Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 47 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Nightingale Nat. ‘Jack?’ muttered Paddock, trying to rise. “Tt warn’t Jack. That girl—the Nightingale’s mate—hit me with somethin, an’ hyar I am.” ‘‘ An’ hyar youre likely to stay!” the ranger said. ‘It takes no doctor to see that you're go- in’ to give in. Say, what do you know about the little one?’ ‘‘ Nothin!” and the lips closed more than half triumphantly behind the word. ‘* Nothin’, Paddock? Sartin?’ ‘‘Tf I did, I wouldn’t tell you, an’ let you reap the benefit of it,” was the malignant reply. Sivadow-Shot bit his lip. Paddock saw the discomfiture and smiled. Then his head went to one side spasmodically, and with his eyes fastened on the ranger, Zimri Paddock’s life went out in the little chasm. | ““Wouldn’t tell if. you knowed, eh?” exclaim- ed Shadow-Shot. ‘' Well, I kinder think you knowed, It did you a meep of good to be stub- born. I'll wring it from the hear} of Captain Rough one of these days!” Springing over the body of the man whose career of crime had so tragically terminated, the ranger be to ascend the cliff, and soon stood before the rejoicing trio there. ‘*Ts he dead?’ ed a voice at his side. ‘*‘ Dead? dead as a Labrador herrin’!” answer- ed Shadow-Shot, a queer twinkle in his eye as he looked into the face of the fair ques- tioner. Violet stood before the ranger, a long stout stick in her white hands—the stick which she had hurriedly snatched from the ground, and with it dealt Zimri Paddock the blow which had caused him to loose his gripe on Nightingale Nat and fall headlong over the precipice! ‘‘He went over my head like a deer,” said Jack Gustin. “I mouges it war the boy till I saw him gettin’ on his feet hyar. If he’d held the leetle chap a minit longer he’d felt old Jack’s hand on his breathin’ apparatus!” : ‘‘ What! Jack Gustin?” cried Nightingale Nat springing to the speaker whose voice he now recognized. ‘I thought you were with the train.” ‘* Not much, thank ’e, boy. I’m Jack Gustin, big as life. e an’ Shadder-Shot ar’ goin’ to stick to ye through thick and thin. é mean business, too.” A look of gratitude filled the boy’s eyes; he placed his hand in the woodman’s rough palm. ‘‘T can ask no more, Jack. You two stand oy me, for [m going to stand by this young on Young lady!” exclaimed Shadow-Shot, fol- lowin exclamation with a_ prolonged whistle. ‘‘It’s gittin’ interestin’ mighty soon. Young lady, fursooth! She’s only a gal; but you’ll make a lady of her, my little one.” Nightingale Nat blushed and cast down his lustrous eyes. CHAPTER XIII DIAMOND CUTS DIAMOND, WE will now return to the Vultures whom we left retreat up the path in the rocks before the death-dealing rifle of Jack Gustin. Their hearts were full of revenge, and the — to return and glut that passion whic ruled their evil natures so long; but the stern voice of the slayer, whose work lay at the foot of the cut, told them that such a policy at that time was hazardous and full of death. So they smothered their r as best they could, and ascended to the woodland above. They were met there by the horses which had been left in the cave by several of their number, and were not long in —— to saddle. The outlaws slain by 8 w-Shot and the boy lay in the moonlight with the ghastly hue of death on their upturned faces. Where was Captain Dave? Seated on a beautiful iron gray whose curved neck was the synonym of meena and pride, the forest Apollo met the — of his returnin band. His jauncy hat had fallen to the ground, and one of the corks of the iron feet pressed the broad rim into the earth. His chin lay on his breast, and below the white face a little stream of blood trickled across his neck. He was not dead, for he started at the voices of his men re. turning from the unsuccessful and deadly pur- suit, and looked with a glance of anxious inguiry into the face of the man whose arm seemed to stay his body in the saddle. That man was Captain Rou at are back!” Roug ce. them up,” was the response, in a hoarse h. said, answering whisper. In a brief time the White Vulture was sur- sounded by his angry, discomfited men. His eye wandered among the crowd, and he seemed to be mentally counting their numbers. ‘‘We left two over there!” said the leader of | the pursuit, pointing to the chasm, ‘* And two are here?” ec Yes. ”? ‘‘ That’s four to-night!” There was no reply; the outlaws glanced from their wounded leader to the two corpses on the ground, ‘* Who did the shooting over there?’ Captain Dave asked. ‘Nobody knows. It warn’t Shadow-Shot’s weepon, fur we know the crack. The first shot took Little Crowfoot, an’ then Lame Nick got the leaden pill. The voice what we heerd was totally strange. It war uncommon shootin’, Cap’n Dave!” ** And you ran?” There was scorn and sarcasm in the husky voice. ‘‘Yes. It war death to turn back, an’ we wanted to fight around you if you lived, an’ to avenge youif we found you dead.” ‘‘ Not dead yet!” and the speaker tottered in the saddle as he spoke, as if to tell his followers that the grim monster even then was shakin him. ‘I’m worth twenty dead men. Oh! we’ have vengeance for this!” Vengeance? . The profane responses that followed his words told the feelings of his men. : ‘‘T don’t know where the bullet is. I feel as if it went clear through me. He shot a little too low! Go down to the camp by the ford. If l am able I will join you there to-morrow.” The rough-riders hesitated; they did not want to desert their leader. ‘*Go!” was the command, accompanied b the look and lifting of the Hager that command- ed respect and obedience. ‘‘ Boys, I am Captain Dave yet.” One by one the Vultures began to turn their horses’ heads. The two captains were left alone. “They would follow me to the brazen gates of hades!” the Apollo said, his eyes lighting up with pride as he looked at Captain Rough. ‘“One of these days perhaps I may lead them thither. Have I lost much blood?’ ‘A great amount,” was the reply. alone now.” ‘‘Then move straight ahead. Your arm need not steady me longer.” Rough laughed. “Tf . released you you would not sitin the saddle half a minute.” The outlaw gritted his teeth. ‘Maybe so,” he said. ‘‘ But the scoundrel’s bullet did not finish me. I will not die. I swear by the stars of heaven that I am not going un- der this time! There isn’t power enough any- where to kill me before I have carried out my plans in these woods.” ‘Your plans?’ asked Rough, inquisitively. ‘My plans! Captain, we've been friends a long time; before we met in these woods, we knew one another. You brought the boy here for a purpose. It isknowntome. I’m not go- ing to interfere, captain. Your business is not mine, mine not yours. You are going to con- ‘We are duct me to a certain place: you will see some- | body there. Will you keep my secret?’ Captain Rough started. So the forest outlaw possessed a secret. ‘* Did I ever blow on you, Dave?” he asked, appearing offended at the question. ‘No. LDve got a girl in these parts—one of the prettiest creatures that ever inhabited them. Why, I’ve known her for five years, and she does not dream that I am Captain Dave, of the Vultures.” A girl in love with the leader of the outlaws? The thought was ludicrous to the brutal Rough. ‘Where did you get her?’ he asked, anxious- ] Mi Never mind that!” was the reply. ‘I want you to see her.” , ; There was a strange light in the train-mas- ter’s eyes. It was well that he turned them away, for had the Apollo caught their glance, he would have repented of his words. ‘* And I am eager to see this beauty of yours, oe Sire ht ahead, th I will guid - ight a then. I will guide you.’ Slowly the two rode from the spot. Rough still held his companion upright in the saddle, and again the chin sunk upon the crimsoned bosom It would be difficult to describe the thoughts that filled the scheming brain of Captain Rough as he rode beside the Pest of the Wisconsin woods. A new revelation had broken upon him; he felt that his feet were on a path that termin- 11 ated ina mine of untold wealth, He thought _no longer of the copper and, perhaps, gold de- posits on the shores of Lake Superior; the butch- ery of his train-men called up no thoughts of revenge; he forgot it entirely! His plans, de- serting Nightingale Nat for the nonce, clustered about this strange girl whom the forest brigand had mentioned. After a toilsome ride, toilsome on account of Captain Dave’s wound, the two men foun themselves cn the bank of the forest stream, which they had descended by means of a gradu- ally sloping path. | he ; were guided along the bank until the space between water and cliff would not ad- mit of passage by the animals. So the twain were compelled to dismount and proceed on foot, which they did, Captain Rough steadying the White Vulture, whose steps were tottering. “At last the journey ended: the cave-home | stood revealed in the dim light of the waning _ moon. | Captain Dave released himself, and tottered forward to sink upon a heap of skins with a sigh _ of intense relief. ‘** Violet?’ he exclaimed. Of course to the name there was no response. He called in and again, elevating his voice and manifesting impatience at each call. Captain Rough stood in the shadow, eager to see the person who bore the name. ‘*She isn’t here, captain!” the Vulture cried rising with a or of fear on his face, “I always found her here. I wonder if she was with that infernal Shadow who has followed me and my men for five years?” Captain Rough could not reply, for he did not know. ‘‘ Well, she may come!” Captain Dave said, catching at a bubble of hope of his own blow- ing. ‘‘We must wait. Here are pine burrs and sticks, my friend. Make a fire at the ed of the bed, and we will look at my hurt. My lungs seem full of needles just now. If the bul- let went through them, maybe I'll have to look for a coffin, after all.” The outlaw returned to the cot while Rough proceeded to build a fire on the floor of the cav- ern, and the light of a ruddy blaze soon illum- ined the place. . It revealed no tenant besides the two men, and Captain Dave’s eyes filled with blank disappoint- ment as they returned to his bloody breast after the search for Violet. He bore the unsurgical examination with that fortitude which the occasion demanded. Heedless, as it were, of the value of life, Captain Rough probed the wound below the ri ht shoulder blade, and smiled grimly to himself as re nesnen that it promised to prove fatal to the »0llo. ut Captain Dave was the possessor of a con- stitution of iron, and his determination to get well might conquer death, and rob him of a vic- im. ‘“‘Tt’s a bad one!” Rough said, completing the examination. ‘**T should suggest that it was!” was the reply | inno good humor, ‘‘ Ninety-nine men out of a hundred would stand a mighty r chance of | getting well after being shot as I have been, and _having had a knife rummaging through their —_ — a ne lungs looking for the ball! But I gri | teoth and never squealed, gn panel Rough looked away; he ost felt the flash- ing eyes that regarded him; the voice, so full _ of sarcasm, cut him to the quick. | His eyes fell upon the stone wall revealed by _ the fire. | Suddenly he started. “we - was a name on the stone— Violet Coll- yer All at once he started to his feet, and stepped toward the threshold of the cave. Greed was in his eyes. He had made a won- derful discovery. But the orbs of Captain Dave were upon him. ‘* Where are you going?’ he demanded. At that moment Captain Rough halted, and snatching a rifle that leaned inst the wall wheeled suddenly upon the bandit. ‘“‘T’ve found the very person I want to find!” he cried. ‘‘Look at that name on the wall. Violet Collyer is worth untold wealth to me. Captain Dave, you stand between me and that money. I’m going tokiJl youhere. Your wound will not need dressing.” He was standing within twenty feet of _ tain Dave, who did not quail before the m of the dangerous weapon. “Shoot and be hanged!” was the defiant re- sponse, ‘I know what the girl is worth to any | one who takes her back to the city, and I know, / too, who the boy is. Captain Rough, we've my ee 0)(0)@) <€om (E <S=EO Ca e —— PSR LS 2 a en fe Oe mer -