Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 478 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

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Although it had been deserted for years, it was in a fair state of preservation— probably because fire would not destroy it— and its presence there among the trees and bushes being known to Hyena ha. that worthy led the way to the building after a party had ‘been detailed to take care of their horses and see ‘that they were lariated out to grass. Reaching the old sod house the party with the prisoners entered, when Kid Cole, the outlaw, roceeded to strike a fire in’ the center of the ut, an abundance of dry twigs and limbs suit- able for the purpose being found near the door outside. And as soon as the place had been relieved of tts gloom an outlaw advanced, and looking Kit Bandy in the face, asked: “Reverend Pau! Postle—Mr. Detective Bandy Bir aha recognize me?” **'Yes, you are that imp of hell—Sonora Steve, ‘that I had the sublime pleasure o’ liftin’ over Luke Freiner’s bar on the toe o’ my boot,” was ‘the frank, defiant reply of Old Kit. ‘*And I am to have the pleasure of knifin’ ‘you,” the fellow replied, his little snakish eyes glittering like beads of fire, while a devilish, Satanic grin swept over his ugly face, CHAPTER XITI. ‘THE OUTLAWS’ PISTOL PRACTICE ON KIT AND RATTLER, + Kir Banpy expected every moment to feel a steel blade driven into his body by the hand of ‘the cowardly little Mexican, Sonora Steve, and rhaps such would have been his fate had yena Jim, who seemed to act with authority not ordered the Mexican to put up his knife and keep cool till all could take a hand in Bandy’s execution. The enemy numbered in all about twenty persons, eight of whom were outlaws. The sav- ‘ages were an atrocious-looking crew, and seem- ed half-crazed with frenzy, and for awhile it ‘required considerable effort on the part of the outlaws to prevent them from tomahawking the captives, he prisoners’ pockets were carefully search- ed, and everything loose about them appropri- ated. Hyena Jim found on ee ib erson the note given him by Captain Rachel. He opened it and read it. over his face. ‘*[’m sorry to disappoint the young lady,” he said, with a sneer, ** but you, old man, will not be permitted to deliver this note. That girl played us a amen trick to-day in fittin’ you out with the b st hoss in Wyoming, and the first thing she knows she'll find her commission revoked. Ive alers said a woman ina band of mountaineers was a nuisance,” ‘*Mountain devils! you’d better say,” ex- ¢laimed Old Rattler. ““Have it as you please, old man,” replied Lin Jim; ‘* but say, which of you old festers is Kit Bandy?” | ‘I’ve the honor of bein’ that lark,” promptly spoke up Old Kit, ‘* It'd be better for you if you had not that honor,” put in Kid Cole, “ for our folks have put a price on your head,” ‘*Do your worst, thugs, for I can die game,” Kit. ‘*DPve had haydoogins o’ fun saltin’ down sich critters as you—lI’ve filled one bull corner in purgatory with mountaineers,” ‘*Very well, Kit Bandy; blow and bluster now will avail you nothin’, even if you be the trusted messenger o’ our ES captin. But don’t let this note worry you; lll agree to deliver it myself. Nobody in Last Lick will know but I'm the governor o’ the territory when I go down thar.” “The brand on your forehead ‘ll give you dead away,” remarked Old Rattler, ‘‘for hell’s full and bD’ilin’ over with sich branded cattle as you be.” : ‘* Say, where do you s’pect to meet that boy, Laramie Joe, that got his last sickness this mornin’—'bove or below?’ chimed in Sonora Steve, who could not be kept in the back- ground, ‘** Bark, ki-yote!” retorted Rattler. ““By smoke! they’re gamey terrapins!” de- an outlaw. ‘‘Can’t we contrive some A contemptuous smile passed ** Yes,” replied Kid Cole; *'s’pose we pin ’em up ag’inst that wall and chaw their ears and hair off with bullets—have some pistol-practice. : a oe gh gee © ae ol At. mg Oe - ’ “wy 3 ee 8 eee oe 4 . - he AS, / Old Tom Rattler. —_-—-- What’s the use standin’ ’round here firin’ cheap talk at sich old hardshells as they be?” ‘All right; if some one’ll get half a dozen forked stitks, lll show you how to tack ’em to the wail,” said Hyena Jim. Borrowing a couple of tomahawks of the In- dians, two outlaws went out in search of the sticks requested. In a short time they returned with them. The prongs of the forks were sharpened, then the captives were crowded against the wall, standing. A fork was then placed astride of each one’s neck and driven in- to the sod wall until the crotch fitted snug against the throat, but not tight enough to choke. Other forks were thea placed over their ankles thus virtually pinning them fast to the wall, sure enough. Their hands were tight- ly bound at their backs, and altogether they were pretty well secured. One of the savages, impatient to put the old captives to the torture, took up a bundle of pine sticks, and setting them ablaze swung the biss- ing brand to and fro apast the old men’s faces, singeing their hair and whiskers. But not a word significant of fear or pain escaped the captives’ lips, and so this mode of punishment became monotonous to the savages and the out- laws, and finally Hyena Jim said: **Oh, stop that hair-barberin’ and let’s trim up ears awhile. Them souses 0’? Kit Bandy’s are too big for the man, unybow, and we want to see him trigged up afore he goes over the river—stand back there, boys.” The crowd fell back to the opposite end of the long room, when EFyena Jim raised his revolver, poet taking deliberate aim at Bandy’s head, ired, , A cloud of dust and dirt puffed from the dry son es at the side of the old border detective’s ead. A yell burst from the lips of the savages. Hyena Jim was a noted pistol-shot, and on examination it was found that his bullet had buried itself in the wall within a hair’s breadth, as it were, of Old Kit’s head. ‘* Me throw scalp-knife now,” said a red-skin, and stepping back he took a long, sharp knife by the tip of the blade and flung it at the head of Old Rattler, driving-it into the wall so close that the huuter felt the wind of the weapon. A shout of applause burst fromthe lips of the crowd, Another savage grasped his knife-point and endeavored to display his skill, but being a tall man, the haft of the knife, as his arm swung forward over his shoulder, struck the low roof of the house and drove the blade through his hand, severing muscles and tendons, and forcing a cry of the keenest agony from the unlucky performer’s lips. For a moment the sport was interrupted by this accident, and before it could be renewed, in fact, the presence of a new-comer was an- nounced by a sharp, ‘piercing shriek at the door, and an old woman, carrying an umbrella which she brandished above her bonneted head, bounded into the room and sweeping down to where Bandy stood, turned and facing the crowd of astounded savages and outlaws, screamed out, in wild, fierce tones: ‘*Tnhuman monsters! stand back! That man is my husband, ungrateful deserter tho’ he be! I have sought him from the eends of the earth, and now proclaim in the voice of injured inno- cence that I’m his lawfully wedded wife, Sa- bina Bandy, and, please gracious, Pll defend my rights with my life!” CHAPTER XIV. , THE PALE HORSEMAN, For a minute or so the outlaws and savages were somewhat surprised and confused by the appearance of Sabina Bandy upon the scene of action, ‘That blamed old woman ag’in!” snarled Red Rob, the outlaw, ‘Oh, Lord, Rattler!” groaned Old Kit, as though the presence of his self-confessed spouse had added new terrors to his situation. ‘‘ I’m a goner now, old pard.” Sonora Steve darted from the crowd toward the old woman and made an attempt to seize her by the arm, but the woman eluded him and at the same time brought her old umbrella down upon the head of the Mexican with a rattling crash. The blow wasso stunning that the out- law was brought to his knees, and the maledic- tion that escaped his lips was drowned in the de- risive laugh of his friends. ‘* Lay yer vile hand on me—Sabina' Bandy— will ye, ye vile wretch?” the old woman fairly hissed, fixing her flashing eyes on the outlaw; ; »’ nid ae, 2 ae > ee Ne f = = = —— or rad ‘alles ‘ve is Pek Ce Tie a coy ee Bt. » a: ~ AP > me ms" Pig ro: at remit : Py ares eelte eon opp red rey ae 4 goto | ian eae eee Bis iit Laitag Fs den i a PROSE GaN Fs J wren Ne CR Neha AI EN INL ME PE PE, eR ANE Mile ois oie oe ee od ER Tee yt meee = i i . a ° ee ed pene ae coed =e ee pc totoiet < -y ee < . oh ~~ , Seat J ; ‘ - rae pt ss a, ee > tt 4 “ne “rm \ rare Sean Jag tie age ak te > vas sie, ae” hh we oe sy ., ~ 7 nae “ye. a he ee v¥ a r 7 ae “4 a “7 fy» *), ' A, es 3 x +. ae . Negi z d e:4 ~~" * : HY we 7 * ia ae Fr . “ oS « At af Vs { a Fs. 5 al he > * é 4 v { ri — . - “>, x ~a~ . a ‘s-- Cee ” —_— —— “touch me and I'll maul the liver-pins out o? you! Please gracious, I’m a woman of courage and now that [ve found my heartless husband ha page of search I'll not be cheated outen im! And turning, she snatched the forked sticks — from over his neck and limbs and flung them at. the foe, then with a sweep or two 01 her knife severed her husband’s bonds, ‘ ‘* Hold on there, old lady,” said Hyena Jim; *‘yvou’re carryin’ this thing a leetie too fur, S’nora Steve, guard the coor thar, so that old plein can’t give us the dodge, and we’ll halter im up ag’in, and expel bis wife, who'll be better off without him if he’s as villainous as she claims,” Sonora Steve advanced and took “Bp his posi. tion in the door, his knife clutched in his fingers. As he did so, a sound behind him arres his attention, but before he could turn something struck him in the back and knocked him half across the room. At the same instant a horse— a pony, with a rider lying upon its back— bounded into the room with a fierce snort and glowing eyes, and knocking over three or four savages in its mad lunge. And as soon as the anima] had passed through the door the rider rose to a sitting posture, a revolver in each hand, and opened a deadly fire on the outlaws and savages; and close at the heels of the pony followed eight men dressed in the gare of rancheros, each with a revolver in hand, Taken by surprise, the savages and outlaws started back terror-stricken, before the mur- derous crash and blaze of the rancheros’ re- volvers, Once Hyena Jim endeavored to rally his fol- lowers and engage the foe, but his daring life was cut short by a bullet crashing through his brain. With her characteristic combkativeness old Sabina Bandy dropped her umbrella, threw back her bonnet from her head and drawing a little ‘‘twenty-two” revolver, opened on the foe, giving utterance to a_ wild, hysterical scr’am at every discharge of the weapon. The panic-stricken foe, cut off from the door, made a rush for the open window on the opposite side—crowding, cursing and yelling—trampling beneath their foe their dead and wounded com- rades in their mad endeavors to escape. Fully half their entire force fell within the hut, and those that did escape were at once hotly pursued into the night by all the victorious rancheros except the cne on the horse. At the Begeants of the conflict Old Kit Bandy sprung to the side of his friend Rattler and quickly jerked the crotched sticks from his neck and limbs, and then releasing his bonds, turned to take a hand in the conflict. Just then he caught the first fair view of the face of the ranchero on the borse, and be started back with surprise written on his features, he head of the horseman was tied up in a scarlet bandage, and from his face, that was almost spot in its paleness, shone a pair of eyes that fairly glowed in their unnatural brighbt- ness, ‘“ My God, Rattler!” cried Cld Kit, his looks be- traying the deepest emotion, that horseman is Laramie Joe, the Boy Knight, or his spirit !” ‘Tt can’t be, Bandy--” began Old Rattler, but he was here interrupted by the bcorseman, lea ing to the ggopnd and extending his two hands, saying: , : ‘So we meet this side of eternity again, old pards,” ae It was Laramie Joe in flesh and spirit! But not until the old plainsmen had felt the warm clasp of his hand could they fully believe the evidence of, their own eyes. Then they turned and looked into each other’s face in con- ak egy oa silence. Bandy was the first to speak. a a 1’) be fanged !” was his remark. | ‘“-You and another old, old fool I know ought to be shut,” was Rattler’s rejoinder. Another silence followed that was broken by Laramie Joe who burst into a peal of laughter. ‘“T see you folks are somewhat confused by my presence here,” the boy said. ‘¢ Confused? well, by the horn o’ Joshua! that don’t express it, boy,” replied Bandy in appa- rent disgust. ‘‘The ki-yotish countenance of that old huccaneer of the prairie, there.” point ing to Rattler, ‘‘ expresses. my feelin’s better’n words could.” ‘And’ I, your wronged companion, Christo- her C. Bandy,” exclaimed old Sabina, comin to the front, ‘‘can express the heartlessness your heart in a few words, and I—” <0 ay > - ‘Don’t, Mrs. Bandy,” interrupted Kit with — meek politeness, ‘‘ there is no He now to settle G “*comicbooks 4. - Me z ’ 4 : yO * « A ry rs s \ iz - i) eat;,) os eee? | ‘ J ¥ a nA ’ shee, ¥** 7 . ¥* ° = | ae - ~s aos » A cy