Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 217 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

— _ —— — — —— a -- LO —_-—-— -- CHAPTER VIIL. SKIP TO THE RESCUE — WAITING FOR THE STRUGGLE. THE blaze began to catch from one leaf and twig to another, and ivcreasein volume, The expression of Jack’s countenance was stern and unyielding. The flames spread, and crept upward; soon they would singe his bootlegs, and buckskin breeches; then would come the actual torture of fire. Should he still resist, and defy human agony? Or should he yield the day, admit- ting Crack-Sbot the conqueror, and give him- self up to a wild life in her employ? Then, too, Calamity was a prisoner; should he perish in this awful manner, what would be her terrible fate? Sold to the red Mormon, Thunder Cloud! The thought filled him with greater alarm than his own peril. But his heart gave a great bound, for at this moment came to his ears a familiar whinny; he heard heavy foot- steps, and a moment later a horse trotted out upon the plateau! An irrepressible cry of joy escaped the prisoner. It was his sagacious dog, Skip, mounted upon bis own faithful steed—come to his rescue! The dog leaped to the ground, with a low whine of recognition,. “Good dog!” welcomed Jack. brush away, Skip! Quick, sir!” Skip seemed gifted with almost human sagacity and intelligence, for without hesitia- tion he seized bold of the underlying brush of the combustible pile, and hauled it back from before Jack, taking with it the largest portion of the burning leaves and cones, and Jack was out of peril, so far as the fire was concerned, in a few moments. ‘Good boy, Skip!” he said, approvingly. “Now, if you can gnaw this rope which binds me, Ill be all hank. Can you do it?” The dog wagged his tail knowingly, and ap- parently understanding exactly what was re- quired, set to work on the job. It was no easy one, however, as might be supposed. The rope was of twisted hide, but Skip’s teeth were sharp as knives, and the rope was bitten in twain in a moment; then, seizing the dangling end, be began to trot around the stake and uuwind it. Every second seemed an hour to Gipsy Jack, literally, for he momentarily expected to see Crack-Shot emerge from the cavern; but luck was in his favor, and, thanks be to his canine companion, he stood freed from the stake in less than a minute’s time. His hands were not free, but that was a mat- ter of little importance, as be could escape with them bound. A couple of bounds and a spring upward placed him on the back of the beautiful white horse; then the dog followed his example, and a single low-spoken word caused the horse to wheel and dash from the plateau, and as he disappeared, Jack gave vent to a piercing war- whoop. Away down the winding, rugged mountain path bis sure-footed steed bore him, at break- neck speed, until he uttered a peculiar cry, and the horse wheeled abruptly to the right into a pocket in the side of the mountain, and came toa halt in the midst of its thick ver- dure, “Silence now, my faithful friends,” the fugitive said. “If pursuit is given, we must allow the brigands to pass us; then we must go back and see what can be done toward res- cuing Calamity and the other prisoners.” He had not long to wait, for quickly there came the sound of horses’ feet, approaching from up the trail, and a few moments later a large body of the brigands dashed past the mouth of the pocket at a gallop, like avenging phantoms of the night. How many there were Jack could not count, but judged there were at least twenty, and, what was more, there were two women in the perty. ‘Drag the OO eee, Nn nr nnnn nnn n nner SD See Gane ae ee ey see eat ——e Captain Crack-Shot, the Girl Brigand. 9 Was one of them Calamity? Possibly it was she and the other pris- oners; but the question was, how had they been hoisted from the pit and mounted in the short space of time that had intervened between the discovery of Jack’s escape and that moment? ‘*T must know the truth, before I leave this vicinity,” Jick said. ‘If they really were Calamity and the other prisoners, then Crack- Shot is up to some other deviliry. She either has some other biding-place iu view, or is going to join forces with the party in Durango!” Waiting until the brigands were out of hear- ing, he dismounted, Jelt the horse in the con- cealment, and, accompanied by the dog, hur- ried up the trail toward (he ledge. His hands were now free, thanks to Skip’s ability in picking knots, and Richard was him- self again! Arriving upon the ledge, he boldly entered the cave, first equipping himself with a burn- ing knot from his recent funeral pyre, The bandits’ cave was dark and deserted, as he sucemised it would be. But all their loose property was still there, and equipping bimself with both revolvers and a good knife for emergencies he passed through to the other side, and out upon the other ledge; then be cast the burning torch down into the den. It was empty of its former occupants! It was now apparent to him that the two women he had seen with the brigands, were Calamity and tbe otber young Jady whom he had seen in the den, whoever she might be. ‘‘Tt puzzles me what’s the rew—why. the brigands are leaving this admirable retreat?’ he muttered, as he retraced his footsteps to where he had left his horse. ‘ There must be some cause for the sudden evacuation. Maybe on discovering my escape, Miss Crack-Shot concluded this wouldn’t be a healthy hang-out with me at liberty, and so took French leave. If she had only been thoughtful enough to have left Calamity behind, I shouldn’t be so much concerned.” When he arrived where he had left the horse, he remounted, as did Skip, and set out down the trail, slowly, and looking out on either hand with expectation of an ambush and attack. Bat, good luck willed it otherwise, and in due time he emerged from the mountains upon the flats, Morning was well advanced, and the sun was shining brightly over the golden district which the delegate from Jimtown had quitted in such a hurry Halting his horse, he took a survey of the scene before him. It did not take him long to discover that there had been a division of elements, since his leaving, and that one body held possession of the village, and the other the flats. Of Captain Crack-Shot and her band he could see nothing, and concluded that they had not yet put in an appearance, ‘‘Now, here is a query?’ he muttered. ‘*How am I to know which party of this rev- olution is the one for me toapproach? If I had a glass, I might be better able to find out. Eh! Skip? Are those the roughs up in the town?” The dog wagged his tail, and smiled, for a dog can smile. ‘Well, Pll take your word for it,” Jack said. ‘‘ Mind, I shall expect to find friends on the flats.” He accordingly rode forward toward the latter encampment. 4 When near to it, a man came forth to meet him; it was Old Somersault, the eccentric scout, ‘‘Cuss my etarnal old elerfanticums an’ hy- enas, ef I ain’t glad ter see ye!” he cried, as he rode up, ‘‘tho’I ain’t much acquainted with you. Ye see, we're in a kinder warlike atter- tude, jist at present, an’ anxious like ter draft in all ther muscular animals ter our menage- rie thet is poserbul.” “But bow comes it you've got oushed back ee a _— we —- . ee ne ee + tee ee from the village?’ Jack asked. ‘‘ You ought to bave hung to that.” ‘True ernuff, pardner, but yer see thar war consarned contingencies as wouldn’t admit o’ ther great bippodrome performin’ thar any longer, sech as leaden hail siuns an’ powder- smoke—so we had ter dissemble, an’ cut stick fer low ground. Ye see they had ther dead open an’ shut on us, an’ et warn’t no use ter buck ag’in’ sech bizness, or the hull teetotal sextupple expersition would hev stuck in ther mud, an’ ther etarnal ring performance ended,” ‘‘Humph! I should say you were of the circus kind,” Jack said, ‘*judging by your lingo,” “So Tam! [ma bull circus myself, when ’m wound up an’ set a-goin. But I'll be fired from a catapult, ef I ain’t got an undertakin’ on my shoulders wot makes me feel as if ther old boss elerfant hed trod on me and flattened me out like ern Ohio pankaik.” ‘‘ Indeed! and what is that?” “Wall, ye see, I’ve got ther ’sponser bility on my back o’ gittin’ my sheer o’ ther crowd out o’ ther deefickulty, an’ winnin’ back ther town fer’em, an’ I reckon I grappled more than I kin git erway with, ter say ther least. I hed purty good grit, all along, ontil Crack- Shot an’ her gang j’ined ther enemy—since then I’m blowed ef my old menagerie ain’t all dubified.” ‘‘ Ah! then she is over there, eh?” ‘“'Yas. She sailed acrcss ther flats, not half an hour ago, with a dozen men at her back, jest as sassy like as ye pleased. At furst, I reckon ther roughs’ pickets weren't inclined ter let her pass, but she showed ther white flag, an’ I reckon et’s about as good as sworn to thet thar’s a consolerdation taken place, an’ they’re gittin’ ready ter pitch in an’ lick blazes outen us,”’ ‘*I6 savors that way,” Jack admitted, with asmile, ‘But I reckon we’re good enough for ’em, no matter how large is theirnumber, By the way, had they two prisoners with them?” ‘‘'Yas— three on ’em—two women an’ a fel- ler. But tell us whar you’ve been?” This Jack proceeded to do,as he and the scout walked into camp. Here he was warmly welcomed by the citi- zeus, who were not less alarmed than Somer- sault, and therefore eager to add reinforce- ments to their number. About noon a general stir was noticed about the village—men were seen hurrying to and fro, some of them leading horses, ‘““Et’s comin’!’ Old Somersault said; ‘“‘they’re goin’ ter make an attack on us, and we're goin’ to git licked like blazes,” ** Don’t let yourself be fooled on that score!” Jack replied, tie coolest man in the whole crowd. ‘While it is evident they are meditat- ing an attack, they won’t be apt to make a bold charge in broad daylight. I construe the present stir as an old Indiandodge. They pro- pose to mount a few of their number, and set them scouring round the edge of the flats, for the purpose of worrying us, if possible, until night, when they may make anattack, In the mean time we must be preparing for them. Get a shovel, every man that can find ene, and set to work throwing up a breastwork that will inclose a square of a couple hundred yards. If not enough shovels, take turns and it won’t take long to fix matters so that they can’t mow us down at pleasure,” His dauntlessness inspired the men, and with one accord they set to work to obey his advice, which was the same as an order, for all now seemed to defer to him. By mid-afternoon their camp was inclosed by a breastwork of dirt about four feet bigh, laid up like a flattened wall, behind which they could fight with great advantage. CHAPTER IX. THROUGH BY DARK. KNow1nG that his life was more precious to him even than gold, John Metcalf concluded it would be unwise as well as unhealthy for him te vefac So obey Axizone Abe's order. and | Eomile IOOKS