Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 519 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

. = —_ «© . soun.iis of boisterous merriment. eR Te pe re a OO eee ngges eee ee + ere 12 “Mrs. Captain Mystery. I fancy that would bring the old gent to terms at once.”’ Despite her suspicions and wild, jealous anger, Inez was easily deceived. Hesitatingly she asked: ** Is—is this true?”’ ‘*Every wor —true as gospel!’’ the outlaw chief Meciared. “‘I love you too dearly, truly to fall in te ha another, Darling, you are my light, my e!”’ With a little hysterical cry of joy she threw her- self into his arms, sobbing out: ‘Forgive me—forgive me! I must have been crazy! [hardly knew what I did. How foolish of me to think that you would love another! I am ashamed of myself!” He pressed her to his bosom, in which beat one of the blacéest and vilest of human hearts, softly mur- muring: ‘*Ah, my little love, how sweet it is to be once more alone with you! Are you happy now?”’ ‘* Yes, yes; so happy, for I know that your love is wholly mine! But if it had been true that you loved Sylva Blair—” ** What then?” ** 1 know I would have killed you!" CHAPTER XI AN ATTEMPTED RESCUE. WHEN the outlaw chief had closed the door be- hind him, leaving her alone, Sylva Blair sunk down = a osapeel covering her pale face with her trembling ands. ‘*Heaven help me!”’ she moaned, ‘I am in great danger now. This dreadful outlaw loves me! And such love as his must be—vile, polluting! Death is to be preferred a thousand times! Heavenly Father, is there no way of escaping from his foul clutches?” A shudder of horror shook her slender frame. Suddenly she started to her feet, gasping in low mar as tuough she feared some one would hear er: ‘*T must escape! I will try to get away from here. It were a thousand times better to starve and perish among the mountains than to remain while he is here. I must escape!"’ She started hesitatingly and tremblingly toward the door, when, lo! it softly opened, and Howard ‘Thorne appeared! Sylva started back in surprise, a low cry break- ing from her lips; then she sprung forward, sobbing out: * Oh, you have come to save me! Iam so glad— $80 glad!”’ e caught her in his arms, whispering hastily: ‘* Softly, Sylva,softly! You maybe heard. Ihave come to save you and will do so if itis in my power. Come, we must get away from here,” He drew her out into the darkness, quietly closing ‘the cabin door. ‘*Oh, how came you here?’’ she asked. “It seems too good to be true!” ‘*‘T came with friends. We were on the mountain- side when you came to the cabin door this after- noon. I waved my hand to you,”’ ‘“Yes, yes! I saw you then and thought you look- ed familiar. But where are your friends?”’ “Ido not know. They dropped into this sink by the means of a rope, that hangs over.a cliff at the eastern side of this hole, leaving me behind, probably ‘thinking that I was nottobetrusted. ButI could not remain up there while [knew you were down here in danger,perhaps. So.assoon as my friends Were down the rope, and had had sufficient time to moye away, Iswung myself over the precipice and came down, Lremembered the cabin where I had seen you in the doorway, and came here at once. 1 was near at hand wari that outlaw entered,”’ ‘‘He was Captain Mystery.”’ ‘* So I thought, for I listened at the door and over- heard a part of his love-making. I meee that he had left the room, when I made bold to open the door.”’ ‘‘It was well that he had, for he appears likea desperate mun, and would probably have taken your life, had he seen you.” * Well, if he had, it would have been necessary for him to have done some mighty lively shooting, for I had my hand on a revolver when | opened the door. | was prepared to lay him out, if called upon to do so.”’ Thorne spoke quietly and decidedly. He had come prepared to shoot if it were necessary, and he meant to do so promptly should occasion require. * but, come, Miss Biair, we must escape from this place. I think we shall have no trouble in doing so, tor the outlaws seen very quiet on this side of the camp. There are some fellows over at the other side who are haying a jubilee, judging by the noise they mak”.” From a cabin at the other side of the sink issued The cabin-door was open and their rude songs and loud laughter could be plainly heard, Howard and Sylva glided along toward the place where the rope was_ hanging over the cliff, keepin close to the outlaws’ buildi. gs so as to dodge aroun a corner should such an action become necessary, They were near the jailwhen they saw two dark forms come out of the jail-door and glide swiftly away in the darkness. Howard muttered an exclamation of Vexation when they had disappeared. “ Hang it! Thatis what ‘I call an unlucky streak of luck! S Why, what is the trouble? What do you mean?” asked Sylva. ‘*Why, those fellows have gone straight toward ‘the place where tho rope hangs over the precipice, —————— eee 2 ee EE? © wr wee I OO SE TE fe - Captain Mystery. If they discover it it is allup with us. Our escape will be cut off, and we shall be caught like ratsina trap.”’ Sylva uttered a little cry. “Let’s hurry! Let’s get there before they do. Can’t we doit and escape?’ ‘**No, it is impossible. + We would be discovered, and that would be the worst thing that could hap- pen.”’ * But what can we do? How can we escape?”’ ‘** We can do nothing until we learn whether the rope is discovered or not. I hardly think it prob- able, however, that they will see it in this darkness. If they do not, all will be well.” ‘*Oh, Mr. Thorne!” cried Sylva, excitedly, ‘“‘ we must escape—we must!”’ ‘* Don’t be alarmed, Miss Blair. Everything will turn out well, I think. But, let us go on.” they moved slowly forward, following in the tracks of the two unknown men. In order to have his right hand free, that he might carry a revolver, ready for ‘‘ business,’ Howard supported Sylva with his eft arm. He peered anxiously around as they advanced. “The coast seems clear,’”’ he muttered, as they came in sight of the bluff, which could be dimly seen through the darkness. No oneis there, unless they are crouching in the darkness at the foot of the precipice.”’ They paused a few moments, keenly on the out- look for danger; but seeing nothing, they advanc to the base of the precipice, and Thorne uttered an exclamation of satisfaction as he found the rope was still there. “All right!’ he cried, softly. ‘‘The ro and our way of escape is open. Those fellows did not find it, whoever they were. Ah! perhaps they did. They may have been Red Robin and Ol Bombshell, but if so, I can hardly uoderstand why they were coming in this direction. It could not be that they were going to leave you here among ths outlaws without even making an attempt to rescue you,’ He hastily made a slip-noose at the lower end of the rope, which was not so long that it more than reached the ground, then placed the noose aroui Sylva’s body, beneath her arms. ‘** Now, Miss Blair, I will climb the rope, leaving you here until I reach the top, when I will draw you ~ Do not be frightened, for the rope cannot pos- sibly break.”’ With these words he rapidly ascended the knotted rope. At first he drew himself up easily and swift- ly, but he soon became tired, and was obliged to stop and rest by winding one leg around the rope. Indeed, he was quite ‘winded’ when he reached the top, and was forced to stop and rest before he attempted to draw Sylva up, While he was resting, he several times fancied that he could hear voices not very far away. Yes, at last he was sure hecould,and he thought he ont gmp the deep, heavy voice of Old Bomb- shell. Finally he began drawing up the rope, but after a moment he paused, astonished and alarmed. There was no weight attached to it. Kneeling, he quickly peered over the verge of the precipice down into the darkness. He could see nothing. * Sylva! Sylva!’ he called, softly. There was no answer, and after a moment, he re- peated the call, but with a like result. ‘*Something must have happened!”’ he exclaimed. ** Where can she be?”’ After a slight hesitation, he again swung himself over the precipice, and rapidly descended. He was about half-down the rope, when he heard voices below. He paused and listened, gazing anxiously downward. He dimly saw two men, who were comin him. They were talking carelessly and and he could plainly hear what they said, ; ‘The captain is in camp to-night. 1 wonder if he has any work for us?” _*Dunno, Blamed ef I ain't getting thunderin’ tired ov this doin’ nuthin’!”’ That was enougu to tell Thorne that they were two of Captain Mystery’s outlaws. He fairly trembled for fear that they would find Sylva. _ They passed on by the swinging rope without no- ticing it, and walked slowly away into the dark- ness. Then Thorne quickly descended. He reached the ground and gazed around, but could see nothing of the girl. ‘Sylva! Sylva!” he again called, He listened intently, plainly hearing the rollicking shouts and songs of the carousing outlaws, but he received no answer from the one he sought. Thorne was now thoroughly alarmed. What had happened to Sylva? Where was she? He asked himself these questions a dozen times, as he stood there, gazing undecidedly around. I must find her,” he muttered. “‘She was not taken prisoner, for she would have screamed. Something must have frightened her from this spot. Perhaps she saw those two outlaws approaching, and fled to escape being seen and recaptured.”’ And this was, indeed, the true reason why Sylva had disappeared. Almost before Thorne reached the top of the precipice, Sylva heard voices which she thought were approaching, She listened breath- lessly, and in a few moments found that they were approaching. Then she unloosed the noose from beneath her arms. and fled into the darkness Thorne was undecided which way to turn, but finally started toward the side of the sink where the outlaws’ cabivs were clustered. He moved cautious- ly forward, keenly on the outlook for Sylva. He was confident that she bad not yet been recaptured is here, toward istinctly, by the outlaws, and he hoped to find her ere she again fell into their hands. ; Suddenly, upon Thorne’s right, at the north side of the camp, he heard a hoarse shout, followed by pistol-shots. Almost at the same instant, from a short distance away to his left, came a woman’s shriek, sharply cutting through the darkness! CHAPTER XII. OLD BOMBSHELL RELEASES A PRISONER. WHEN Old Bombshell and Red Robin had slid down the rope into the outlaws’ camp, they stood convers- ing in low tones for a few minutes, laying plans for future actions. “Waal, by ther holy poker! we’re heer, pard!” Bombshell exclaimed. ‘‘‘ We dropped right down in- ter ther hang-out ov Ole Mystery hisself, an’ now, perc w’ot’s ter be did? Shell we wade inter these - d mJ ed ed i d h d B on q loody outlaws like a cupple o’ Lisbon yarthquakes, an etarnally shake ther stuffin’ out on ‘em’ Shell we slide down on ’em like an Alpine avalanche, an’ completely bury them beneath ther ruins ov their own cussedness? g! ther Roman gods, pard! ef you say so we'll jist let ourselves loose onter these dod-gasted infarnal varmints an’ completely blot ’em out ov existence.” ‘*No, Bombsbell, we'll not break loose on these fel- lows yet. You must remember that thereis a young lady in their hands whom we must rescue, it is discovered that we are in this camp before we suc- ceed in rescuing her, 1am afraid that our attempt will be a failure. We must use judgment and cau- tion. One rash act will ruin everything.” “Solid hoss-sense, pard. But, ghost o’ ther Pan Handle! w’ot er lot ov fun we two outlaw-extarmin- ators might hev ef et warn’t fer thet gal! We w’u'dn’t leave ernuff ov Ole Mystery’s gang 0’ road- agents in existence ter stop er Down East hen-cart, We w’'u’d etarnally wipe ’em from ther face ov ther ’arth, an’ not ser much as leave er grease-spot ter show they ever existed.” ** As it is, we must look after the girl, at once. We will, doubtless, find it a difficult job to rescue her without arousing the camp. We must attempt to get her away quietly, and if we find trouble, one must hold the outlaws at bay, while the other re- treats with the girl.” “That's jest ther idee. I'll hole ther blood varmints back, while you do ther retreatin’? Ef they attempt ter run over ther Border Boomerang, they’ ll stir up er cirkiss w’ot will knock ’em eendwise. y ther Roman gods! they'll find Ole Bumshell onter his mussil, ef they come whoopin’ roun’ fer his gore!” “Very well; that point is settled. Now let’s see if we can find the girl. I think I can go direct to the cabin where we saw her in the doorway. Come The two men made their way cautiously forward toward the outlaws’ cabins. They passed the stables and cautiously advanced toward the little cabin where they had seen Sylva. ‘‘ Ghost o’ ther Pan Handle! I reckon them fellers are havin’ a cirkiss,”’ muttered Old Bombshell, as a shout of laughter came from a distant shanty. the door of which was open, allowing a broad belt of light to shine out into the darkness. } They reached the cabin for which they were ajm- ing, but were disappointed by findtmg the windows closely currained. Red Robin had hoped to obtain a view of the interior, The Reckless listened a moment at the door, then suddenly sprung backward, drawing his companion uickly around the corner of the cabin. Barely had he done so, when the door opened and a man came out, and strode away into the darkness, “By the sword 0’ battle!’’ exclaimed Old Bomb- shell in a hoarse whisper; ” I kelieve that was thet blamed dod-gasted road-agint, Ole Mystery! You keep cool, pard, jist er few blessed minutes, while I look after thet palool 3 With these words. and without waiting for Red Robin to reply, he glided away after the outlaw, who was indeed Captain Mystery. He followed the outlaw-chief to the little log-jail. When the outlaw bad undone the fastenings and entered. he crept forward and listened by the open door, thus overhearing the conversation between Captain Mystery and the accused traitor, Fred Hawkes. : Old Bombshell fairly “ itched” to ‘introduce him- self’? to Captain Mystery, but his sound judgment told him that such an action would not do at that that time. The girl must be rescued before they did anything that was liable to alarm the camp, ombshel]l shrurk back around the corner of the jail as Captain Mystery came out. The outlaw used only long enough to fasten the door, then urned back toward the cabin where the girls were, passing within a few feet of the Border Bc omerang, who was compelled to fairly “ hold! imself ” to keep from springing upon the rebber-chief, “Go et, now; you'll never get a better chance,” muttered Old Bombshell. im after you red- ot.” He advanced to the cl oor and examined the fastenings, finding 10 lock, but three huge basps, instead—one at the top of the door, one at the side, about half-way down, and another st the bottom. It was evident that the outlaw chief did not fear that his prisoners would be released by anyone in the sink, and surely they could in no way force open the door from within. Unhasping the door, Old Bombshell entered the building. saying in 9 low tone: * Whar are ye, pard? Blessed ef I kin see er con- sarned thing in this heer Stygian gloom!" ‘-Tam here,” come the reply. *‘ Who is it?” ‘Who is it? Why, bless yer soul! et can’t be thet . ee LN +