Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 197 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

~~, —— “Tt is ten miles to the next station, miss, and we can hold our own, I think,” said the youth, hopefully, as Firefly ran along like the wind, with his pursuers, seven in number, stretched out in bot chase. ‘But they may fire upon you and wound your horse,” she said, with dread. ‘‘No, they are the band of the Boy Bandit, and they wish to catch me alive.” ‘“‘The Boy Bandit! Ihave heard the scouts in the train tell strange, wild stories about him at night around the camp-fires; but is he really a bey, sir?’ | ‘Yes, their leader, Captain Firebrand, is said to be but fifteen; see, that is he in ad- vance, on that white horse, and he is gaining upon us.” ‘* And they would harm us if they captured us?” ‘*They would kill me and demand ransom of your father for you, miss; but don’t be frightened, for Firefly holds up well, and if he fails under his double load, you are a splendid rider and he can easily earry you on to the station on my saddle.” “And you?” quickly asked the young girl. “Tl drop off at the Red Ravine and they can never find me.” ** No, no, let them take me and father will pay the ransom, for you have said they will kill you if they capture you.” ‘You area brave girl, but don’t feel worried, for they won’t get either one of us, I promise you.” The maiden hoped that ber brave companion spoke truly, but glancing behind her she saw that the white horse was steadily gaining, and was now but fifty yards away. | A look behind showed the youth that, although Firefly was doing splendidly, he had a horse on his trail that, with his double weight, was more than a match for hit, and be said: ** Do you see that lone tree ahead, miss?” “ Yes.” ‘* Well, that stands at the head of the Red Ravine, and there I shall drop off, while you go on to the station.” “ No,’no, I will not allow you to do this; put me off and your horse will carry you rapidly out of danger.” The youth turned and looked the maiden squarely in the face and replied: “You are a plucky girl; but I’d rather haul up and fight the whole band of the Boy Bandit, than doit. I tell you 1 know the Red Ravine well, and can easily dodge them in it, while Firefly will. carry you on to the station and save you and the express and letters, and you can tell Handy, the agent, that I’m coming, bus won’t be on time.” ‘Are you sure you can escape?’ “I know it, for [ve gotten out of many a worse scrape; now, Dll change places with you.” As he spoke he again put bis arm around her slender waist, and raising her easily, brought her round in front of him, while be slid back into the place she bad occupied. Leaning over then, he bastily shortened the stirrup and placed her foot in it, and said: ‘Now hold hard to Firefly’s mane, for you see I use no bridle, and he will carry you safe; here is the tree; good-by, miss.” Ere she was aware, he had suddenly leaped lightly to the ground, just as Firefly ran under the shadow of the huge, low tree, and glancing back as the horse bounded on, she saw that the youth had mysteriously disappeared, while, relieved of his extra burden, the nob'e animal she rode was rapidly dropping the Boy Bandit behind him. And still anxiously looking back over her shoulder, she discovered that but three con- tinued in pursuit of her, the others having halted at the tree. “They saw him spring from his horse, and he will surely be killed— Oh!” The cry broke from her lips as several pistol- shots rang out in rapid succession, and greatly terrified, she looked back over ber shoulder, to _ Little Grit, the Wild Rider. —— —_ 3 see a horseman dart out from under the sha- dow of the tree, ard come ou swiftly after the three who were pursuing her. CHAPTER IV. THE WILD RIDER’S RUSE. WHEN the Wild Rider slippea off of Firefly at the lone tree, growing at the head of the Red Ravine, his first intention seemed to spring down into the gully and run for his life; but a | second thought seized upon him suddenly, and | changing his first impulse, he sprung back into | the shelter of the trunk and broken limbs piled up around it, and muttered: ** There’s the ravine for refuge, if my little plan fails,” Hardly bad he gained a hiding-place in the shadow of the foliage, and wn a revolver, when he saw the white horse d4lmost upon him, aud he looked straight into the face of the Boy Bandit. One glance, by the bright moonlight, showed him that the rider of the snow-white steed was*| ‘‘ Helen! Helen! my child, come to me!” Back on the wind came the response: ‘*Father! I am safe, come!” But the black swerved from his course, and increasing, rather than diminishing his speed, sped on like the very wind, to the amazement of all who saw him. ‘‘In heaven’s name! what does it mean?” cried the father, and raising his voice again, he called out: ‘* Helen, stop! wait for me!” **T cannot! come!” Back to their eais came her reply, and all stood an instant gazing into each other’s faces in wonder, unti! one quick eye caught sight of three horsemen flying back over the prairie, “See! they were in pursuit of her!” cried the man, and from several lips broke the words: ‘*The Boy Pandit and bis men!” “Then after them, a dozen of you, while I follow my child,” and calling to a half a dozen of his followers to accompany bim the officer certainly a most youthful personage, with long, | sped away in chase of Firefly, while the re- golden curls hanging upon his shoulders, a | mainder of the party, with wild shouts, rode suit of buckskin, fringed and beaded, a broad, | off in pursuit of the snow-white steed, so well black sombrero, and a belt-of-arms. He sat his horse, a splendid animal, like one born in the saddle, and his eyes were fixed in- tently on the flying black and his fair burden, in front. “T could kill bim, and—but I won’t,” and the Wild Rider lowered his revolver, which he had half-raised, and the Boy Bandit swept on, little dreaming of danger, for he saw not the dark form crouching in the shadow. ‘* No, another time we will meet on fairer terms, and then one of us must die,” muttered the youth, and he crouched still closer as two of the band, large, bearded men, swept by on the heels of their young chief. A few seconds more and up dashed another of the band and halted, and the remaining three did the same, one of them, the first-comer, calling out: “We'll await the chief here, pards.” R But, as the words left his lips, out of the shadow around the trunk of the tree came a flash, another, and another, and down from his horse fell one of the bandits, and to the ground dropped the steeds of the balance, while out from bis hiding-place darted the Pony Express Rider, and ere the startled out- laws knew what had happened, and could ex- tricate themselves from their fallen animals, the Wild Rider bad thrown himself into the saddle of the man he had slain, and with a ringing laugh, rode away like the wind, fol- lowed by a few scattering shots, and bitter curses from his discomfited foes, whom his unerring aim had dismounted. The Boy Bandit heard the shots and looked back, but intent on the wished-for prize ahead of him, he held on, confident that his men would not be defeated by anything they had found at the head of the ravine, and little dreaming that it was the one he sought, that had so cleverly mounted himself and dis- mounted the outlaws, And thus the chase continued, with the maiden mounted on the bridleless horse of the Wild Rider, dashing along in advance, and steadily gaining, and the white steed pressing on hard in pursuit, urged by the Boy Bandit, while behind half a hundred yards, came his two men, who rode side by side, their horses seeming of equal speed. About a like distance in the rear of these two, came a gallant bay, evidently held in check by his rider, upon whose face was a triumphant smile. Presently over a roll in the prairie appeared a band of horsemen, and they were a score in number, while at their head rode a large man in undress military uniform. At a glance he saw the coming black, and instantly was on the qui vive, and fluttering in the moonlight was visible a skirt, which caused him to cry out: “Thank God! it is my cbild!” and raising bis voice he cried in ringing tones: a known along the overland trail. But on went the flying black, straight to the station, where soon after he drew up, panting from his long run. lt was but half a dozen shenties, Rocky Glen Station, besides the stables and public house, which a wonderful stretch of imagina- tion called a hotel, and as the rapid clatter of hoofs told the idlers within that the Pony Ex- press Rider was coming, nearly two score of rough-looking men steyped out of the bar- room to greet Wild Rider, who was a great favorite along the line. CHAPTER V. AT THE RIDERS’ REST. ‘‘THET festive youth are half a hour late, pards, an’ it’s sure suthin’ is gone wrong, for he are allus on time, an’ a leetie ahead,” and Trumps, a large-bodied, frank-faced frontiers- man, who had been trapper, guide, teamster and miner, and gambler through all, threw down his last card, a trump, and raked the win- nings into his capacious pocket, while he gazed around upon the motley crowd in Judge Hun- ter’s Riders’ Rest Tavern, to get some one to con- tradict his statement that sometbing had gone wrong with Wild Rider of the Pony Express. ‘‘T fears you is right, Trumps, fer ther boy isn’t one ter tarry on bis run, ef it do Le a leetle ride o’ ninety miles and but seven bosses ter do it with, an’ it up hill an’ down dale an’ over pararer too,” replied Bony Bob, another border character, who had just lost kalf a pound of gold dust to Trumps, who had won his lucky nme from always holding a trump card to defeat an adversary with. ‘Oh, the boy will turn up all rig! t: the devil takes care of his own, and tbat ycuth seems to be one of Lis especial pets,” remarked a person sitting at another table playing cards, and winning beavily too, but with that non- chalant manver that betokens the professional gambler and the cool sport. He bad been known at the different stage- coach and pony riders’ stations, along the Over- land, as Gambler Grey, and yet was more fre- quently called the Kid Glove Sport, from the fact that he always wore a pair of kid gloves upon his shapely hands, no one ever baving seen him without them, asleep or awake. He was dressed in a suit of Mexicin cavalier costume, trimmed with solid gold buttons, gold braid, and with the inner adornments of the slashes in the sleeves and pants of silk and fine lace. A white, blue or red silk sbirt, with the wide collar turned back over his shoulders, and a cra- vat of fine Jace he also wore, as suited his fancy, and a pair of patent-leather boots aud black sombrero completed his very fancy costume, if I except one important feature in the shape of a belt of fancy leather, in which was a jewel- bilted knife and two ae HG His face was dare (ay 4”) iC DOOKS (EO)