Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 388 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

rie ' dy * ibe ' r Pur ty | - ° r a> a « - “Ony, speaking promptly for himself. ee eee - ee eee eee “You bet! cried the man next him, ‘I’ve got twelve shots thav says he don’t git her this time!” And the others added their indorsement in characteristic phrase. ‘““Now then, steady!” shouted Old 49, “Steady! ateady! So!” He was on his knees on the verge of the river- bank, by which the water ran with dizzy velocity, He was about to bend far over, and lift the limp and dripping body from the flood, when George Camcron interposed: ** Hold on, old man! That’s my part, if you please!” Old ’49 turned his head and glared into the cool eyes of the young man who showed no dis- concertion. “Your part?’ he repeated. ‘‘She’s Little Oh-my’s quarry; an’ I allow to stan’ fur bin—” ‘His reach wasn’t long enough to save her. It was my cast that brought her toland. But there is no time for words.” Aad as the body touched the bank he threw himself flat on the ground and reached for it. Old ’49 yielded with a troubled look, ‘Thar ain’t no lie in what you say,” he said. Little Oh-my had held Lola so that their heads were in a line with the vision of their friends ashore, and the tender passages between them had gone undiscovered. ‘*The boy will have to fight it out on his own hook,” muttered the old ranger, as he saw bis rival lift the unconscious girl out of the water. ** Reckon, though, he kin hold his own with the most on ’em!” Then he shouted: ‘* Raise her, boys! raise her!” And such a cheer of rejoicing rose from the little band as was good to hear. Over the water from Little Oh-my came a re- sponse. His heart was dancing to quick music. The boys cheered him in return. ‘““Now for my turn, Cameron!” he cried, cheerily. ‘‘Throw us another one of them greased garter-snakes of yours!” ** All right!’ responded Cameron. But it seemed to Old *49—perbaps because of his solicitude for the boy who was still in immi- nent peril, and would be so until he was actually on the shore beside them—it seemed to Old ’49 that his voice lacked the hearty ring it ought to have had, And his half suspicion was quickened when he saw Cameron kneel beside Lola and begin the manipulations proper for her resuscitation. “‘ Hold on,” he interposed, ‘‘tell you git the lariat to Little Ob-my.” ~S ‘But the girl must be revived,” said Cam- eron, with a touch of impatience, ** It won’t hurt bim to wait a minute. ** Anybody kin fetch the girl to,” said Old °49, “‘Hyars Ony Losy, that’s followed the sea long enough to know more about it than you or me,” ‘* An’ it’s roight ye air, Musther Mon!” cried ** Faith, it’s mony’s the time l’ve pumped the in’ards—” **An’,” continued Old ’49, unceramoniously cutting short the Irishman’s loquacity, *‘ ef he should happen to go over the falls through ne- glect of yours—”’ He did not finish the sentence. His eyes were on those of his interlocutor with an intensity of gaze that would arrest the attention of any man. George Cameron flushed purple. He would not have liked to have the meaning of that gaze interpreted into words even for his own ears! He rose, and avoiding the eyes of the men who stood in silence, picked up the nearest lariat, ‘Don’t you lose no time starin’,” said Old ’49 to the salt, turned landsman. “That L won't, yer honor!” replied Losy, touching his bat, Old ’49’s peremptory tone bringing this habit ‘‘ to the fore.” He set to work forthwith, with a readiness which bespoke his skill, while O.d ’49 watched George Cameron. That chagrined gentleman coiled his lariat with what seemed to the watching men less care thau before. However, since so much depended upon him, no one ventured to run the risk of angering bim by expostulation, But Jld 49 swore within himself: **Ef the boy goes over through his willful carelessness, hang me higher'n ole Shasta ef I don’t send a bullet through his murderer’s top- knot!” And the old man was likely to keep his word! Cameron made his cast; but the lariat tan- gled, and fell short. ‘‘Cuss him! he’s up to it!” growled the old man. ! However he said nothing audibly. ‘ Cameron uttered an oath, as if chagrined by his failure. : a ee ee ee Little Oh-my. ee ee a ‘* This kind of thing will do pretty well fora washerwoman to dry her clothes on,” be said, scornfully; ‘* but I don’t see bow you can make anything of it as a lariat.” He proceeded to draw it in hand over hand; but Old ’49 interposed. ‘** Don’t waste time that way! Hyar’s more. We may be able to find somethin’ that’s to your mind. Ef you want to save him, thar ain’t no time to lose,” He coiled a lariat bimself, and then handed it Cameron, His work was done skillfully, He knew how to do it, and his boy’s life hung upon it. Cameron balanced it in his band, and mut- tered: sé H’m "9 It was a grunt which said: ‘* If you’re satisfied, I suppose I shall have to be; but don’t blame me if the thing disappoints your expectations.” He made another cast. The lariat shot through the air, and came so near Little Ob-my that he reached out and tried to catch it over his arm. ** Look out!” shouted Old 749, in a voice that showed the wild fear that shot to his heart. ** Don’t do that! Thank God!” His last ejaculation was caused by seeing the eat drop into the water, out of Little Oh-my’s reach. Why he was thankful for this failure his next words showed, ‘*Boy! boy! be careful! Don’t you know that ef thar that had nipped your arm, the pene would have jerked you out of your seat? et it pass an’ try ag’in, rather than overreach yourself.” To himself he muttered: ‘‘That devil was up to that trick! He'll drown the boy ef he kin! Ef he does, his turn’ll come quicker’n he thinks fur!” ‘‘Tf you will let me coil my own lariat,” said Cameron, with the deliberation of a man who repudiated the blame of his failure and depre- cated interference, ‘‘ we will see if a line can’t be got out there.” ‘‘ Take it coolly, old fellow!” cried Little Oh- my. ‘Jest think that I can stay out byar all summer, if necessary, an’ it will steady your nerves.” ‘‘He never smells the rottenest mouse that was ever held under a man’s noose!” groaned Old ’49. “I wonder ef the other boys drop to it.” George Cameron coiled his lasso slowly, as if determined to bave it right this time. Then he made a successful cast. The noose settled over Little Oh-my’s body as neatly as before, ‘Stove ip off as long as be dast to!” growled Old 49. “It’s lucky fur him that he made up his miud to do the square thing!” Little Oh my cut off an end of the lasso for a purpose which he bad in view, and then secured the new end about bis body:under the arms, The bit which he bad cut off he fastened to his horse’s girth, brought it up between his fore legs, and tied it to the lariat which was fasten- ened to bis saddle-bow. If the beast were now drawn through a cur- rent against which it would be impossible for him to make head unnrided, there would be no tendency to pull bim off his balance, * Now, old fellow!” cried Little Oh-my, pat- ting the animal’s neck fondly, ‘* we’re going to take our chance toyether.” Meteor whinnied, understanding the affec- tion, if not the exact words. “Is your end secure?” asked the lad of those ashore, ‘As solid as the rock that this hyar pine grows out of!” was Old ’49’s assurance. ‘TI tied that thar knot myself, an’ you’d better helieve I knowed what I was about when I dono it,” ‘*Then Jook out!. We're coming!” Little Oh-my had measured the distance to the bank, and also the distance to the brink of the precipice over which the waters poured, ‘‘As we swing down the stream, we won't have two rods to spare. But that’s enough, if the lassoes hold all round,” He drew in his breath, slipped from the sad- dle, bo pic rn his horse, said: ** Go!’ For an instant the animal trembled, as if he, too, understood the danger. Tben drawing in his breath, as his master had done, he lunged out into the current. CHAPTER IX. ‘“ STANDING OFF” THE MARSHAL. His eyes .ableze, his nostrils wide, Meteor 7 ag the waves, parting the foam on either side, — —— ee ae ee eee ee + ee —_— oor Still so rapid was the flood that the lariat grew as tense as a towline, snapping the drops of water from it where it cut the surface, There was no attempt made to draw the horse against the current, but he was allowed to swing down-stream. As Little Ob-my had calculated, he was with- in a rod or two of the precipice when he reach- ed the bank, His master made this trip with him, sus- taining bimself with one hand on the saddle-bow, Little Oh-my was drawn out of the water first, but without waiting to exchange greet- ings be turned to the assistance of bis noble horse, The beast scrambled up the bank, shook bis bide with less than bis usual vigor, and then stood with his bead lowered, receiving the at- tentions of the men. The moment his horse was safe, Little Oh-my turned to look after Lola, but the men appeared to have gone wild over the horse, Every one had a hand in rubbing him down, even using their jerkins for that purpose. Little Oh-my found George Cameron kneeling beside the girl, who, under Ony Losy’s minis- trations, was just beginning to show signs of returning consciousness, ‘We owe everything to you!” cried our hero, grasping Cameron’s band gratefully. In the exhilaration of the happy issue from their awful peril, he slapped his unsuspected rival on the back, continuing without break: ‘¢ You shall be master of ceremonies at our wedding!” Cameron turned bis head with a cold stare of displeasure. “This is no time for joking,” hesaid. “If you have no anxiety for the recovery of this lady, I shall have to ask you not to interfere wit , me while I am endeavoring to restore her.’ ‘No anxiety ?” repeated Little Oh-my, staring in wonderment. ‘*‘Why, my déar sir, you are off your base!” ‘* We will discuss that later, if He please!” ‘Tf you please!” returned Little Oh-my, with a show of quiet spirit that delighted Old ’49. “The young ’un’ll take him down!” chuckled the old man. ‘‘ Now fur it!” ‘* Meanwhile,” pursued Little Oh-my, ‘*I will thank you for your care of the lady, and relieve you for the present.” ‘“‘Excuse me!” retorted Cameron, ‘ Having brought the lady to shore, I shall continue ct ber side until she is in condition to care for her- self. Thereupon the whole situation fisshed upon Little Oh-my. He had arival! This fellow!— this fellow! Thus far he had rather admired George Came- ron. There was a style about bim that the rougher men lacked. But all of a sudden he was transformed, into a duffer who would be the very Jast man that any sensible woman would choose, All of us out of knee-breeches ‘‘ know how this is ourselves!” Little Oh-my flushed, and then turned pale. ‘You are evidently laboring under a misap- prenension,” he said, patty a restraint upon the quick passion that surged up‘into his heart. ‘The lady has already expressed a preference for your humble servant—for life !” The significant empbasis brought Cameron’s eyes to the face of the speaker witb a flash of surprise and incredulity, : Why, she is a stranger to you!” he cried, in- dignantly, ‘* Until thirty minutes ago,” corrected Little Oh-my, vith a smile, ‘“H’m!” sneered Cameron; ‘f your acquaint- ance would bave progressed rapidly, if what you seem to intimate were true.” ‘*You mav depend upon it that it is true,” said Little Oh-my, recovering his good-nature as he reflected at what a disadvantage he had bis rival—‘‘for which the peculiar circum- stances of our introduction be thanked }” His cool confidence and the happiness which glowed in his face went far in support of bis words; and though it seemed incredible that a tender understanding should have sprung up between these two under bis very nose, and he not discover it in progress, a chill foreboding of discomfiture shot to George Cameron’s heart, It angered bim and awoke his obstinacy. ‘‘ Excuse me if I wait for the corroboration of the Jady herself!” he said sarcastically. ‘‘ This is a practical age. remember.” ‘‘Come! come!” said Little Oh-my. ‘1 am too much in good-luck to want to quarrel with anvbody. Besides, I owe you too much, _ —