Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 478 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

- PO ee rt rm Se ee es 3 ae - £ . ~ ; >. e+ —— - - — “ss a" . oe . - : oa +." ot. 2% fs Nae BF ‘ r air a ee iy 1% 4 ‘ . e iw of” ’ CHAPTER IX. THE ROBBERS’ CAMP, In a deep, dark valley, under a cluster of pines in the Laramie Hills, ten men were en- camped, They were rough, bearded, booted fellows, heavily armed. They were outlaws, as their appearances indicated, Their horses were tethered in the valley near camp, and one of their number stood guard. It is night when we would look in upon this rob- ber camp, Around a dim camp-fire the party is seated—some playing cards, some telling sto- ries and singing ribald songs, and some con- versing. And in course of the conversation, one of the latter remarks: ‘*T shouldn’t be surprised if that Last Lick skeme 0’ Ralston’s had miscarried.” ‘*'Why so, Red Bob?” asked a companion. ‘** Because, here two weeks have passed and nothin’ heard from thar yit.” ‘* Ha! ha!” laughed another, known as Hyena Jim, ‘‘Red Bob is gittin’ anxious to see Cap- tain Rachel, I alers thought Bob war in love with that gal.” ‘* Call it what you want to, Hyena,” replied Red Bob , ** but I’m gittin’ tired o’ this inactiv- ity; besides, I don’t see what there can be in that Last Lick business that ’d take a year or more to develop. Now, the general and Cap Rachel hev been at that minin’-camp ten months. They got rid o’ Judge Randall easy, and the best o’ their detectives hev failed to fer- ret out the matter. Now, what war they doin’ to keep them thar all this time?” ‘* Waitin’ for a chance to carry off the judge’s darter.” ‘“*Thunder and Mars! I could’a’ rid in thar and toted her off six months ago—somethin’ else the general’s after.” “Yes; but the gineral knows his_ business, and don’t you disremember that. He’s: slow, . but alers sure, and you know we all promised him to be patient ti]l he got back.” ‘““'To be sure, Hyena,” replied Bob, ‘and hav’n’t we been?” ‘‘Harkee!” suddenly exclaimed one of the band. All listened and heard the sound of approach- | ing hoofs. a soe one’s comin’ sure as death,” said Red ob. ‘* Some o’ our folks, Pll ante an eye,” ‘“Who comes there?” the man on guard was heard to call out. ‘‘ My name is Sonora Steve; is this the camp o—”’ ‘All right, Sonora. Steve, advance,” the guard replied. ‘‘ News from LaSt Lick, or ’m a goat!” de- clared Hyena Jim. ‘‘Ho, Sonora Steve, old boy—glad to meet you, senor.” The little Mexican dismounted and shook hands with his old companions, in the mean time glancing inquiringly about camp. ‘Glad to git back to the ranks, boys,” the Mexican said, ‘‘ but I see Captain Rachel hasn’t arriv’ yet.” ) ** No, not yet.” “That's queer—she and her party left twenty- four hours before I did.” ‘*‘ Indeed? and did the gineral’s scheme work?” “They got the girl, Zulima, but at fearful cost.” “You don’t say so?” ‘‘-Yes, the gineral got a bullet through his head, and ’s goin’ to die.” An exclamation of surprise and sorrow burst from. the lips of the robbers, ‘¢ How on earth did that happen?” asked Red ob. ‘‘Tt’s a long story and I’m tired and hungry,” was Sonora’s reply. - Acting upon this hint an outlaw took Steve's horse while another procured him some food. After he had eaten, and regaled himself on a drink of whisky, he began and narrated the story of the Frenchman’s exhibition at the Pick-and-Shovel in. Last Lick and the final shooting of Major Bell by the Rev. Paul Postle. The outlaws were thunderstruck by this sad mtelligence, for, as the reader has already in- ferred, Major Bell was the ‘‘ General” Ralston Zandt of the outlaw band. ‘‘TPid you kill the cuss that shot the general?” asked Hyena Jim, furious with rage. ‘Kill nothin’,” replied Sonora Steve; ‘‘he skipped out right away, but it war developed that the preacher war a noted detective named Kit Bandy.” ‘* The thunder you say!” exclaimed one, Kid Cole, ‘* he’s the wu’st old hellyon unhung. Ive had to do ‘ith him to the tune of three solid years in the State jug. But how does the gal, - Cap'n Rachel, take the shvotin’ o’ her dad?” — OT RR — Old Tom Rattler. oe ** She don’t know it.” ' pillar, and as long as my lamp of life holds out ** Don’t know it? how’s that?” to burn the darned old, ‘fickle-hearted man-flirt **'You see the gals war abducted while all | shall breathe no love-words in another woman’s the camp war at the Frenchman’s show, and of | ear as he did when he won my childish hand. course, Rachel war ten miles or more from | Oh! it breaks my heart to think of the perfidy vep afore Postle shot the gineral; and I’ve fol- | of that man!” and Mrs. Bandy began to sob and lered up to break the news to her.” wring her hands while her body swayed to and ‘* By snakes, it’ll kill her!” declared Red Bob, | fro like a reed in the wind. ‘for she worshiped her dad, and no mistake, ‘That’s good as a monkey show,” remarked Poor gal! I feel—” one of the outlaws. ‘* Hello-oh, down there!” " ‘*'Thar’s so dashed much deception and hy- It was a sharp, shrill voice that came piercing | pocrisy in this ’ere great, big, wicked world,” through the night to the ears of- the outlaw | said Kid Cole, ‘‘ that I’d as soon think that old band, putting an end to their conversation and | woman’s playin’ some sharp— Hello! now, I bringing every man to his feet, wonder who’s comin’?” ‘* A woman’s squawk or I never heard one!” The last question was drawn out by the sound declared Hyena Jim, and advancing a few | of more hoofs coming up the valley from the paces in the direction whence the call came, he | south. demanded: ‘*'Who’s there?” ‘*Tt’s me, please gracious,” was the unsatis- factory reply. ‘*'Who’s me, please gracious?’ demanded Hy- In an instant the outlaws had their hands on their weapons. Silence reigned for a few moments, then, as a man and woman suddenly emerged from the gloom, a shout burst from the lips of the band, and a rush was made toward the new-comers, ‘* Captain Rachel! Captain Rachel, the queen of the mountaineers, by the great Jehovah!” ena. A poor, deserted female woman—Sabina Bandy,” came from out the gloom. ‘‘By gar!” exclaimed Kid Cole, ‘‘she said | shouted Hyena Jim, excitedly. her name war Bandy—some relation o’ Old The woman thus received by the outlaw band Kit’s, I reckon—his darter, maybe. Tell her to | was Sybil Bell, the beautiful and queenly daugh- waltz in, Jim.” . ter of Maior Robert Bell! ‘* Advance, Sabina, Bandy, and accept the The outlaws seemed wild with delight, and, hospitality o’ our camp, won’t you?” asked Jim, | for the time being, all else was forgotten. The ‘Who are you? outlaws or hunters?” the Wo- | valley rung wild with their lusty shouts of joy, man questioned. and it was several minutes before ihe excite- ‘*‘ Hunters,” lied Ilyena Jim, ment of the reception of the queen of the moun- tain outlaws had abated; but when it did, the | ‘Git up, Pecos,” the woman was heard to say to her horse, and the next moment she rode | band.met with a surprise in the absence of Sa- bina Bandy, from the gloom into the light of the outlaws’ The old woman had taken advantage of the camp-fire. A hroad grin overspread the bearded faces | outlaws’ excitement over the arrival of the girl, of the freebooters at sight of the woman and | and rode away into the darkness of the valley. her horse; and one of them said ina low tone to Kid Cole: ‘* Must be Bandy’s youngest darter, and I’d freeze onter her and make her my wife, if I war you, Kid,” The woman must have been fifty years of age, with a soured and wrinkled visage, a sharp, piercing eye, and a sunken mouth with thin, compressed lips, She was dressed in a coarse frock of dark material, a sun-bonnet that was battered and torn. Around her shoulders, was an old faded shawl pinned with a huge thorn at the throat. The horse this woman rode showed that he not only carried a burden of years but was old himself, thin in flesh, and to all appearances well-jaded, ‘* Now here I be—good-evenin’, gentlemen,” the woman said, as she glanced over the crowd; ‘*my name is Sabina Bandy, and I'm the law- fully wedded consort o’ Kit Bandy, the—” ‘Well, what are you doin’ up here, Mrs. Bandy?” Red Bob asked. ** In search of my husband who desarted my bed and board without cause or provocation; and, please the Great Master, if I ever get eyes on that deestroyer of female happiness, that blighter of my girlish heart, I’ smoke,” ‘*That’s the way we are feelin’ bout now, Mrs. Bandy,” said Hyena Jim, ‘‘ and we'd like to assist you in your work; but if you're in search of him you must know he’s in these parts somewhere,” ‘The last I hearn of the heartless destroyer of female happiness he war wp in these parts,” replied Sabina, still keeping her seat in the sad- dle; ‘‘and if the truth’s known perhaps some innocent, confidin’ girl is the object of his rapacious heart, though I’m told he’s passin’ hisself off for a detective. A pretty detective he must be! I'd like to detect him once more and, please gracious, I’d break every bone in | munition, they packed them on Joe’s horse, his body.” then‘the trio started away toward the south- “Tf he’s such an old heathen what do you | west. want to bunt him up for?’ asked Kid Cole. | In the course of a couple of hours they cleared ‘“To torment him, to devil hith, to harass | the hills and entered the open plain across which him, to make his life as miserable as mine, to oe course, — make him sup sorrow, to make sure he never ’s aramie Joe insisted on his two old friends clasped in other female arms than them,” and | taking turns with him in riding, and by this she thrust out her long bony arms as if to clasp } means they were enabled to make tolerably an imaginary being, while her eyes snapped like | good time, | fire. An hour or so after entering the plain, Lara- The outlaws could not suppress an outburst of ; mie Joe discovered a number of yultures high lauchter. in the air away to the north of them. They ‘Old gal, I’ve an ijee you'll make it tropical | were slowly circling in the air, and-seemed to sure enough, for your lord and master if you | be coming nearer and nearer. could find him.” ‘**T don’t like to see them,” remarked the boy, ** Find him I will if I have to foller him to the ‘* No, they’re not stars o’ Bethlehem,” admit- ead of the earth,” the wronged wife said. ‘*My | ted Old Kit. woman’s spirit has been ‘roused, and I can tell you I’m no doll—no house-plant. For five years | his head, and gazed across the plain, A I’ve hounded that ongrateful man from post to | burst from bis lips, s CHAPTER X. A FIGHT FOR LIFE. LARAMIE JOE was astounded by the declara- tion of Old Kit that Sybil Bell was the notori- ous female outlaw known as Captain Rachel. At first he could scarcely credit the story, but after some reflection, and the consideration of certain facts, he was forced to accept it as true; and upon these grounds he could readily under- stand how the trail of Sybil Bell had disap- peared in the hills. ‘Then she, too,” the young knight said, “‘ has been instrumental in the abduction of Zulima Randall.” ‘‘To be sure she has,” replied Bandy, “ but until [ recognized her voice under her mask sich a thing as Captain Rachel bein’ Sybil Bell never entered my mind. But it seems they’ve all got onto my scheme, for they addre me as Paul Postle; but, by the horn o’ old Joshua! I don’t care a contmental! The mission o’ Paul Postle has been accomplished, and now Ka-ris- topber Ko-lumbus Bandy’ll finish up the job and Paes it off.” ‘‘T begin to see, Bandy, that you are a lily- lipped hummer—a velvet-throated damsel,” said Old Rattler; ‘‘but it hurts me to think o’ the way you lied to that outlaw gal.” **T guess you'll live through it, Rattler,” re- sponded Kit, ‘‘ for if I war huntin’ for a George Washington truth-teller you are the last critter I know of I'd pick on. But as we have no busi- _hess in these parts, boys, s’pose we lean off in some other direction—a healthier climate, for instance.” ‘All right, Kit,” said Joe, ‘I would Jike to et back to where I left Miss Randall, though I ardly expect to find her there, for I told her to go on down to the Deer Creek Ranch if I were not back by sunrise.” | Securing the dead outlaws’ weapons and am- make him Old Rattler, who was in the saddle, turned | cry GomieEepdpoo cS. J eS ~ - Le , ge a, ~ ». . ,° _ sa Sic . ~ J