Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 340 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

“ee there down the main road, the party galloped at the best speed of their horses; but it was mearly dark when the foremost men reached the gap that led into Mat Warner’s valley. They did not wait for those in the rear to <ome up, but dashed through. The sight that met their eyes was well calcu- lated to rouse their wrath and hurry them for- ward, Matthew Warner’s barn was in a bright blaze, and flames were bursting out at the side of his house. It was at once supposed that the outlaws had mone there to steal horses, had been resisted, and revenge had fired the buildings. This supposition was confirmed by several oar shots up the valley. lip Saunders waited for no ordersand no comrades, but at once galloped away toward the conflagration, © Captain’ Tams, who had served in the civil “war, and who was the military leader of the Vigilantes, halted a moment to form his men. hen he sent that wondérful voice of his ober up the road in his usual forcible style: “ Hurry u s! Hell’s to pay here!” Then he ated the stirring order to charge, and away his men went, those who bad fallen behind rapidly closing up to them. It was no imaginary or invisible foe that they ‘were directed to charge. The desperadoes had accomplished their pur- pose, but not so easily as they had hoped to. There were a number of horses in Matthew Warner’s horse-lot, and that was their objec- tive point, especially as the stable was also there, where they might expect to find bridles and pe for ay Hp ut it was daylight when they reached the ranch, and their approach was signaled by the -dogs, and they were quickly discovered b Warner and his men, who hastened to get their weapons and defend the horse-lot. The struggle was, of course, a very unequal one, as they were largely outnumbéred; but more than one of their assailants bit the dust before they were driven from the fence to the stable. @ In their retreat one of the bands was killed, and another was badly wounded, but managed to get away. at Warner and the remaining men con; tinued the fight from the stable; but the oa laws, in their anger at the stubborn resistance, et fire to it, and soon smoked them out. | They effected a safe retreat from their im- periled position, but did not go far. As soon as the growing Carkness gave them a chance they returned, and theirs were the shots that reached the ears of their friends at the ap. $ Bat the outlaws were left free to secnre the horses and to provide themselves with riding- gear from the burning stable. Spence Symmes and Cheyenne Charley had din the mean time been paying special attention to their own safety and their own objects. “They had been the first to get horses and amount them. Then they rode to the house, dismounted, and went in. Helen Warner wasin the room with Harry ‘Venn, who had gained strength, but was yet too weak to leave his bed. The barking of dogs, the repid firing, and the shouting of strange men, told her what was oing on, and from the window she saw the attack on the horse-lot. She closed the shutter, so that Harry should not see it. Between her anxiety for her father and for her invalid lover she scarcely thought of her own peril. “What is it?’ asked Harry. ‘‘ What is the matter?” ‘‘ Tt seems to be some sort of a fight,” she an- _ swered. ‘Don’t let it worry you, dear. You can do nothing, and I hope we are safe here.” ““Tt is Spence Symmes and his gang. [am sure itis, He has come to carry you off again, and I can’t move a band to help you. Oh, this is terrible!” ‘Be quiet, Harry. Have no fear forme, I have a pistol now, and know how to use it, I ean ote myself.” When the footsteps were heard at the outer door she rose to her feet, -“T will be back directly, Harry,” she said. She stepped out into the passage, closing the door behind her and locking it, and drew her ‘pistol from her pocket. ; Before she could raise it she was firmly seized wy Spence Symmes, whose triumphant and in- oes oes "a Clip, the Contortionist. solent gaze once more drove the color from her cheeks, ‘* Here I am again!” he exclaimed. ‘I have come, as I told you I would, and the devil himself won’t get you away from me this time!” Helen did not uttera cry. She knew that it would be useléss to call for belp, and feared to further alarm the invalid. Her fear was not what it would have beenif she bad not’ been once rescued from a similar peril. The outlaw dragged her out to his horse, which he mounted, and with the assistance of Cheyenne Charley she was placed before him, In his triumph he probably forgot the possi- bility of pursuit by the men who had driven his band from their dens. By this time bis followers were gathering about him, and were impatient to be off. ‘Set fire to the shanty!” he shouted. ‘‘We need a good light to show us the way out.” His savage order was speedily obeyed, and he rode tuward the gap at the head of his remain- ing followers. at Warner and the farm hand who was un- hurt hurried forward, firing revengeful shots at them as they went. These were the foes that Captain Tams or- dered the Vigilantes to charge, and they did charge with a will. As they charged they fired at the mass of horsemen that suddenly appeared before them in the darkness. The departing outlaws, astonished and over- whelmed by the unexpected arrival of their enemies, were seized by a panic, and did not even attempt to make a fight. As the only exit for horses was closed against them, they seattered to the sides of the valley, where they dismounted and took to the hills. Several of them were shot down before they reached shelter, and the band was so thinned and demoralized and divided, that it might be considered broken up. Among those who succeeded in escaping were Spence Symmes and Cheyenne Charley. The latter got to the hills easily enough; but the former, being burdened with Helen Warner, was the target of a number of bullets that missed him. When he reached the woods his pursuers were so Close that if would clearly be impossible for him to take ber further as an unwilling partner of his flight. So he dismounted and ran, telling her to shift for herself. This she was well able to do, as she had re- tained her senses, and had a pretty good idea of what was going on. As soon as she was rid of the terror of his Ayer ese she took the horse by the bridle, and ed him toward her burning bome. Clip Saunders, as he galloped up the valley, saw the departing raiders, and steered to the left; but they scattered before he reached them, and he rode recklessly among and through the flying horsemen, who were too much occupied in caring for their own safety to no- tice him. | He rode at full speed direct to the house, where the flames were rapidly gaining head- way. Leaping from his horse, he let the animal run loose, and dashed into the house and to the door of Harry Venn’s room. The door was locked, but yielded when he threw himself against it, and the next moment he was at the bedside of the invalid. ‘‘Never mind me, Clip,” exclaimed Harry. ‘Nelly is gone! Spence Symmes: bas carried her off.” ‘‘You must be attended to now,” replied Clip, as he lifted the young man from the bed, and half carried bim to the pony, At the door he met Matthew Warner, who gladly belped him with his burden, and when they got outside, there was Helen, thankful for the safety of her father and her lover. Part of the Vigilantes assisted Mr. War- ner in removing such of bis household effects as could be saved; but it was impossible to ex- tinguish the fire, and the house burned to the ground, ‘‘Never mind,” said the ranchman. ‘‘My child is safe, and that is enough for me!” CHAPTER XVI LIGHT ON A DARK DEED. Ir was a fact, as the young scout who follow- ed her supposed, that the Indian woman had transferred ber allegiance from the dead Sam Bunker to another of the same stripe. It was a further fact that Cheyenne Charley was the man who kad contracted to supply ‘ ee oS her with whisky in return for her services and obedience, # The liquor that she brought from Orodia was for the joint benefit of Ginger and Cheyenne Charley; but, as it happened, Ginger got only a small portion of her share, her supply being cut off by ber untimely death at the bands of the men who suspected her of baving betrayed the secret of their hiding-place. Thus the joint stock of whisky became the sole property of the man who bad promised to turn over a new leaf, but had only succeede in making some vegy black marks on the ol age. eters be left the den with his comrades, he loaded himself with the flasks, and in the sub- sequent flight and desultory eombats, he was careful to keep his grecious person and bis pre~ cious liquor out of the reach of stray bullewm At the first sight of the Vigilantes, as they he turned and fled. He had as yet touched the liquor but lightly, and his head was reasonably clear, Therefore he knew that his only chance for escape was to get {nto the hills and the cover of the timber. He pushed his horse toward the range on the south side of the valley, carefully selecting a point where the climbing seemed to be compar- atively easy. As soon as he reached the ascent he dismount- ed and took to his heels, and the timber and the darkness soon hid him from the view of the pursuing horsemen. The fire that had lately swept over the range had partly cleared it of undergrowth, but without making much havoc among the tall trees. Thus the darkness was a better cover for the fugitive than the foliage; but at the same time the ascent was easier than it otherwise would have been. It was difficult enough, though, and when he reached the summit he was quite exhausted, especially as he had exerted himself to make good time for the sake of saving his precious carcass. He was well pleased at fading himeelf on the flre-swept plateau and near the hole in which he and Spence Symmes had disappeared when they were between the fury of the flames and the wrath of the Vigilantes. After listening a while, to make sure that be was not followed, he groped about in the darkness and found the hole, into which he crawled, ; eA, He stumbled through the passage, cursing his bard luck and the bruises he got on the way, until he came cut in the valley or ravine below, whére be considered himself safe. The forest here had been scarcely touched by tbe fire, and the night was warm, and the wearied desperado, after he, soaking his skin with whisky, stretched bimselff on the ground, and slept soundly until the sun was climbing up the eastern sky, When he awoke he was in such a muddled condition that it was difficult for him to decide where he was or how he bad got there. But astrong pull at a whisky flask brightened him up, and enabled him to view the situation with reascnable clearness. Two points pressed upon bim severely. In the first place, he was alone, fseparated from his late comrades, whom he might never see again, and was a hunted man, against whom every hand would be raised. In the second place, he was hungry, and had not the faintest idea of how he would get any- thing to eat, unless something in the way of ret oes happen to come within range of his rifle. But, if there was a lack of solid food, there was no lack of liquid nourishment, and he sought solace in his whisky flask so earnestly that he was liable soon to sink into a stupor, The instructions of the Vigilantes were to scour the hills in search of the outlaws who bad escaped, and to shoot down without mercy all they found who refused to surrender. Clip Saunders, who had organized himself into a man-bunting expedition, crossed the pla- teau which Cheyenne Charley had been glad to reach the night before, and looked about in search of prey. It seemed advisable to him to search the hole which he had previously explored: but, before doing so, he looked over the edge of the steep southern side of the ridge. Down there in the ravine he saw a man seated on the ground, his back ayainst a tree, and in his hand a flask which he frequently applied to his lips. ° rode from the gap toward Mat Warners ranch, | witl P ist inv! ter! és