Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 388 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

ee eee is to be; so there’s no help for it. If you ever bave a notion to tell how I passed in my checks, say that I didn’t squeal at the grand round-up, Pm sorry, though, that this little thing has got to go with me.” He turned to the girl and asked her: ‘*Have you any word you want to send to your friends?’ Friends!” she repeated. no friends. you.” ‘‘ Well, you kin tie to me for eternity!” cried Little Ob-my. ‘“Isita go? You may bet that lll never desert you, nor, for that matter, let you out of my sight for a minute!” He looked into her eyes with a tender smile. She gazed back at him breathlessly, ‘*Ob! but you don’t know!” she cried, pant- ing. ‘* They are after me for—for—murder !” ‘Well, they haven’t got you yet, have they?” ** But you would not wish—” ‘3° believe any such nonsense? Of course not! ‘* You do not think that I did it?” ‘TI don’t think anything aboutit. It’s too preposterous for any one but Jake Probst to bother about for a minute,” ‘“* And yet you see me flying from him like a guilty creature.” ‘* Like a fawn from a cougar, if you please.” “You believe that I am innocent without hearing a word—” A child like you? **Oh, no; I have Every one has deserted me but ‘*Pro or con, What—” * But I am not a child!” cried the girl, with sudden passion. ‘‘ He had no right to treat me as hedid! I did not kill him, but I would have done so rather than that heshould have touched me! I am not sorry that one so wicked has gone where he can do no more cruelty!” ‘No more am 1!” cried Little Oh-my, ready to champion ber cause without knowing any- thing aboutit. ‘‘So you see that we are agreed. Now about your friends, You must huve some- body. you know.” ‘* No, I have not.” ‘* No father nor mother?’ ** Nobody in all the world!” cried the girl, desolately. Then, closing her arms about him more close- ly, she added: ‘‘Nobody but you/ ‘You alone have been good to me in all my life!” ** Well,” cried Little Oh-my, crimsoning with indignation, ‘‘ I’d like to have traveled the same trail with you! There would have been some head-punching, you bet!” The girl whispered in bis ear: ‘* We are going the death-trail together!” He was so thrilled by what her voice added to her words that he did not answer, She looked up quickly, and asked:— ** Are you sorry?” “Not I!” be cried, pressing her close iu his arms. “Then,” she said, ‘‘ I am not afraid!” “Of the water?” he asked. “Of anything,” she replied. ‘‘ Only,” she added, “‘ let us keep alive as long as we can.” “Why?” he asked, wondering what was pass- ing through her mind. ‘* Because,” she replied, ‘I want to thank you for your goodness to me. Anybody else might have doubted—ever so little, maybe; but you—” She broke off ber words, and let ber actions finish for her, Little Oh-my felt her cold lips pressed to the side of his neck. : Ii was a kiss of childish gratitude infused with a woman’s love. Little Oh-my was nineteen years of age. It was very young for marriage in a man born in a temperate clime. But to this child of the tropics he seemed a man of full development; and she, although sbe seemed so much a child to him, was indeed, as she had protested so warm- ly, no longer a child in feeling. Mothers of fifteen or sixteen are not so uncommon in her suuny Mexico. A tremulous hush fell upon thelad. Itdawn- ed upon bim tbat here was a woman of childlike innocence and simplicity—a creature of impulse that had suddenly been thrown into his arms by fate, to love and protect, if only he could escape from the death that threatened them. ‘* What is your name?” he asked. “Lola,” she answered. ‘‘ And yours? I want to put it into one last prayer to the Holy Mother!” ‘* What do Exactly! ‘In what conrection?” he asked, you want to say to her about me?” ‘I want to beg her not to separate us!” she answered him, in a tender whisper. Little Oh-my. Then with a sudden convulsive pressure of her clasping arms: ‘Oh! if I thought that I bad found you only to lose you again—” ‘But you haven’t! You may depend upon that!” he cried, with a bound of the heart. ‘* Your name?” she whispered, her breath fluttering as his lips pressed hers, ‘“* Roy!” he answered, ‘*That means king—doesn’t it? You are my king! Oh, Mother of Jesus! let me be with him always.” ‘*In life!” cried Little Oh-my. ‘* In life, or in death!” she responded. ‘In life!” repeated Little Oh-my. There was an exultant ring in his voice, He threw up his hand, The girl glanced up and saw that he was not looking at her, but over her head, Then she beard a whirring sound, followed by a shock as if they were about to be plucked from the saddle. “It is the last dreadful moment! The poor beast has lost his footing!” she cried to her heart, She uttered a scream, clung to her lover with a convulsive hug, and then held her breath. She heard him ery once more: ‘*In life! In life! Thank God, in life!” Then, dizzy with the reaction from her de- | spair, she opened her eyes again and tried to realize what had bappened, Wohbatever it was, it was vot death. The horse stood as firm as the rock on which his feet were planted! ‘* In life?” she asked, in a dazed murmur. ‘* In life!” he assured her. ‘‘ My darling! my darling!” And his lips closed down upon hers, bringin perfect faith and peace. He had said it, an she knew that it was so! CHAPTER VIII. A MURDERER AT HEART. ‘GENTLEMEN, if you’re all done, suppose you give me a try.” The men turned in surprise upon the quiet speaker, George Cameron’s face was as calm as his voice, ‘* What’s that?” asked Old "49. ‘ a say, suppose you let me see what I can 0. ‘IT didn’t know that you could do anything with a lasso,” Cameron smiled quietly, **Tt don’t do to judge a man by his looks alto- gether,” he said. As ccolly he began to unwind the riata from his waist. ‘* What! you have a lasso?” cried Old ’49, ‘** Which I sometimes amuse myself with.” ** Then why have you stood back?” The brows of the old pioneer contracted. ‘*T was afraid that you professionals might think it cheeky for an amateur to interfere in your own line.” ‘* When life is at stake, it don’t matter who saves it!” said Old '49, severely. George Cameron made no reply, but set to coiling the lariat over his band. “It ain’t the fu’st time he’s slung that busi- ness!” muttered one of the men, ‘*He’s one o’ yer bighfalutin’ chaps as thinks more o’ his style than o’ the life o’ them as he don’t jest bappen to gee with!” answered an- other. It was evident that the men thought that Cameron had been ‘‘playing” them. They watched him with jealous eyes, : Quite indifferent to the ill-feeling he had roused, Cameron took his position, measured the distance with his eye, whirled the noose round aod round bis head, and launched it forth into the air. It shot out like a long, slender serpent, de- scribing a Jong are through the air, and falling over Little Oh-My’s extended hand, so as also to inclose his body. ‘* Made it the first clatter!” cried one of the men, carried away with the beauty of the. cast. Something between a cheer and a yell of de- light went up from Old 749. The next instant he had the successful lassoer by the hand, his ill-feeling a moment before forgotten. ‘“Lll never furgit ye!” he cried. ‘“ Ef ever you want a solid friend, call on Ole ’49! But this hyar ain’t no time fur chin-music, Ef only the drag on the line don’t loosen their foot- hold!” Tben he cried to Little Oh-my: ‘How are ye out thar? Kin you stand the draught?” | “You bet!” replied Little Oh-my. ‘‘ Throw us another one, Cameron! [ll make a sling, : and we’ll snake this little beauty over in a Ie * (eee :> ~*e 7. jitty i | e busied himself getting the noose over his bead, and when this was accomplished secured it to his saddle-bow. It was a ticklish operation; for the lariat sagging in the rapid current threatened to drag ) it out of his hands. George Cameron made a second cast, as suc- v4 cessful as the first. Little Oh-my caught it, made a loop to run on the other as on a stay-line, and then secured it about Lola’s body. “It will half drown you,” he explained to her; “‘for you will be under the water almost from the time you leave my hands till they pull you out at the otherend. But they’ll fetch you to allright. Don’t be afraid. Try to hold your breath as long as you can. It will make it so much the easier for you when they come to pump you out!” He spoke lightly, as if it were all a good joke. But the girl fixed upon only one idea. ‘‘But we are not to be separated? You are not going to remain behind? . ‘Two of us would be sure to pull Meteor off his feet,” he replied. ‘‘When you are safe, | mean to swim him out, with their belp.” ‘*Ob! I cannot leave you here!” she protested, clinging to him. ‘‘I feel that if | once let go of you, I shall never clasp you again.” ‘That is only vour woman’s fears, Come! every minute lost is a strain on this noble fel- | low’s endurance.” ae ‘Kiss me once again!” she whispered; and thrilled with a strange delight that he should be so dear to her, he complied. After that she submitted herself implicitly to his will. ‘‘Hold your bands out so,” he directed, show- ing her the position which would be most likely to keep her afloat. Then he let ber down into the water. ‘Oh! I shall die!” she cried, making a con- vulsive clutch at him. ‘* No, you will not,” be assured her. ‘‘ Now, steady |” Then raising his voice, he shouted to the men ashore: ‘Walk away there, lively!” Three of the men had taken the other end of the sliding lariat over their shoulders, and they now started at a quick walk up the bank. There was a terrible strain on the carrying hawse. It seemed as if the horse must be dragged from his footing. The moment he bad let go the precious bur- den of bis love, Little Oh-my had drawn bis bowie-knife. With all bis soul centered in watching, he held it in readiness to sever the hawse the in- stant the stay beneath him gave way. J If be and his noble beast must go over the falls, sbe at least should not be dragged over | ae with them, : But the horse stood firm! As he bad foreseen, the girl was drawn under ‘ the water. He witnessed her vain struggles a while she was going once more through the | agonizing sensations of drowning. He knew \ aie tbat she would be drawn out unconscious; but that was the test that could be done in the cir- cumstances. If she came off with life, that was | all he could ask of Providence. ae ‘* Look alive there!” cried Old ’49, ‘ Double- nar quick! The hawse will stand it. It won’t do BF to keep the leetle gal under water any longer than is necessary.” The men steadily quickened their pace. As she neared tke bank on their side the girl ae was once more drawn to the surface, But she aie, had ceased struggling. She was unconscious. ‘““Two to one ef we fetch her out!” growled ok Old 49, ‘*One sich duckin’ ought to be enough ) ui, in one day. Ding that tbar bloodbound of a BN BS marshal! Eh! what’s become of him?’ He looked across the river, to discover Jake Probst urging bis way up the stream, a As soon as he saw that there was a likelihood %. By “ae * —_ ee 4 ; Me > . of Lola’s being got to the shore alive, the mar- a | shal had cried to bis subordinate: ites ‘They’re goin’ to fish her out fur us. When agit she lands, we want to be on hand. Come! pull foot hyar lively! Blow me ef it would sound well to have it said that the fu’st toslip through my fingers was a woman!” ‘The bull-dog!” growled Old 49, ‘ He ain’t give it up yit! I'll hang ef he ain't proposin’ to chip in byar an’ take ber off our bands!” | ‘* Well! be’)l bave Ais bands full if be does it!” cried George Cameron, ‘ He’ll find that we’re not playing cat’s-paw to bis monkey.” + ul » > fe r “= ° a - - - : ie a ég “E, t - 14% ¥ 4 4‘ ‘ ; > ee ~~ + ae y a aie, cbhooks.com