Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 153 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

Eagle Kit, THE BOY DEMON; OR, The Outlaws of the Gold Hills. BY OLL COOMES, AUTHOR OF ‘‘VAGABOND JOE,” ‘‘ KEEN-KNIFE,” *TASSO JACK,” ‘‘SCAR-FACE SAUL,” ETC... CHAPTER I. THE MEETING AT LONE PINE. | claim Eagle Kit, the Boy Demon. ee with his eyes uplifted searching the Dead Pine. But the long, dead limbs being thick and hung and overspread with an impenetrable festoon of een vines, they were habla to see any living thing through the darkness and density of the tes that enshrouded the tree as if to pro- t its nakedness from sun and storm. “Ha! ha!” laughed an outlaw, ** we’re surely gittin’ nervous, boys; it_weren’t nothin’ but a bat or a chipmunk sneezin’ at us.” “Chipmunk or bat, baboon or angel,” ex- or the captain, ‘‘it’s got to come down and show itself, even though it be at the cost of the Dead Pine.” : As he spoke the freebooter took a firebrand, and, laying it against the foot of the tree, kin- Upon the head-waters of the Big Cheyenne | dled it into a glowing blaze, and then stood back river, and under the sullen brow of the hills of the great mountains stood a lone tree which had become known thereabouts as “The Dead Pine.”” Thete was nothing eeot ularly noticeable in this tree more than in any other dead pine, but it had. become designa- ted the ‘Dead Pine,” from the fact that it stood upon historic ground and at. the converg- ing-point of three or four different trails that threaded the sinuous windiigs and darksome valleys of the great hills. There, in times past, had the Indian chiefs of the north-western tribes met in council to smoke the pipe of peace or plot and plan bloody treachery; there had the white freebooter and the red marander sealed their compact to rob and murder; there had many a hunter or me el watched the lonel night away: there had many a pote gold- hunter rested, slept and dreamed of wealth and wer; there had the soldiery of the nation vouacked, and there our story opens, It was a sultry night in the month of June. A ag, Sa burned under the vine-clad boughs ‘of the Pine. Six men sat and reclined around the fire, smoking, conversing and Er. cards. They were all bearded, eo - ing fellows—just such as one would decliire on sight were a party of outlaws. Scarcely any two of them wore clothes of the same hue and fabric, yet in the — of their dress there was a remarkable simi rity) even to the rakish broad-brimmed ha e cut of their velvet short-coats, the wide-open shirt collars and ME opps boots with heavy rowels. hey were all well armed, yet from their vareless indifference to their situation it was evident that they apprehended no danger, or else were totally ignorant of their surroundings. Back from camp six horses were lariated out to grass, evidence that the freebooters had halted for the night. But what-had brought ‘them there? Was it by appointment they had meét at this old rendezvous, or were they on the iy Foe quest of plunder? nand we will learn. It is the leader, the notorious Doe Middleton, who speaks as he reclines upon his blanket looking moodily into the glowing fire. aa seni tty Bigg So ge gg AE mr =. in by the last P , Baron’s will be along in a day or two. Let’s see; they , eft Fort Pierre two weeks since.” “What route were they to take?’ asked a. _ comrade. “They were talkin’ of followin’ the Wapsa “So, ho! Then it is time they were gittin’ | | | ’ to await the result. The surface of the pine being coated with a pitechy exudation, that had been hardened by exposure to sun and wind, the flame seized hold of it with fierce avidity, and like a-serpent be- gan to encircle and creep up the tree, snapping and crackling under the green vines and send- ing up v. dense volume of black smoke into the inky sky. _ Ten feet from the ground a number of limbs put out from the main trunk of the tree. These the fire soon reached and seized upon, and soon a dozen tongues of flame were darting out throug’ the green hag 3 aml AaB 5 = aay ba and ing through the interstices likea gorgeous hinese lantern—glittering and glowing as if a million of fireflies were tangled in the dark n meshes of ivy and morning-glory. Half of the lower portion of the tree was soo in flames, still no living creature could be ‘seen. The outlaws, however, still remained with their eves fixed upon the burning tree, for the spectacle. presented was attractive in the ex- treme. The green vines trembled and writhed in the flames. Blue ton of fire darted out here and there from the end of a ary eee or limb. ks showered down among sabe 2 ing, wil vines, while on up the main trun still crept the devouring flame. Toward the top of the tree the vines were not so thick and dense, and as the fire ascended the light shone out more clearly. uddenly something near the top of the tree was seen to move. erry were the conjectures as to what it was, but presently a wild, impish face was seen glaring down upon them from the very top of the pine. : - heavens! it’s an owl!” exclaimed one of per 2 saa though his voice betrayed an in- ward fear ear. ‘“*Tt’s a panther!” declared another. “ The furies, men,” retorted the captain, ‘‘ it’s neither—it’s a human face—the face of an imp of darkness!” e “Ho! ho! a spy, eh?’ ‘*Exactly,” responded the captain, drawing his revolver, * it’s one of those young boy dare- devils that haunt these hills and prairies like an accursed greoroenss but I will end the sub- ject with that impish-looking little cuss.” “* Hold, coptein don’t shoot; you'll some rare sport. fire ’ll soon fetch him. “I’m impatient to wrest our secret his breast, but then he cannot us,” Mid- dleton returned his revolver to its holster. The figure of the spy was so small that it was behind the slender trunk of the tree- Genive Why, they’re overdue now. ebby | concealed the aaee their course, or got onto the | top. The face, wreathed ina mass of tangled wrong trail “Blo likelihoods of that,” replied Middleton, “for they’re under the guidance of that notori- ra, Bees yao boy-ranger, Nebraska Ned, and he ws every foot of these prairies.” “Then we may not have as unanimous a thing of it as we thought, Doc,” remarked an outlaw; “for you'll remember that boy has nipped our calculations in the bud more than onre in the past two years.” **We must have that outfit, boy or no boy,” | @eclared the captain; ‘it’s the best in point of horseflesh that crossed this country. sides, we must assist our old friend Dan, as we promised, in his matrimonial de- | signs.” | “Of course, it wouldn’t be a full strike ‘less there was a woman in the case, and—” “Hark!” exclaimed Middleton, starting up and looking from one to the other of his com- panions in a startled manner. “What's up, captain?” + * Did one of you cough just then?” “No,” was the general response. A dead silence fell upon t ; when to ‘heir ears came the half-smothered ‘ te-chew! te-chew !” of something over their heads. Be- | hair, was that of a boy—it was a face that wore a wild, ghastly appearance as revealed in the light of the pine. ot a word esca the mysterious youth’s lips as he looked down upon the excited rob- bers; but at rs 8 he raised his eyes and set up a sharp, quavering whistle that rung strangely See Be the etal te’s beginata’ to-pipe! ** By the stars! he’s nnin usty as a katydid,” observed one of the freabootera.. Bos or is givin’ a signa! to friends,” replied another, | Before any action could be taken a fierce’ Handsome | scream, that seemed to come from the realms of darkness, burst upon the outlaws’ ears; then from the purple gloom of the A. a great winged monster with glarin eyes settled down over the young spy like the shadow of doom. . Fora moment it bung in ce above the boy’s head, beating the air with its great somber wings; then, with a wild scream.it lunged off into the gloom, bearing in its dragon-like talons a human burden from whose lips a wild, weird ——_ like that of a satyr trailed off into the cht. ) All this had transpired in so brief a specs of time, that, ere the startled freebooters had In a moment every man was upon his feet ' covered from their consternation, the mysterious of physical manhood, rather prepossessin boy was gone from the tree—borne away on what to them seemed a demon’s wings. ‘*Gods of fable!” burst from the lips of the outlaw leader, ‘‘do my senses deceive me?” *T reckon not, captain; I think we have all looked upon a puir of demons of darkness,” ‘‘ Boys,” said the captain in a tone that be- trayed great seriousness, “‘ you have all heard the In ’ story of the Boy Demon of these hills, have you not?” “Ay, ay; captain,” replied a companion, ‘not only have | heard the story, but I have looked upon the elfish face of the Boy Demon, and seen him borne away upon vampire wings!” CHAPTER IL. HAIL FELLOWS WELL MET. ONLY a few faint shafts of quivering light still ee es above the distant mountain peaks. Twilight shadows were gathering in the valleys and deepening in the woods bordering Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Big Cheyenne. Those mysterious voices so liar to the forest after nightfall had begun their weird and melancholy song, but above them. all the sound.of human voices in conversation migbt haye been heard. Two persons were moving rapidly down Bea- ver Creek. Both were young men—in fact, mere boys. Neither wasover eighteen. They were dressed in buckskin suits in the style of the, border ranger, Both were well armed with , pis- tols and knife. One of these youths was the noted boy ranger, Nebraska Ned; the other his friend and com- panion, Dick Rodman, , Both were fine spec ereg g—tree, dashing young spirits that knew no fear, who knew no danger that they would not face. As they moved al and the shadows thick- ened around them, Nebraska Ned glanced to- ward the west and said: ‘We're going to be late, after all, Dick, in re into camp.” ‘Well, they say it is better late than never,” replied Dick, ‘* but I shouldn’t care how late we were if, when we did camp, we could turn over those stolen horses to their owners.” The camp referred to was that of a of gold-hunters under Major Daniel Baron on their way to the Black Hills; it was located some five miles further down the Beaver at the mouth of a little stream called Honey.Creek. Two days before the train bad to camp there for the night, and de the close and careful watch over the corral, two horses were found the next morning. That they had been stolen by Indians or outlaws there was little doubt, and so Nebra-ka Ned and Dick Rod- man, who were acting in the ca Sees! of guides and scouts to the train, were dis ed in pur- suit of the thieves. In order to follow the trail across the prairie they were compelled to go on foot, but, after following the outlaws two days, they found it was so much time lost with- out the shadow of a chance of recovering the horses, soithey turned about and began retracing their steps toward camp. : “‘Some of that notorious Doc Middleton’s gang Sars on horses, L dare say,” Nebraska Ned de- , ‘‘and we have got to look out that he does not capture the whole’ train. Were it not for those ladies with the party I should not feel so much concerned about our mapas Hy always nervous when there’s v omen in a train that I’ve charge of—ah! themg’s some one on the other side of the creek! ick! ’sh !” The two youths came to a halt in the shadows of a clump of trees, On the opposite side of the stream they saw a man standing by a small Indiancanoe. He was a stranger to the boys and so they concluded to remain in concealment and watch his move- ments. He was rather an odd-looking person- age of perhaps fifty years. He was tall and angular with long ant limbs, a smoothly shaven face, and with devel like eyes glancing furtively out from under their shaggy, tling brows. His nose was of Roman type, his chin was long and ky seve , his mouth was of un- usual proportion, and lips thin, compressed. and s : oy tobacco-juice, His hair was rather long, of a y-gray color and tossed carelessl back behind a pair of unusually large ears. e was dressed in a suit of gray—includ- ing a long linen duster that reached to his very heels. On bis feet were a pair of heavy-soled shoes; on his head was a soiled silk tile. In one hand hecarried a ee carpet-sack; in the other a heavy, knotty cane. . “Wal,isn’t he the oddest, comicalist-lookin’ old rooster you ever saw, Dick?’ asked Ned when they had regarded the stranger’s general appearance, § JOO EGoOmic <S (E(0) k ‘ |