Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 32 — page 1: what you’re looking at

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

| =—- — ae a —_t= a _——- rm Se Vol. IL. Ss le Number. ees ee eS Oe Bob Woolf, THE BORDER RUFFIAN; OR, THE GIRL DEAD-SHOT. BY EDWARD L. WHEELER, AUTHOR OF ‘‘DEADWOOD DICK,”’ ‘‘THE DOUBLE DAG- GERS,”’ ‘ CLOVEN HOOF,” ‘‘ BUFFALO BEN,’’ ETC. CHAPTER L TEN HOURS TO LEAVE. ‘¢ Heiwo! in thar!” XS ea A at stretch of level plain, lying in the scorching rays of the summer sun; a cabin standing alone and isolated in the center of the blazing waste; a group of perhaps two score of rough, uncouth looking horsemen, drawn up before the cabin door—all helped to make up the wild scene to which we would in- troduce the reader. The horsemen, comprising some of the worst looking and most ruffianly charac- ters on the rough frontier, both white and red by color, were headed by a large, mas- sively proportioned ra- do, with a long, haggard face, blood-shot eyes, straight, black Indian hair which hung long and matted over his neck and forehead; a fierce black mustache, and a large mouth. He was clad in buckskin, from top to toe, and, taken altogether, was a character whom one would ——= WSS ty Ny Ve not care to meet in a wild t like this, so far from civ- ili sts, backed, as he was, by forty evil-faced and brutal-looking compan- ions. It was this leader who had uttered the salutation which opens our story, as he reined up before the door of the si- lent and apparently deserted cabin. . ‘** Hello, thar!” he repeated, in a louder, fiercer tone. Still no answer. ““ Hello, thar!” I say, drat ye!” he again yelled, his dusky face growing darker with anger. “If ye don’t show up purty.soon I'll dis- mount and smash that door in, cuss me, if I don’t!” All was silent as the tomb. Save the hot, scorchi breath of air that fann across the vast level plain, and caused the 3 to swish lazily, not a sound was to be hear ‘*P’r’aps they’ve klim out, already, Cap'n,” a half-breed, by the leader’s side. ‘‘No!” cried the outlaw m 4 ~~: 4 Re " la i} r. \ \ to’ | x WW \ "ot nt! St! Lt Vt Sn! fH Yi! HV Copyrighted in 1878, by BEADLE AND ADAMS. BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS, No. 98 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK, chief, ‘‘ I know better. Eph Tubbs seed ther gal hyar only last night. ey! hello, there, you y-bones| D’ye want me to smash thet door in? At this juncture the single window-shutter was opened a trifle, and a pretty, half-grown girl thrust her head out. ‘What do you want, Bob Woolf?” she de- manded, vue the motley gang of border- Ww ruffians. ‘ at would you have here?’ ‘*Ha! blast ye! Thort ye’d better answer my salute, did ye?’ growled the d rado. ‘*‘ Why didn't ye open up when I called first, you little ri ‘* Because I did not see fit to. What do you want of me?” ‘*Don’t want nothing o’ you, Nell Allen. I kim down here on purpose to see yer dad. Is he “in thar?’ ‘* Yes, he is, but you cannot see him, nor any- body else. He and mamma are both in bed, sick.” ty 7 f wei SQ j 7) “i ‘, ¥ ¢ ; - y) (SSS SS 2 WANA THE GIRL DEAD-SHOT. AA OAW —— eee ee a «> | —— oe * . . ~ - " 4 " i ; j » +4 ; ‘3 . 4 7 “4 ; arth i sade liz: 7 ees oe : ; ’ . ** tf} pase / / ' . / 4 ; ey v ' riae, 7 i5i were } ¥ ‘*"/ il Pe . 7 ’ ‘ ’ —_-° 7 id ’ rf Zeg j 'f sf ips . Ath a ria , ; z typ? eur Pr ; 7 {if ‘ —— — a + ‘oe WT RWW STU PS < Ma ed ANS OAR = Go Zw | Price, 5 Cents. No. 32. “What d’ye fay I keer, whether they’re sick or not? Tell Bill Allen to show up hyar, or Pll tumble thet door down, sure’s my name’s Bob Woolf. Cum, now, off with ye!” ‘“No! you heartless brute, I will not. Pa can not see you. Give me your message, and Pll tell it to him when he awakens from the stupor into which he has just fallen. But you cannot come in here nor see him either.” ‘* Blast you, Ill see if I won't, ye little she- tiger!” cried the ruffian. ‘‘ Dismount, boyes, an’ stave in thet ’’ar door! D’ye hear? Stave it ‘Hold! Bob Woolf!” cried the girl, her eyes flashing fire, “hold! Come in here if you will; but, first, let me tell you that in so doing you will expose yourself and men to the king of all scour small-pox |” Had a cannon-ball struck the border chief he could not have been more startled. In an instant his companions were spurring away over the plain at a safe distance, and he, too, rode back from the door several rods, ‘* Ha! ha!” laughed the girl, “what brave men you are!” : ** Cuss yer aan Woolf, oaming; ‘‘ hey ye been lyin’ to me?” $ a ‘‘ No! I would not lie, Bob Woolf, to save my own pa- rents even. I value m word too much for that. Both my r papa and mamma are dying of the terrible dis- ease. I, thus far, have been ~ + 4 though I may take it ye ‘““I hope ye will!” replied the chief, with a brutal laugh. “So, I s’pose, I cannot see the old man, eh? Wal, then Pll tell ye my purpose in comin’ here Pee MB ther, Pll read it to ye, as I’ve got it all writ down in black an’ white here on these ’ere slips 0’ dockyment.” From a pocket inside his buckskin hunting-shirt the outlaw now produced two small sheets of paper, from which he read, in a loud, clear voice: ‘* Whereas ; inthe natteral course o’ humen events, when one man stands in the way of the interests of forty other respectable and honor- able citizens o’ Colyraddo an’ Kansas, as Bill Allen, the ome hes bin doin’ fur e last six months— ‘* Resolved; That it be- comes the duty of sed cit- izens, to themselves, an’ state, and country, then, to re- move, or cause ter be remoy- ed, sed obstickle, and— i Resolved : Thet such be- in’ ther case, and we bein’ ther present representertives o’ sed citizens, we should meet en secrit tribunal, an’ pernownce the sentence— EOMMIE DOCKS (C (E(0) m