Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 217 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

SE ee RO OT a mee ee — ~ — ——— -y _ ee es re (me eee ee 12 Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. —$_$$——_—_—— — ‘‘Hal!l ha! how the tables do turn, some- “ Humph! Ill bet some one will earn it, be- | I'll risk: but what he'll keep until we get ready times,” he muttered, as be hastened away from the spot. ‘*I reckon they’ll keep, in that win- dowless den, until I get ready to dispose of them. Ha! ha!” But he was mistaken. Shortly after his departure, who should ap- pear at the lone cabin but—Skip! CHAPTER Xi. IN THE ENEMY’S POWER. THE base ingratitude of John Metcalf placed Gipsy Jack in danger hard to evade, for he bad just cbtained a position behind a tree not half adozen yards from the camp fire when the treacherous warning pealed through ‘the motte, causing every ruffian to leap to bis feet, and seize a weapon, while men began to rush in every direction, in quest of the spy. Hearing the cry, Jack fully realized that something desperate must be done if he would escape. Retreat was out of the question, and there was but one move to make, and he made it. Reaching up overhead, he caught hold of a limb, and drew bimself quickly up among the foliage. ' | Quick as he was, however, he was too late to avoid discovery, and a half-dozen bullets whistled after him. Fortunately none of tnem hit bim, and he was not tardy in clambering up among the thickest of the branches, where he would not be so liable to be reached by the merciless leaden Messengers, But he knew well enough that it would not be healthy for him, in that one particular tree, very long, in spite of the darkness, so he re- solved to move into another,.as he was able to do, as the limbs of the densely growing trees ran in among each other, forming a veritable jungle, To accomplish this, however, without be- traying his whereabouts necessitated great caution. A pandemonium of shouts below warned bim that some one was climbing tbe tree in pursuit. With the steaith of a cat, he crawled from one tree into another, and from that still an- other, continuing bis strange journey, in hopes of reaching the extremity of the motte. But, he was doomed to disappointment, for, anticipating his object, the ruflians seemed to guess the trees he had sejected, and followed underneath, with flaring torches, and savage yells and blasphemy. So that by the time he had reached the edge of the tree growth, they were there, too, ready to nab him, should he leap to the ground. ‘*Ye’d better come down, as ye can’t git away!” Arizona Abe bawled, fiercely. ‘“‘ We’re bound ter her have ye, an’ a few minutes parley ain’t agoin’ ter do ye any good!” “T don’t know about that,” Jack muttered, to himself. ‘“l’ve koown a few minutes parley to mean a very considerable victory. It don’t look as if it can effect much, in this case, however. Nothing seems for me to do but go back the same way I came.” This he proceeded to do, by clambering into a tree he had but recently left. The next minute he heaid some one among the branches, just ahead of him, and also heard some one climbing into the tree he had just left. ‘Thus, he was cornered, Abead of him a foe, and behiff him a foo— he must come in contact with one or the other, or else surrender to the human wolves who were waiting for him, below. “Say! ain’t ye comin’ down?’ Arizona yelled, impatiently. ‘‘ Et won’t do no good to be offisb, fer we’ve got ye, foul, sure’s you live.” “All right—when I drop, youll be still more certain you’ve got me!” Jack retorted. ‘‘Hello! I recognize the voice!” Captain Crack-Shot exclaimed. “ Boys, the chap in the tree is Deadwood Dick, alias Gipsy Jack, A hundred dollars to whoever captures him aiive~ fore |’m taken,” Dick muttered as he drew his revolvers, and cocked them ready for use, while he kept a close watch around him. Several minutes passed without bis seeing or hearing any one in the branches, but at last he caught a glimpse of the man in the tree just to dispose of him.” Jack was accordingly raised and bound toa tree, and moreover, gagged so effectually that he could not utter a word. Then, headed by the Girl Brigand, the ruf- ' fians moved silently and in single file from ahead of bim, looking toward the center of the | the motte toward the village, not so much as a motte, Quickly leveling his revolver, Jack fired. There came, as an answer, a cry of pain and ee LLL LLL --——-— rage; then there was a crashing of twigs and branches as the ruffian went tumbling down to the ground, followed by angry yells from his comrades. Supposing that Jack would then continue through the tree-tops, toward the further side of the motte, they surged that way, with fierce oaths. This was precisely what Jack had supposed they would do, and wanted them to do, while he remained right where he was, awaiting fur- ther developments. The man from the outer tree came clamber- ing over into the same tree Jack was in, but in the confusion, Jack had mounted into the top- most branches, and not seeing his victim, the ruffian passed on, supposing that his man had gone back toward the middle of the motte. Waiting until they were out of sight Jack glided down from his perch, ard dropped from the lower branches to the ground. The instant he did so, Arizona Abe and three of his comrades sprung forward upon him, and forced bim to the ground ere he could use his weapons, ‘‘Ho! ho! we cotched ye at it, that time, didn’t we?” Abe roared, triumphantly. ‘* Ye thort ye’d fool me, but we war too fly fer ye, you bet!” Jack did not reply, but suffered himself to be bound, for strong and quick though he was, he was no match for the four ruffians. The victorious cries of the captors soon brought the rest of the gang to the spot, headed by Captain Crack Shot. ‘Hal hal so you’re once more in durance vile, are you, my noble Richard of Deadwood?” she exclaimed, triumpbantly, when she saw him lying helplessly on bis back on the ground. ‘‘T fancied your lease of liberty would soon expire.” “Did you?” Jack retorted. “I am not greatly surprised. But for the treachery of a human snake I should not be your prisoner.”’ ‘Perhaps not,” the female brigand replied, ‘‘and but for your lead of the gang up in the village, things would be shaped different now, and we’d have a dozen more men. But for you, they’d never have thought of the move for possession.” ‘‘Then I’m pleased to know I have been of so much service to them,” was the calm reply, “Curse ye—mebbe ye think et warn’t no harm ter kill off our men, ther way ye did!” Arizona Abe growled, while the other rufflans looked decidedly savage and unruly. ‘¢‘T believe it’s an old saying that allis fair in love or war, and as you paid a visit to our camp, with the intention of cleaning us out, it was no more than fair that we should salute your unsuccessful return,” said Jack, ‘‘Then, durn yer boots, I opine et ain’t no more’n fair thet we should hoist ye ter ther furst handy limb, an’ let ye swing a while!” the ruffian cried. ‘‘ Whatsay, boys?—who's got a rope?” “Stop! I protest against this. Deadwood Dick is my game, and I don’t want him harmed, just yet!” Captain Crack-Shot inter- posed. “No mutiny, now—you agreed if I joined you to let me bave command!” “So we did,” the Arizonian acknowledged, ‘‘an’I opine we’re ther boys w’at sticks ter our word, every time, tho’ I’d orfully like ter send off this chap, who did et up fer our pards,” “Thar’s time enough for that hereafter!” Crack-Shot replied. ‘‘Jn: the mean time the darkness is our time to lay for the enemy, ac- cording to the plan I was proposing awhile ago. Tie the prisoner snugly to 2 tree, and word passing between them. Jack was left in a place where the moon- light did not penetrate, and darkness reigned almost supreme, And it was not in a very enviable frame he was left in. He felt sure the roughs had some villainous scheme concocted for the destruction of the citizens, or mayhap, the town, and it angered him that be was not able to warn the unsus- pecting victims in time for them to prepare to meet the blow, whatever shape it was to come . in. This time he could hardly look for rescue from Skip! —— And where was the faithful brute? At the lone cabiv, where, at last mention, he had just arrived; that he arrived there by mere chance was evident, for he smelled about inquisitively, and wagged his tail as though he had made a discovery. Then he uttered a low bark. “Skip! Skip! is that you?” the voice of Calamity Jane cried, from the inside of the log prison. The dog gave another bark, and a whine of recognition of the voice of his mistress, ‘‘Tt is the dog, sure enough,” Calamity said to her two companions. ‘‘ We are not in such desperate straits as might be, for he is a sharp fellow, and if there is any sbow for it, he will get us free.” ‘<T don’t see much of a chance for it; in fact, I can’t see anything till we have alight,” Wildcat Joe replied. ‘This den appears to be without windows, and has but one door, which the ras- cal locked. I don’t see what was his object in releasing us from one captivity to place us in another.” ‘‘He evidently has some scheme afoot for personal advantage to be gained,” Calamity declared; ‘‘ probably to extort money from my husband.” ‘¢T think I recognized him as a former re- jected suitor, who was once in my father’s employ as amanuensis and clerk,” Lady Myra said. ‘‘I think he knew me, too, but for some reason pretended otherwise.’’ ‘Tf this is true, probably he has other de- signs,” Calamity replied. Wildcat Joe struck a match then, and set fire to some leaves that had some time sifted into the cabin. By the light thus afforded he saw that the cabin was destitute of any tool or article that could in any way serve to assist them in es- caping. The leaves soon burned up, and they were once more left in total darkness, ‘‘?'m thinkirg we'll wait a long while before any dog can get us out,” he said. “This cabin was evidently.built for the purpose for which it is now used.” ‘Skip! Skip! what are you doing Calamity called, ‘Hark! I hear him digging, like as if in dirt!” Lady Myra said. ‘‘ Perhaps he is really trying to dig us out.” By listening they were able to hear the same scratching sound, accompanied by growls and the noise of scattering dirt. ‘(That is what he is doing, true enough,” Calamity admitted. ‘We can help him by using our hands.” There was no floor to the cabin except the ground, and that was not hard. Closer attention apprised them that Skip had commenced proceedings so as to dig under the door, and they accordingly set to work 80 as to meet him half-way. Lady Myra’s hands had never been hardened ‘to any work of this kind, and therefore she | GOMIIGc JOOKS =