Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 197 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 CHAPTER XIX. ON THE TRAIL. Ir Little Grit had seemed completely used up, upon his arrival at Rocky Glen, after his marvelous ride, he certainly did not look so, when the next. afternoon he came out on the piazza to welcome the parties back, who bad gone in search of Bessie Benton. A little pale and haggard, a trifle stiff he seemed, but withal a dangerous person to grap- ‘ple with in a close encounter, for his wiry frame had recuverated rapidly from the fear- ful strain put upon it. ‘ Couldn’t find hair nor ,hide o’ her, or ther bandits, Leetle Grit, tho’ we seen your work lying round, an’ a number o’ us rode to ther cliff ter see ther leap yer tuk; Jewilikins! but it were a flyer. ‘* An’ they tells me yer made ther big run? Waal yer is ther boss rider an’ leetle one in this heur sinful airth, an’ no mistake,” and Trumps warmly grasped the boy’s band, and then continued: ** We'll hev a leetle game o’ keerds ter-night, Grit, my boy, an’ I wants yer round, fer thar is a row pendin’ atween me and thet Kid Glove Gambler, an’ it are all about you.” ‘‘T am sorry I cannot be with you to-night, Trumps, but 1 have an important engagement on hand.” “Why you isn’t goin’ fer ter ride ag’in right off?” ‘‘No, but I have something to attend to that I cannot neglect, and the nature of which I hope you will know to-morrow; by the way, where did you leaye Daniel Benton?” “Oh! poor feller, he left us as soon as he c’u’dn’t find his darter, an’ he gone back to her lonely cabing; I tell yer, Leetle Grit, I feels durned sorry fer thet man, an’ more sorrier fer his darter, an’ you and me will set out ter- morrer an’ look her up, ef yer kin spare time.” “Oh yes, for there will be several riders sent down here to-night, to take Jockey Jack’s place, and give Tiny Tim and myself a rest for a few days; now I must be off.” “ Don’t want no comp’ny does yer?” ‘* Not this time, thank you, my good friends; I shall ride Firefly, and these will go with me,” and Little Grit smilingly patted his belt of arms. ‘‘They is durned good comp’ny fer yer too, or I are a liar; waal, yer knows my shanty, so look me up when [ kin sarve yer, and, Leetle Grit, keep yer eyes on thet Kid Glove gerloot, fer he hes it in him ter give yer trouble.” ‘*T believe with you, Trumps, that he needs watching, and I'll keep an eye upon him,” and Little Grit went into the tavern to get ready for his ride. Ten minutes after he came out on the pine- board piazza, looking exceedingly trim in ap- pearanee, for he had donned a new suit, and Helen Hewlett, who sat at the window, men- tally observed that she never saw a hand- somer youth, “You are not going on another ride, Mr. Little Grit,” she said pleasantly. ‘Yes, but I am not riding on time this afternoon, Miss Hewlett.” *T feared you would be very ill, when I saw you lifted from your horse yesterday, and my father was anxious to serve youin some way; bit you look well this afternoon.” ‘‘Oh, yes, Miss Hewlett, [ am all right now, and a short ride will limber me up; but I have to thank you and yur fatber for being very {kind to me; here comes Firefly now, and I must be off,” and bowing politely, Little Grit walked out to where the stable boy held his horse, and mounting set off at a canter, greatly to the surprise of his steed, who seemed anx- ious to go at once into the flying gait he was used to. Increasing his speed after awhile Little Grit soon had Firefly dashing along, as though he were carrying Express, and it was not very long before he came in sight of Dan Benton’s cabin. Hearing the clatter cf hoofs the stock-tender ——— Cane nn ee inna EEE Enns —_— ee ee came out to see who it was, for it was not Pony Rider time, and beholding the Wild Rider, he said sadly: ‘“Well, my boy, you come to a sad homo 'now, for my Bessie has gone, and I almost wish you had allowed those devils to hang us both,” ‘“Cheer up, Mr. B-nton, for I have come to have a talk with you,” said the youth cheerily. “T am glad to see you, Wild Rider, but talking will not bring my child back, but come in.” ‘Tam not so sure of that, Mr. Benton, for talking does a great deal sometimes.” ‘Little Grit,-your words mean something,” eagerly said the sorrowing father, grasping the youth by the arm, “True, they do mean something, but I can offer no explanation, only ask ycuif you have confidence in me?” ‘‘ Yes, to the end, my boy.” ‘“ Well, I believe I can restore you your daughter ere sunrise.” ‘‘ How? for Heaven’s sake tell me how, boy?” ‘ By paying a ransom for her.” ‘“ A ransom! anything will I do to get back my child.” ‘‘ A Jarge sum is asked, Mr. Benton.” ‘My child is worth it, be it what it may.” ‘‘ But you are poor and—’”’ ‘Name the sum, Little Grit.” ‘‘Ten thousand dollars.” “7 will pay it.” CHAPTER XX. WILD RIDER KEEPS HIS PLEDGE. LirtLe Grit fairly started at the words of the stock-tender. T will pay it!” He glanced into the man’s face and read there determination and truth, and no sign that he had made an idle assertion. But then how could a poor stock-tender pay so large a sum? was in his thoughts, ‘‘You pay ten thousand dollars, Mr. Ben- ton?” he asked in surprise. ‘‘- Yes, I will pay it, my boy, for the restora- tion of my daughter; I do not wonder you look surprised, for you know just what I have received as stock-tender, and cannot under- stand how I could lay up such a sum. ‘‘But tell me to whom is this money to be paid, and by whom, and when?” “You are to give me the gold-dust, and I pledge myself to return you your daughter, or the metal, unless I am killed.” ‘‘ When do you want it?” “ Now, if I can get it.” ‘“ You will wait until dark?” ‘‘ Yes, for the sun is setting now.” ‘Then you shall have it.” ‘And you really bave that sum, Mr. Ben- ton?’ “Yes, and far more; listen, my boy, and while we are waiting for darkness to come I will tell you a secret that my child even does not know. “Having seen better days yourself, you can see that I have been educated, and I will tell you that I came of good stock, and my parents were rich. “There were but two of us, a brother, ten years younger than myself, and whom my parents idolized, and [ was devotedly attached to, although he grew up very wild. “At the death of my parents my brother and myself were left equal shares in the property, and all was left in my control, for he was not of age. ‘‘ But alas! I was no restraint upon him, and he ran through with his inheritance, and knowing my love for him, did all manner of things that got him into trouble, well knowing that I would help bim out, “The result of all this was, that he beg- gared me, and to raise money committed for- gery and fled. ‘‘Well, I paid his debts, but the officers of the law were after him, and I knew that if taken I could not save him, and almost broken- hearted and completely ruined in fortune I sought another home. < ‘* But misfortune dogged me, and my wife dying, I drifted westward year by year, earn- ing just money enough to educate my daughter at a good school where I had left her. ‘“ At length I became what I am now, having failed in the mines to find gold and despairing of ever getting rich, 1 sent for my daughter to come and live with me here, and the very day after her arrival luck changed, for | struck a rich lead of gold in my old mine back in the mouptain, “Well, my boy, I determined to remain here as stock-tender until I bad back all of my old fortune to give my Bessie, and I have secretly bought back the old homestead, and in a few months expected to go East with my child and my diggings in gold-dust. ‘‘Now I bave dug out and bidden away some fifty thousand dollars, and you may know that it all should go to get my child back. ‘‘The secret I have told to no one, excepting you, and I fcel that you will never betray me; but those devils that strung me up hinted that I had gold hidden somewhere.” ‘‘But how should they know, Mr. Benton?” asked Little Grit, ‘““Thero is but one way; my brother is out here and he may know, having found out in some way that I had bought back the old homestead.’’ ‘Your brother out here, you say, sir?” ‘‘'Yes,.and you know him, and I know him, too, though we have seemed not to recognize each other, yet I feel confident that he is feign- ing ignorance of who I am, though it has been fifteen years since we met.” ‘‘T cannot imagine who he can be, sir.” ‘‘Grey Benton is his name,” ‘“‘Ha! Gambler Grey, the Kid Glove Sport.” “Yes, my boy, you know him now, and you know no good of bim.” ‘‘True, sir, and I do not like him,” said Lit- tle Grit, frankly. ‘“T cannot blame you, for he is a very evil man; but come, it is dark now, and I will get you the gold, and should aught befall me, you will know where my treasure is hidden, so that you can give it to Bessie,” and rising, Daniel Benton led the way from the cabin, and diving into the bushes back of the stockade halted on the bank of a smal] stream. ‘Do you see this rock, my boy?’ cc Yes. ” “ And yonder large tree in a line with it?” és Yes. ”? ‘‘Well, watch me,” and so saying Daniel Benton waded into the stream, and with asharp hook scraped the bottom until it caught in something heavy. ‘‘Here is my treasure-box, Little Grit,” and out of the sand he dragged a rudely-made box, and opening it, counted out sufficient loose gold to make up the amount demanded, and then returned the chest to its secure hiding-place, while Little Grit wrapped up that which he had left out. ‘“You know the secret now, boy, and you have the ransom gold, so go, and for the love of God, bring me back my child, and breathe to no one what I have told you,” said Daniel Ben- ton, with deep feeling. “JT will never betray you, Dan Benton, and will ever be the friend of you and your daugh- ter,” and shouldering his weighty load of pre- cious metal, Little Grit returned to the cabin, and mounting Firefly, rode away in the direc- tion of his rendezvous with the Spirit of the Canyon, the moon lighting his pathway over hill and through valley, and then across the prairie to the Pilot Tree, which he fearlessly approached to find no buman being near. CHAPTER XXI. THE MEETING. ‘‘T BELIEVE the woman meant what she said, and I will wait,” said Little Grit, as the moon soared high into the heavens, and yet he saw no sign of the coming weman and her captive. ‘* It is strange that she knew that Dan Ben- © cS IOO com (E or