Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 32 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

fo comical way succeeded in bringing smiles tc the faces of the most stoical of the savages. “Specimen Brick,” however, alone remained unmoved. He appeared very gloomy and morose, and did not manifest the least sign of amusement at the keen humor of the old ranger, Hidaglo, on the contrary, was quite sociable and vivacious, and listened and laughed hearti- ly with the rest, at Cap.’s yarns, The evening passed quickly, and at last it was agreed that all should turn in. **Do you think we can reach our destination by the morrow noon, Cap.?’ asked Cecil, as he rolled up a blanket for a pillow. ‘Ya-s! I opine we c’u’d, ef we war wantin’ ter,” replied the ranger, taking a good-night bite from a formidable plug of tobacco; “ but, rete oo wanter, I opine we ken’t.” t do you mean? It surely is necessary to make all haste possible?’ * “‘Perzactly; sumtimes et mought, an’ erg’in sumtimes et moughten’t—jes’ as ther case hap- pens ter slant, yer see. We mought pounce down inter Cherry Run, ter-morrer dinner- time, an’ git licked like thunderashun, ef thet'd be ter our likein’, But, ef we sail in on ’em, ter-morrer nite, we'll jes’ as like as not find ’em full o’ corn-ju’ce; then, oh! Great Pel- lerkans! won’t we dust ther leather, tho’!” “Then, you intend remaining here till another night?” “ Perciffic Pellerkans! no; only till ter-mor- rer noon, We'll start on, then, an’ reach ther valyey a leetle arter dark,” “Well, so be it, then; but I should much rather risk the chances of victory or defeat, than to have Hurricane Nell suffer in the out- law’s power. She is very dear to me, and it makes me impatient to fly to her rescue, with- out delay.” “Yas, boyee, I kno’ ye think a long lot o’ her; but she’s jes’ as deer ter me, as she ar’ ter ye, fer all thet —Perciffic Pellerkans, yes!” ‘But, pray, what has so strangely inter- ested you in the behalf of this wild maiden? Are you a relative—?” “* Boyee, d’ye ever heer tell erbout old Bill ANen, ther Kansas Spotter?’ interrupted the ranger, suddenly. ‘“‘No,” replied Cecil, eying the ground, re- flectively, ‘‘I can’t say that I have.” “Wal, jes’ lend me yer ear, an’ I'll explain, so’s ye’ll understand things. ‘* Yeers ergo, thar war er certa’n county in Kansas, as war overrun wi’ outlaws an’ bor- der-ruffians, in general, an’ Bob Woolf war cheef-cook’n’-bottle-washer ’mong ther hull ca- beodle. Things war at er feerful state, an’ murderin’ an’ ranch-burnin’ war every-day ockkerances, w’en Tom Winfield—glory be ter ther poor fellar—war put up fer sheriff, on one side, an’ er thievin’, sneakin’ bummer Hotkiss, war slammed up, be Tom’s deputy-sheeriff, an’ Bob Woolf war likely ter git in fer Hotkisses deputy. * Wal, lexion kim, an’ our side beat, tho’ it war only by ther skin o’ ther teeth, an’ ther free slingin’ erbeut o’ fists an’ six-shooters, We out-counted ther enemy two votes, an’4 shoved Tom inter offis, Poor feller! he sarved only three months, w’en he war stabbed ter by sum o’ Woolf’s gang. “J war offered his boots, but bein’ uneddy- cated, I told ’em ter put in er smarter feller, an’ let me start arter ther rufyans, ter w’ich they ergreed. ‘‘T started out on ther trail, an’ made things lively, I kin tell ye, now, “ Every rough I see’d, I spotted, wi’ er le’d pill, an’ they soon got ter callin’ me ther Kan- sas Spotter. Woolf an’ his gang got ter be down on me bad, an’ menny’s ther time they’ve hed me in close quarters, but I ginnerally man- aged to slide through their fingers, an’ escape. ‘But ther time they set ther fire on ther plains, w’en I an’ my wife war down wi’ ther small-pox, war ther wust of all. Holy Pole- kats, yes! Ye’ve doub’tless heerd how my gal escaped, an’ has assumed ther perfession 0’ an avenger. “ Wal, I nevyer know’d she war livin’, poor thing, till the day o’ the 4th, w’en she shot agin me. Arter nearly fryin’ inter soap-fat, ther time o’ thet fire, I crawled out, an’ war reskied by these red-skins, hyar, who nursed me back ter life.” ‘‘And Hurricane Nell is your daughter?” ejaculated Cecil, extending his hand, warmly. “She is, thank God, I can truly say et. She ar’ all I hev ter love, now.” **But why do you wear that strange mask before your face?” Woodchuck did not answer for several mo- ments; then, it was only by way of quickly removing the skin covering, and disclosing his terrible countenance to the young lawyer, Cecil shrunk back with a horrified cry. ‘*Great heaven!” he gasped, “‘ that’s awful!” “’Tain’t purty, thet’s er fack,” laughed the ranger, ‘‘ but’s better’n none!” ** And you owe this hideous disfiguration to the border ruffians?”’ ‘* Perzactly—an’ to them erlone.” The two men continued to talk for some time, Cap. relating much that was hitherto unknown to Cecil. By and by, however, they both fell asleep, and silence reigned supreme throughout the camp. The night was intensely dark, and not even a star glimmered in the high vault of heaven, But a faint breeze was stirring, and therefore little noise was made to break the blank, deep monotony of nature’s nocturnal repose. It was well into the small hours, ere any stir was visible in the little camp. This stir was caused by the rude, uncouth ex-robber, ‘ Speci- men Brick,” as he raised himself upon his el- bow, and peered around him. He counted the forms that were dimly outlined in the light of the expiring fire—counted them all over ssv- eral times, as if to assure himself that all were there. He soon appeared satisfied on this point, and gave vent to a low, scarcely audible chuckle. They were all there, and what was more, were evidently sleeping soundly. He remained in his half-upright position for several moments, then rose softly to his feet, and again glanced Softly around him; then ad- vanced stealthily toward where Cecil was lying, &@ savage light gleaming from his baleful eyes, He reached the feet of the young lawyer, and glowered down savagely into the up- turned face of the unconscious sleeper. Not a muscle save the rising and falling of the broad chest moved. ‘Curse him!” muttered the prowler, biting his teeth together, savagely. “I'll kill him— yes, kill him!” He thrust his right hand inside his hunting- and brought forth a small liquor-flask. It was half filled with a black, sparkling fluid, which gave forth a peculiar odor. “Hal” he hissed, uncorking the bottle, carefully, “‘how little I thought I should ever find use for oil of vitriol, when I brought this flask of it along, from the East. It is the very essence of hell itself. One drop upon the skin will eat in—eat in, to the very bones. Ah! this is sweet revenge—sweet revenge for the blows he gave me; and, by all that I hold sacred, I swear he shall receive the whole contents of this flask in his face!” The man seemed transformed into a verita- ble demon, His eyes glared forth sparks of venomous light, and he trembled all over with a fiendish exultance. He reached forth the arm which held the fiery liquid, until his hand was directly over the face of the sleeper. He next tipped the bottle, slightly. None of the vitriol came forth. He tipped it further—further—fur— A cold object was at this instant pressed against his cheek, which caused him to draw back with a start of horror. He turned his head slightly around. Hidaglo was standing close to his side; the muzzle of a gleaming pistol, held in the Mexi- can’s hand, was pressed against the scoundrel’s temple. ‘Specimen Brick” trembled violently. “‘Come!” whispered Hidaglo, his finger on the trigger, menacingly. — — a i _ ee —_— - — Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian. 17 The villain obeyed, and the captor walked by his side, with the cocked pistol held close to bis head. , They entered the motte, and walked through it to the opposite side. Here the Mexican halted, and ‘‘ Specimen Brick ” felt called upon to also halt. _ It was full a half-mile back to the camp, and there was no danger of being overheard. ‘‘Aubrey Lee,” said Hidaglo, fingering the trigger of his weapon, nervously, ‘‘give me that flask of vitriol.” The villain handed it over with an awful shudder. ‘“‘ Aubrey Lee,” repeated the Mexican, “give me all your weapons.” This order was reluctantly obeyed, and they were hurled away into the grass. ‘“‘ Now,” said the captor, “ which do you prepose to do—remain peaceably quiet, and allow me to bind you, hand and foot; or offer resistance, and compel me to lead you back to the camp, yonder, deliver you up to Cecil Bur- nett, and tell him of your attempt to consign him to a horrible death?” “ Ourse you!” hissed the baffled man, “ bind me, rather than that! I will not offer to hin- der you.” Hidaglo chuckled. He could well afford to. It was ‘‘Specimen Brick” who had chuckled but a short time before. ‘* Lie down!” was the next command. “Specimen Brick” obeyed, sullenly. Thrusting the cocked pistol into his belt, Hidaglo produced some pieces of stout buck- skin from his pockets, which he soon manufac- tured into thongs. He then securely bound the limbs of his prisoner, at the ankles, knees, wrists and elbows—bound him so tight that he involuntarily howled with pain. ‘‘Shut up!” cried the captor, sternly—‘ but hold! Ili silence your music!” He searched around and found a suitable piece of wood, which he fastened into the cap- tive’s mouth. “There!” he said, triumphantly. ‘‘ How do you feel now? Ha! ha! the serpent is at last caught in a strong net—soon he will be ban- ished! Ha! ha! ha!” ‘‘ Specimen Brick” could only groan. ‘‘Ha! ha! groan, groan—I like to hear it!” resumed Hidaglo; ‘“‘’tis music in my ears, Hal Aubrey Lee, you make a fine-looking ranger, to be sure—yes, a most active ranger. But would you not look better in your old shape— as the smooth-faced, oily-tongued banker’s clerk? Let us see.” The Mexican knelt beside his prisoner, and in an instant had torn away the mass of grizzly beard, the frowsy eye-brows, and the wig of hair. Aubrey Lee, the arch-villain, lay revealed beneath. - ‘‘ He! he!” chuckled Hidaglo; ‘‘ what a beau- tiful actor you were, Aubrey Lee, You would make a decided sensation, on any stage. But, Isee you have a great curiosity to know to whom you are indebted; isn’t it sof Well, lis- ten, and I will tell you.” In the camp the night passed swiftly away, and morning dawned bright and rosy. Cap. Woodchuck and Grinning Moon were the first to awaken, and they sprung hastily to their feet, for they had quite overslept them- selves. The chief set about arousing the braves, while the ranger turned toward Cecil. As he did so, his eyes fell upon something which lay upon the young lawyer’s breast—a package of considerable size, wrapped in stout, brown paper, and tied with red string. It had evi- dently been placed there by some one during the night, “ Hey, thar, Buster; wake up an’ see w’at’s on ye!” shouted Cap,, curious to know what the package contained, Cecil sprung from his sound slumber, in amazement. “What is it?’ demanded he, wildly staring about—‘‘ Indians?” “ No,” laughed the ranger, “but Holy Pole- EOMIEDOOCKS: GO SS -e-< -- — . _ - -~ A cee cm,