Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 387 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

——. 7. — - — ., echoes along the hills, and the almost Pndish laughter resounding behind them. Finding that he of the mocking laughter did not give chase, Guy drew rein after he bad kept up his rapid pace for a mile, and went along more slowly. He did not care to camp, and kept his horses going until midnight had long passed. Then he came to a halt in a patch of rich grass, and after staking them out to feed upon it, threw himself down to rest, He was very tired and soon fell into a deep sleep, from which he did not awaken until the sun arose, Then, to his borror, he saw that he did not have a-single horse. The whole four had mysteriously disappeared. They had not pulled their stakes up, that was certain, for the saddles and bridles, laid near each one, were gone too. Then the certainty came to Guy that they had been stolen. Fora moment he seemed almost in despair; but his nature shook off the feeling that was creeping over him, and he at once set out to see if he could follow their trail, This he readily did for a short distance, and then the trail merged into four, going {in as many different directions. Again was the boy brought to a standstill, He knew not what to do. His dying mother was awaiting his coming, and yet he must return on foot, without the means to aid her to their cabin, and perhaps the news he had to tell her, about the mysteri- ous disappearance of his father, would kill her at once. Still his duty was to return, and that as soon as possible, So he again shouldered his rifle and set off on the trail back to where he had left bis mother and sister. It was a hard, long walk, but he went on untiringly, pausing now and then for a drink of cool water from a rivulet, or for a rest of a few minutes, Night came on and found him on the way, and until late he held on, and then halted from sheer necessity, as he was worn out. A bath in a brook refreshed him, a few hours’ sleep, the sleep of the utterly weary, rested beeen and before daylight he was again on the rail. As he was on foot he knew that it would be nearer for him to follow the valley to the can- on which led up to the cliff, on which he had eft bis mother and sister, than to go around the mountain range tothe spot. Sayer So he continued on down the valley, and by noon entered the canyon, nearly the whole of which was the bed of a shallow stream. Straight through the water he went until he reached the foot of the tree, when he gave a loud hallo. No answer came, and again he hailed. Still no answer from above. His face became very pale, and then he called out: “** Cleone! oh, Cleone!” Still no answer. He was very tired, but determined to at once climb the tree, and accordingly began the hard and perilous ascent. Weighted as he was, with his belt of arms, and rifle slung at his back, it was no easy task, and he was surprised to find how much heavier it was to accomplish than it had been on the former occasion. But bope and dread urged him on, as he knew not the fate of the loved ones he had left in the little ce~in on the cliff. Several tiu.cs he wasfcompelled to pause, and clinging bard, get such rest as he could. At last the limb was reached, and he gaid to himself: “Ten feet higher up and I never would have reached it,” Boldly he walked out and sprung to the cliff, and then his strength utterly failed him, his knees gave out, and he sunk down prostrated, There he lay for some time, seemingly unable to move, while he kept his eyes upon tbe little cabin in the background. The door was closed, no smoke came from the chimney, and the place bad the look of being utterly deserted. At last he was sufficiently rested to rise to his feet and he hastened toward the cabin. “*Mother! Clheone!” he called as he advanced; but no reply greeted him. _ Opening the door softly he looked within. The cabin held no occupant. There was nothing to indicate either, that any one dwelt there, - —_— SS ————————— eS LL TTT EE —— — —-—— Stepping tc the hearth he felt the ashes, It was cold, and he knew that no fire had been there at least since the day before. _ Out of the cabin he fairly staggered, groan- ing: ‘‘My poor mother and sister, what has be- come of you?” Like one dazed he looked about him, and then his eyes fell upon something beneath a distant tree which caused him to start and fairly quiver. With acry of anguish the brave boy rushed toward the tree and dropped upon his knees by the side of a new-made grave. CHAPTER XI. A CAPTIVE. For some moments the poor boy knelt by that new-made grave. Something told him that one he loved lay therein. Which one, his mother or sister, he could not tell, yet he believed that it was the former. Bitterly he repented having left the overland train; but he had acted for the best, as he believed, His father mysteriously disappeared, perhaps killed, his mother and sister gone, one of them certainly dead, their train given up, his horses stolen, and himself afoot, alive, and to bear all that was upon him, was seemingly more than buman nature could stand, and the noble boy bowed his head and seemed crushed by grief. But his nature was one to surmount all diffi- culties, to rise up against defeat and sorrow, and entering the cabin, he looked about for something to serve as a shovel, with which to throw the earth out of the grave, that the dread secret of who the occupant was might be reveal- ed to him. He found there a pick, spade and shovel, which showed that the cabin had evidently once been the home of a miner. Seizing the latter, he returned to the grave and went to work with a will. Deeper and deeper he dug, until at length he worked more gently, for he knew that he was near the body. A few moments more and he came to a blanket. This he leant over and drew aside, and start- ing back, he cried piteously : ‘Yes, i is my poor mother! The outlaws have slain her and buried her here, ‘* But 1 shall avenge her !” For many long minutes he stood gazing down at that serene, upturned face, which he loved so wel], then with a sigh he replaced the blanket tenderly, and began the sad task of filling up the grave again. He had worked but a short time when he suddenly turned, and as though from instinct, for he had heard no sound. There, within a dozen paces of him, he beheld three rough-looking mer, while in the back- ground, seated upon their horses, were a dozen more, The three nearest him had dismounted and left tbeir horses with their comrades, and now stood, each with a pistol in his hand, and their eyes fixed upon him with a look of mischief. A man would under such circumstances have thrown up bis hands in token of surrender, when he saw the odds so against him—at least, not one man in a thousand would have thought of resistance. But not so with the boy, for he was driven to reckless despair. His rifle lay upon the cliff, where he had sunk down exhausted, but his belt of arms hung upon the tree that sheltered the grave. The tree was a large one—a pine—stunted in its upward growth, but with a large trunk and spreading limbs. It stood upon the edge almost of the precipice, growing in acrevice of the rocks, and provided a good protection. With a bound the boy reached its shelter, grasping bis belt of arms as he did so, and fol- lowed by three shots from the men, Two of the shots knocked the bark from the tree, and the third pierced his bat. The three men started at once to run upon him, when, turning quickly and drawing a revolver, Guy dropped the one nearest with a bullet in his brain, This sent the other two flying to cover, while their comrades in the background laughed loud and rudely at their retreat. “Well, what do you want?” called out Guy, in a firm voice. “We wants you, boy, and we intends ter have yer,” was the answer of one of the men from behind a neighboring tree, Warpath Will, the Traitor Guide. a ‘* Well, come and get me,” was the defiant response, ** We intends ter.” ‘*'Who are you?” ‘* We is some of Captain Champ’s band.” ‘Tl thought that I recognized your ugly faces; but where is your captain?” ‘Gone to the city.” “What city?’ **Salt Lake.” ‘** And do I owe it to you that my mother lies in that grave, and that my sister is gone?” ** Ask the captain.” ‘** Well, if you want me, come on,” was the nervy reply. The horsemen in the rear had now ridden up, keeping the cabin between them and the youth, and one of them called out: ‘** Take the boy, Hank, and lose no time about . it.” ‘Yas, take him as Ben thar did, and git tuk instead. ‘‘Come and git him yerself, ef yer wants him,” was the sullen reply. ‘You don’t mean to let him bluff you off?’ called out the speaker, riding into view from behind the cabin. ‘*T don’t mean ter let him make a stiff o’ me, thet are sart’in, ef I are acquainted with my- self.” ‘Nor does I,” said the second one of the two valiants, ‘*Well, Vil see that a boy does not keep a dozen men at bay.” And the speaker started to ride forward, when a flash came from behind the tree, and the horse ridden by the seeming leader plunged forward and fell dead, the bullet burying itself in his head, and thus saving the life of his rider. ‘* Curses on you, boy, I will have your life for that! ‘‘Come, men, follow me!” and the infuriated man sprung to bis feet and rushed toward the tree, followed by the other two on foot, and the rest of the band on borseback. It was a thrilling scene, the brave boy stand- ing at bay, half-bidden by the tree, and with barely room enougb upon the edge of the pre- cipice, to keep bim from dashing downward a hundred feet to deatb, while half a score of men, on foot and mounted, were rushing upon bim. ‘* Back all of you, for I shoot to kill, and will not surrender,” cried the boy in a voice that did not quiver. ** Do not kill him! take him alive!” yelled the leader, and the crowd darted toward the tree, Guy realized his full danger, but he did not lose bis nerve, nor fire at random, for his next. shot brought down a foe, and the one following dropped a horse, who threw his rider with a force that stunned bim. As he raised bis revolver to fire at the leader, that worthy dropped into the open grave, and the bullet broke the arm of the man Hank, just bebind bim, Before he could fire again, the men were upon him, he was dragged from bebind the sheltering tree and hurled to the ground, A moment more and he lay bound securely, a captive toa band he bad every reason to fear would take his life. CHAPTER XII. THE MIDNIGHT MESSENGER. As he lay upon the ground before his captors, Guy Marsden saw among the faces which he had seen in his visit to the camp of Captain Champion, whom his men called ‘‘Cgp’n Champ,” and who had still further bectme known as ‘‘ Red Champion the Mormon,” Guy was not hurt physically, though he had been somewhat rudely handled, and yet men- tally he suffered untold agonies, He remembered Warpath Will in the hands of those very men, and whom he had iniended to rescue, He recalled his visit to the deserted cabin of his father, and now lay near the still open grave of bis mother, while his sister’s fate was unknown to bim. What his enemies intended to do with him, he could not conjecture, yet there were dark looks turned upon bim, He had killed two of their number, dismount- ed two more, and one now sat near groaning from a broken arm, and bitterly cursing him with every twinge of pain he suffered. After having him secure the leader had order- ed a fire built and supper prepared, while their horses were staked out on the mountain-side. Then the arm of the wounded man bad been rudely dressed, and next the dead members of the band had been buried back of the cabin, one} Ic b OKS ae L}a:: a » oe : PRS te OP AG Ao Ef af nw ~~ > . * - e * ‘y Ld “9p , ’ , 4 . 4) afer | : , ina fe ish =. ea h a — &