Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 32 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Bob Woolf, the Border Ruffian. 5 them to their lot and make them love it all the stronger.” | ** Ay! ay! I doubt not,” mused the young man, looking steadily yet unconsciously into her expressive eyes, until she was forced to drop them, and a crimson flush mantled her forehead. At this instant loud curses were heard in the next apartment, and Jonas Dwight hurried away to ascertain the cause. In a moment he came rushing back, his eyes sparkling excitedly. ‘* it’s Cap’n Bob!” he said, quickly, ‘‘ an’ he’s jest recovered from the knuckle-winder ye give him, Cap, an’ he swears he’ll have your heart out before morning. I judge ye’d better go to your rogm, an’ keep cluss, ef ye want to weather 6t through. An’ you, gal, ye’d better @coot, too, for there’s forty o’ his pals here to- night, an’ ye two uns couldn’t hold out ag’in thet many, I tell ye.” ‘* True!” exclaimed Hurricane Nell; ‘‘so Pll go. And you, sir”—to Burnett—“ had better go to your room, as Jonas has said, [I'll be in waiting for you, at sunrise, by the edge of the grove, Keep an eye out for Bob Woolf, and knock him down again, if he dares to molest you. Good-by.” Morning dawned brightly over the diggings and smiling landscape around Dwight’s, The mellow sun rose out of the bed of mol- ten gold on the crest of the western horizon, and threw her soft, warm rays athwart the then yet dew-besprinkled grass, and glanced down upon the purling stream, by the edge of the glistening grove, on the leaves of which still lingered the traces and rain-drops of the previous night’s storm. Not a score of rods distant from the impos- ing mansion of Hon. Felix Grover, sitting upon her clean-limbed and spirited black horse, in under the shelter of a giant sycamore, at the creek’s edge, was the radiant young beauty, Hurricane Nell, She was still attired in the buck-skin suit, and a jaunty beaver cap covered her waving head of hair. A rifle of superior workman- ship lay across the pommel of an elegantly amounted saddle, and two revolvers were in the holsters, in addition to the brace in her belt. A iong, toughened lasso hung at her side, and another at the neck of the saddle. She evi- dently was all in readiness for the long, swift journey. There was a soft, dreamy expression in her lustrous eyes, as she sat there—something wist- fully expectant as she glanced up toward the little gathering of shanties on the hill, which composed all there was of Dwight’s settle- ment. , She was watching and waiting for the ‘young and handsome Philadelphian to join her. For full two hours she sat there, and still the settlement lay in silence, and no Cecil Burnett came. The sun mounted toward the meridian, and the birds in the leafy coverts behind her sung joyously from the sweet- scented branches their morning carols. At last, about ten o’clock, she saw a horse- man come spurring down over the brow of the hill, and a quick, unaccountable throb in her bosom, together with a glad, half-expectant light in her eyes, apprised her that her new ‘patron was coming. Why should she manifest such an interest in him? He was a total stranger to her, and nothing more, she told herself; yet a wild yearning inside that swelling bosom belied her ‘words, even as she would have uttered them. Bah! was she in love with the athletic young lawyer? No! her hands tightened forcibly upon the bridle reins before her, as if to crush back the thought, So deeply was she engaged, in watching the approaching horseman, that she took no notice of a lithe figure which had stepped out of the grove, until he spoke, in a low, musical voice; ‘The Flower of the Plains is wrapt in deep thought,I see. Perbaps an intrusion like mine would be unwel20me, eh?” ee ~—- —-.. The maiden looked around, with a slight cry of surprise: ‘Aubrey Lee! you here?’ she exclaimed, extending one faultless hand to him, which he clasped in his. ‘Yes, my beauty; Aubrey Lee is every- where. But, I take it, his presence this morn- ing, is an intrusion, eh? Is it not?’ ‘‘ No, dear friend, you are ever a welcome intruder, to me. I have much to thank you for, sir, and owe you a great debt of gratitude. You have always proved yourself a courteous and generous friend to me, in my hours of trouble, since I was thrown upon the world; and I fear I can never repay you for all.” ** Ah! my pretty Rosebud, there is where you mistake. You can repay me for every cent’s worth I have aided you; and the time is ‘not far off when I shall ask for pay—ay, ma belle, and I trust you will not refuse to honor my claim. But until then, fare thee well, for I must rejoin Miss Grover, whom I left in the wood, back here, a little way. And the young clerk raised her plump hand fondly to his lips, and imprinted a passionate kiss thereon, justas Cecil Burnett rode into plain view, around a corner of the grove. Aubrey Lee at once retreated out of sight, among the trees, while our heroine rode for- ward and greeted Burnett with a bright smile. If the young lawyer had seen the parting salutation of the beautiful guide’s lover, he did not say aught about it, but raised his hat politely, as he spoke. “*T hope I’ve not detained you, fair lady. I see the sun is nearing the meridian, and I doubt not you were impatient to be off; but, really, I could not get here before, I had a little trouble in procuring the necessary horse and arms.” “‘Indeed! I did not think of that, or I might have brought you a rifle, along with me. I have an excellent stock of guns and ammu- nition at my cabin.” “Your cabin? Where is that?’ asked Bur- nett, as they dashed along down the banks of the stream, until the end of the grove was gained, when they struck out across a stretch of undulating prairie. A half-distrustful light wavered in the maiden’s eyes, for a moment, after which she replied: “If it wont offend you, sir, ’d rather not answer that question. My place of abodeis a secret to all save two others than myself, and I would prefer it should remain so. ’Tis said that Hurricane Nell lives where Night over- takes her, sir; and perhaps it is true.” “Who are these two favored ones?’ “ Friends.” ‘Friends, eh? Well, if I insisted that J am going to be one of your friends, what then?” ‘‘ Time, alone, will prove that,” she answered, giving him a roguish glance, as together they rode side by side, that made even his schooled heart bound and pulsate, in a manner he could not account for. About noon they reached the wide level plains, which stretched away mile after mile, one vast expanse of smooth, ocean-like land, covered with low, waving grass, and strikingly beautiful as it lay silent and calm, under the sun, save when an oocasional puff of perfumed breeze swept along over the grass-tops and caused them to bend and sway gently, in uni- son. As far as eye could reach ahead, and on either side of them, nothing but the same ex- tension of plain met their gaze. ‘‘ Beautifull” cried Burnett, in raptures, as at the guide’s expressed wish, they presently drew rein. ‘“ Grand!” ‘Yes; ’tis nature’s most sublime creation, in my way of thinking,” replied Hurricane Nell, as she scanned the expanse, through a power- ful field-glass. ‘‘Mr. Burnett, how soon must you reach Cherry Valley?” ‘¢ Why a8 soon as we can, without hurrying ourselves, particularly. Why do you ask?’ “‘ Because; I can see a dark spot off yonder, and am anxious to ride that way, and see what it is, if you have no objections.” . ‘Oh! certainly I have not. Consult your own notions as to that,” x These Ayain they spurred on over the waving plain, and some two miles were traversed ere the Girl Guide again spoke. The black spot had now grown larger, and defined itself into a small motte of trees, . which, however, were yet several miles dis- tant. “Behind that timber,” said Hurricane Nell, as she shook her brown hair back from her — forehead, ‘‘is what the Dacotahs call a rattlee— . or, in other words, it is the spot where wild , horses of these regions come for water, a cool spring being just beyond that timber. I once came upon it, in my ridings, but had forgot- ten its exact location, until I saw it a few mo ments since. - “< Wild horses, eh?” ‘‘'Yes; and some of the finest animals you l ’ ) ‘ ’ J i See ever laid your eyes upon. Now, Til tell you ; what Pll do. We will ride a few miles fur- ther on, when you must dismount, leave your horse upon the plain, here, and creep on your hands and knees to that motte of timber, as quick as you can.” : ‘* What will I do that for?’ asked Cecil, du- biously, looking first at his fine broadcloth pants and then at the character of the ground under foot; ‘‘I don’t understand.” Hurricane Nell laughed merrily. “Oh! it won’t spoil your pantaloons, Mr. ‘(~ ww Burnett, so don’t look so sorrowful. When ~ you get to the grove, creep carefully through it, and if you discover any horses on the other side, immediately draw one of your pistols and discharge it in the air. In the meantime I will ride in a half circle toward the motte and get as near to the northern side as I can. When you discharge the pistol the animals — will become frightened and rush toward the north—as they generally do—and I wili lease one for you!” Burnett brightened up considerab)y at this, and at once entered into the play with spirit. They galloped on until within a mile of the -_—- motte, when they halted, and the lawyer dis mounted. “ Be sure and get on the southern side of the horses, if you find any, before you fire,” cau tioned the girl with a merry laugh, as Cecil, sprawled upon his hands and knees, creptaway, — gained. ° Some time was spent by him ere he the shadows of the cool, shady motte, and when he at last did rezch it, he tarried a mo- ment to rest before proceeding further. Pres- ently he crept softly on, and soon came out upon the other side. Here a strange, wild scene lay before him. Just in frent of him was a little pond of clear, transparent water, in the center of which bub- bled up a gushing spring. All areund this pond, lying peacefully down. on the luxuriant grass, in the shadows cast by the overhanging trees, were a score of the famed wild horses of the plains. Some were stretcbed at full length, and others were nib-. bling at the grass around them. So quietly had Burnett approached that none of them had been aroused from their noon-day rest. But, even as he thought of this fact, one large, fiery-eyed stallion raised his head aloft, sniffed the air suspiciously, gave a wild snort, and was upon his feet in an in~ stant. his companions, who also sprung up. - and more particularly the. wild mustangs of Texas and New Mexico, with whom I have come in contact more fre-. quently, are possessed of the most sensitive. smelling faculty imaginable. I have knowm ofttimes a drove of the wary creatures to scent the approach of a person, when the wind war in their favor, at a distance of three miles, and give the alarm for a stampede, As a general thing the mustangs tinel out-posted while they sleep or Immediately Burnett drew one of and fired it into mid-air, causing thereat aloud. report. Then the wild and frightened masg rushed off toward the north with fierce and the Philadelphian stepped out of cover se few paces and watched them. He saw them) dash along past the northern end of the moitte,, then swerve to one side, in a body, as Hurrire haven seb-— feed. JOO cS NEomM G Of course this was a given signal for- his pistole ‘ ) . ' ) 7 (Efe)