Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 482 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

a _ ee, -—-2 ~* _ jungle ge the timid v lggon Fg he sprung upon Old Yellowstone Bill, seized him by the neck and the hip, and with an effort that seemed almost superhuman he raised the form of the old hunter above his head and hurled him from the island into the center of the advancing raft. ‘* Go to your friends, you old domon and trai- tor!” the young giant fairly hissed, his face livid with rage. A yell burst from Old Bill’s lips as he shot through the air, and the sound of his voice seemed to call the motionless warriors on the raft into life for each and every one of them in- stantly leaped to his feet with a frightful yell. ‘Wire, boys!” shouted Stonewall Bob, and be- fore the words had scarcely been uttered, five revolvers were pouring their deadly contents into the ranks of the foe. The wily red-skins had, after all their pains and cunning, been the party surprised; and Old Yellowstone paid the penalty of his arpaanenys so opportunely discovered by Stonewall Bob, with his life. CHAPTER IX, LIVELY TIMES AT THE OUTLAW CAMP. LET us now follow Mabel Thurston whom the fates had for the second time placed in the pow- er of her outlaw admirer, Arch Vandyke. The outlaws, however, did not take part in her rescue from Stonewall nor have a hand in the conflict with the Boy Trojan on the river- bank. It was not until both she and her father had been captured by the savages and hurried away by a few of them, while the others engaged the young giant, that Black Bluford and his fol- lowers coming upon the Indians demanded the possession of the maiden, ‘After a short parley the outlaws were permit- ted to take her, the savages retaining her father who was conducted away toward the Indian camp oP the North Fork. Mabel was, by her own request, permitted to ride the pony that had belonged to Stonewall Bob, and as the animal was led around to where she stood, Black Bluford exclaimed: ‘* Boys, do you recognize that pony? Did you ever see it before, eh? Speak, coker Jim, and you, too, Mexy Dan.” ‘‘ It seems to me I have,” replied Joker Jim; ‘‘if I remember right the gentleman of the mush- room growth and flabby muscle that entertained us yesterday noon on the banks of the Missouri, rode such an animal.” “Exactly,” said Black Bluford with an oath; then of the Indians he inquired as to how they had come in possession of the pony; and upon learn- ing the facts, and that the Indians had left a number of their friends to slay the boy giant on the river-bank, the outlaws’ joy knew no bounds. Mexy Dan, whose sore y and battered face bore witness of the rough handling he had re- ceived at the hands of the young plainsman, be- came almost frantic with delight, and declared his intention of riding on to the forks of the river just to kick the y of the dead giant— the Indian assuring him that the big foe was dead ere that and his scalp Ranging 60 the girdle of a warrior. But being dissuaded by his friends from so foolish a trip, he declared he would wait there the coming of the other warriors, that he mer look upon the scalp of the boy giant. But this, too, was all bluster, for when his friends moved away he went with them. Again Mabel was ruthlessly separated from her father, and though the parting wassad and heart- rending indeed, it had none of the awful, agoniz- ing terrors of the first parting that night when she left him bound down helpless to the earth. The outlaws moved rind toward the west, crossed the North Fork of the Grand River, and then bore away in asouthwesterly direction, un- til they came to the camp on the South Fork, where they were greeted by the friends in charge . of the camp. Mabel was taken from the saddle and con- ducted into one of the two canvas tents pitched there under some cottonwood trees, A dim light from a smoldering camp-fire re- lieved the camp of its gloom, and as she wastaken to the tent Mabel saw an old man in a hunter’s rb lying on a blanket, hard by, his hands und at his back. She recognized him ata lance as Old Pegleg Sol, who had often been at Humboldt settlement. The old man appeared to be asleep when they arrived, but he roused up at the sound of the new-comers’ voices and gazed about him. “ Land of delight!” exclaimed Black Bluford, at sight of Old Pegleg, ‘‘and I see you boys have got your man Pegleg.” ‘Yes, but it cost us the life of brave Pistol Pete,” replied one of the old bunter’s captors in a grave tone, Stonewall Bob, the Boy Trojan. nr The outlaw chief seemed shocked by this news, for the dead man was a favorite friend of his, and he declared with many horrible oaths that Pistol Pete should be avenged. An hour after the outlaws reached camp an- other person in a hunter’s garb put in an ap- arance. It was the man whom we have nown as Yellowstone Bill, but whose real char- acter was that of a villain and who was known among his friends as Cougar Bill. Traitor that he was, he came there directly from the island where the amateur hunters were encamped, bringing the exasperating news of the defeat of the savages in both their at- peagee to capture Stonewall Bob and the is- land. Black Bluford went into a fit of rage. He cursed the red-skins, his followers, and himself, until his face grew blacker than it was with passion. To add still mvure fuel to the fire of rage burning within his wicked breast, Old Peg- leg Sol remarked: ‘Old buck ki-yote, youll tooth your chin if ye ar’n’t keerful. Whata luscious fool ye make o’ yerself, slashin’ round here,” ‘he outlaw chief fired an oath at the old hun- ter, and Mabel, who was watching and listening from her prison lodge, trembled for the safety of the borderman, Black Bluford had scarcely become settled down when his feelings were again harrowed up bv the appearance of the savages who had sur- vived the conflict with Stonewall Bob and the attempted capture of Willow Island. They came straggling in looking as if they had just escaped the ragged edge of a cyclone. The were weteand their faces were haggard with the chagrin of defeat. Most of them were more or less battered, bruised and bleeding, and a few of them seriously wounded. Black Bluford gathered them—a score in all— abont the fire and made them a speech that had a very mollifying effect upon their depraved spirits; and then, while the redoubtable Mexy Han, who had a strong ‘‘ fellow-feeling ” for the red-skins who had felt the power of Stonewall Bob’s good right arm, proceeded to dress the despoiled warriors’ wounds, the outlaw chief turned to Old Cougar Bill and said: ‘* Well, Cougar, how were you received by the buffalo treasure-hunters at Willow Island?” ‘* Bumfustic; they took in my little story like sunshine, and at once accepted Yellowstone Bill into full fellowship.” ** And did you get the information we want in relation to the Hidden Gold Cache?” ‘Not a darned ’mation—not a squint at the convict’smap. Frank Payne narrated the whole story to me of the convict—Goven’s—revelation, just exactly as Arch Vandyke there overheard en Clark, of Humboldt Settlement, narrate the story to his sweetheart—she in that tent there— some months ago, under the shadows of old Thurston’s vine and fig tree. When he got through ’ith his story he war just goin’ to show me the map, when the Ingins raised a hellibuski- an noise just across the river and cut things short right there. But for that I’d possess the secret o’ that hidden gold. Since then no good opportunity has offered to interduce the subject ag’in ’ithout the danger o’ raisin’ s’picion. Them fellers are all up ter stuff if they are amateurs, and since that big, maul-fisted Stunwall Bob has got thar, a feller feels as tho’ he war creepin’ through a nest o’ sleepin’ grizzliesand war afeard he’d wake ’’em. Once or twice I war sure the big man-masher ’d fot onto my racket, the way he looked at me and spoke, They’re alllightnin’ on the shoot, and if ever they’re took in it’s got to be by surprise. Comin’ up the river by great heaps of driftwood, an ijee popped into a head, and that war to build a raft out o’ them logs—a good-sized one, too—and then you fellers and the red-skins get up a sham fight—that is, yell and shoot like all furies so’s the chaps at the island can hear the sound o’ the conflict—strew the raft with dead—kill a hoss if necessary for blood to daub things with, and then let the raft with its lifeless warriors float down the river and lodge ag’inst the island, and the moment it touches let the dead arise like Lazarus and skip forth onto the island with the proper tools for short work,” ‘‘ But maybe that might not work out as you figure it,” said Bluford. ‘Ill see that it does, though,” Cougar Bill wenton, ‘I'llhelpitalong,anyhow, Yousee, I, Yallerstun Bill, am out now on a scout—re- connoiterin’, After you’ve built the raft and fit your fight so the boys can hear the din o’ battle, 11 rush back and report a gory attack on a raft-load o’ hunters driftin’ down-stream, in which all war killed and war left, with the dead Ingins, also, on the raft, floatin’ down-stream., - *%, If you'll do this and burry up, you'll jist "bout git round to the island ’bout time it’s darkest.” ‘* Cougar,” said Black Bluford, ‘* you're a fer- tile-brained villain, and I'll sound the boys here —red and white—on your scheme,” This the outlaw did, and all at once indorsed the plan, the Indians becoming quite jubilant over the thought of avenging the death of their friends and wiping out their own disgrace. All the party but three at once proceeded down the river to construct the raft and carry out Old Bill’s cunning scheme, and bow well that scheme succeeded the reader has already seen in the preceding chapter. The three men left at camp in charge of Mabel Thurston and Old Pegleg Sol were whites, one of whom was Mexy Dan, to whom Vandyke gave explicit orders to wa ch Mabel closely and con- stantly until he returned, and the other two were men who had been slightly wounded dur- ing the night. After a few minutes had passed Maxy Dan said to his two companions: ‘* Boys, lay down and take a nap and [’ll keep watch, You fellers need sleep and rest.” The two outlaws at once availed themselves of this opportunity for rest, and each wrap- pring a blanket about him, laid down upon the ground, Mexy Dan seated himself at Mabel’s tent, facing the fire, and fell into a sort of reverie. Old Pegleg Sol, aepenenthy asleep, watched the villain closely. e saw the fellow glance ever and anon at the tent in which the maiden was confined. He saw a fiendish light in bis little gray eyes, and a sensuous, repulsive smile contort the vampire lips. And finally, with the look of a fiend incarnate, the outlaw arose to his feet, cast a furtive glance aronnd bim, and then started toward the tent. He reached it, and was in the act of pushing aside the flap-door, when the dull *‘ ping” of a firearm sounded be- hind him, and with a cry of pain the villain staggered back and fell heavily to the earth. Quickly the two dozing outlaws sprung to their feet, one of them exclaiming: ‘Great Moloch! what’s up here? Didn't I hear a shot fired?” ‘¢- Yes,” said Old Pegleg, drowsily starting up, ‘for I heard it too.” ‘‘ Bloody blazes! there lies Mexy Dan, and he’s been shot. A foe must be Jurkin’ in the shadows, and he’s the same one that killed Pis- tol Pete.” While one of them advanced to the side of Mexy Dan, the other examined Old Pegleg’s bonds, which he found still secure. “Whoever fired that shot at Mexy shot to kill, for Mexy’s dead as a smelt,” declared the startled and brutal outlaw, as he felt his pros- trate comrade’s pulse. *¢ Bloody Moloch!” exclaimed the other; *‘ then were in danger. Hadn’t we better put this fire out?” ‘‘Tt’s a good idee, Racker, but let’s see that ther girl’s all safe fu’st. It might be she’s gota little pop concealed *bout her and’s done that murderous shootin’.” As the fellow spoke he turned to the tent and pulling aside the door, put his head inside, Just as he did so, “ping” went that mysterious weapon again, and turning quickly be saw his friend Racker reel to and fro and fall to the ground, At the same time he saw a little puff of blue smoke hanging on the air within the circle of dim light. The outlaw ran to his friend’s side, Racker tried to speak, but only a rattling, gurgling sound came from his lips. The remaining outlaw’s faces grew white, He glanced nervously around him at the vanishing uff of smoke, and then again at his dying friend as if to solve the mystery of the murder- ous shot. The dying man seemed to divine his thoughts and wish, and raising his arm with a labored effort he pointed his hin ey finger straight at the formof Old Pegleg Sol CHAPTER X. PEGLEG SOL GETS IN SOME WORK, ALMOST dizzy with a sense of fear the sur- viving outlaw turned his eyes toward Old Peg- leg, and as he did so he saw a vivid flash before him, heard the report of a weapon, abd with a cry he staggered forward and fell dead by the side of Racker. Then it was that Old Pegleg Sol sprung to his feet, his hands unshackled, his bearded face aglow with ag ym Straight toward Mabel Thurston’s tent he limped in all haste, and dash- ing inside of it he exclaimed: ‘Gal, how’s tricks in here? be you tied up? Don’t git skeer’d. I'm Old Peles Sol—not hand- some nor cute, but rough and handy,” oo , Ul . SN jet + _ . i, én ) ppt a Pe =. v ‘ed 4 = , on