Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 144 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

country, gained in childhood days, nota single glimpse was obtained of their pursuers while the daylight lasted. Despite her repeated protestations, it was evi- dent to all that Decoy Duck was failing, that the great loss of bl from her wound was fast undermining her strength, and when the sun set, Dainty Lance bade Zeph lead the way to some covert where they could rest in security, at least until the injury could be properly at- tended to. ‘**The hoss-critters need it, too,” muttered Tinker, but he had another object than rest in view. Though reluctantly, Zeph was forced to obey, and after carefully breaking the trail ‘by en- tering the bed of a creek and doubling back the party came to a halt in a thick clump of trees. Abe Tinker volunteered to care for the jaded horses. Zeph kindled a small fire in the midst of a dense patch of bushes, where the feeble rays would be intercepted by the dense foliage, while Dainty Lance tore strips from his shirt to prepare bandages for dressing the wound. By this time Decoy Duck was too greatly en- feebled by fatigue and loss of blood to make any resistance, and languidly submitted to hav- ing. her shoulder laid bare. hough no bones had been broken by the bul- let, the wound was a severe one, and had been irritated by the subsequent ride. Tenderly as a woman, Dainty Lance washed and bandaged the hurt, coming more nearly to being in love with the fair Decoy than ever be- fore, when he reflected on her courage and for- titude under pain that would have broken down many a stout man. By his advice, Duck lay down to sleep imme- diately after her wound was dressed, and as Tinker soon after sine the comrades, it was decided that they should keep alternate watch until midnight, when it was necessary for them to resume their flight. “Ef we git started then, afore day I kin git yeall toa hole whar we kin lay low ontel the wust o’ the storm blows over, an’ then we kin cross the river an’ git into Kansas, whar we'll be safe enough,” said Zeph. Abe Tinker volunteered to keep the first watch, and as neither of the others dreamed of his treacherous intentions, they easily granted his desire, feeling tired and sleepy. The training of an adventurous life had given them both the power to sleep and wake at will and despite the peril which still threatened them, in less than ten minutes from the time they Jay down, Dainty Lance and Zeph were asleep. For some time Abe Tinker remained quiet arguing the matter out in his own min but finally decided that an attack upon the traitors, as he regarded them, would be too personally dangerous. Then he arose and silently stole away. Teamde Zeph was the first to awake, and as he did so he could just catch the sounds of receding hoof-strokes. Then he called cautiously to Tinker, but there was no reply. CHAPTER XIII. ALL FOR VENGEANCE. Harpy ZerH awoke just a little too late for the good of himself and his companions. He barely heard the distant trampling of horses’ hoofs in the instant when his ear touched the ground before he hurriedly sprung to his feet, but that was all. The woods around were si- lent as death. And when he again pressed his ear to the ground, the tell-tale sounds could no longer be distinguished, leaving him without any guide as to the direction which the traitor had taken. - Abe Tinker had carefully mapped out his course while ae ty Sagey watching for a favor- able chance to deal blow. ' He knew that his mates were all dead or pris- oners, and that they owed their fate principally to Dainty Lance. BY solemn oath he was bound to avenge their fate upon their betrayer, and this oath he resolved to keep, even though it involved bis own death or captivity. ‘She was knowin’ to the trick—that’s plain enough,” be pondered, though drawing an erro- neous conclusion in this instance. ‘‘ She wouldn’t be so thick with a traitor, onless. So much the better! He won’t be apt to desart her, an’ she can’t travel fur on that ugly wound.” This brief transcript will show the line of yeasoning followed by Tinker, and will account for his running the risk necessary to remove the four horses. ry By the exercise of patient cunning, this was finally accomplished, and Abe Tinker y as just Dainty Lance, the Boy Sport. mounting his own horse having secured the others so they would lead, when Hardy Zeph caught the sound of his movements. The outlaw rode direct as possible back to the main road where he expected to intercept some one of the parties out in pursuit of them. Nor was he disappointed in this hope, though more time was spent than he cared to lose, for he knew that at any moment those whom he had sworn to deliver into the hands of the hangman, might awaken, and discovering his absence, would not be long in divining the truth. ‘*We kin run ’em down enough,” he muttered, his eyes glowing with a venomous hatred. ‘‘I could trail ’em day in an’ day out on my knees—I could wade that-a-way through a lake o’ burnin’ brimstone, but what the boss an’ the rest o’ the boys shell be avenged!” Abe Tinker had ridden some five or six miles along the road, heading for Clayton, before he encountered those for whom he was see : Then, even had his heart or courage failed him at the pinch, there was no retreat or falter- ing, for the soft, sandy road had so deadened the sound of hoof-strokes that he was within fifty yards of a dozen horsemen before he suspected their proximity. But Abe Tinker did not hesitate. He was one of those men whose brains seem incapable of dealing with more than one question at a time. He knew that his oath bound him to exact vengeance on those who had betrayed him and his, and what might befall himself became a secondary consideration. ‘* Don’t shoot!” he cried, holding both unarm- ed hands aloft in the clear moonlight, and slow- ly riding forward, the horsemen having abrupt- ly drawn rein as they caught sight of him. ‘* Don’t shoot—I surrender!” ‘‘ Come forward and give an account of your- self!” cried a voice so strongly resembling that of Dainty Lance as to cause a cold thrill of su- perstitious terror to agitate the traitor. Though it seemed impossible, at that moment he believed that Dainty Lance had once again circumvented him, and was here in his front. But a dozen weapons were covering him, and a pew that hesitation would be equivalent to eath. His painful doubts were of brief duration. The difference in clothing told him that the speaker was not Dainty Lance, but Harry Bal- lou, the banker’s son. . bog and what are you?’ was the sharp de- mand. ‘Your pris’ner,” coolly responded Tinker, drawing rein as the party closed around him. ‘‘T surrender. I hevrid back this houror more, to give myself so ‘*One of the band, by the holies!” cried the sheriff, who was in reality the leader of the posse. ‘** Yes, an’ ef you'll foller my advice, you kin ketch the rest—they’s only three on ’em,” said Tinker, eager to consummate his treachery. ‘These is thar hosses. I slipped omer while they was sleepin’. Ef you move live y, you kin pounce onto ’em afore ww d wake up.’ S k out that he don’t le you into a ac said Harry Ballou, sternly. ‘A fellow who would betray his mates like that, is capable of anythin rf : Hard words don’t break no bones,” mutter- ed Tinker, in a tone. ‘I’ve my reasons fer hatin’ them as rid these hosses, What they be, don’t matter to nobody. I’m willin’ to stan’ my trial, or be strung up by the Regulators, just so they be thar to keep me com- ny. Ef I don’t lead you to them, then you do with me as you see fit.” ‘* And that will be to string you up by the neck to the nearest tree!” vowed the sheriff, eying the bank-robber closely as he spoke. But the fellow never flinched, and all could see that he was in deadly earnest. The different horses were recognized as among those ridden by the robbers when the bank was attacked, and this served to confirm the story told by the outlaw. With afew sharp questions, the sheriff glean- ed all that he deemed essential to the full un- derstanding of the situation, then placed Abe Tinker under the especial guard of two trust- worthy men, with strict orders to blow his brains out at the first suspicion of foul play, then set forward to capture the betrayed trio. This party, with a few additions, was the same that bad captured Hammer Fair and his two fellows inside the bank. That done, they ee horses and set out in pursuit of the eeing robbers, Harry Ballou joining them for reasons which he was careful to keep to himself. Dainty Lance had been very explicit in his warning message, and Harry knew that the writer was the youne man who so strongly re- sembled himself, whose life he had vainly plead- ed for, in Howard. Many een had recognized Dainty Lance among the robbers, and learning this, the bank- er’s son was resolved, if possible, to save his life if he could not bis liberty. With these sentiments, knowing that his * double” was one of the little party which Abe Tinker was betraying, it may be imagined that followed his companions with anything but joy, but great was his secret satisfaction when, after carefully surrounding the spot where the traitor-guide assured them that they would find their game, the party closed in—only - ae eae the coveted prey had given them the slip ‘They cain’t hey gone fur,” cried Tinker, fairly foaming at the mouth with mingled rage, terror and disappointment. ‘‘'They was afoot, an’ one o’ them badly wounded—” ‘* Here’s some bloody rags!” cried one of the Perhaps it was just as well for Abe Tinker that this confirmation of his story came as it did, for the man-hunters, disappointed just when they held themselves sure of their game, were ey ~~ in adangerous manner. ‘“We can’t trail them through the woods—we can do nothing until daylight; and by that time they will have broken their trailand found some hi wo peer snug enough to baffle us,” said the sheriff, with a curse, ‘* Zack Bulloek don’t live far from here,” sug- gested one of the party, but hesitatingly as eee more than half ashamed of what he inted. But the sheriff, who deemed his banger at stake, eagerly se rofessional upon the int. ‘‘And they say his bloodhounds can trail a shadow, or a mink through running water! The very thing! Thompson, your head is worth more than all of ours put together.” ‘‘T protest against such an outrage on hu- manity!” cried Harry, indignantly, but the sheriff bluntly interrupted his further speech: ‘* Protest and be—blessed, Harry Ballou. 1 am in command here, and do not take my orders from you. I mean to capture those rascals, and if it can’t be done by men alone, then I’ll use dogs. If you don’t like the idea, you can go your own way—that’s flat!” The general sentiment was against him, and when a man was dispatched to secure the aid of Zack Bullock and his trained bloodhounds— trained to hunt runaway negroes through the Southern swamps, the banker’s son, feeling heartsick and discouraged, leaped upon his horse and rode aw from the oN While awaiting the return of the messenger sent after the man-hunters and his four-footed allies, the sheriff was not idle. The smolderin embers were blown into a flame, light-w torches were manufactured, and by their aid, search was made for the trail of the fugitives. This was soon found, though none of the pre- sent Hoge if Abe Tinker be excepted, were greatly skilled in woodcraft. But they man- aged to make out the general direction taken by the fugitives, and saw that there were three different sets of footprints. Thus far the story told by the prisoner was confirmed. An hour later, the messenger returned, ac- compained by Zack Bullock, a short, heavy-set man whose huge nose, retreating forehead and chin gave him a startling resemblance to the brace of bloodhounds which he held in leash. The dogs were set upon the trail. God help the fugitives now! CHAPTER XIV. ALL FOR LOVE, ALMOST by instinct Zeph Hardy divined the truth, but before awakening his companions, he verified the startling suspicions that had found birth in distant hoof-strokes. ‘*] knowed it,” he muttered, in a hard, ugly tone as he found the spot where their horses had been tethered was now vacant. ‘‘ The halters was untied, an’ the critters led away, one by one. Twas that Tinker cuss—but why ? That's the p’int that bothers me!” _ it was an enigma that might have puzzied a keener brain than that of the boy-trapper, or any one ignorant of the manner ia which Abe Tinker had worked cut his dogged suspicions. Hardy Zeph did not waste any time over the —_ g question, only pausing long encugh make sure that the animals had not broken loose and wandered away of their own accord then hastened to where Dainty Lance lay, rous— ing him from a deep and refreshing slumLer. GOMIIERDOOKS