Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 398 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

Kid-Glove Kit and Pard., Standing and waiting patiently, was a man whom she had never seen before, to the best of her recollection, dressed in the garb of a miner with rough beard and long, black hair, who sa- luted her awkwardly, and awaited what she might have to say. “You came from my husband?’ ** Yes, marm.” ** Where is he?’ ‘ oR pn five miles from here, near the ‘ Faith- ‘Ts he badly burt?” ‘‘ Not much, but I reckon his leg is broke.” ‘‘ Then let us hasten to him. ‘Go to the stable, please, and get my horse. “T will speak to the landlord.” And’ as the man disappeared in the darkness Dainty went to the oflice, and, drépping her cloak on the floor, put her head and shoulders inside and spoke to the landlord. The latter evidently thought that it was Kit who was talking to him, as was proven shortly afterward by his conversation with Dainty’s husband. Closing the door, and again wrapping her cloak about her, the girl stepped outside and ae the messenger, who was waiting for her, olding the two horses. And mounting, they rode away as rapidly as the darkness would admit in the direction of Dainty’s former home. Passing the ruins of the cabin, they kept on for some distance, when they struck the path that led to Colton’s house, when a thought {lashed through Dainty’s mind and she stopped her horse sudden] y: She had recollected that Kit had told her that he was going to his den, and its location having been described to her by her husband, she remembered that to reach it he must have ridden west instead of east, in which direction she had been riding. As she stopped, the man who was riding be- side her also reined in his horse, and awaited whatever she might have to say. ‘“You say that my husband is at the ‘ Faith- ful’? mine?” ‘* Eggzackly !” ‘¢ And how came he there?” ‘“‘ He rid thar.” “ And how does it happen that he came here at this hou” of the night?” ‘¢Thet’s his bizness; how do I know w’at h wanted.” And the man spoke gruffly and seemed deci- dedly uneasy under this continued flow of ques- tions. ‘‘How came you to be in the neighborhood and how did this accident happen?” ‘‘T'm a-watchin’ ther mine fur Cap’n Col- ton, an’ as Mr. Barton cum ridin’ up, his crit- ter ste onto a loose stone an’ fell on him before Kit could get outen ther way.” ** Was he alone?” ** All alone, mum.” ‘‘ My friend,” returned Dainty, quietly, ‘‘ I be- lieve that you are falsifying.” ‘Cum up an’ see for yourself; it’s only a bit away now.” But on account of the manner of her guide, on account of the knowledge that there was absolutely no reason why Kit should have come inthis direction, when he had told her that his errand lay in a contrary one, Dainty’s suspi- cions were now fully aroused. Determined, however, to put the matter to its fullest test, she loosened the skirt of her riding habit from about her waist and allowed it to slip to the ground, tossed off the huge cloak she wore, and swinging her foot over the saddle, sat squarely erect and turning, faced the man. She was the perfect picture of Kit, as all the dwellers thereabouts knew him, and nothing was wanting in her costume to complete the re- semblance. The velvet coat, with its shining buttons, the frilled shirt, with priceless diamond,the broad hat with gold ‘band ; knee-breeches, rape boots, with gold spurs, the sachel hung at the side, all were complete, and the man, uttering a cry of astonishment, drew back his horse and azed in amazement as the rising moon flooded er face. ‘‘ A very pritty little plot to lead my wife in- to a trap, but a failure as you see. ‘* And now, you sneak, tell me what this all means, or— 3 And with an action that spoke louder than words the speaker put hand to belt to draw a weapon and extort a confession. But she had no belt on, and was entirely un- armed! Fer she had just been about to put the belt around her waist when the knock sounded on the door, and in her excitement had forgotten it. At her motion the man, who was eying her closely, quailed visibly, but seeing that she wore a belt, recovered his nerve, and rode toward er. But like a flash Dainty turned her horse and galloped furiously down the path to the main road, and then, turning to the right, fairly flew in the direction of The Gulch, where she weed she could find protection from Faro rank, But well as she was mounted, her pursuer had the better horse, and just as they reached the forks of the road, he galloped alongside of her ape leaning forward, grasped the bridle of her orse. And emphasizing his remarks by pressing the muzzle of a pistol to her temple, he said: ‘*Come, my young friend, the jig is up, and you might as well surrender |” CHAPTER XII. A HITCH IN THE SCHEME, THE minutes passed with snail-like progress, while it seemed to Kit as if the night would never end, and the laggard sun never rise. But at length a faint streak of gray stole over the East, and ina moment Kit was on his feet and had left the room by the window, closing the latter, which fastened with a spring. Hurrying to the stable, he there met Pete, who was just coming out, leading his horse and, thanking the faithful old darky, he leaped into the saddle and rode out in front of the saloon, Here he stopped and began to think what he had best do, and in which direction he had best commence his search. ‘*Dainty could not have come in this direc- tion, or I should have met her. ‘*So she must have ridden the other way. ‘‘The question now is: Did she keep straight on, or did she take the other road at the forks, and so on to the stage-road? ‘‘That question may best be answered by riding to the forks, where I may obtain a clew.” So, without further hesitation, he turned his horse’s head east and set off down the road at full speed. He was not long in arriving at the forks of the road and there stopped, and dismounting, began to examine the road carefully. e walked up the main branch for three or four hundred yards, without any result, and found that the road was so dry and so stony that it was doubtful if a horse, ridden or led along there, would leave any trace of his hoofs. Retracing his steps, he walked back to th forks and in the direction of Dainty’s ruined home, when suddenly he leaped forward with an exclamation, and stooping, picked up a small scrap of something from the ground, This he examined carefully, turning it in every direction, and, although it bore no mark of writing, he seemed perfectly satisfied with his discovery. Yet it seemed but a trifle, being only the end of a finger, torn from a lavender kid-glove, which had been stained and soiled with some- thing that left a dark-red spot upon it. And Kit recognized it as a piece torn from a love he had worn on a night that Dainty’s ather had been murdered, and which had been soaked with the dead man’s blood. She had kept it asa sacred memento of her only relative on earth, and had promised Kit to send it to him whenever she might be in trouble. This she had never been compelled to do, but had preserved it; and now it was serving the excellent purpose of affording signs by which Kit could Jearn the direction she had taken. Realizing that she must be in trouble, or she never would have thus mutely appealed to him, Kit, leading his horse, walked rapidly along the road, finding, every four or five hun- dred yards a scrap of the glove, which fact as- sured him that he was on the right track. Suddenly he came to the path which branched off to the left and led to the ‘‘ Faithful” mine and Colton’s former home, and here he hesitat- ed an instant. But only for an instant. For, twenty yards up the path, a patch of color caught his eye, and walking up to it he found the remnant of the glove lying by the side of the tie Spe Placing itin his ket, he now felt not the slightest doubt that Dainty had been entrapped into going to Colton’s house, So, leaping astride his horse, he galloped on up the path, entered the valley, and regardless q of danger, dashed up to the door of the stone hut unchalienged. Throwing himself to the ground, he lifted the latch and tried the door, but it was fastened, and he could not move it. Stepping back a pace or two, he gave a tre- mendous bound, struck the door with both feet fairly in the center, and as the building shook from the shock, the hin res gave way, and as Kit fell to the ground, the door flew inward with a crash. On his feet in an instant, Kit dashed through the open door, and glanced around, Seated in a chair was Dainty, fast bound, and unable to move; and with a cry of ‘‘ Kit, my husband!” she tried to rise and stretch out her hands to him, but was so firmly tied that she could not move; so she contented herself with smiling lovingly at him, while her eyes fairly beamed with devotion and pride. In a second Kit’s knife flashed in the air, and the keen edge had severed the bonds which held the girl so cruelly tight, and then they were clasped in each other’s arms, Dainty sobbing with Joy and breaking into a thousand endear- ing exclamations. Vhen she was somewhat quieted, she related to Kit what had happened, telling him how she had thought of the glove, and how, unperceived by her captor, she hed succeeded in tearing it into strips and dropping them one by one. The man who had inveigled her into the snare had offered her no indignity, but was evidently assured of the fact that it was Kit he had cap- tured, and not Dainty, and seemed much vexed at this sudden termination of his plans. But he had ridden off, telling her that he would soon have company for her in the com- panionship of her wife, saying also, that he would soon return. In one corner of the room lay Dainty’s riding- skirt and cloak, they having been picked up by her captor as they: eturned, he evidently fear- ing that they might furnish a clew to his pris- oner’s whereabouts. And as they caught Kit’s eye, he grinned as if amused beyond expression, and still holding his wife close to him, he said to her: ‘‘T think I will try a little masquerading my- self. “This unknown man who captured you, has probably returned to The Gulch in search of my wife!” And Kit laughed outright. ‘‘ Your riding-skirt is of such a color as not to be striking, and as he only saw it at night, he probably would not recognize it again, “Tll put it on, as well as the cloak, and ride to the forks, conceal myself, and when he comes back, will overtake him, and give him a sur- rise. wt And you, darling, come with me, and when I leave you, to follow this man, ride straight to The Broadway, send Pete for Frank Francis, and ask him to stay about the hotel until I re- turn. ‘‘Tel] him what has happened and he will ungerstand, and will see that no harm comes to you while 1 am away. ‘“You can depend on that.” So, Dainty’s horse being saddled, Kit disguised himself and they rode away, keeping careful watch, lest they might encounter the abductor, Dainty looking like the husband, while Kit was the image of his wife. CHAPTER XIII. DOUBLY TRICKED, Try had not long been concealed in the thick growth of underbrush, which, although now stripped of its leaves, hid them perfectly, with- drawn as they were, a hundred yards or sofrom the road, when they heard the beat of a horse’s hoofs, coming from the direction of The Gulch. ‘That must be our unknown friend,” whis- pered Kit to Dainty. ‘¢ T will let him pass, and then, pushing through the brush to the other road, will gallop down to the fork and overtake him. ‘You, of course, will remain here, until we are well out of sight and will then hurry to The Broadway and give your message to Frank. ‘‘ He will doubtless be there by this time.” ‘Now, Kit, do be careful!” pleaded Dainty, laying her small hand, gloved with the same sort of covering that had won Kit’s name for him, on his arm. “Don’t fear, my child,” returned Kit, ‘I am well armed, and will doubtless have the villain at my mercy: before he realizes what has hap- pened. Take good care of yourself!” - And the horseman by this time erie | passed — them, Kit wheeled, and soon reaching the other