Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 422 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

= . wee eee -_-<—--- Se ee seeing their deadly danger, turned and ran for their lives, knowing that the boy must follow or perish in the scalding flood, 1 he Boy Giant readily realized his situation. | He saw that the time not only in saving himself from the water, but to elude his foes, and throwing all his prodi- gious strengh into one superhuman effort ho burst the bonds that fettered bis hands and | once more stood free. At this very juncture Scott Dresden dasiied ast him at a wild, breakneck run, and wien Pee a fewfect away stumbled and fell heavily to the earth. the villain by each ankle and swung him around upon his back as though he had been a mere child, Then drawing each of the yelling out- law’s feeth over his shoulders the boy dashed away, but he did not go in the direction taken by the others but bore sharply off to the left so as toturn his back almost upon those standing at the foot of the cone. Dresden, hanging head. Cownward clutched frantically at the air and yelled hike a demon, butin the hands of the young Hercules he was owerless, bim was to protect himself from the bullets of the savages whiting among the pines. Ib was the boy’s only hope—an exneciont that his quick brain had conceived, and h's giant strength enabled him to carry out. But the successful exeeuticn, cf the young mountaineer’s plan of escape was greater even than its conception, for by the time he was fairly under way the flood had overtaken him, but in spreading out over the cone its cepth had been so reduced as to enable the hundreds of little channels before mentioned to carry the boiling flood. But even then the fugitive could proceed only by leaping from one projection to another, in doing which a single misstep would prove fatal. ; | The moment the savage saw tho boy’s des- perate move, they set up a wiltl yelling and opened fire with their rites, Baby Sam could hear their bullets whistling around bim), but he Imnew they were net shooting {o. kill, for tho life of their leacer was. in equal danger with his own, and he had heard: the whistle of bullets too often around, his: head'ta be intimicated by the sound, With his eves fixed on the carth before him, his tasth seb and ovory nerve strung to its utmost, tension, the brave hoy bounded elang amid tho scalding, steaming rivulets. and at last reached the great channel that received the flood at the foot of the cone, With a breath of relief he dropped the ont- law, leaped across the ditch, tou ded up the gentle slope. beyond and plunged. into. the shadows of the pine weods.a, wild, ringing shout of defiance peer from his lips. But scarcely had he gong a, dozen steps among the trees when a voice called out to him: ‘Here, boy—this way!” He glanced to. the right and.saw Old Kit Bandy approaching, 41s face aglow with ex- citement and joy. * Glory, Kit! Pm glad to meet exclaimed, breathing heavily, ‘Here, lad, ’s your Winchester and cartridge- belt—good thing you give ’em to me—maga- zine’s chock-full—shoot the devils down if they crowd you!” it around him, then, a8 he gresped his rifle, a stern smile wreathed his lips, his big eyes flashed with the licht of a desperate determination, and stepping behind a rock, upon which he rested his run, he said: ; ‘* Now, curse them, it’s my turn!” Soon he caught sight of two red-skins— one behind the other—gliding elone like hounds upon his trail, and quickly glancing along his rifle he pressed the trigger and both savages fell dead—the report of the gun rolling away in sul- len echoes, and mingling with the roar and tu- mult of the Devil’s Broth Pot. — | Quickly tho young mountaginecr threw an- other cartridge into his rifle, and the plimpse of a moving figure among the pines involred an- other deadly shot. Several moments of silence now elapsed and no more savages appesring, Old Kit, who had stood an admiring spectator of the young gl- ant’s deadly work, said: | ‘* By the ram’s-horn of Joshua! Beby Samuel, you!” the boy ou’re a, id. lor : nity—an roar’ous: esos ot ae i frcke the devils your secret troubles m7 case exactly.” SAW Jack was in the evenin’ jist, before sunset. He 1 not tam = ith a bottled cyclone soon arain “Is this possible, Kit?” exclaimed Henry Rodmon, | war on q hoss goin’ down te river to cee ’bout the - no with a t cy ie , . | betraying deepest emotion; ** but pardon the in- | cattle that. war in cor7ée, and he took the little: But, say, Baby, what on earth ‘were you GOIN’! terruption -¢o on.” babe with him. When he war a short ways from. over there near the geyser?” “Why, my brave captors took me over there east hen peat Baby Sam, the Boy Giant ‘or him had come to act | | feller and started. Before he could rise the Boy | Giant was upon him, and stooping, he seized | sam’s sole object in thus carrying | « ——__—__ —_.. > — ee ee —_———— ee ee ee ee to throw me into the crater, to make man-)roth for the devil’s breakfast,” ** And what saved you, lad?” ‘‘He who controls. the destinies of man, and whose mighty power is seen in the wgnders of Wonderland. The geyser bogan to flow before they got me to the crater, an | was saved.” ‘t Bless the Lord!” said Old Icit, reverently. ‘*T came in sight just, as you shouldered that I'd ’a’ put in a shot for you, but I war afraid the report o’ the gun might lead you to think enemies were in front of you, as well as behind, and throw you off your base.” ‘“That scoundrel I covered my retreat wit! was Scott Dresden, and I don’t see what 1 was doing that I didn’t throw him into the escape- channel that was half-full of sealding water,” ‘It. war a pity, boy, it’s true, but you did nobly in savin’ yourself, for Pll swear you're needed now, lad, if ever you were. Them poor rals—” Yes, 303, re Ixtt, they must bo saved!” inter- | rupted tho boy, and, shouldering his. rifle, ho turned, and the two moved away through the | cool morning shadows, CHAPTER XT. KIT BANDY LUTS HIS LIGHT SHINE. IN hones of meeti g the friendly Crow, Sparrow- hawk. Old Spokane J5c. Professor Drood, and Frank | Rodman and his father broke camp at once and pro- ceeded to Where the hunter bed found Frank and coneealed his canoe, Here they passed the night in anxious Waiting, but no Sparrowhawk came Ard when daylight dawned great was their surprise to find that the canoe bad been taken from where Spokane had left it, and they could aceo nt for its disappearance on no other theory (han that the Crow had returned while Frank was away, and fincing tee gone and the cane there t.ad taken it away with 1] 'y%, Frank Rodman sorely rerretted this in vie-v cf the rreat kindness<f the fri-nd'y, whose, s rei iyeness, he wes afraid, might construe his cbsence intoa Iack of faith. In hop’s. the Indien would yct come and bring some tidings of the rn issing girls the party remained there in camp, and if they were Cisappointed in h's not-coming, their pationcea was doubly rewarded by the sudden appearance in camo cf Bahy Sam and Old Kit Bandy, fresh from their adventure with the enemy at the Devil’s Breth Pot. Never were two men more surprised or overeqme with Joy than were Baby Sam and Frank Rodman on meeting there. They could serreely believe the evi- dence of their own eves, foreach had given the other up as dead, The name of Kit D nd? wes not new to Spokane Joe, and when introdueed to him he sait! ‘lve heard ©’ Kit Bancy before; he’s a noted mountain detee’ive, isn’t he?” ‘Te is,” replhed Old Kit, with a bland emile, “and Thope merits your compliments, stranger. IU ad- mit that my physical make-up isn’t as d.lectable as that of Adonis—” . ‘Ah, out it’s not that, Kitsthat makes the man— it’s the rigvin’ Inside that does the work,’’ Spokane averred, Baby Sim ond Frank Rodman at once made a com- parison of notes touching on the adventures of cach since their separation at, Wilma’s Island,and when the Boy Giont had narrated his exploit at the Broth Pot, and then recomnted thestery be had heard Don- ald Strahni tell h’s eonfederares of his—Strahm’s— adventure wiih Penraymond, Old Kit Bandy did not fail to notice that Old Spokane end Tlenry Rodman manifested ro little uneasiness. — Taking it for granted that the old hunter was Jack Pyunty, 23 etrahm declared he was, the old cetective could not understand why Rodman, manifested ro evivent a surprise and fear—why the outlaw’s stery. should affect him more than any other rerson a stranger to the transactions between Strahm and Prunty, Mentally the old detective resolved to show his light on the subject a9800n asean op ortunity offered, and this soon cams through Baby Sam, who sald: * But. friends, I think Mr. Bandy, here, knows something about this man Strahm—at least, I have had an intimation to that effect, and think now is a good time for him to let it be known, if he does.” “ Well, now.”’ said the old man, “tha boy's not fur from richt, Ican tell yoa, To be plain, outspoken end truthful, I Ko-ris*topher C, Bandy, am a detec- tive. and have been for twenty years ormore. Ive confined myself to tlhe perarces and meuntains al- together, and t ave cperated from Manitoba to Mex- ico, and in order to cirermvent outlaws, rond-agents, murderers, thieves and villainy ef al kirds, vo been compell-d to assume the character of Ingin, outlaw, miner, hunter, preacher, ranchero—in fact, everything good and bad. I]! admit I’ve used some deception and trickery that ’d make a less serupu- lous saul restless, but ‘you understand we detectives have to often be rogues to catch rogues.’ For three years past. me and my old pard, Teha- bod Flea, have been workin’ upa big case thet made it necessary forme to become an Inerio—a beld Si-ox warrior; and in cennection with wh't Ive heard you folks ‘talkin’ about, along with what I’ve teen able to deduce from the same, I want to add that “ Well. to go back to the berinnin’, it wes ahont three years ago while I was recuperatin’ in Denver, of tho Yellow=tone. ae ne eee a me a a NOOO Eee ee eee i a grants, and in a minute nighly a!l were glaneh- | oe ee OER ‘tee ee a an English lawyer—detective, as he called himself and an elderly lady named Martha Meges called om me and said they'd a first-class job for me and that if ld work it up two thousand pounds should, be my reward. I told ’em to state their case and I'd” see what there was in it before I undertook to feller it up, so Hoop], ibe lawyer-detective from London, told me this story: he said that *bout twelve years” or so before one Warren Hanover heeame a wide w-" er with a little gal baby lett to liscare. The loess of his wife, alone with o’her troubles, almost drove, Hanover ravin’ distraeted,and so his physician ad-, vise.| him to travcl—to wean himsclf from his ser-’ rows by goin’ to some forign land. Actin’ upon’ this advice he corsigned the child totbe care of a. widowed lady name : Kirby, and } remised. if alive, to be back in two years. About six months after THanover’s departvre Mrs, Kirby gota letter from her only sister, living in America, urging her to” come over and Fvein the landcf promise ond free-. dom, end Mrs. Kitby was erazy to doso, bu’ she, didn’t know what to do with te child in her care. ’ But one Norton Fenw'ck, a ecusin of Hanover's’ dead v.ife, cams to hcr r seve and advised her to go~ and take the chill with her, and when Hanover re-. turned he would make ite'| right with him. He also, said thet he weuld write Tarover cf the fact so that he could visit them in America when he reached ~ there, o3 wes his tmtenticn before he rcturned to England, So Mrs. Kivby bundled rp ered put off fer’ America and scttled near Ler sister in one of them}. extreme Wertern States. A few menths leter who’ should appearupon tho sec ne but Norton Fenwick, ’ who demandelt*e chil’, royirg he wished to taka’ it back to Enclond—that Warren Flerover had re- turned from h's tr'p end was fear’uily ¢nreg: dover’ his: inducing Mre, Kirky to go away with it to Ameri, ” ea, andl a whole mess of such stuff. He neveraskedt” Mire. Kirby toro back with him, but soid that ke could ranare the child alone—t’ at the gcod wecmen on” shipboard ‘d help lim take care of it, and so Mrs, | K.. finally give up and let him take tke child. Bue” he was scoreely out cf sight befere she beran to nustrust all was nct right. ard bein’ a women cf pluck, if not ¢f the best cf judgment. she disguised ~ herself in mele attire and feVowced Fr nwiek, who, instead of gein’10 England wirh the child, went weet. overa hundred r ils ond there left itin the eare of a border settler, end his wife, named Jack Prynty.” ~ At mention of the name Old S$; okane a d Henry ~ Rodman exchanged significant glances tLat the d¢-” tective did not fail to observe, “Mrs, Kirby,’’ Kit went on, “fc Hewed Fenwick in: his attempt to dodge around to New York, and when the Opportunity was offered roce herself known and demanded the.1eason for bis action, and’ when he informed her it was none of hv business: she told him she would have him arrested fer kid’ nappin’, end heout with a revolver and shet her’ down dead, as he suppesed, It war months before, she recovered so as to travel, Fenwick had escaped . of course, and with woman’s tact. Mrs. Kir y se- counted forthe shot as an act of her own—attemp- ted suicide, Fenwick hat doubtless figured on this” theory himself, for he left the revolver Jying at her — side where she fell, | “Well, havin’ assured herself that baby Hanerer, was in good hands, though she never let anyo’ the ~ fact *bout the clild come to the cars o’ Jack Prunty,” Mrs. Kirby returned to Engiand in disguise. ceter-* mined to bring her would-be murderer to justice... She knew there was something villainous at the bot.’ tom of his condnet with baby Ircre. and the bleod~ o’ the avenger plunged madly thro’ ker veins. She’ chaned her neme to Morths Meges, and sought the” confidence of Mert thew Foon re the law" er-de¢ tective. who beran to lay for Fenwick, But the cudaciougs scoundrel seemert to have mistrusted that he war in” canger, end soallatonce he put out for—well, no.” body knew where, and so Martha Mergsteern ta fear ber game had dodged her for good. But she~ walted end watched with Ingin stcicisem. In the. meantime Werren Hanover returned from his tray- els efter "bout. three years’ aheence. Mrs Meges sought him out and revealed tohim her whole secret —confessing she'd been duped and deceived by the. villain I nwick, Hanover was mad—furicus—wild. He told Mrs, Meggs that Fenwick was the worst” enemy monever had—that ever since ke’d won and wed his—Yenwick’s—cousin he’d pursued bim like q demon. I nwick wanted the Indy hims: If. and he. swore when Hanover married her he’d pursue them to the greve, Honover seid the villein’s constant — threa's and slard rous tongue hed killed bis wife, and now Bronoged to continre Tis vengeance by steahng b's child. Put Mps, Meges ard be at once’ rosted cff for America after the child, but jucgce of, their herrt-rencin’ surprise when they reac’ ed here’ to find that Jack P: unty and his wife bad stored on further west with some emigrants and t! at all had been massacred_ by the _Ingins, This nighly drove | Mrs. Merges mad, while Warren Hanover was com-— pletely crushed in spirit. Mrs. Meggs remained in’ Americawith hersist-r who wer stiil on the fron- tier, while Hancver went away che knew not where nor Coes she to this day. ‘Time went by and one day Mrs, Megos met a Mrs. Phehe Conners, who’d once been a captive with the Sioux, and had been ransomed, Upon in-— quiry she found that woman wag with the emi- rrart train at the time Prunty and his family. were reported killed; but Mrs. Conners did not be- lieve Pruvty and the child were killed or 2, e sho H » tured. but sbe saw his wife slain. 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