Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 32 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian. 19 hurriedly ascended to her aerial retreat. "When morning dawned, she carefully cleaned it - and devoured it without a murmur. Not a sign did she discover of the enemy, during that long day. : ) When night fell once more over the earth the brave girl resolved to risk another descent in search of food, But a short time was con- sumed in reaching the ground, and.she prowled around, here and there, as on the previous night. art 10 3 ~o” D oe oe No stray bits of food were to be found, how- ever, and after two hours of vain search, she resolved to wait till the following night, when she might stand a better show. With this de- cision, she réturned to the giant fir, and grasp- ing a lowermost branch was about to draw herself up'into the tree, when without a word, four men sprung out from the darkness, seized her, and bore her to the ground, to bind her, band and foot, CHAPTER XVIIL THE GREATEST SHOTS OF ALL, “Haw! haw! haw!” roared one of the four ruffians, exultantly, ‘‘so’weve got yer, have we, ye geelorious old rack-bones? Kotched ye right in the act, now didn’t we? Take hold, ye Ku-klux and Bummer; an’ ye, Pill-Box, go tell the capting thet we’ve got ther old ’un. We’ll keert him over ter ther Rendezvous!” Hurricane Nell was borne out of the timber and across the valley, into the cabin known as the Rendezvous. ! Here she was tumbled into a corner, and left to think over the situation, while her captors pro- ceeded to light a half-dozen torches, and rum mage the premises for liquor, which they soon found, and seating themselves near the door, drank heartily, as they waited for the coming of the remainder of the band. An hour elapsed, but no sounds of the rob- bers’ approach. Hurricane Nell lay quietly where she had been deposited, anxiously considering the in- evitable result of her recapture. She well knew Cap’n Bob would now be more say- age than before, and that she need not hope to escape this time. Death in its most horrible shape was in store for her; there was no way she could avert it. Then her thoughts reverted to Cecil, and tears welled to the poor girl’s eyes. For years she had lived her wild, strange life, with no one to love, no one to pity her in hours of dis- tress. Life had had no bright side to her; nothing to encourage the desire of living in the cold, cruel world longer than she should fulfill her oath of vengeance, Now, all was so changed! Now, she longed to live; she had met and loved one who was very dear to her, and life was so sweet! And yet, death was so very near! She shuddered at the realization of her peril. Slowly but surely the night wore away, and finally morning dawned. The ruffians at the cabin were puzzled and anxious about the mysterious conduct of their comrades; and Ku-klux had arisen and was preparing to go Over ‘and ascertain what was the matter, when Pill-Box was discovered creeping stealtbily toward the cabin, like a snake. He exercised much caution, and seve- ral moments elapsed ere he succeeded in mak- ing his singular advent among his friends. To their questions, he soon gave an explana- tion. The camp-fire of an enemy had been discovered off on the plains, from the top of the sentinel fir. Cap’n Bob and several of the gang were even now in the aerial retreat, keeping a sharp lookout, The rest of the band were dispersed through the timber to watch for the supposed enemy’s approach. With these disclosures, Pill-Box again crawled back toward the timber, and left his comrades to themselves and their whisky. The Deadshot had overheard the conversa- tion, and a great throb of hope and expecta- tion entered her heart, Were friends coming ‘ship to her rescue, and was Uecil among them? Oh! how earnestly she prayed that it. would prove so, and that they -would, succeed in effecting her release! , __.Lhe forenoon sped, and just as the sun was at the meridian, triumphant yells and screeches were heard over near the timber, followed by the tramping of many feet; and soon the larger part of the band came rushing toward the cabin, headed by Cap’n Bob and Pill-Box, who dragged between them a bound and _help- less prisoner. It was the young lawyer, Cecil Grover! To explain his presence here, will require but a few moments, Subsequent to the finding of the body of Aubrey Lee Lester, a consultation held at the camp. decided that Cecil and Grinning Moon should go onin advance of the main party, and keep a secret watch on Cherry Valley, and the movements of theenemy. So the two men had set out and had reached the vicinity of the for- est about noon, Here they separated, Grinning Moon creeping off in a circuitous route to get beyond the timber, while Cecil entered the forest with the intention of mounting the giant fir, which he had perceived from the plain. Cap’n Bob had viewed the approach of the two spies, and had laid his plans accordingly. No sooner had Cecil reached the heart of the wood, than he was closed in and pounced upon, by aswarm of ruffians, and taken a prisoner ere he could draw a weapon. Leaving a sentinel to watch in the tree-top, and six of his followers to pursue the Pawnee chief, Woolf announced it his intention to put the spy and the old vagrant, Uncle Sam, to death without further delay. Therefore, they had set out for the Rendezvous, with hideous yells of exultation. Their advent into the cabin was hailed with tipsy shrieks by the three guards, and taking partners the whole guard performed an im- promptu dance about the apartment. As Cecil’s eyes rested upon the prisoner in the corner, he started visibly, but a warning shake of her head forbade the exclamation which was on the end of his tongue, As soon as Woolf could restore quiet in the ranche, by several hideous curses, the plan of torture was discussed, by which the captives were to meet their death. Some proposed casting them into the snake- pit; others voted burning at the stake as best suited to the case, while some even proposed skinning alive! Cap’n Bob, however, vetoed all these pro- posals. He bitterly remembered the blows he had received from Cecil, and wanted to invent some mode of torture, which, while it would cause is enemy the most excruciating pain, would not materially injure him, He had not failed to notice the strangely pitying glances exchanged between the captives, and he at once construed them into being signs of friend- Accordingly, he resolved upon a plan at once cruel and fiendish. Cecil’s bonds were tightened until they cut into the flesh, and he could not stir a hand or foot. He was then placed with his back against the wall, at the far end of the apart- ment, and securely banded to the wall with numerous toughened strips of buffalo skin, placed across his person, from the forehead to ankles, and nailed into the logs at each end, When this operation was completed the young lawyer was as immovable as a mountain of rock. For the life of him he could not move a single limb or muscle. ‘the next act on the programme was the order from Woolf, that every man administer the prisoner a slap in the face, with the flat of their hands, which order was promptly obeyed. When each had struck him one right out from the shoulder, Cecil’s visage presented an odd appearance, the color somewhat resem- bling the shade of a blue berry. Seeing that no cry of pain was extorted from the prisoner, Woolf set about preparing a torture still more inhuman, Going to a chest in a distant corner, he succeeded in bringing to light his hand full of -peas, and also a bit of pitch. By aid of she pitch he stuck one of the peas exactly upon she end of Cecil’s nose, thereby not in the least en- hancing that ill-treated young gentleman’s beauty. All the ruffians were arranged on the oppo- site side of the room with drawn revoivers, and then Cap’n Bob turned and cut the bonds of the supposed vagrant. _ “Hyar!’ he said, gruffly, selecting out the Deadshot’s own rifle, and handing it to her, ‘“‘thar’s yer gun. Ye,must shute ther pea frum the Buster’s snout. I guv ye five chances, an’ ef ye don’ fetch ther pea ther fifth time, et’ll be. yer de’th wurrant; fer each o’ ther b’yees, hyar, shall plug erway at ye till ye hain’t got er spark o’ life ’n yel” Hurricane Nell trembled as she took the rifle. Here was a contingency she least expected to meet. She was forced under the penalty of death to shoot a small-sized pea from the extreme end of Cecil’s nose! | What if she should fail? Death, would be the result. Or, should she vary a hair’s breadth in her aim, she might put a bullet through that. not the least essential of her lover’s possessions. The idea of depriving him of his nose, as may easily be supposed, was both repugnant and horrifying to her, and she drew back with a shudder. ‘*Go’n!” roared Cap’n Bob, drawing and cocking a revolver, “‘or, by ther saints ’n’ purgertory, Pll blow yer brains out!” Seeing that resistance was useless, the brave girl seized her rifle and took a position at the side of the room, pointed out by Woolf, from where she could obtain a side view of Cecil’s face, and consequently a fair aim at the end of his nose and the pea. The distance between the remarkable target and the end of her rifle was about twenty-five feet, and she knew that if at all, she could not hope to succeed, before the fifth and last shot. If she missed then, she knew what she might expect. It would be—death! Deliberately she raised her rifle te bear. The gang watched with feverish interest. Before them, as they thought, stood an old and decrepit beggar trembling on the verge of the grave, who was about to attempt a feat that none of them could hope ever to accomplish. Would he succeed? : They judged not—ay, hoped nof, for, fe- rocious savages as they were, nothing could have pleased them more than to have seen Uncle Sam send a misdirected bullet crashing through the prisoner’s somewhat swollen nose. Once, twice, and thrice, the Deadshot raised the weapon she held, on a level with the target, and as many times lowered it, She was ner- vous—she dare not fire until she could school herself sufficiently for the task. “Go’n, curse ye!” yelled Cap’n Bob, exult- ing, as he saw her arm tremble. “Go’n, or by ther power o’ brimstun, I'll fire at ye, an’ eend yer yearthly kerreer!’ 7 Once more Hurricane Nell brought her rifle to bear, with a quick, angry movement, and scarcely taking time to glance between the sights, fired! The ruffians crowded eagerly forward, and they uttered an applauding screech as they per- ceived that the bullet had dashed the pea away, without drawing ’blood on the tip of Cecil’s nose! It was a most wonderful shot, indeed. “Big shootin’, ole hoss, big shootin’!” said Cap’n Bob, admiringly. “T'll put up ernuther mark, an’ ef ye'll hit it, by ther thunder o’ Mosis, I'll let up on ye fer a week, an’ guv ye er chance ter sing an’ pray in’!” “You are kind!” was the sarcastic reply. ‘No, I bain’t nuther, so spare yer lip. See ’f ye call this kind!” So saying, the ruffian chief seized a toma- hawk lying near and advanced swiftly toward the captive. Our heroine for a moment grew pale, as she thought he was about to inflict seme further injury upon Cecil. But, she was not less horrified, at what she next saw. Pinioning Cecil’s ears back against the wall, o(ofe) cS Gomic (Ele)