Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 162 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

= le - ~_—- _—_——-~ - ~~ ; y “ nt Ss % Will Wildfire in the Woods. beauties, And were utterly ed on see- | ear behind another tree. Iam going to shoot now, lag who their Mage tok were, and by the Babel of | and I want a chance to see the tulations with which they were met. “Go on,” exclaimed Jack. “Iam a I al . ft's a special occasion,” cried Will. ‘‘ Venison bats A was a victim, and I rigs oe I always be a and catfish don’t half expressit. Here’s quail! here's | victim. Go on, if you think there is no hereafter.” ! Put them on the spit! We must greet A general laugh followed, during which Pierce eur visitors with all the honors. drew the bow, as well as he could in his sitting , tion, and let fly an arrow. It struck a sapling about CHAPTER XV. ten feet to the left of the target, and stood vibrating WILL WILDFIRE’S TARGET. MuaNwui.s the driver of the barouche had drawn kis carriage into a clear place amid the trees, unhar- wessed the horses, and tethered them where they d get a feast of the rich grass, which grew so uriantly in the vicinity. ‘“‘We must be back so as to reach Coalville by night,’ explained Clara, “for it is vey plain that your hotel has all its rooms occupied. But we want you to amuse us this afternoon. That is what we came here for, and we are not going away un- satisfied. “* Just tell us all that you have been doing, and what eg you've had, and—and—ali of that,’’ ex- claimed Miss Darling enthusiastically. ‘‘ Of course you've had adventures. There’s too many of you, and too great reprobates, not to havea host of queer to tell us.” *“Oan we have the tmaginations?”’ asked ; “No, sir! The truth, the whole truth, and notbing t the truth.” erce had a deeply interested audience around his chair, as he descri the sport and earnest of their camping-out life. The danger Will had gone through changed, fora while, the current of their sympathies, and he was overwhelmed with con- gratulations on his a en The next victim of sym- pathy was Pete, when the story of his boating ex- pedition came out, And the story ended with the merriment that greeted Mark Preston's adventure with the bear, and the thrilling interest attending Pierce Browning’s great bear-hugging match. ‘“‘Oh, dear me! what and what you have through with!’ exclaimed Miss Darling, her blue eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. “And what a charming life it must be, out here under the trees and in the sunlight nothing to do but to we ladies start a camp too, somewhere in this wild on,” But we have no guns to shoot partridges and deer; and I don’t believe one of us would be of any use in a bear fight,” said one of the other ladies, with a look of admiration at Pierce. ‘* We have our bows and arrows,”’ returned Clara. “That is all that Robin Hood and his gallant men had, to live by. And, by the way, we have brought them with us. We thought that we could have some archery practice out here in the wild woods.” She ran quickly to the carriage, and returned laden with an armful of bows and arrows. ‘““Yes,’’ exclaimed Miss Darling enthusiastically. **T want to see Mr. Wildfire shoot. He esca last time, by shoo a man’s hat off in the But we will not let off that easy.” ‘And Mr. Browning,”’’ cried another lady. B has of drawing on our erce one and with plenty to eat, and have adventures. I move that the icket. “é He did not try to shoot, that day.” ‘*Now Icry your on,” exclaimed Pierce, with affected dismay. ‘‘If you have a barn door, at ten aces, it is possible I could hit it. But I would not ike to expose myself on anything smaller.” ‘Here is your target,”’ and Harry snatched up a broad brimmed straw hat, the Cay of Jack Hasard. ‘“‘We will see what Will can do at hat shooting to-day. The crown is the bull’s-eye, and the brim the outer circles, mind you. And whoever hits the nail carries away the honors.” He seized a hammer and nail, and ran out toa tree at some distance, follow by a roar from Jack, ‘Stop thief! Come back here with that hat, you rascally burglar, or I’ll chop you into mince-meat and make an Irish stew of you! Do you suppose I have no other use for my Mackinaws but to make targets of them?”’ “Oh! dry up! You've worn it six years now, to my certain ethng ol retorted Harry, as he drove im the nail through the center of the crown. “It wants ventilating.”’ “ “Well, if this isn’t a high-handed proceeding |! exclaimed Jack, flourishing his ladle. “‘But go ahead, if I must be made the victim of my good na- ture. There’s this comfort—there’s not a soul of ou can send an arrow within three feet of it at that ce. “Don’t be too sure, ded man,” returned Clara, quickly drawing the bow to which she had fitted an arrow. The feathered shaft whiazzed through the air, so elose to Jack’s ear that he made a hasty leap back. In a minute more it had struck the rim of the hat, ng quite through, and making a wide rent an ch long. “Oh, my fated Mackinaw!” groaned Jack. “ But ts wan » chance shot I believe _ that my safest place would be with my head inside that hat.” “Yes, if you can’t keep it out of the way here,” exclaimed hiss Darling, maliciously amother arrow past Jack’s ether ear, but very of the in the tender bark. ‘* And they call that shooting!” groaned Jack, while Pete ran off to gather up the spent arrows. ‘But my hat’s safe, that’s some comfort. Lucky | for me they made it a target. If it was hanging any- where else, within twenty feet of the center, they would be sure to hit it.”’ ‘* Don’t cry before you are out of the brambles,” replied Ben Huntly, who had now taken up the bow. ‘*It takes a few shots to get the range, you know. T’ll bet you a new Mackinaw I hit it.” ‘*Make it a beaver, and itis done. Mackinaws are out of season.”’ ‘*Done,”’ cried Ben, as he drew the bow-string with a strong and skillful hand. | | | The arrow flew, striking the rim of the hat near | its former wound, and with such force that the straw was rent asunder, and hung dangling down- ward. “Oh, the deuce!” roared Jack. ‘“ And here I have to find this fellow in a new beaver as a | parses for tearing my bat. That's what comes of gambling.”’ His assumed distress was followed by a roar of laughter. Several well-aimed shots succeeded, to the sad detriment of the hat, whose brim was now ape) in ribbons, while one arrow quivered in the outer edge of the crown. “Will Wildfire! Will Wildfire!” voices. “‘Itis his turn now. Heis trying to avoid shooting.” ‘Why I wasn’t educated on a target like that,”’ said V in a quiet tone, as he ste | the bow and arrow the dear burden that lay upon his breast, preg = _ aroun : | “Ah, good Heaven!” she cried. | if one must die!”’ i3 LD I a CE “Oh, you romantic rogue! How terribly faded pit must be. I hope your love will never be like em.” “Never. The Wildfire love is a hot fire, but it is a mga f one, dear Clara. Its flame does not easily go ou ” His arm slid tly around her slender waist. She was drawn closely to his breast, while his lips "— peewee von nae + Pang kiss, ver or a minu e us, inexpressi a n his embrace. Then ie looked Siaveed. with aga, t sigh, ~~ eyes bent upon the distant depths of the orest. Suddenly, with a hasty ejaculation of terror, she pte | Ran er feet and threw her arms impulsively “No, no! me first, “What is the matter?” exclaimed Will, in quick rm, as he sought to rise. But their voices were drowned in a sharp repo. that seemed to come from a bushy clump a few paces to the left. Clara fell upon Will’s breast, her arms convulsively clasping him. ‘““Ah, my God! Iam shot!’ she exclaimed. ‘“‘Itis he! Mark—Ma k Preston! Ah! Heaven be thanked; itis my life, not yours!” A rustling sound was audible in the thicket; Will's = eye caught a hasty glimpse of a retreating . With an og pt movement, he caught up hat lay by his side, and, de: re almost a random shot in the direction o | fugitive. cry of pain followed the impulsive shot. Then all was silence. cried several | forward. | ‘* We did a little archery work at college, I admit; | but not at old hats.”’ ‘* Old hats indeed!’ cried Jack. “And I bought it new for this trip. It has hardly been christened.” ** At what sort of a target, then?’’ asked Miss Dar- ng. Fon ! we used tosplit arrows on open knife-blad and shoot the eyes out of potatoes; and that sort o thing,”’ replied Will nonchalantly, as he tried the bow, and snapped the silken string. “Yes, that sort of thing, no doubt,’ rejoined Pierce, with an incredulous smile. “You are a rime hand at that sort of thing. I hit the — there to the right. It will be a miracle if you do hit the one to the left.”’ “ Wait, first, until I drive that nail further in,”’ re- sponded Will. like fashion. It was a tough piece of ash, yet Will bent it with apparent ease, his eyes glancing along the arrow, whose feathered shaft touched his ear. A moment’s silence and expectancy followed the pogo of the bow-string, and the whistling flight of e€ arrow ct With a sudden revulsion from revengeful thoughts Will’s eyes fell upon-the pallid face and closed eyes of the r girl in his arms, who had so bravely offered her life for his. , “Speak to me, Clara!” he cried. ‘ Say—say that ou are not dead! Ah! I shall never forgive myself this dastardly shot prove fatal!” ‘You are not to blame, dear Will,”’ whispered Clara, striving to smile, though her lips were set with pain. ‘‘I have always feared we both would die by this man’s hand.”’ ‘It is his last shot!” cried Will, with blazing “] will have his blood in revenge! nt ghee Codi oon iy slain? Can she have died, and I standing At ' lasping her impulsively in his arms, he ran with the speed of a deer toward the camp. Those who remained there, and who were still amu themselves with archery, were sudd aro by his wild cries, in which plaintive lamen- _ tation was mingled with bursts of tiger-like fierce- He had lifted the bow, grasping it in most archer- | “T haven't quite got the feel of that bow,” Will | quietly said. find my arrow not two inches away from the His words were echoed b iron. Their eyes opened wide as the keen point of the arrow rung upon the exposed head of the nail, and the shaft flew back upon the ground. ‘It’s chance! Pure chance!’ exclaimed Jack. ‘** You couldn’t do it again, for a thousand!”’ “Don’t asiggne to rob you,”’ laughed Will. “ Such . et, a ch adistance! Why it would be sheer u fame.”’ He walked off toward the woods as he spoke, car- the bow, and the blunted arrow, which he picked up as he passed. ““T will go with you. There needs some witness of this wonderful shot,”’and Clara ran laughing after ‘I had no idea you could shoot so,”’ she continued, after they had gone some ce into the forest. “Neither had I,” laughed Will. “It was two- thirds chance, But Iam not green hand enough to shoot again, and give them the opportunity to find that out. When one has gained a crop of glory he as well hold on to it. ey walked on, through the interminable woods, all thought of archery from their minds as softer thoughts intruded, while their voices sunk, and their eyes glowed with warm feeling. A half-hour rward found them seated on the fallen — of sod thel ee around Ltr the trees ea eir leafy burdens, while new i of colored leaves dropped steadily upon the eart ‘How softly and silently they fall,” he thought- fully remarked. “They are like rich thoughts, or like words of love cropped from heart to heart. ra, that evening by your it,” she replied, wat —— his hand. did not need vr I boar hen from your lips, dear Will Lalways knew you loved me.’ ma Have you forgotten, cheerful fireside?” “T shall never fo e ace shat ain tei IT + aoe the time you oo" me sueh . phase, Be , you boriag y answered. m the ev of the mask- a nee ZOU, Yung Hed, Biding ‘imeelf quickly ed ball.” wine tence’ A oy that is the target—not Ah!I am ahead of you then, for I more than head. I hope you be kind enough toremem- ; half fellin love with you on the day of the boat- ti eee “what is Ry wenace een aeons l he wf Ate good #6 inte see your now, loo over the cliff,"’ Your cars are so large tha’ is almost | he quickly nded. “And this soft hand that ard li p h will nail him h dropped me the flowers. I “T have a fancy, though, that you | ness. A dozen quick words told what had Dee and spread terror and dismay through the lately happy camp. - Guick, put in the horses!" he screamed. “ You take the ca , Ben. Drive like mad for the nearest town. Have a doctor here within an hour, if you kill all the horses. Pierce, you know some- thing of ery. Ah! if she be slain! if she be slain!” He surrendered her into the arms of the affrigh ed ladies, to whom only the short and stern com- the clang of iron on > mands of Pierce gave any power of action. “It is serious,” he announced, after a hasty ex- amination, “but may not be fatal. The ball has - gone in below the shoulder. But it seems to have Wait tilll finda target worthy my | _ pon. entered at an angle. It may have reached no vital organ,” Thank God for that!” exclaimed Will, fervently. ‘** And now, Jerry, Harry, Jack, revenge is the word! He cannot have cr far! The wet leaves will carry his trail! Shall he again escape?”’ *““No!” came in a general stern cho while every hand reached for a rifle, or other d wes CHAPTER XVI. THE WORK OF AN ARROW. JERRY Prime had his one eye fixed closely upon | the ground, while the others stood by in Drenthlens his glance from aren't nat’ral colored leaves. It was & man's - covered with blood. — SE Ee eS ae have some of them yet, | at nse. - Daylight isn’t pee." he muttered, as he cast ht to left. ‘“‘ Yere’s whar the murderin’ hound stood. And by the seven = ves candles, yer arrer went home!—see yander. em as made them red spots.” | “And here is the arrow itself,” exclaimed —_ as he groped in the depth of the thicket. “ Its poin t’s a pity it was blunted by the former shot. It might have stopped his fun for good, only for that.” “Dug in an weg? as if wees, re “? Jerry, criti- cally ry the crimsoned point. “Stuck fast too. He jerked it out and flung it over thar. ahead, boys, every minut’ counts. A cow could fol. ler this trail. Will, who had stood with zetia tracted rows, greene his rifle it seemed as if his Angers would meet in the d iron, started at these words and eagerly prepared to follow their ex- perienced guide. “Keep back now, Nebby,”’ commanded the scout. “We aren't axing any ot from your nose. Ye'd jest be as like, anyhow, to lead us arter a rabbit as arteraman. Keep back, I say. We'll call on yon when we want you.”’ , With his long stride the scout walked forw: ae if he were following a street in the instead of a man's f through the depths of the forest. Yet any one there might have followed trail hard rain of th face and con- 200! Keo) S Mie C) ‘day the leaves, only their upper layer being col ~ .