Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 482 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

tle > ~~ - — Ce ee ee ——— ee - wor ~ ~ OA eee as - — ee ie ee ee . ~ - tae “ < ae aoe Mit 9 <a ~ tatty o~—S £0 Stonewall Bob, —EE —— — oe ——___— ——____. ‘IT know Pegleg Sol,” Mabel replied; *‘ have | brave old man, whose bare, bristling head and seen him at Humboldt Settlement.” serio-comic features, as now seen in the morning ‘‘Then come right out here and let me undo ' dawn, were in keeping with his reckless, rollick- our bonds, and we’ll promenade away from | ing and daring spirit. fede. The outiaws got sick and keeled over, They rode on until the dawn ushered in the and I’m lord o’ the sitewation. new day and just as the sun peeped up over the you’re free.” rim of the horizon, the old man pointed ahead, ‘‘ Who shot those bad men, Sol?’ the maiden saying: asked, as they emerged from the tent. ‘* Gal, d’ve see the top of that grove yander? ‘‘ Death, gal, death took ’ema joltin the maw; That’s on Willer Island, and there Tf ’spect to find but come now, and we’ll get a hoss apiece and our friends,” amble off over the prairo like a pair o’ tortie- ‘*Oh, I hope you may not be disappointed,” doves. This way, Miss Mabel,” Mabe] respcnded. Old Sol led the way through the narrow belt ‘* Ab! there’s some one now, by the shelaliah of timber out into the plain where several horses | o’ St, P: ter! an’ it are that big boy, Stonewall were tethered, all saddled, with the bridles hang- | Bob, or im a wild—-yes, and there comes another ing upon their necks. —two more—four more—five in all, or may 1 be ognizing Stonewall Bob’s pony among the impaled ona sunbeam. ‘Yoop! hoo-raw!” animals, the old hunter secured it and assisted! The old man waved his hand above his head. Mabel into the saddle, then he unfastened his Stonewall Bob and his friends, who had just own horse, put the bits in its moutn and gave | come over from the island flushed with a grand the rein to Mabel. Next he unfastened half a | victory over the outlaws and savages, who, dozen of the outlaws’ ponies. To the tail of one | through the treachery of Cougar Bill, had en- he tied another, and in this way he secured all | deavored to surprise them, had previously dis- the others, then mounting his own horse, and | covered the two horsemen and long line of horses taking the rein of the foremost of the confiscated | moving like a snake out of the western shadows, ponies, rode away with Mabel at his side, the | but not until Old Sol’s voice had reached their string of mustangs following quietly behind. ears did Stonewall and Ben Clark recognize It was now quite dark, for the moon had gone | him. down, but this darkness favored the fugitives, The joy of the amateurs was unbounded, for They rode westward into the plain, talking but | they had mourned Pegleg as dead since the dis- | There, now, —EE + little. covery of Yellowstone Bill’s infamous treachery. In a few moments the old manand the maiden rode up to where the five men were standing, and then it was that the morning rung with shouts of joy. Ben Clark assisted Mabel from her pony and embraced her, his heart overflowing*with hap- piness, Old Sol was bareheaded and every hair on his head, and his face too, for that matter. seemed to stand out on end, and his bright, keen eyes seemed to fairly burn into the night. Knowing the old frontiersman as she did, Mabel felt entirely safe under his protection, although she felt that a bit of mystery hung around the old man, and the secret source of the ‘* Bless your old soul, Pegleg Sol,” Bob ex- power that had enabled him to escape the three | claimed, ‘‘ your coming’s like one from the outlaws’ hands. grave,” They rode on until the sky before them began to grow red, and then Mabel saw that they had so changed their course since starting that they were going directly eastward, and as she im- agined, right back to where they had started. — “Sol, will we not runinto danger going in this direction?” she at length inquired. ‘*T hope not, little one,” replied Pegleg. ‘‘I | want to strike the river opposite Willer Islan’, for thar’s a hull lot o’ young war-hosses there if | trap ye with a lot o’ dead men on a floatin’ raft. they haven’t been slewn by the minions o’ that | I war harnessed upa pris‘ner in the outlaw camp sulphurian Cougar Bill, ButStonewall Bobby’s | at the time. Cougar Bill war your guide, Yal- ‘No; why, bless your infantile heart, Stun- wall Bobby,” Old Pegleg responded, ‘‘I’m here as | agreed to be to he’p you hunt for a Hidden Golden Cache. But, boys, [ve been in some trouble, and so’ve you, and I rejoice, oh, exceed- in’ly great, to find you all safe.” “3 ‘* How did you learn of our dangers?” asked ob. ‘‘ Heard Cougar Bill plan the hull scheme to not so easily catched as a sucker on a pin- | lerstun Bill.” hook.” ‘*The infernal, treacherous old liar!” exclaim- ‘*Then Stonewall Bob is safe?” ed Stonewall; *‘ he paid dearly for all with his ‘Yas, he war at last accounts.” life. I got onto the dead-men-raft trick in time ‘Ob, I'm so thankful!” the girl exclaimed. | to surprise them, and there were not many that ** Bob is such a big, strong, brave fellow.” escaped,” ‘*He’s a hull family in one in gentleness, ** Bully for St. Peter’s club!” shouted Old Peg- bravery and dare-deviltry. If I war a nice lit- | leg; ‘“‘ if it hadn’t been for wantin’ to rescue tle gal o’ "bout seventeen, and my name war Maple, there, ’'d got ’round here before that raft, maybe; but I had sich a glorious chance to save her that I couldn’t resist the temptation ; besides, one gal’s worth more'n five boys, m y way o’ fig- gerin’. I also brought along most o’ the outlaws’ horses, as you see; but if you think 1t war wrong —think Pm a bare-headed thief, ll take em back and ax their pardon.” ‘* What a divine conscience you've got, Peg- leg,” said Stonewall, ‘‘ you’d ought to have been a missionary. But [I don’t think I’d take the ponies back yet awhile, at any rate,” In the mean time Mabel had told her brave young lover of her abduction by Archibald Van- dyke, the pursuit of her father, his capture and trials, their escape by the help of Zadok, the pened. hunter and their recapture by the Indians, And Mabel was silent, dumfounded. Old Fogle now that she was safe for the time being, the fate was cool,calm and indifferent. When the girl | of her father grieved her more thanever. But at length had recovered her power of speech, ; she soon received the assurance of the party that Maple, I’d love-lasso that big boy for a hus- bund.” Before Mabel could respond to the old man’s peculiar remark the form of a man suddenly rose up in the grass before them, and pomting a pistol at Old Sol’s head, said: ‘‘ Halt! you infernal old devil, and git down and die!” Scarcely had the words fallen from his lips when there was a dull, pistol-like report and the unknown man, staggering, fell to the earth with a@ moan, A cry of surprise burst from Mabel’s lips. Old Sol spoke to his horse, and the man and the maiden rode on as though nothing had hap- she asked: all within their power would be done to rescue ‘* Sol, was it you that shot that outlaw?” her parent if he were living. ‘* Why do “pe ax that, little gal?” Some time was spent by the party discussing ‘“* Because I saw a little tongue of flame shoot | the situation, and they had finally concluded to out from near your horse’s shoulder, though I | return to the island when Stonewall Bob espied did not see you draw a weapon.” a horseman up the valley of the South Fork ‘Ho! ho! hol” laughed Old Sol, ‘I jist kicked | moving westward at a swinging gallop. Taking the feller in the face with this ere game foot 0’ | Payne’s spy-glass—an indispensable thing to an mine. I’m an ole speckled giraffe on a kick ‘ith | amateur hunter—the young man scanned the that wooden peg, and outlaws want to stand | horseman closely, then said: aside, 1 reckon that war one o’ your friends; ‘By the roarin’ rivers! there goes a horseman lookin’ for you and this string 0’ ponies back | carryin’ some one in his arms and I'll swear I here, but the more he looks the longer he’ll hunt | believe ita woman. Pegleg, peel your eyes in now. I’m no winged cherub, gal, when it comes ; that direction,” to work like this on hand, and I amble right in Old Sol took the glass and scanned the object. without ceremony—don’t say ‘good-evening,’ ‘You're right, kid, thar’s more deviltry goin’ nor tip my hat every time 1 meet an outlaw on | on,” the old man declared, ‘‘ but whar the deuce this ere prairie. But, look, gal, isn’t that sky | and ace do they git their weemin? It seems no growin’ rosy red with ther quiverin’ bars o’ | trouble for a red-mouthed outlaw to git hold o’ mornin’ light—wooh! I’m growin’ poeticish, | a gal, but I’ve lived nighly sixty years and hav’- now, aren’t [?” n’t got a sign 0’ a woman yit.” Mahel smiled at the whimsical remarks of the —— ‘* Friends, take Miss Thurston back to the isl- caus ate palletes ae o~— ——— oe = LOD LLL LLY LOE — OO a OO me the Boy Trojan. a 2 —— and, for 'm goin’ to foller that feller to Van- couver’s Island but what I know who he is and what he is totin’ off. I’m goin’ to cut for the hills and head him off before he reaches the mountain foot-hills.” ‘* None o’ yer dod-gasted rashness, now, kid,” said Old Sol; ‘‘ I’m goin’ to boss this gang and I want you to go slow.” ‘* Boys,” said Stonewall Bob, leaping into the saddle on the back of his own trusty pony, ‘'I may be back soon—mebby not for a day or two, or a week, or maybe never; if the latter, trust in Old Pegleg and he’ll pull you through, though ou needn’t believe everything he tells you, for e ornaments, frescoes and fringes his stories very elaborately. Astothat buried treasure, use your own pleasure about making the search.” ‘* Bob,” said Frank Payne, ‘‘ we all join in wishing you success and a safe return. We shal] wait for ycu here.” ‘*Then good-by, boys,” and the young plains- man galloped away toward the southwest. ‘*God bless his big heart,” said Old Pegleg, ‘‘his likes never paced the plains o’ Dakota. A Boy Trojan he is, indeed, and when it comes to the defense o’ right, honor, man and woman- hood he’s as unyieldin’ as the rocks 0’ ages— *** A livin’ wall, a human wocd,’ as the poic says.” CHAPTER XI, VANDYKE MAKES FOR THE MOUNTAINS. AFTER Black Bluford and Arch Vendyke had a sisted in the constrvction of the raft, and had seen it and its murderous crew off for Willow Island, they returned to camp to find Mexy Dan and his two companions lying dead, and Old Pegleg Sol and Mabel Thurston gone. The fury of the outlaws knew no bounds, Van- dyke raved like a maniac over the loss of his captive, and in the midst of his fury two per- sons entered the camp. One of these was readily recognized as Singing-Bird, the daughter of Black Wolf, the Sioux chief, whose camp was ies (eit located a few miles away up the North Fork. She was a bright, comely girl of perbaps seventeen, with dark, luminous eyes and a sylph-like form. She was arrayed in all the characteristic gorgeousness of an Indian prin- cess. Jewels flashed in the meshes of her raven tresses, and upon her neck, arms and ankles, Singing-Bird’s companion was also a woman, and, judging by her dress, was a white woman. Her face was vailed and her form enveloped ina long, dark cloak, under which she kept ber hands concealed, At sight of them Black Bluford started, and turning to Vandyke, and pointing to the woman, exclaimed: - ‘* Ah! that explains it all!” ‘“* Singing-Bird!” cried Vandyke, turning upon the woman lke a mad demon, ‘tell me, fair daughter of the great Black Wolf, did you and your companion release the man and maiden that were prisoners here? Do you know who slew these men?” The princess shrunk back with alarm before the glaring eyes of the outlaw, saying, in a timid voice: ‘‘ Singing-Bird and her pale-face friend: have just come.” ‘*T believe you lie!” was the brutal Vandyke’s reply. n an instant the black eyes of the insulted girl flashed with the fire of resentment, and with all the scorn that she could throw into her face and voice, she retorted: ‘* Singing-Bird’s tongue is straight, but she is a weak girl. She would not tella falsehood like the pale-face she talks to now, as he did when he came to Black Wolf’s camp and tried to win Singing-Bird’s heart.” ‘*Confound your little seh ga heart!. it isn’t worth winning,” thundered Vandyke—‘ not even worth breaking. But who is that woman with you, Singing-Bird?” ‘*She -will speak for herself,” answered the princess, ‘* Archibald Vandyke, you know me!” cried the woman, throwing aside her vail and reveal- ing the haggard face of a white woman—a face upon which was written a look of deadly pas- sion; ‘‘ it is your wife, the woman whose life and happiness you have wrecked and trampled upon, and I am here to make sure that no other woman’s life and honor be destroyed at your hands!” : As the last word fell from her lips she thrust out her arm toward Vandyke—a derringer in her hand rung out and the villain, staggering back, fell to the ground. The next instant—be- fore a hand could stay the blow—the mad aveng- ee ee C-