Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 170 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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/ oe ! A Trump Card. f y oe wnat Selim will not be easily distanced in the That he won't,” returned Will. “It isa psc: Ninepte? A though.” _ * Be much the better. What horse will you ruiot? Biack Bess?’ ** Black Bess! Why the creature would be pood ior nothing after such a break-neck dash «ws we are likely to have. She is only fit for the Tace-track, arrior is the best horse I have for ose h-and-tumble work as a fox chase. IL \ ta.cle Dsball make him my mount.” Tsey. continued their walk up and down the “qporch, their conversation verging now to more “personal subjects. “ And so little Lucy is coming around all right A *remarked Will, after a short interval. yes! It was a dreadful shock, you know. txndshe is very sensitive. But, between us, I teney tbat in her quiet little soul she is glad that turned out as it did. L believe she would have teroicen the match herself, if she had dared. Sie ‘did not love the man half so much as she feared “ Then I am glad I had a hand in breaking it. 41 ewish, though, that I knew more about the _ ‘stranger who took so prominent a part in the ‘business. There isa mystery about him I cai- ~n6t fathom. [am sure heis not the common person he seems. By the way, Clara, he has warned me to be on my guard against Robert Wetherly, who, I suppose, owes me no good “Oh? [ hope you are in no danger from him!” _ She-excitedly exclaimed, halting and fixing her eyes on Will with a look of alarm. ‘Hoe is a ‘treacherous foe. I know heis. You must be ‘wery careful. Promise me, Will, that you will net: yourself toany danger?’ “Why, you nervous child, i don’t fear him ““aay-more thanI do yonder cat. As for getting . in a fret about his threats, | have come m a a too many perils to begin now to nem ble.” “Bat you are so heedless and trusting. You - “apew you are.” She placed both hands on his . etwulders, and looked chingly into his face, her ewn lips trembling. ‘ Dear Will, you are avorth a hundred suchmen. I beg, for my sake, ‘ifmot for your own, that you will uot expose _-yourself.” “Why, you fearful little pease Of course I Shall take care of myself. If I don’t you will be taking up arms for me next, and thenI pity my foes! It is not everybody who has so love- . Bya defender.” Ade threw his arm around her waist, and drew \‘her to him, imprinting a kiss on the soft lips, wat trembled with fear for his safety. “J am a free agent yet, at ail events,” she re- “sponded, pushing him playfullyaway. ‘‘ There ig more than a week still to pass before the day of eur marriage, and I have totake good care ~of you ee the interval, IL am not going to 5 + hid A is er ag with warmer urgency “than before. “You can trust in my star, sweetheart. I “wis not born to be killed by a cutthroat. Maybe, though, he may conjure up some plaa te off our marriage as | did his. Suppose he ves, for instance, that I am not Will Wi but only plain Jack Smith, masque- “adding under a false name?” __ “And that I am not Clara Moreland, but wJerasba Lackland, and am deceiving you about “amy claim to the great Sandbarren estate?’ she ly rejoined. “Tt wouldn’t work, love. I would swear that ‘yon wer? all the estate I wanted.” “And I, that it was you and not your name _Dwas are eae A merry laugh followed. They little thought “those trusting young souls that a more fata ‘bar would be raised against their marriage than that which had divided Robert Wetherly and Lacy Darling! If they could have seen what “was in the future for them; they would hardly have continued their walk in such joyful hope and contentment. But we must leave them in the joy of their fresh young love, and step forward a few days in time, to the date fixed for the fox chase, in whieh they had both determined to take part, The weather had considerably moderated, and ‘bhe hard-frozen ground had softened under the smild February sun, though not sufficiently so ‘he produce a laverof mud, The sky was slightly “overcast. The wind being moist and southerly. “Am elegant day for the scent to lay,” as the old huntsman announced to the throng of ardent papeatgmoen assembled in front of the Rose Tree. This old-fashiqied inn, noted in that part of ' ¥ * ‘ : ‘ . ~ oF TE! ié L 7 ae the country as a favorite resort for en, and the scene of many an eager fox- ag was attended this morning by some twenty or thirty well-mounted lovers of that famous sport, a number of ladies enlivening the scene with their bright faces andguay atture, while the gentlemen, many Of them with green or crimson coats, added to the brilliancy of the scene. Leashed in the shed near the inn a well-filled pack of fox-hounds, eagerly whining, or im- patiently ‘‘ giving tongue,” yielded a foretaste of the sport which would be experienced when they got in full scent of the flying fox. © Among those present was the gigantic figure of Pierce Browning. Heavy as he was, and fond of taking his ease as every one reported him, he was still fonder of sport, and never al- lowed an opportunity for its enjoyment to es- cape him, He sat a horse of mighty size, a huge, yet clean-built animal who seemed well able to carry his heavy mount, over field, fence and flood. Pierce had ranged himself beside a bright- eyed, fresh faced little beauty, from whose cap waved a long white feather, and who sat her blooded chestnut horse with a grace that could not weil have been surpassed. She was the young lady of whom Will Wiicdfire had spoken as ‘‘ that dashing rider Mabel Morton.” ‘* Where is your other self?’ she laughing'y asked. ‘* Your shadow, Mr. Wildfire? He don’t surely mean to let the hounds be thrown off without his presence?” ‘* He will be here,” replied Pierce. ‘‘ At least he promised to, But as for your shadowy re- mark you are not doing me justice. Why I have hardly set eyes on the man since—” ‘Since when?” seeing that he hesitated. ‘Since he upset a sieigh full of good compan- ions, aud flung us down a fifty foot hillside into a snow-bank at the bottom.” ‘“‘) have heard of it,’ she gayly laughed. “ And of how Mr. Browning was buried so deep that not a hair of Lis head remained visible.” ‘* Words are too weak to express it,” rejoined Pierce, with a comical shrug of the shoulders. ‘‘It was one of those situations in which the law gives a man the privilege of swearing. However, my eloquence was bottled up in snow, I had to keep mum, and take it out expres- sive thinking.—But, what is the talk to-day? Is there any chance of a fox?” ‘*So they say. Iam told that at least a half- dozen earths were stopped last night. There are bound to be some foxes cheated of their earth-holes, and we hope to find some ken- neled in the covert below the hill yonder. The huntsman has an idea he can rouse that long winded fellow that threw the hounds last week. If he does we are in for a famous run.” As she spoke the person concerning whom the fair Mabel had questioned was rapidly approach- ing, through a strip of woodland that bounded the horizon to the t. He was driving a light b in which sat with him his fair fiancee, Clara Moreland. ‘““ We will have to hurry up,” remarked Will, ‘‘or the hounds will be uncoupled before we reach the hunt. Iam glad I have my fair pro- tector with me,” he continued, looking keenly around, ‘* for this would be a rare place for an ambush.” Indeed he was in more danger at that mo- ment than he dreamed of. They had reached the bottom 'of a declivity, beyond which the road again ascended, while a flowing stream here crossed the road. On each side of it the bushes pee thick and tangled, while a broken mass of rocks broke through the soil at one side of the stream. These rocks, half covered by the bushy growth, furnished a dark cover, bebind which at that moment, a inan lay, with his eyes fixed upon the approaching carriage, while the long barrel of arifle protruded halfthrough the mask- ing bushes. A sound of satisfaction came from the man’s lips on seeing who approached. He cocked the threatening weapon, and waited im- patiently for the approach of his intended vic- tim, He was so close, indeed, that he plainly over- heard Will’s remark. At the same instant his eye glanced with deadly aim along the sights, and his finger touched the trigger. At that. minute death hovered over Will Wildfire, all unconscious as he was. But, des- tiny had not yet cut the thread of his fate. The intended murderer had made one error. He was on the left of the carriage, and Will was partly sheltered from danger his fair companion; and at this instant, as ie by some divine im- pulse, she playfully threw herself before him, covering him with her protecting arms. “Tf [am to be your fair protector,” she » _ 7 laughingly exclaimed, ‘‘I know no more dan re naan spot than this dark glen. Drive oy rapidly, Will, while I serve as your shield against peril.’ : 4 p Ba ne at her impulsive action, Will touched bis horse shrewdly with the whip. The animal sprung briskly forward, and in - ute had drawn them out of the threatening peril, through which they had so unconsciously assed. 5s With a bitter curse the assassin lowered bis weapon, muttering: , “'Fiends take the woman! It is not her life I want. She has balked me of my vengeance. Shall 1 send a bullet through the back of the carriage?” ‘ He raised his rifle again, with a balf-intent to do so; but at that moment the borse whirled around a short curve ‘n the road, and the trav- elers were safely beyond the danger with which they had been so unconsciously threatened. en minutes after they drew up in front of the Rose Tree, and were receiving the waim greetings of their friends, CHAPTER VUL THE PACK IN FULL ORY. ‘*‘ How soon are the hounds to be thrown off?” asked Wiil. ‘‘ I was desperately afraid I sl.ovlda be too late.” ‘‘Within a half hour. But where are your animals?’ ‘‘They are here, all safe. In the Rose Tice stables. I had them sent over last night,” he answered, as he accompanied his fair companion into the hotel. In less than a half-hour they reappeared, Will dressed in a handsome suit of biue cloth, that set off his fine figure to great advantage, w! ile his mount was a deep-chested gray horse, of fine action and proud bearing. Clara was dressed in a purple riding-robe, that showed to great advantage on the jet- black skin of her horse Selim, an animal well known in that country for his great erecs and caring action. It was not the first dashing race through which his rider had taken him. As for her she was radiant with expectation, ber face flushed to a vivid rose hue under the pure white of the plume which adorned her close setting hat. ‘“Ycu are none too soon,” warned Pierce. “Tt is past ten now, and our friends aie push- ing toward the covert, which lies just beyond that bit of meadow. But, excuse me. I fan- cied you two lacies were old acquaintances,” ‘So we are,” smiled Clara, taking Mabel’s outstretched band. ‘It will not be the first time we have followed a fox togetber.” ‘‘ And I fancy we will not be the last in at the death,” laughed Mabel, with a roguish plance at the gentlemen, as they set their horses in motion toward the field, The buntsman was already on the edge of the impatient hounds. covert with the restless an He was attended by the whipper-in, and the gentlemen and ladies who were to take part im the hunt, besides a goodly show of mere olser- vers, who had been attracted by the bare men- tion of a fox-hunt, and were eager tc see the hounds ‘throw off.” Before them was a narrow thicket of low un- derbrush, traversed in its center by a fenee, and a flowing stream. It was in this covert that the fox burrows had been found, and the ‘‘earth stopping ” performed, and from which they confidently hoped to rouse some cunning n> ecty arsutg of the good old family of Rey- bara, Just as our friends reached the field the hunts- man had cheered his dogs into the close covert, with the familiar cry. ‘In there, good dogs! Eu in! Eu in there! Have him up, beauties!” He rode after them into the covert followed by the “whip,” the mounted gentlemen and ladies remaining outside, end waiting with eager impatience the first cry of the find. The master of the field, a stout gentleman but an earnest hunter, named Roger Coverdale, ar- ranged the hunt, while the dogs were eagerly making their way through the cover with an occasional impatient, snapping bark. With every eye alert, and every hand firm on the bridle, restraining the horses, which were oom as eager for the dash as their masters, they listened to the cheering shouts of the buntsman to his hounds, the well-known cry of ‘ 'Yoicks, yoicks, have at him! Push him up! Fetch him, good dogs!” One or two of the gentlemen were now allow- ed by the master to ride forward iuto the covert, to aid in finding the fox, which seemed to be keeping close to his kennel. The others were stationed at various points about the field. comicbooks: —