Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 328 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

in their arms and bore her away, followed by the trained and armed band of soldiers. Annie saw that it was useless to attempt es- cape from such a crowd. She could only hope for rescue from her friends. She was taken into a house by the women, her garments were stripped from ber, and then she was clothed in robes of fine cloth, heavy with gold and thickly ornamented with jewels, A sort of crown was then placed on her head, and she was seated outside the house where this had taken place, to be admired and compili- mented by the people. The food was again placed before her, and as she really felt hungry, and had not yet lost all hope of rescue, the sensible girl partook of it, finding it very good. So the afternoon passed away, Annie being worshiped and admired, women and men chant- 10g and girls performing a strange dance. hen she was led back to the door of the tem- ple and placed upon a sort of altar, richly orna- mented, while half a dozen priests gathered about her and held her down with a strong grip. Then the high priest, brandishing aloft the long knife of sacrifice, chanted a sort of dirge and enumerated the many virtues of the god puealiqpochsl, to whom the sacrifice was 1D e, | At the end of the chant a shout went up, and the bright blade was lifted above the girl cap- tive’s heart! CHAPTER XI. STSARCHING FOR ANNIE, Or course the shot fired by Annie Bradle and her loud screams were heard by the sca tered passengers of the balloon, who were all amusing themselves along shore or in the woods. Harry Brown, who. was in a remote part of the woods at the time, ran with all speed to- ward the balloon. The others all ran toward the same spot for the reason that they wére unable to tell from what quarter the alarming sounds came, They met at the car of the Sky Traveler and all exclaimed: ‘‘ What’s the matter?” ‘Where did Annie go?” demanded Brown, ‘‘'T> the woods,” said Ben. ‘‘She uttered the screams, I’m sure.” He darted away for the woods, and they all put after him, leaving the balloon deserted up- on the beach. Spreading out, with weapons ready in hand, they scoured the woods for a considerable dis- tance, but saw no.signs of Annie, They shouted the girl’s name aldéud, but re- ceived no response, and were about to return to the sbore to see if Annie had returned there, when Jack Slasher saw a handsome spear balf concealed in some long grass and picked it up. ‘Stand still a minute,” he said, with his eyes on the ground. He studied the appearance 0’ the spot for a few minutes, and as he was quite a fair woods- man, he boldly made this statement: % Bene here the girl was captered by a lot of n e ‘White men?” asked Ben. ‘‘No, nor exactly red ones nuther,” replied the ex-bully of Golden Gulch. ‘ Accordin’ to this here spear, she was captered by them ’ere fellers piety lived in Mexico afore white men come along. os phos. | said Brown. “Pard, you've bitit. They must have one 0’ their towns in this part of the country. I'm advisin’ that we git back to the balloon, go up, and use the spy-glass to locate the town,’ “ But,” sara Ben, excitedly, ‘‘if you've got the skill to read all this by signs, can’t you fol- low up the trail, and let us rescue Annie?” OND use, boy,” said Slasher. “‘ Jest look at the trail. No less than twenty men, and they’re not Digger Indians, nutber, an’ don’t yer forgit it. These here chaps kin fight. Besides, the gal’s in no danger, now.” ‘* How so?” demanded Brown. “They either kill’em at sunrise or sunset,” replied Slasher, ‘Oh, as sacrifices?” “ Correct.” Ts ne “Then,” said the detective, ‘‘Jack’s advice is good. Come on,” Back they went to the shore, to find to their astonishment that a handsome steam-yacbt la a few hundred yards off-shore, and that a hand- some cutter was approaching tke beach, . manned by 4 crew, and bearing Harley Willis in the stern, ; The Sky Detectives. Ee ee ~—.- —e- -- _- The boat grated on the sands, and out leaped the young balloonist and Captain Bernon Dyer. - In a few minutes Harley was told all that had happened, and made acquainted with Jack Tr ¢ idea. Wen bep jampi . tell very soon,” sa arle mpin into the car. ‘* Let go the anchor, Malone. Two minutes later he was high up in the air, and brought the Sky Traveler to an almost stationary ition. Within five minutes he was upon the solid earth again, ‘*Slasher is right,” he announced, as Malone made the balloon fast. ‘‘She has been carried off by just such a band as Slasher mentions; they are Set Ar her upon their backs, secure- ly bound. ith my glass I made out their vil- lage, toward which they are traveling. I should judge that it is five miles away, and they are more than half-way home,” : ‘‘How many in the band, do you say?” aske Captain Dyer. ‘* About twenty.” ‘* And how many people are we to look for in the village?” ‘‘The place looked very small to me; and I shouldn’t look for avery large fighting force,” said Harley. “But much areer than your numbers can successfully tackle “We must tackle them, though,” said Har- ley. ‘‘Pdsave that girl, or try to, if I had to do it alone.” ‘Your numbers would fail against the Aztec village,” said Captain Dyer, ‘tI know some- thing of them, They have a trained body of soldiers. Suppose I lend you my blue jackets?” ‘Will you?” cried all. ‘ ‘* You bet I will,” said the gallant young cap- ain. tion on board the Corrigan, and Ill lead every volunteer in my crew to the rescue,” He turned to the boat’s crew. ‘Will you volunteer to rescue this pretty lass from the heathen?’ he asked, ‘ A cheer was the answer, and the men all tossed up their caps. ‘* Brave lads,” cried Harley. “ll take the boat back to the Corrigan and get the rest of the crew,” said Captain Dyer. ‘We can also bring the arms and ammunition forall, Ill stand at the head of twenty-five brave and well-armed men, By the way, how will you go?” ‘In the balloon, with Malone, my man.” Then [ll bring you a small cannon, and a suit of armor I bought in France, The cannon will be loaded with small stuff that will scatter broadly. The armor you can wear, and fear neither sword, knife, or bullet if you have to at- tempt the rescue alone.” “T’ll take both “Thanks!” said Harley. along with pleasure.” With two oarsmen back went Captain Dyer to the Corrigan. Every sailor on board re- sponded to his call for volunteers, and the pre- parations went on actively, | In less than fifteen minutes from the time that the men volunteered, the expedition under the lead of Captain Dyer was on its way, ac- companied by Ben Bradley, Harry Brown, and the former bully of Golden Gulch, while ‘Har- ley and Malone, in the Sky Traveler, with the small cannon and the suit of armor along, were bearing away through tbin air. Crossing some rocky ridges the trail of the Aztecs was lost by the party under Captain Dyer, and they were forced to come to a halt ane search for it, t was not easy to find where the earth could not receive impressions, ‘Don’t lose time hunting for it,” spoke up Jack Slasher, ‘‘ We know about the way to go to the town, so what’s the use of losing time as may be valuable?” ‘*That’s so,” said Brown, “ Harley gave us our bearings. Let’s move on; the girl may in great danger.” ** All right,” said Captain Dyer, and on they went. The result of this was that they passed by the little range of bills that shut in the town of the Aztecs, and went a trifle off to the north with- out seeing a sign of the settlement. Fortunately, for it was now growing late, arley Willis, aloft in the car of the S raveler, caught sight of them and saw that they had missed the point they aimed to reach. € managed to lower his balloon in advance of them, and waited for them to come up, when he told them of their error, much to their sur- The time thus lost brought them aangerrony near to sunset, and Ben was in a fever of | wm ee ee — ee “Tve got plenty of arms and ammuni-' 1 anxiety lest they should be too late to rescue his sister, Back went the command under the youn yachtsman, and Harley, clad in bis suit o armor, with the assistance of Malone, dragged the loaded cannon on its low wheels to a pass not more than five feet wide, which led in be- tween two hills to the Aztec town, The arrapvgement had been made that he was to enter the town at this point, aim his cannon if he saw a crowd, and fire it among the crowd. When Harley opened attack at this end of the town in the manner mentioned, the party under Captain Dyer was to rush in from ar te) ite entrance and fall upon the astonished villagers, Harley saw the crowd about the temple, saw the raised altar upon which he believed Annie. lay, and saw a long-robed Aztec standing over the altar, around which stood half a dozen more long-robed men. Carefully training bis cannon upon the idola- trous crowd and aiming low, the young aero- naut fired the piece. With a loud roar it went off, and the hail of Jead and iron with which it was loaded swept. among the Aztecs, just as the priest raised the glittering knife above Annie’s prostrate form, In an instant the scene changed. The cannon, aimed so as to be on a range with the lower limbs of the villagers, cut them down as a scythe mows down the tall F aon The high priest’s arm fell by his side, and arm expression of terror crept over his stern feat- ures, The priests who were holding on to Annie let: go of her with a dismal howl, and fled with precipitate haste into the sacred temple, prob- ably with the idea that they would within its walls, - The wounded fell in a shrieking mass to the street, while the others stood bewildered and unable to turn one way or another. . And at that moment of extreme confusion, with Captain Dyer, Ben Bradley, Harry Brown und Yaak Slasher at their head, the sailors frons the Corrigan made their charge. CHAPTER XII. IN ARMOR. Wits a cheer as loud as the report of the cannon that bad seived asa signal, the hardy blue-jackets charged into the town at a double- quick pace, : | The common people fled, but the trained s0l- diers of the Aztecs turned to meet them with a bold front. In a moment they met with a crash, and then, it was cutlass against sword and revolver against spear and shield. | Clad from head to foot in armor that set snugly on his athletic form, and with a revolver in each hand, Harley Willis made a dash for the temple. ay? He was just in time, The high priest had recovered from his terror, and was about to retreat into the tem- e, ‘ It seems that he had made up his mind to carry out the sacrifice at all odds, for be raised the blade once more just as Annie, hearing the shouts and feeling that her friends were at m tried to get up from the altar. | | The priest pusbed her rudely back, and was: about to stab her with the long, sacrificial blade, when Harley Willis drew a bead om hi im. The eim was a hasty one but it was true, an& with a bullet through his left lung the pagan priest fell. Up the slope to the temple dashed the young” balloonist, crying: “‘ Annie—Annie, it is I!” ; Annie’s eyes opened wide with wonder, as she: leaped down from the altar and beheld this fig-. ure clad in armor rushing up to her, but she recognized the voice with a feeling of joy. ‘*Oh, Harley! is it you?’ she cried. _ And then, as though she had known him fcr years, she rushed into his arms, armor and a safe fi Throwing one arm around her, Harley led. her away from the spot to the pass by which be had entered, and told her to run along it. until she met Malone with the balloon, Then he returned to the vicinity of the temple. and dashed into the thickest of the fight, laugh- ing to himself when blows were rained upon: him, and turned aside by the solid armor, He caught a cutlass from the hands of a | fallen sailor, and slashed about him right and left like a hero, not ena to defend him- self in the least, so secure did he feel in his dress of steel. | JOO "EOMmIG <S (elo) o-*- —_ Se!