Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 153 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

— -- years of experience Dick Rodman had never seen such movements in a creature of the ‘ up- | per deep” as those just witnessed, At first he took the bird for a vulture—one of those mon- ster-scavengers of the plain—but as it drew nearer he found he was mistaken, It was aa eagle, and a larger bird he had never seen. He | had shot many eagles, but they were mere sparrows compared with the one he had just scéen, ‘‘Pd give anything for a shot.at that mon- | ster,” the boy said, as he watched it settle in the tree-top. j At this juncture attention was called to a | horseman. that rose suddenly on a swell in the | prairie. He was riding at a high rate of speed, | and coming directly toward camp. Every eye was turned with eager expectation toward the horseman. ‘‘ Was it Baron? was it Ned¢’ were the questions that passed from lip to lip. | Suddenly, as. if coujured up from the earth, six more horsemen rose into view on the prairie between the first rider and camp. At sight of them the lone horseman swung to the left and continued his wild ride. The six horsemen started in swift pursuit of bim, ‘‘ By gracious! d’ye see that?’ exclaimed Dick Rodsjan; ‘‘that lone horseman is. doubtless a friend who’s been comin’ to camp, and them six horsemen are outlaws. .l see now why Baron and.Ned:and old Prosper were permitted to igo away unmolested; every man leavin’ weakened us that much, but now that some one wants to join us they’re up.and,snortin’.. But they’re not gaiuin’ much on the.lone feller—on tryin’ to keep between him and camp.” The,pursued headed toward the timber while the pursuers, strung out like Indians behind, en - deavored:to head him, off. Presently three or four more horsemei: appeared on the plain and joined im the ebase. Le Mr. Vane procured his field-glass and brought it to bear upon the excitang racers. A cry es- caped his lips, ‘The ued,” he said, ‘‘isa boy--a mere child, and the horse he rides is that of Major Baron!” He passed the glass toa friend. The horse was easily recognized as that ridden away by the major. ‘‘He’s dispatched a gmessenger to us,” said Vane, ‘‘oh may Heaven, help the lad! Perhaps he’s tidings of my child.” Rapidly the little fugitive gained upon his velling pursuers; he was in a fair way of out- riding them, and almost to the timber, when his horse stumbled, and feli—shooting the little rider forward, to the earth, . But. in an instant the lad was upon his feet ready to remount, but the horse did not rise, ) ' ‘“Merey!” exclaimed Rodman, *‘the boy’s horse is down and,tbe little lad is‘at them de mons’ mercy!, Men, we must now aci—go.to the youth’s assis ance for.he doubtless comes with a message, Ah: see, he runs afoot toward the timber! be isa brave lad.” True enough the little figure turned and ran toward the woods, ' The great eagle that had settled in the tree- top a few minutes before spread its mighty wings and soared upward—circled and whirled in the air like a bird when .wounded yet striv- ing, to. keep awing, and finally settled upon an- other treée-top. : The boy disappeared, in the woods. The outlaws swept ou—passed the wounded horse and glided into.the timber. Then again that winged monarch of the air swept into view. over the tree-tops and. over, the very heads of the outlaws bearing in its talons a great burden—a human burden! ‘oward, the camp the great bird came on laboring wing. Wut of the woods burst the outlaw horsemen firi:.g into the air at the great eagle. ‘Great heavens!” cried Mr. Vane, ‘‘ that hor- rible vulture has seized that child-fugitive and is carrying it away toa fearful death!” Dick Rodman stood motionless and speechless, his eyes fixed upon the bird with an expression of horror therein, ain f The great bird left the outlaws far behind, but it. was gradually eoming; nearer the earth as if borne down, by, its living burden. | Within a, hundred paces of the. camp. it touched the earth, released. its, prey and then with a frightened seream. rese into the air. in spiral circles till lost almest..in the clouds of heaven. fa re | The outlaws in appenas astonishment drew) rein and watched t 1e bird rising he» venward. | Tue; seenied afraid to approach nearcr tle LT TT LL persisted Vane; Eagle Kit, the Bi y Demon. ee ee ae ee. Ce ee _——_——— — —_—— eee ee CO—— camp for half a dozen rifles were ready to re- ceive them when they came within range. ‘‘Great mysteries! what does it all mean?’ asked Mr. Vane, a puzzled expression settling upon his face. “Ay!” cried Dick Rodman, ‘‘I have it! I have it! It is the Boy Demon, Bagle Kit! Ah, there he comes!” A diminutive figure came gliding through the prairie grass and bounded like a rubber ball over the bank into the wallow. Then as it straightened up and glanced around the place and af the aston.shed crowd before it, it ap- ared like a veritable little imp from the fabled nd of Lilliput. For.a moment not a soul stirred The little dwarf seemed to have filled all with speechless wonder. The boy was the first to break the silence; ‘* Hurrah!” he shouted in a tone of joy, “I beat them ole pirates after all, Folkses, I are Eagle Kit, fresh from the mountains with news for you all, thanks to hoof and wing!” This broke the spell and the next mon ent the human midget was surrounded by the besieged, eager with curiosity and wonderment. ‘What news have you, Kit?” asked Dick Rodman. ‘‘ News? why Miss—Miss Vane is well and alive-—l.rescued her from an old oullaw that’s hussellin’ her away into—” ‘* You. rescued her?’ exclaimed Mr. Vane, asping the boy’s hand in bis, and looking own into his big, black eyes. ‘Yes, sir, 1 jist sent the old robber galley west, and saved Miss Maple and teok her to the Erie and kept her over night, I know I’m a little wart of a lookin’ thing, folkses, but I’m wusser'n a small torpedo when I go off. Did you see my race with them jacksnipes awhile ago? and my fly-over with Old Hurricane, my eagle? Gosh, but he’s the bossest bird that ever flapped a wing over Dakota.” ‘‘And so Mabel, my child, is safe?’ repeated Mr. Vane, beside himself with joy. ‘“She war when [left her Ve see me and her was on our way over here when we met a chap called Baron—Gimeral Baron or sunthin’—” “Ah, it was Major Baron,” said. Vane. ‘* Well, i guess ‘twas ‘‘major.” He war out on the hunt for Maple, and when: we showed him a message we'd taken from. the neck of a carrier-pigean that the bess of the clouds, Old Hurricane, brought in this morning, he war wonderfully worked up. So he jist puts the message down in his pocket and told me to mount his hoss and light out for this place and tell, you that old Doe Middleton has sent for re- inforcements to'capture your train. As he war the biggest, and Maple didn’t care, why I comme.” its ‘*What was inthe message? .Whydid Baron not, send it?’ asked Dick Rodman, ‘t Well, let’s see,” said Kit scratching hiscurly head thea ay and then he went on and repeated the message word for word as Mabel had read it to bim The party was startled by the contents of the per, as given them. from the boy’s memory. t part relating to Captain Handsome was the, most startling. Instantly each man search- ed the face of bis companions for evidence of Finally Mr. Vane exclaimed, unable to re- strain his emotions longer: ‘‘Who of our party is the ex-robber chief, Captain Handsome?” ** | will tell you, Mr, Vane,” said Dick Rod- man, his white lips betraying his inward emo- pon; 3 apie Handsome is that man, Major an on CHAPTER X. A SILENT SLAYER. Dick RopMan’s words fell like a thunderbolt. upon the éars of his friends. Not a man coulé— not a man dared refute the young ranger's charge against Major: Baron, although there were those who felt that it was as as; it was unjust... Mr.» Vane, however; «fel satisfied of the truthfulness of the charge. ‘He knew that Baron had atone time spent several years in the West, and he knew not’ but! that those years had been spent as a robber-captain. | ‘My child,” he said, again bowed: down with grief, ‘‘is lost! Better that she were dead than in the;power of Dan Baron’ = . | ‘** But, Mr. Vane,” said Dick, ‘*he may have been a ' and—” pis ‘His going away, Dick; was vary! strange,” ‘‘even Nebrasica Nedantatrassed us t | during: the mght.. robber once and yet an honest man now :. 9 ty — something wrong. No, I tell you that man has tolled us all here to our destruction.” ‘* Oh, pizen nightshade!” exclaimed pale Kit, wringing his hands in sore distress, ‘‘if 1 have killed that r little girl by givin’ her up to that man, l’ll jump from a mountain peak and bu’st myself. Oh, dear! [ thought I war doin’ ovary ening up in sich a buss style.” ‘‘My dear little fellow,” said Vane, sym- pathetically, ‘‘God kno,.s you have done nobly —better than any other human, perhaps, could have done, Don’t grieve yourself, my boy. Let us hope for the best. Nebraska Ned is out after Baron and may—” | ‘* Yes, sir!” exclaimed Kit, ‘‘I met Ned, and told bim where I'd left that major and Miss Maple, and away be went, lickey-tee-scoot.” ‘Then there is still a hope,” said Ishmael Brown. ‘‘ Kit, do you think there are many outlaws about?’ asked Mr. Vane. ** Not over''a dozen, I don’t b’lieve. They're waitin’ for reinforcements, but if their comin’ depends on that mncene Be we took in, they'll never githere. Ye see them as are layin’ ’round on the prairie like lousy coyotes ‘ll let a feller leave camp cause it weakens yer force that ruch, but if a chap wants to get into camp they’ll bu’st their giblets to catch him as they tried to me. Fixed as you are here, six men can lick fifty robbers.” “T think myself that it will not require all of us to guard camp,” said Mr. Vane, ‘*and as the outlaws molest no one leaving, I have a mind to go.in search of my child.” ‘‘T will accompany you, Mr. Vane,’ said Dick Rodman. ‘« And here, too,” chimed in the little dwarf, his bright eyes aglow with boyish eagerness, A consultation was held when it was decided that six men were sufficient to take care of the camp, and that the others might go and assist Vane in the search for his daughter. In a very short time the distracted father, accompanied by Eagie Kit, Dick Rodman, John Perrin and Isaac Freeman—all well armed and equipped—were moviug westward over the rol- ling prairie. Briskly they made their way mountainward, guided by the tallest peak before them. ..., Not an outlaw showed his head anywhere upon the Lope Eagle Kit proved himself a wonderful human mite. He was as merry and comical as a liitle clown. In his odd, humorous way he told many steries of daring adventure in which he and his eagle figured as chief actors, His stories were of such an original character and told in.such a happy vein of humor decidedly his own, that they did much to dispel the gloom and fear from the minds of his companions. It was nearly sunset. when they reached the foot-hills, and the shadows of evening were already gathering in the valleys. An owl] flew from his retreat in the rocks and settling upon a tree, ogled and blinked at our friends in a comical way. He was not over twenty paces from them. Eagle Kit stooping and picking up a stone, said: ) ‘‘] never ‘low an owl to stare me in the face that way—I hate owls—they alers make night so shivery with their te-whit-ti-hoo-00-00-0!” The last notes fell from his lips in wonderful imitation of the hooting of an owl; then throw- ing back his hand the boy hurled the stone at the big-eyed bird, and true to its aim the mis- sile went home, striking the owl in the head and killing it dead. ‘A wonderful good shot, Kit,” said Joha_ Perri. ' ‘* That’s nothin’,” es ag the — in a spirit of boyish pride; “Pll bet Old Hurricane that I can threw a stone nearer center évery pop than any chap in this cfewd can shoot a pistol-ball. I’m jist boss on stone-flippin’ and never waste powder and lead when I can reach my game with a dornick.” : By ‘the time the party | waters of the Cheyenne river, darkness was upon them. They stopped to, rest a few minutes, of ‘their meager supply of. food and de- termine upon what course they should pursue So welk was Eagle Kit acquainted with the surrounding hills that he assured the party that he could lead the way to where he had parted They ‘resumed their: journey and. traveled slowly and:cautiously on into the louely hills. Tt’ was past. midnight when. they suddenly dis- coveted a pea on the opposite side of the river on whose “banks they stood. It. was a mere flash like that made by a match—it lasted ‘ only a moment, EOMMIELOOC (E S) reached . the head-@ (E(@)