Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 153 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

eet t———™ —_—~ —— CHAPTER XIV. PURSUED BY A NEMBSIS. The two outlaws left in the cavern to guard the captives, Mabel and Cassandra, while the others went forth to destroy their enemies b the trap set for them in the crater, were bot wounded—one but slightly in the arm the other seriously in the hand. The latter was Major Daniel Baron whose wound had been inflicted by a bullet from the pistol of Wild Cassandra in the pass two evenings before when she had thwarted his attempt to abduct Mabel Vane. This consummate villain finding himself ex- had sought the companions ip. of his old riends in sin and crime who gave hima hearty welcome back to their ranks: and when Mabel Vane was brought to the cave he felt he was the victorafterall. But all his gentlemanly and lov- er-like we ete toward the girl had changed. What he had failed to gain by such a course he now resolved to possess in defiance of her feel- ings or wishes and the power of her friends. Allthe brutality, cruelty and deception . inher- ent in the man’s very nature began to out. He would have strangled Wild | if he had dared to, for to her he attributed not only the — he was g from his lacerated hand, but the frustration of his attempt to ab- duct Mabel Vane. Having no doubt of the success of the trap set in the ¢rater for the destruction of those known to bein search of the girls, Baron was in fine pep rt and when the crash of firearms rolled into the cayern striking terror to the hearts of the maidens, he paced the floor of the cavern with an impatient step and a sickly smile of fiendish delight upon his face. The girls were not ignorant of the trapset for their friends, and while the sound of battle still rung loud, Wild Cassandra s rung to her feet and before her guard could prevent it, she bounded away through the passage to the ledge overlooking the scene of conflict. The outlaw started in pursuit of her, but he soon returned without her, his face the’very picture of horror. ‘‘ Where is that hyena?’ asked Baron: ‘*GreatGod, captain!” replied the outlaw with chattering teeth, “‘the trap failed—the battle has gone against the mountaineers—every mau has been shot down—even Lieutenant Dareall!’’ ‘* Ruffcorn, you are jesting!” exclaimed Baron excitedly. “J am not—hear those fellows shout! come, we must get out of here at once; they will soon come swarmin’ in upon us!” ** Ruff, mount a horse and take this girl—take her to the cave where our old head-quarters were in 69 and a thousand dollars shall be your re- ward. I would not ask this favor had I the use of both my hands. Go, Ruff, and I wiil strike ACTORS the country afoot and meet you at the cave, Half carried and half dra the fainting form of Mabel was forced me i through the dark cavern into a narrow open rift that finally led into another cave or grotto where several horses were stabled. | rouge cub ‘stéong limbed Wdcke fully eqtiiy r a strong-li orse ui ped for its double burden. | ie jae Mounting the animal, Mabel was taken up and placed in front of the outlaw, who, putting spurs, galloped away. Baron now found himself alone—an outlaw an outeast—a wounded fugitive without a soul in the world that he could call a friend. At least his guilty conscience made him feel so. His own perfidy, baseless passion, and deprav- ity of soul had driven a host of warm, admiring friends away from him, and his mind became so wrought upon by his guilt that in fancy he could hear the stealthy tread of an enemy in every sound or see a crouching form in every changing shadow. Out im the mountains he had good opportu- nity for reflection, as he moved on he scarcely knew where. He had journeyed perhaps a mile when a sound startled him. e stopped, he peered into the gloom with contracted brows. Then he started, for he was sure he saw the outlines of a moving form—a form that resem- bled that of an Indian. He was afraid to speak, for fear his voice might direct the bullet of an enemy toward him, and so he turned and moved on. Now and then he glanced back over his shoul- der and either in reality or in a highly wrought fancy, he knew not which, he could still see that shadowy form following him. Up hill and down, along dark valleys and through black defiles the ull sped on, and t it made no difference how fast he went, ow shadowy were his ways, how silent his rr Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. movements, that pursuing Nemesis was ever close behind. In spite of his efforts to the contrary, his crimes now came trooping up from the past in review before his mind, e faces of his vic- tims seemed staring at him from every bush, from every rock. ptf one face in particular, that of a beautiful Indian maiden whose life and happiness he had desire yee came up before his mental vision, he started, glanced quick around him. To him there seemed a mysterious affin- ity between that dusky face and his phantom- like pursuer. He quickened his pace—he broke In his left hand he clasped a long knife, for his right hand was in a sling. Like a wounded deer close pressed by the hunter he sped on, until finally overcome with exhaustion, he crept into a clump of bushes un- der a projecting rock and stretched himself panting upon the earth. And here he lay through the night shivering with terror—dreading to see the lightof day come again. But it came, and not until the sun was up, and the birds were singing did he ven- ture forth from his concealment. yt Cree ing out he advanced to the edge of a lit- tle water fed by a purling stream and ared around him with burning face and blood- shot eyes. Few of his late friends would havo the man as the gallant ‘‘ Major” Baron of a few days previous. But he it was with the brand of shame, terror and crime stamped upon every lineament of his features. His clothes were in tatters, his head was hatiless, his face lacerated and bloody, and his hand still ina sling. Dropping on his knees at. the siges the pool he stooped to slake his burning t ; but he started back with a cry. ere his parched lips touched the water. The limpid pool seemed to rebuke and reproach of his crimes, for it reveal- ed to his startled gaze a human face that was not his own, mirrored in its glassy depths. It was the reflection of a face peering over the e above him. It was the face of an Indian, It was the face of Macomah, Without even moistening his shriveled lips, the fugitive rose quickly to his feet, leaped the pool like a startled buck and plunged into the woods on the apposite side, A fierce yell that started the morning echoes for miles pealed from the lips of Macomah, and then down from the cliff be came bounding, and with glowing eyes, contorted face and crouch- ing form shot away through the valley in. pur- suit of Baron. The fugitive kept to the level valley until he saw his foe was —— upon him, when he bore to the left and followed the spur of a ridge leading in among rocks and canyons, where he hop to elude the Indian. ithout observing them the fugitive finally sped close a party of a dozen persons who were standing under a cluster of stunted pines. These persons were our friends whom we left the night previous in the crater at the entrance of the robbers’ cave. ) Jack Drew had seen the fugitive coming and imposed siJence upon his fri although he did not ize the man. Scarcely a minute had ela after Baron - ed them ere Macomah, with arms and shoulders bare and bleeding from contact with bush and brier, his teeth set, his eyes glowing and his face panly knotted and seamed with the awful intens- ity of his savage vengeance, glided along in pur- suit of him. “By the sword of Dam-ocles!” exclaimed Jack Drew when Macomah had * it seems to meI have seen that fugitive before, notwithstandin’ he looks as tho’ he’d been fight- ing with a speckled alligator.” ** Jack, that was oe ig Baron,” said Nebras- ka Ned, who alone recognized the fleeing man, ‘‘Major Thunder!” exclaimed Drew. ‘I have it now, sir; I know who that man is—it’s all clear as a bell; there’s a reward on his head, Gamaliel Blower—a big reward. Folks, you re- member I was tellin’ > a story t’other night ’bout the murder of Jonathan Wharton, and the racket that war kicked up in court when Claxton,the alleged murderer was set free by the jury, don’t yout Well, you remember then that the main witnesses for the prosecution war one Hohn and one Martin? and that on bis death- bed Martin confessed that he and Hohn did the murder? Well, with the le exception of my being judge, every word of story war true, and what’s more that man that just passed us is the murderer, Hohn.” “The nation you say, Jack!” exclaimed Colo- nel Blower. “T do say it, colonel: but Lord John Rodgers eet te 13 ao ee ——— es if that big Ingin gits a holt of him he'll snatch him into eternity quicker nor a hound pup can lick a skillet.” ‘Oh, mebby if he’s taken alive he can tell where Mabel is!” exclaimed Wild Cassandra. ‘‘ True, very true,” said Mr. Vane, whose — was breaking with grief for his lost chil — party hurried forward fast as was possi- ble The two enemies, Baron and Macomah, were now out of sight. They had sped away like a deer and a hound before any one had time to ak Netiraciee Ned and Jack Drew left their friends and hurried on after them. They had not gone over fifty rods when they heard a frightful yell in the woods before them, ‘“By the speckled alligators,” said Old Jack, ‘*T reckon as what that yelp means that them ay have come together. ; ey ran on but could see nothing of the oes. But suddenly they came upon two human forms lying | in each other’s arms silent and motionless. An exclamation burst from Ned’s lips. ** Too late!” he said. ‘‘ Ay; they have balanced accounts and gone over the river.” Quiet in death, with a knife in Macomah’s heart and the iron of the Indian upon the throat of Dan Baron—the horrors of a terrible vengeance upon the face of the one and a des- te fear on that of the other—lay the two as ey had fallen. the rest of the Markelle became deeply affec of Macomah ‘* He was the noblest Indian that ever lived,” he said; ‘ but all he has lived for the past few years has been ce, MATE upon’ the de- stroyer of his happiness. This he has had; that man Baron was object of his vengeance, and now his soul has gone to — that of his daugh- ter in Spirit land. Poor Macomah!” ‘‘Thus Jackson Hohn, alias Daniel Baron, has paid the alty of all earthly wrongs, de- tions and crimes,” said Jack Drew, ‘‘ the ows has been cheated out of a victim and I out of a reward of five thousand dollars.” ‘* So be it,” said Colonel Blower. The two enemies were buried where they had fallen, and then the party resumed its journey eastward through the hills. All of their friends could now be accounted for — Mabel Vane and Eagle Kit. The latter had not been seen or heard of since his mysterious disappearance the evening before; et all felt certain that he would turn up in due ime, and be able to give an account of his a . The were not leaving the hills by the route they had come. They were following a way nearest to the open prairie which they reached late in the afternoon that day. All breathed an air of relief when they had emerged from the shadows and dangers of the bills; but the fate of Mabel Vane weighed pe ae their minds and hearts. It had been previously understood that upon reaching the prairie with Cassandra and those who were ering from wounds received in the battle in the crater, Nebraska Ned, Dick Rod- man and Old Jack Drew were to return to the hills and continue the search for Mabel, while the a continued on toward camp on ‘Honey This arrangement was carried into effect as soon as the prairie was reached, Old Jack and the Boy Rangers turning back; and when night felis they were again under cover of the lonely came up, Andre over the death CHAPTER XV. JACK DREW’S STORY. Ir was the intention of Jack Drew and the Boy Rangers to return at once to the vicinity of the outlaws’ retreat, in hopes of finding some trace of Eagle Kit or Mabel Vane, or both; and if they failed in this their next pu was to watch the movements of the surviving robbers in hopes of tracking them to some other refuge where the boy and girl might be prisoners, Three of the wounded outlaws were left in the cave that they might inform their returning friends of the discovery of their retreat and the death of most of their : To the disappointment of Old Jack and the boys, however, the became overcast with dark clouds soon after nightfall, blotting-ont moon and stars and rendering it so dark they were finally compelled to go into camp. Go JOO fin (c Hall)