Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 348 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

GR Set DN RGE GRU MOH S SON ORE 9 RR Ee aS PT Ok i Sep a ‘ «- ' 3: eH , a _ . ie ~~ : : ee! ; : eee 4 : Fireheels; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. | Pe be Ft ree The lines which had appeared on the face of | my bein’ a poor man, with a famerly to keer the salmon mercbant and the mavy white | for, and—” bee threads that were now blended with his raven ‘* Hnough!” interrupted Mr. Danton. “Iagree bair, were not there before bis daughter met | to your terms. You shall have the money the with her terrible fate. She was bis only child, | moment you restore to me my child.” and deeply seated melancholy, wbich would And as he spoke his eyes gleamed with wild probably never desert him, had succeeded to the | joy po. tracked her as far as heer, after which I lost all pte trace of her. You must know what has be- come of her!” | ‘¢Upon my word, | do not,” gasped Lorne. ‘‘Gome with me, yer varmint—come!” said Skinflint, dragging him along with him. * You shall go with me to Justice Wentworth!” ~ Lorne now made a desperate effort to free grief and borror which he had experienced ‘Ther’ must be no trick’ry in this bizness,” himself, but in vain, Skinflint’s grasp upon his when the tragedy first became known to him. said Jasper—‘‘ no spies sent to track meor fo ar- collar was like iron. “Dye come to see yer bout somethin’ impor- | rest me. Ef ther’s anything of that kind done, igeg ‘“Ttold yer I did not mean to kill yer,” he tant,” said John Jasper. 1’) know it, and then l’ll have nothing more to | tg said, “but, by the ’tarnal! ef yer try to git ‘‘ You want work in my factory, I suppose?’ | do with the affair.” (tay away from me, lll do it, in spite of conse- | said Davton, glancing at the man’s rough team- ‘No, no, | promise you that there’ll be noth- ea quences!” ster’s garb. “I think I have seen you before. | ing of the kind. Tell me how soon you can « ; Lorne knew that Skinflint would keep his | You were a juryman in that—that—awful—” bring her tome! For God’s sake! speak quick- ye" word, and he offered no further resistance, re- “Not so awful as yer seem to think, sir,” | ly, and make the time short!” Pi . solving, however, to watch for a chance to es- | interrupted Jasper. ‘To-morrow morning I will come here to amt f ape. ; ‘‘What do you mean?” take you to yer darter—that is previded yer | , But mile after mile was traversed, and still ‘‘Tt is not for work, but it is bout that affair | show me the cash which you are to give me, 4? Se no such chance presented itself. I’ve come to see yer, sir,” was the reply. But you must keep silent about it. You must ds > Skinflint’s whitish eyes were continually upon ‘Go on, for beaven’s sake!” not tell a livin’ soul until after our bizness is JS | his prisoner, who had no opportunity to draw “ Well, then, ’ll begin by askin’ yer what | done, or the whole thing falls through.” gia one of the pistols he had with him. He knew | ver’d give me if I could bring back yer darter “Be it so! beit so!” cried Mr. Danton, eager- 5: ; that the moment be should do so, his desperate | to yr ?” ly, ready, under the circumstances, to promise : Le eo 2 captor would shoot him dead on the spot! “Bring her back?’ cried Mr. Danton, with a | ‘mostanytbing. ‘‘ You will not disappoint me?” Chee r “Yes.” said the hunter, as they moved on. | wild stare. ‘* Are you crazy q”” he added, in so beseeching a tone that even the by ‘‘ My little sister war an angel—she war a good ** Not a bit of it, sir.” hard heart of the villain was touched. “ You ees gal, and she war bappy until you saw her—you ‘Do you mean to tell me that she lives?” are not deceiving me?” mrt cussed viper! Ef Ll had been at home when you ‘<T didn’t say so, sir!” ‘* As true as I’m a livin’ man I’m not,” an- | came to my house, yer’d never bev contrived “Wretch! get out of this house! You either | swered Jasper, in a voice which carried convic- rh to git her to marry you. It war all done while | have come here to torture me, or you have lost tion with it. oom 1 I war on a buntin’ and trappin’ tramp, but I | your senses, and don’t know what you are say- ‘* You will come to-morrow morning?’ pry. | 7 a aeerd, when I came back, how yer beat and | ing!” ‘‘T will come—at eight o'clock.” He mat cussed her—then how you set out with her as “Come now, sir, keep cool. I didn’t say yer As may be imagined, the merchant obtained 2 ees you said, to go to another settlement, bundreds | darter is alive, but, supposin’? she is—what | no sleep that night. Never before had time . re of miles away, and left her in the wilderness to | would ver give for havin’ ber restored to you?” | seemed to him so long. He had great command ‘; " die. She war vever the same, arter that. I Mr. Danton looked steadily at the speaker. | over himself, however, and contrived to appear 1, ‘4 think it onsettled her reason a little, and when | There was, in the expression of the man’s face, | calm and self possessed, y, 4 I saw her ag’in I couldn’t git a smile out.o’ the | nothing indicative of insanity. The bour agreed upon came at last, and with | gal, who always, ’fore that, had been so glad to “Unforiunately,” said the merchant, ‘‘my | it Jesper, true to his promise. M see me. She kep’ pinin’-like, until one day, a | daughter does not live, and, therefore, I see no ‘*Come, let us lose no time!” said Mr. Danton, af few weeks ago, [ found her gone, Ill l’arn | use of this senseless talk. Good God! did I not | ‘‘ You have my daughter at the place to which ie what’s become of her, ef I hev to wring yer | see her body myself? Did I not—” you intend to take me?” hy neck fur it!” “ How do you know it was her body?” quie'ly ‘* Yes, she is there, but first. please let me see ‘ To this Lorne made no reply, but his face | interrupted Jasper. the money ?” t became ghastly, and he trembled from head to ‘‘How did I know it?’ gasped Mr. Danton. Mr. Danton took out bis pocketbook and ex- ae foot. “Why, by her face—her dress—by her size.” hibited twenty $500 bills, which made the eyes , Suddenly the sound of an approaching party “You cannot say by her face !” of the young villain glisten. P was heard, and the eyes of the young outlaw ‘What do you mean?’ cried the merchant, ‘All right,” he said, ‘‘ I am ready.” ‘ lighted up, for he hoped he would now find a | shuddering, ‘‘Raseal!” ke continued. ‘ Leave They left the house. S ae a chance to escape. me! Go! You have come here to torture me— They bad not proceeded far when a terrible oe eS His disappointment was great when the | to gratify your own curiosity !” thought—one whicb bad not occurred to bim yt “ chief Wono and some of his men came to view. “Well, then, [’ll come to the p’int. Yer before—crossed the mercbhant’s np ind, Ue ‘‘Ugh! good!” said the chief. ‘‘The hunter | darter is alive !” Might not this beatrick torob him of the vo _ thas hisfoe.” . ‘ Alive? my diughter?” cried Mr. Danton in | money in his possession? Might not the person . j ‘‘ Yes, and I’m goin’ to take him to Justice | a wild voice. with him be an outlaw—one of that gang which Wentworth, who lives ’bout thirty mile from ‘‘-Yes, your darter. Now, what will yer give | was now being hunted for all over the country? . heer.” me fur restorin’ her to you?” The more he thought of it, the st:onger be- : : ‘Tt is a long way. There are some of the “Where is she? Come, tell me, where is my | came bis conviction that such was the case. dey: , tribe of the Snakes about, and they are the | child? But no; you are imposing on me!” However, he would be on bis guard. He car- I! enemies of the Omahas. Tamina has joined «As true as thar’s a sky above us,” answered | ried a small pistol in bis pocket, and upon this | them, and so, if the hunter should fall in with | Jasper solemnly, ‘‘ver darter is alive! I have | he kept his band as the two walked on. them, they would take bis prisoner from him.” | seen ber. The body found was not hers! It The Y orn, taken by Jasper led toward the wild- ‘‘ Ef they do, they'll not take him alive!” | was that of another person, who looked like her | est and most unfrequented parts of the coun- 7 cried Skinflint. and was dressed like ber.” try. ; ‘They will make the hunter prisoner, too, | ‘ Impossible!” ‘How much further will we have to go?” in- | ‘4 and, if Tiana sees him, be will tell them to “It isso. Yer darter, I’ve l’arned, is kept a | quired Mr. Danton, when they bad walked sev- ee take his scalp. Wono will send some of his war- | pris’ner. I know where she is.” eral miles, and were out of sight of the settle- #2 ia riors with the hunter.” Mr. Danton sprung forward and collared the | ment. Yaa “Good!” said Skinflint, “that'll make things aker. ‘‘Not much further,” answered the other. ta <j «@ater.” ‘“You know where she is?—you are keeping ‘“ Where will ] find my child?” f Six of the Omaha braves were detached to go | her a prisoner? This is unlawful, and you must ‘“‘ Seated on a rock in a small cave, where I’ve ; with Skinflint, and Lorne now saw less chance | be dealt with as you deserve. I will have you | left ber for security.” 4 than ever for an escape. arrested.” ) Some minutes later he pointed to a rock ahead ‘Please let go of me, sir. [had no hand in | of them. :, CHAPTER XV. yer darter’s being made a pris’ner. It is the ‘* The cave is in that rock,” be said. ee ALIVE, OR DEAD? Injuns who are responsible.” They soon reached the place. atl CROUCHING in the shrubbery, one of Lorne’s ** Indians?” , Jasper pulled aside a bowlder there, ee: ang bad seen his captain led off a prisoner by ‘Yes, a wandering tribe. Your darter is ‘* Here she is!” be cried. Skinfiint. in their bands. I alone can git her by bargain- He peered into the hollow; then be drew back The man, whose name was Jobn Jasper, was | in’ with the chief, who is under oblergations to with a cry of surprise and disappointment, a cousin of the person who had been killed e.” ** She is not there now!” he said. che through mistake by the outlaws, as already de- “Take me, then, to the chief, and I wili pay ‘‘ Rascal!” exclaimed Mr. Denton. “ You | ; 83 scribed, in the cave. the ransom,” have tricked me, and | know .. by p’ a a? > Jas This person, having with him a revolver “That wouldn’t do, They’ll deal only with ‘Upon my word, I have not. I left her in ety. ~~ gould easily bave shot down the hunter and | me. They would scalp you, and marry yer | that cave to wait for you!” a have thus freed his chief. | darter to one of the tribe, and clear out where | ‘‘ Was there any one with ber?” ae ea But, ou reflection, he concluded not to do so, | yer’d never see em ag’in! Come, Vil tell yer ** Not a soul!” Pee for a reason which will soon be shown. what I’ll do,” continued Jasper, as Mr. Danton “Then she could not have got away. She +2 Se, Quietly seated on the und, he watched | now let go of his coliar, “Give me ten thou- | could not bave moved that bowlder!” =a through an opening in the bushes the two forms | sand dollars. and yer’ll see yer darter ‘fore yer’s |_ ‘‘ That’s so, she could not bave moved it, but tees until they were out of sight, Then he rose, say- | two days older.” she is gone for all that, as youcan see for yer- Be pe 2 ing to bimself: ‘“'You’re an impostor!” cried Mr. Danton— | self!” BSE « ‘All the better that he should be taken out | “* You—” Mr. Danton looked into the cave, to discover ~— of the way. This will leave the coast clear for ‘The money te be paid only when your | thatit was empty. He saw something on the - me.” darter is before you!” interrupted Jasper. ground there, and icked itup. It was a small #3 He rubbed his hands and seemed much “Ob! can this be true?” cried the mer- | coral breast pin, » ich he at once recognized as a ‘ chant. having belonged to his daughter ! 8 ieee Then, after a few minutes’ reflection, he went | _ ‘‘ It’s the livin’ truth, sir. Does it look like | ‘My God! you were right!” he cried. “She ba |e rt straight to the house of Mr. Danton and ask imposition, my tellin’ yer that [ expect no mon- has really heen bere, for bere is ber breast-pin, Bh ox. ss to. see that person. ey until I free your darter and bring ber before which must have dropped! What can have be- Seo «He was admitted to his presence, and he stood | you? Facts is.” added Jasper, in a whining, | come of her?” > I ae sunray ing bim for sev moments, apparently | hypocritical voice, ‘I'd do this far nothin’ ex: ‘“‘An Indian bas bad something to do with nya with some satisfaction. | ceptin’ the ransom asked by the chief, but fur ' it,” said Jasper, pointing to the print of a moc- 2 ORe va whe 4 ; . | hve + 4 a a bee -~ ie 4 ee RAE On he - a J ¥ a s ,” “A so oo By, §** > * * ‘ “— * ‘a Snes ‘ > .] ; 7 Se -. , “ll sh 1b leans - * 2 P a * we > a Pi ~ q xe, —~ a - i Ae »~ _ 7 ae + er =o bt RNR 8 SRT