘* Made an exchange for Webfoot. ‘* Patty, I mistrust foul play. You're a bad, deceptive man, and I’d like to live to see you hung, but I guess I sha’n’t. The boys told me your folks had Cuba Kidd a prisoner. Give Cuba my compliments and tell him I'll see him later on t’other side o’ the range.” ‘‘ All right, Ananias,” replied Webfoot, as he em,” responded on down the defile after the girls, his eye and ear on the alert for danger. ‘ CHAPTER XIV. . THE END OF IT ALL. WHILE awaiting the return of Webfoot Mose Judge Shannon and his friends whom we left on the battle-field were not altogether idle. The body of Dan Florrin was given burial along with the white friends and foes that had fallen in battle. Bearslayer recognized in Florrin the man who had often visited his cabin as a friend, and whom a wounded outlaw confessed was known’ among the outlaws as Lieutenant Zill, the man who led the masked bandits the night of the raid on Bearslayer’s cabin, and who so narrowly escaped death the same night at the | Devil’s Gap where two of his men fell at the hand of a silent foe. It was also learned that Florrin was Kidd’s trusted spy, and the man ‘| : ‘ ; - = ‘ - “* x * : ae ; ; a . c a " = — °°. -& 4 <2 f . ° * .. 3 ‘ . .- ~. .2J* a ia” - ; = ‘ 4 ~~ | _ — S « > at M..% te - \ 3 . b> ; ? is as ey ’ 4 a ea ‘d E ¢ C two ( + - ) | S f | a * | “4 | & > A & LL — SS = | 4 ¥ i, Cah _ + aa ee oe Xe Ce Saas