Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 348 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

- cand _ s ~<% ike that of Miss Danton, and it bad on her shawl The dress, too, was white—the same as hers. I tuck it all in at a glance.” “Te is true. The dead girl have on white dress like that of Bell Danton, and she look, when dead, like Bell Danton. Her shawl be- longed to Bell Danton, too, Some must have ut it on her. She in woods, at dusk, when she ear scream. She see Lorne strike down girl, and choke ber! When Bell see this, it affect her so, she faint. After while she come to, and find herself in outlaws’ cave—in dungeon. Lorne had been take her there! He fasten her in there with chain!” ‘So this Lorne is an outlaw and a murderer!” eried Belton, in surprise, ‘‘I always thought he war a bad coon, but I’m shore of it now! Whar is Bell Danton—with her father?” ‘No, me find her in little cave. Lona going past rock, and she hear voice call out, She pull bowlder away from entrance to cave, and there was the white girl” ‘‘ Wasn’t you started, on seein’ one whom you thought war dead?” ‘‘No, for Lona been see before. Lona know she in cave of robbers, for she been see her there. She going that very time to see Mr. Danton, and tell him about it—at time when she pass rock and hear girl.” ‘Well, why didn’t you then take her home to her father?’ “She too weak—she sick. Lona take her off to a comfortable place—to a good cave, and there she make her lie down on skins, and give her medicine. She been rave—ber brain on fire—but she better now!” ‘* We will go there, instantly. and take her to her father!” cried Belton, ‘Don’t know if she is strong enough yet for walk,” answered Lona. ‘‘ But we go and see, If not, then Lona go to Logville, tell Mr, Dan- ton, and bring people to help her.” Belton went with Lona to the cave in which she had left Bell Danton. The retreat was one which the Indian girl had used for her own quarters when the Omahas were encamped near the place. Screened by willows and thick shrubbery, it might have escaped the notice even of a detective. Entering the cave, Belton saw Miss Danton, still quite weak, seated ona log, which served for a chair in the rocky hollow. On beholding the young hunter a bright blush suffused her cheeks, and her eyes gleamed with oy. ¢ * Belton !’ she cried. ‘‘ Thank Heaven! you are safe—you aresaved! Lorne’s plot to have you bung for a murder has failed!” ‘Well, now, you surprise me by what you say, miss, but ef ever thar was a happy man, I’m the one atseeing you alive—for your own sake—and rescued from the dungeon whar Lona says Lorne had put you.” “Yes, be had his reasons for putting me there,” said Bell. ‘‘One was because I was a witness to bis crime,” she added with a shudder, ‘“‘for I saw him strike down and throttle the girl who was found killed; another was because he wanted to have you executed for the crime; and the third was that he wanted to obtain from my father, through some one of bis band, a large ransom for my restoration, after you should have perished on the gallows! Yester- day I was freed by one of the gang, a fellow they called John Jasper, and was by him con- ducted to a cave. He said he felt sorry for me, and was going to restore me to my father, who would come to the cave, if I there waited for him. ‘‘The distance from there to Logville being five miles, he said Ll was too weak to walk so far, which, in fact, was really the case, “The moment he left the cave he put a bow!l- der, too heavy for me to move, against the entrance. Then I guessed the truth, which was that he wanted to secure the ransom for me from my father. I strove to move away the bowlder, but could not, I heard footsteps pass- ing, and called, when Lona, displacing the rock, appeared before me. By this time I was much excited. I told Lona bow I came there, but remember little more until 1 found her yester- day bending over me, and giving me cooling drinks.” ‘‘ You should then hev gone to Logville and told about it,” said Belton to the Indian girl, ‘‘Lona then ’fraid to go,” was the answer “« for she been see tracks of Snake Indians, and she fear they make girl pris’ner. Afterward she go out and scout; she see Skinflint, having Lorne captive, ahead of her, and she try to catch up to him, but, before she could, Snakes attack. Then she hide, and after a while, when Skinfliav been take pris’ner, she go to rescue him. — SSS EE eee aaa aaa aaa aaa eaaaaaaacaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaaaamaaaaaamaaaaaamaaamaaaaaaaaaaamaaaaascaaaaaaammaaaaaaaasacaaaaasaaaa Fireheels; or, Old Skinflint, the Death-Shadow. 15 CHAPTER XIX. CONCLUSION, SCARCELY had Lona concluded when asbadow darkened the cave, and Lorne sprung through the opening. eg You have escaped me, wretch!” he shouted, pointing a pistol at Belton’s head, ‘“‘but you shall not live to boast of it!” He was about to pull the trigger when Lona sprung between the weapon and the youth, The report of the piece rung sharply, and the Indian girl fell, mortally wounded, . Belton at once raised his rifle and leveled it at the young outlaw’s bead. ‘‘Don’t you move from hyar or youarea dead coon!” he cried. ‘‘The whole truth bas now come out, and it’s been proved that you’re one of the blackest villains on the face of the earth!” Lorne folded his arms, ‘Shoot, if you want to,” he said. ‘*I am not afraid to die. The ‘game’ is up, and I sup- pose I may as wellown it, I have heard most everything that bas been said here, for I was hidden in the shrubbery near the opening of the cave, waiting fora favorable moment to get at you!” ‘‘ Tt is not for me to take your life,” answered Belton. ‘‘ Ef I should, I’d only cheat the scaf- fold, All I want of you, is to go with me to Logville and give yourself up.” ‘*T will not go there,” said Lorne. ‘‘ We will see where I will go to!” As he spoke he pulled a dirk from his breast- pocket and aimed the point toward his heart. Ere Belton could have hindered him he would have plunged the weapon into his breast, had not his knife been knocked from his hand by a blow from a rifle upon his wrist, which was be- numbed by the stroke. The next moment the gaunt, shadow-like form of Skinflint, his whitish eyes blazing with a furious expression, glided before of the outlaw, ‘* Speak!” roared the bunter, shaking bim vio- lently. ‘‘Speak, and tell me who the ga! was you murdered!” Lorne became as pale as death. ‘*You will never get that secret out of me!” he gasped. ‘*Miserable rat! Hyar I am—Skinflint—yer death-shadow—come to make yer own it war my poor little sister Mary yer killed! She war the same complexion as Miss Danton, and, in death, with her face swollen and disfig’red, she mou’t hev looked like her. It war to find out what had become of my sister that I’ve shadowed yer all along. I bad a suspicion that you had a hand in her disappearance, but I didn’t think at first that you’d gone so far as to kill her, though I suspected you had killed Miss Danton. Do yer remember what I whispered in yer ear that night in the hollow, jest arter Belton’s ’scape from prison? It war these words: ‘You murdered Miss Danton!’ but now I know it war my Mary that was killed, and not the other gal!” To this Lorne made no reply, but he appeared to be much agitated, — Skinflint shook bim violently. ‘* Well,” he cried, “‘yer’ve got cornered at last, and yer’ll die with a rope about yer neck— that’s one consolation, I shall be thar tosee yer —to shadow yer to the very scaffold.” With the assist:nce of Belton, Skinflint now fastened the bands and feet of the young villain. Meanwhile Lona lay dying. Miss Danton bent over her, much distressed. ** Good-by,” murmured the Indian girl faint- ly. ‘‘ Lona going to better place—to happy hunt- ing ground,” Belton now stooped down by her side. She took his hand and pressed it, ‘* Farewell,” she gasped. ‘* Lona loved the young bunter, Fireheels, and she die happy, be- cause she saved his life with her own, and—” She never finished the sentence, The seal of death was on her face, and with one last convulsive movement, she expired. Skinflint now started for Logville, which be reached in a few hours. He soon collected a his carriage, was Mr. to the cave. The joy of the merchant when he beheld his daughter alive can hardly be expressed. Explanations were made, Then Bell and her father entered the carriage and soon reached Logville. Lorne was also taken to the settle- ment, some of the men following with the dead Meat of the Indian girl on a rudely-constructed itter. Next day the Omahas came and buried Lona, and Belton was present at the funeral cere- mony. arty, among whom, in anton, to go with him Lorne’s trial took place a week later. He made no attempt to deny Miss Danton’s state- ment. It was also proved, not only by Skin- flint’s testimony, but also by that of some of Lorne’s gang lately arrested, that the youth was the chief of the band who had com- mitted so many robberies, and for whom so many bunters bad been searching. The prisoner refused to tell the name of the girl whom he had choked to death in the woods, near Logville. Skinflint, bowever, felt con- vinced that it was his sister, Mary, and every time he declared this to the outlaw, the latter’s visage showed an expression of fierce triumph, as if he exulted in the rage and grief of his enemy. lt was generally believed, that she was the person who had been the murdervr’s victim, and much sympathy was felt for the rude hunter, whose deep sorrow was plainly depicted on his rugged visage, inally Lorne was brought to the gallows. The rope was put about his neck, and the fatal word was about to be given, when a piercing sbriek was beard, and the boy, Forner,was seen rushing toward the scaffold, with wild eyes, and @ visage as pale as death. ‘No! no! don’t hang him! He shall not die! See ! I am alive !” cried the lad. Skinflint looked toward the speaker. His words were unheeded, and, the next moment, Lorne dangled in the air, as the trap gave way beneath bis feet. He expired in a few minutes, but Forner did not see his last struggles, for he had fainted, Ere the boy could drop to the ground, Skin- flint ceught him in bis arms, witb a joyful shout, ‘‘Hyar she is, after alll—my own little sister /—the one I thought was killed!” ‘That boy?’ cried Belton; ‘‘ you don’t mean—” “Yes,” interrupted Skinflint “‘ it is my Mary— gp Se dressed in boy’s clothes!” e pulled a flask from his pocket, and finally succeeded in bringing the disguised girl to her senses, ) He supported her to his lodging, and there, for days, he watched by her side, as she lay raving in delirium. At last, however, she re- covered, and, on learning what a monstrous villain Lorne had proved himself to be, she gradually ceased to mourn for him. She stated that sbe had disguised herself, and came bere to watch the man who had treated her so badly, because she had heard that, after deserting her, he had married another person, his cousin, Ellen Boardman, and she wanted to ascertain if the report was true. Tracking Lorne, she saw him meet Ellen in the woods near Logville, toward dusk. She heard the girl threaten to prosecute him for desertion. This enraging him, be knocked her down and throt- tled ber. It was the remarkable resemblance in personal appearance between the youn woman and Bell Danton, previously commen on, together with the fact that each wore a similar white summer dress, and that Ellen had round her Miss Danton’s shawl, which had caused her to be mistaken, in death, for the merchant’s daughter, Lorne, after killing the girl, had heard Miss D nton’s cry of terror, and seen this witness fallsenseless. He bad then taken from her, her shawl, and put it round the corpse, after which he had conveyed the unconscious young woman (Miss Danton) to his secret retreat, Mary, the other witness, had not waited to see him do this, but had fled, horrified from the spot. Almost driven mad by what she had seen, she had lingered about the outskirts of the settle- ment. When she learned that Belton was sus- pected of baving murdered the girl who was found in the woods, she had not declared the truth to the authorities, because she would not testify against her husband, Badly as he treat- ed her, she still loved him.” Skinflint could account for her continued attachment toaman who had treated her so shamefully, and had otherwise proved himself to be so great a villain only by the fact that her mind was ‘ unsettled’ by the sufferings she had undergone, Be this as it might, it is certain that Mary finally regained her cheerfulness, and, again living with ber brother, in their old home, made him happy with ber pleasant companionship. It is only necessary to add tbat the noble young bunter, Frank Belton, was eventually rewarded for the persecutions and trials he had undergone, with the hand, in marriage, of Mr. Danton’s daughter, Bell, who had secretly loved him from the moment he became a vVis- itor at her father’s house. THE END.