Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 482 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

~ 2 Stonewall Bob, the Bo ——$L —— —-—-—-+ ol . -O possibility of their being free rangers. But they were not—they were outlaws—freebooters of the great Dakota range, lying there in wait for what?—for whom? Surely not an enemy, for their weapons were lying scattered about in a careless way. The name of Black Bluford, the Prairie Ban- dit, was associated with many a black deed of robbery and murder, but one not knowing him would never have taken him for the villain that he really was. He wasa man of five-and-thirty and of rather a striking and prepossessing ap- voarance. He had long, dark hair and a heavy lack mustache, His complexion was as swar- thy as an Indian’s and his gray eyes keen and penetrating. The appearance of Black Bluford’s followers was more in keeping with their true character. While they were young men, their very coun- tenances were stamped with crime and wicked- ness. The party had halted there by the “ Lone Tree” to rest and graze their horses, They were provided with food, of which they partook, fin- ishing up with a flask of brandy. After their dinner had been dispatched, the outlaw chief stretched himself out upon the grass, saying as he did so: ‘Now it does seem tome that our friend Van- syke should be around some time to-day.” ‘* Whatif he and the girl had compromised and concluded to go into business in the settle- ment?” observed one of the others, ‘No danger of that, Mexy Dan,” replied Black Bluford, *‘for our friend Vandyke is too great a villain ever to compromise with the ee dad after getting booted out of the ranch. t is satisfaction, as well as a wife, that Arch Vandyke seeks now. And evenif it should be as you suggest, Arch would not go back on us in letting us know about that party going in search of that hidden gold-cache.” ‘* 'Won’t it create a tumultuous hoodoo in the settlement if he succeeds in abductin’ the gal?” said Mexy Dan. “And it might some of us gay gam inclined character. ‘“That’s what I expected from Joker Jim,” declared Mexy Dan; ‘he’s etarnally explorin’ around for possible danger tohimself, His bump of caution—” ** Hello! there comes a horseman now!” sud- tenly exclaimed Black Bluford; ** but it can’t be Vandyke, for he’s comin’ from the wrong di- rection.” ** No,” said Joker Jim, “‘ that’snot Van, but I should say that it was a Manitobian giant mount- ed on a Shetland pony.” “* Jews and Gentiles!” exclaimed Mexy, ‘isn’t ae ‘’ellhopper though—a reg’ler old Goliar tall! ‘Bless my liver!” exclaimed another, “I never seen such a royal big rooster—bigger’n the hoss he rides, or [ll eat it. Who can it be, boys?” : ¥ sammmanihateg can it be?’ added Black Blu- ord. Thus the freebooters conversed as the horse- man approached, and their surprise and curios- ity were none the less satisfied when he at length drew rein within the shadow of the ancient cot- tonwood. In size the horseman was a man of giant pro- portions, although his smooth, beardless face and ruddy complexion told that he was a boy of not over twenty years of age. He was fully six feet in hight, and built from the ground up like an e«thlete. He was clad in a mixed suit of bitek- skin and gray cotton cloth that fitted him closely and showed off his splendid form to good advan- tage. He was broad-shouldered and deep-chest- ed. The collar of his blue-flannel shirt lay open, revealing his stout, muscular neck and breast. His big, brown ox-eyes looked out from under their long lashes with a pleasant, innocent light, and his largo, yet expressive mouth, seemed wreathed in a smile that was indicative of a kind-hearted and rollicking big, boy. At his back the young giant ¢arried a Spencer carbine, and toa broad belt that encircled his waist hung a pair of revolvers and a hunting- knife. His mustang was well caparisoned, and in addition to the coiled lariat he carried in front, hung at the saddle-bow, he carried a roll of blankets and other articles strapped to the saddle behind him. The freebooters rose to their feet when the youth came up. The young giant was the first to speak. Dof- fing his sombrero and throwing it over the horn of bis saddle, he exclaimed: ‘* Hullo! what’ve I struck? Pilgrims or pi- rates?” rove darned hoodooish for liers,” added a facetiously ‘Pilgrims of the prairie, of course,” replied Black Bluford, in a social, pleasant voice. y Trojan. | as one would fling aside a rat, he dashed Mexy Dan against the tree with such force as to lay ‘Room for another small fellow, I reckon, here | that deluded villain stunned and bleeding on the under the shade of this ancient tree,” the young giant observed, as he dismounted and slipped the bits from his pony’s mouth and turned it out to graze. ‘*Oh, plenty room here,” replied the outlaw chief, ‘* but in your case I don’t see where the small fellow comesin; nor do I remember of ever having secn or heard of«a giant on this range before. Stranger, you’re an ’ellhopper for the boy I take you to be,” ‘*T wasn’t stunted in my youth, Ill admit, stranger,” the boy responded, a smile lighting his face. ‘‘ And what’s your name, and where do you hail from?” ‘** My name’s Robert Comstock, and I hailfrom the pine woods of Minnesota,” was the answer. ‘* And which way are you going, Robert?” ‘* West, to grow up with the country,” was the boy’s reply. ** Slaughter Injuns and outlaws, I reckon?” ‘Tm not going for my health, stranger, that you can be sure of,” replied the boy, with a smile. ‘*T don’t know what I willdo yet—anything that offers from herdin’ bulls to drivin’ stage.” Thus the conversation ran on for some time, The boy was shrewd enough to make no inquiries as to who the five were, and where they were going; for, while they were total strangers to him, he mistrusted that they were not what they had taken some pains to let him know they were— independent rangers. After awhile the boy walked out to his pony and taking some food from his pack returned and seating himself at the foot of the cotton- wood ate his dinner, having first invited the five to share his food with him, which invitation, of course, was declined with thanks, While the boy was eating, Black Bluford and Mexy Dan went out to where their ponies were grazing, under the pretext of picketing their ani- mals on a fresher grass-plot. **Mexy,” said the outlaw chief, when they were out of hearing, ‘‘ that big land-lubber is a little older than he appears, and fully as large as he looks, I don’t just exactly like the way be talks and acts, and his presence here at this time bodes us no good.” ‘*He don’t surely know who we are or he’d never stopped here,” replied Mexy Dan. ‘‘ He don’t know enough to ask who we are,” ‘‘Ay, but his apparent ignorance may be a shrewd, bold game to disarm us of suspicion,” declared Black Bluford. ‘*' Well, we needn’t take no chances,” replied ee ‘* We can easily git rid of him. I don’t think he’s anything but a big, overgrown, chuckle-headed boy, and believe we can squeeze all the information we want out of him easy as squeezin’ the juice out of a lemon. A rope around his neck and over a limb of that cotton- wood would p’r’aps unlock all the secrets of his breast, if he has any.” ‘ ‘*Mexy Dan, you are as fertile-brained as a born liar,” said Black Bluford, ‘‘and I guess your rope-trick will be the very thing asa per- suader. You get the other boys aside and let them into the secret and make your arrange- ments to jump him, But look out; he may give you trouble—a lively tussle.” ‘* Tussle nothin’!” retorted Mexy, ‘‘ he’s a big, soft, lubberly boy, of a mushroom growth and beg a flabby muscle—an overgrown buffalo-bull calf, Black Bluford went back tothe shadeand lazi- ly stretched himself on the ground near the young giant, who sat leaning against the tree-trunk, his armresting above his head. Heengaged the boy in conversation about the country north, while Mexy and the others, who had been beck- oned aside, were maturing their plans for taking the youth a prisoner. Finally all was settled and the four returned to the cottonwood. ey and Joker Jim came up behind the boy, and like hawks they pounced upon the youth, each seizing him by an arm— one of them exclaiming: ‘*’Young hoss, you are our prisoner!” One of the other outlaws sprung forward and ar gine to throw a rope around the youth’s neck, ‘*T guess not, gentlemen,” exclaimed the boy giant, as quickly as though he were expecting some such movement; then, with the quickness of a panther and with apparent ease, he sprung to his feet with the two outlaws clinging to his arms like monkeys, and, at the same instant al- most he spun around and flung Joker Jim away from him with such force as to send the outlaw flying headlong over the high bank into the turbid river, And then with as much ease, apparently, earth. The other three outlaws quickly saw that the young man was a Hercules in strength as well as a giant in stature, and at once rushed to the assistance of their friends. With a grim smile on his face and a deter- mined look in his big brown eyes, Robert Com- stock drove his clinched fist into a third man’s face, knocking him back against Black Bluford with such terrific force as to lay both prostrate upon the earth. The fifth outlaw he dealt a dextrous left-hander under the chin that lifted the villain off his feet and sent him over the bank oe the river with the howling, cursing Joker im. Quickly recovering himself Black Bluford wes reaching for his revolver that lay near where ke | had fallen, but young Comstock saw his move- ment, and bounding forward he seized the vil- lain by the ankle and with but little effort sent the howling eel” sprawling into the river. Then a kick of the boy’s big foot sent the fourth man after his leader into the murmuring Mis- souri; and to still make his work complete, the boy giant turned to Mexy Dan, who, half-dazed, was just rising to his feet, and seizing the fellow by the nape of the neck and the slack of his buckskins lifted him aloft and fired him into the water half-way across the stream. Then shoy- ing his hands into his breeches-pockets the young giant stood upon the bank, and looking down upon the discomfited five struggling in the water to their necks, he burst into a roar of trium- phant laughter that provoked the villains into fury. And what made the situation all the worse for the outlaws, the west bank, for several rods above and below the Lone Tree was high and projecting, making escape impossible back to where the boy stood, Their only course was to cross to the opposite shore and go either up or down the river and cross back where there was a hreak in the bank. This they quickly dis- covered and through fear of the boy’s further vengeance—knowing they were now at the mercy of his revolvers if he felt di d to use them— they struck out, swimming and wading through the muddy current. Robert Comstock picked up their weapons and dropped them into the river, saying to himself as he did so: ‘‘Tf I were only sure that my suspicions are correct—that they are outlaws, I’d send them all afidat by sockin’ a bullet through every one of them. At any rate, be they outlaws or rangers, they'll not try any games with a lone boy again. “Black Bluford, wlio wasthe most expert swim- mer of the five, was the first to reach the oppo- site shore, and, half-exbausted, he seated himself on the bank and shouting back. to Mexy Dan, who was laboring slowly behind the others, said: _ “Say, Mexy, what do you think now about that boy? He’s not so much of a ntushroom as you thought, is he? His muscle isn’t as flabby as one’d think, is it? This is what I call a prairie matinee, boys—a real damper on some one. Brace up there, Mexy, and in the language of the poet, ‘ pull for the shore, sailor.’” ‘Shut up—your in—fernal gah!” blowed Mexy, crawling out and sinking exhausted on the beach. Assoon as the five outlaws had reached the shore, the boy giant shouted over to them: ‘*Say, gentlemen, time to me is precious, and I must be off; but. before I go, let me say, by way of advice, that whenever you are proses by the spirit of mischief to foolish with a boy, don’t forget your experience with Stonewall Bob, who now bids you good-day.” And with a low bow and a wave of his som- brero, the boy giant turned and walked away toward his Pony ‘‘ Stonewall Bob!” exclaimed Black Bluford, in surprise and disgust, ‘‘ that notorious young giant from the Niobrara that we've heard so much about, and—” ‘* Seen and felt somethin’ of, too,” putin Joker Jim, ‘‘ Yes, yes, we’re five darin’ knights of the plains—taken in by a boy—innocent Bob Comstock, from the pine woods o’ Minnesota!” ‘“Who votes that we’re not five blind and stupid asses?” continued the outlaw chief, grow- ing blacker and blacker with impotent rage. ‘““The motion’s carried unanimously,” piped Joker Jim, ; On his way to his pony an idea sug ed itself to Robert Comstock, and taking out his knife he cut the girths of the outlaws’ saddles and the reins of their bridles. Then mounting his ani- Cor books