Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 168 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

a a Igdmitted Deadly Dash, with Deadly Dash. 11 At this sound the settlers slackened their pace, and finally paused, evidently afraid of being drawn into an ambush, As he noticed this welcome fact, Deadly Dash on with increased speed, in a few mo- ments gaining the desired refuge. In the thickest of the shadow stood a stable, and near it were several large piles of cordwood. Without the aid of a light, it would require very close searching to discover those in hiding here, unless they were willing to be found. _ ‘Lay low here, and guard them until I can send horses and help,” said Dead! y Dash, hurried- ly addressing Old thology. “I must go and meet the band, or they’ll only mix up matters worse than they are.” Without pausing for a reply, he darted away through the gloom, heading so as to intercept his allies, and as soon as he had passed to a safe distance from the hiding-place, he again sound- ed his horn, repeating this at brief intervals, both to guide the horsmen, and to guard against their riding over him or treating him as one of the enemy. A few moments later he was among them and hastily mounting his own horse, briefly told them what had occurred; that their chief was slightly wounded, and the spot where he wasin waiting with Miss Bedell and Old Mythology, for the spare horses, was quickly described, Two men were dispatched thither with the ex- tra horses, and then Deadly Dash briefly ad- dressed the outlaw band. “ Were we to retreat now, it would give these rascals fresh courage, and they would follow us hotly. Besides we have been able to aed par y accomplish our purpose. If you wi ourselves under my command—’ “We'll follow wherever you lead,” cried a sturdy voice, hen enough is said! and we will give these fellows something to talk about. Spread out, and ' sweep the street clean as we go!” cried Deadly Dash, all afire, like a young tiger that has just taken its first taste of human blood. These orders were greeted with a wild, exult- ant yell, for Seth Hovey had ever kept a stiff curb’on his men, and now that they were bid- den to give full vent to their reckless near oy were like boys fresh loosed from school. hat tumultuous yell told the startled settlers what was coming, and completed the demoral- ization begun by the shrill trumpet blast. They had no acknowledged leader, were ig- norant of ail discipline, and thought not of reso- lute co operation, but each man looked after his own safety, as the yelling troop came thundering down the street, their weapons flashiag in the ruddy glow, for two buildings adjoining the one first fired were now all ablaze. The outlaws made good use of the privilege accorded them, and wherever a footman was seen scuttling along in mad terror, a dozen pis- tol balls were sent whistling after him. For the most part these went wide of the mark, for night firing is but uncertain work at the best, and when the marksman is riding a spirited horse at full gallop, the difficulty, of bringing down a moving target is increased a thousand-fold. Nevertheless, more than one bullet found its billet. Clear through the village swept the reckless riders, none enjoying the mad race more than the stripling who rode at the head, his long curls floating in the breeze caused by his own swift passage, his face gloriously beautiful as that of an archangel. As they turned and swept their way back again, they were met by Old Mythology, who fell in alongside bis young master. In afew hasty words he said that they had been found by the men sent forward, that Seth iseses was not seriously hurt, but that he de- sired him, Deadly Dash, to leave the majority of his men to keep up the excitement while he > hay both Edwin Harcourt and Black Dan er. “That was my intention at first, but in the mad excitement I had forgotten all about them,” a short laugh. ell not need many men for the work. Bol- ler is wounded, and Harcourt knocked senseless. I only hope I did not kill him—such a death would be too great a mercy for one guilty of his crimes!” “Better send what men we don’t want back to the boss, then,” said Sampson, in a guarded tone. ‘ You’ve woke the devil up in ’em, an’ it’s no two to one they won't cut loose ’mong the women an’ children. This was good advice, and Deadly Dash acted mpon it, leadin the extire band over to where th Hovey, a little stiff and sore from a bullet- wound in his shoulder, added to the rough | which came from a — ood handling he received before he was rescued, and gracefully resigned his command. ‘** Three men to bring Boller here are all I will need,” he said. ‘‘ My old friend and I can han- dle Harcourt.” Hovey detailed the three men requested, and bidding them make what haste was compatible with due prudence, dismissed them on their im- portant mission. The five men rode direct up to the Harcourt mansion, dismounting at the steps, and leaving their horses in charge of one of their number, rushed into the house, two of them running up- stairs in quest of the wounded traitor, while Deadly Dash and Old Mythology entered the room where they had left the old man insensi- ble. But the room was empty—Edwin Harcourt was gone! CHAPTER X. A BILLETED BULLET. THIS was a balk totally unexpected, and for the first few moments our two adventurers could not in | themselves to believe that Ed- win Harcourt had indeed escaped them. Only such a very short time had elapsed since Dead] Dash struck him down with a blow from his heavy revolver-butt full upon his unprotected head, that it did not seem possible for him to have recovered sufficiently to escape from the room, much less the house. Under this impression, not yet forgetting pru- dence so far as to bring the hall lamp into the room, to yield their persons a plain target for some steadier nerved than common among the villagers, Deadly Dash and Old Mythology groped their way around the room, feeling in every corner, until fully convinced that Edwin Harcourt had certainly made his escape, either alone or aided. “The devil’s claimed his own—that’s my idee!” muttered Old Mythology, in a tone of utter disgust. ‘‘ While we was playin’ the fool out yonder, he slipped in an’ kerried him off—” “It may be that he is still in the house,” in- terposed Deadly Dash, not exactly relishing this left-handed slap, for he knew now that he had indeed acted foolishly in “playing circus” through the town, instead of at once securing the advantage he had gained, and making sure of the second object of their bold raid—the cap- ture of Edwin Harcourt and Black Dan Boller. ‘* If up-stairs, the boys will rout him out; let us look through the rooms below.” Deadly Dash, no longer thinking of an am- bushed shot, took down the hall lamp and made a hasty but thorough search through the other three rooms of the ground floor, only desisting when satisfied that Edwin Harcourt was not hidden any place in those regions. As they returned to the hall, they were met by the two men who had been dispatched up- stairs after Black Dan Boller, returning as, they went, empty-handed, ‘'Thar’s not a livin’ soul up thar, ’less you call a big, fat nigger wench one—an’ she’s truss: ed up like a hog ready fer roastin’!” was the terse report made by them. Deadly Dash looked sorely perplexed. He could account for the escape of Edwin Har- court, by allowing him ar unusually thick and tough skull, since his limbs were left sound and unfettered, but how the traitorous outlaw, who was supposed to be seriously wounded, could have left his bed, much less the house, was be- yond his comprehension. He was unwilling to return wholl empty- handed, and though he knew that delay might be dangerous, he led the way up the broad flight of stairs, followed by the three men, and by the aid of the lamp he still carried, insti- tuted a careful and thorough search for the lost game. But at length even he was obliged to admit that it was lost—that if either of those men for whom they were searching was under that roof, they had stowed themselves away in hiding places unusually snug. ‘‘'They’s more days a-comin’, an’ by the sar- pint o’ Minervy! we'll ketch the slippery coons whar tha wool’s short, yit!” was the consola- tory remark made by Old Mythology, as they descended the stairs, extinguished the lamp and emerged from the building, where the man left in charge of the horses greeted them with ill- concealed anxiety. ‘‘ Thar’s trouble a brewin’ down yender!” be exclaimed. ‘ Somebody’s takin’ the lead ’mong the critters we skeered so bad, an’ rallyin’ ’em ve! smart, I should reckon.” is was mead d evident from the sounds e direction indicated; near 5 the lower end of the street, where the lessening glare of the fire hardly penetrated. The sounds, shouts and cheers of men, min- gled with clear, sharp words in an authorita- tive voice, were not such as would be made by persons in a panic, but told the hearers that some master-spirit was at work busily rallying the villagers in numbers that might speedily be- come dangerous. ‘* Follow—on to where we left the captain!” cried Deadly Dash, leaping into the saddle and riding rapidly across the fire-lighted street. As he did so, from the dark shadows that lay on the soutb side of the building, there became visible two bright flashes, and a brace of bullets whistled past his person, fortunately without inflicting any injury. But the incident showed them all that with the brief lull in the attack the enemy were rapidly regaining their natural courage, A few moments carried them to where the outlaw leader and the remainder of his band were awaiting their arrival. Deadly Dash coldly delivered his report, his stiffness increased by the knowledge that he was mainly to blame for the escape of Edwin Harcourt, if not of both the persons they were so desirous of securing, but if Seth Hovey en- tertained the same belief, he showed it not by word or gesture. He would have been less than human could he have forgotten so soon the intrepid manner in which this youth had rescued him from almost certain death. ““The sooner we leave the place, then, the better,” he said. ‘‘ We will soon have a hornet’s nest about our ears—” **Mebbe I’m a old fool,” bluntly interrupted Old Mythology, ‘‘ but yer’s the way I look at it. Ef we run now, they’ll foller us red-hotter then Orion when he chased the gal-pigeons. That’d be jist the one thing they want to make ’em as bold as the giants that built a ladder o’ moun- tains fer to scale heaven itself! But one good charge—a heap o’ loud yells, an’ a few bitin’ bullets I] set ’°em wild ag’in.” The outlaw chief hesitated. He believed that a charge would bring on a fight, in which some of his men might be killed or injured, but Old Mythology added: ‘‘ Better a little scrimmage now, when the odds is on our side, then wait ontel they gita good ready. We kin scatter ’em now, but when they all git together, it’ll be a hoss of a different color. They’ll foller us to the hole in the wall, an’ mebbe cut in ahead o’ us, while we’re break- in’ the trail—” “He is right,” interposed Deadly Dash. ‘* You are wounded, and have a lady under your charge in addition. Take several of the men, and strike for the Retreat. I will lead the rest, charge down and scatter those fellows, then swing around and overtake you.” The majority of the outlaws, reckless of per- sonal danger like all of their class, were for the adventure, and Seth Hovey reluctantly gave his consent. He, Sally, Joshua Bedell and several of the men, started on the retreat, while Deadly Dash, at the head of the main force, with Old Mytho- logy at his side, walked their horses toward the lower end of the town, where the settlers were being rallied, hoping to get near enough before being discovered to override all opposition and effectually put a stop to all further movements of the sort, at least for that night. But in this they were fated to be disappoint- From out the darkness came several pistol- shots, and one of the outlaws fell from his sad- dle like a log of wood, shot stone dead, while another uttered a curse of rage and pain as a bullet tore through his cheek. Instantly Deadly Dash was beside the fallen man, but found him beyond all earthly aid, and leaping into the saddle again, he gave the word to charge down the street. It was a wild, impetuous rush, such as few trained troops could have withstood, and the settlers scattered before them like chaff before a of wind. till, a number of shots were fired as they were swallowed up by the darkness, and one of the bullets was billeted. Old Mythology felt his left arm swing pow- erless, while a thousand red hot needles seemed piercing the flesh above his elbow, but no sound save a hissing curse passed his lips, and Deadly Dash never suspected how seriously his old friend was wounded. : Fs og Mythology had his reasons for acting us. He knew that were Deadly Dash to learn how severe was his injury, the impulsive youth “comic cs (E(6) oeNe)