Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 523 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

TT nN Ny ae SS ee The Dandy Sport. view wilh Cool Carl, he made all ‘possible haste | never penetrated to the depths of this dismal to return to the hotel. Wicked as the man had been in the past, he fairly worshiped the fair girl whom he had carefully brought up from an infant, and had loaded bine with everything wealth could pro- cure; and now should he give her into the hands of such an unscrupulous scoundrel as the gam- dler king? Never! Before such a thing should happen, he would slay her with his own hand! Reginald Ray cursed his folly in thus placing himself in the net of his former pard; but there he was, and it was of no use regretting his lack of wit and foresight, when he suffered himself to be fooled in such an artful manner. But love for his niece and anxiety for her safety served to arouse the lion within him, and Reginald Ray was resolved to make a desperate attempt to escape from Canyon City. Realizing that prompt and energetic action alone could save them, he hurried to the hotel and stole noiselessly to the apartment where Rachel was peacefully sleeping. A light tap at the door was sufficient to arouse her, and she hastened to admit her uncle. ‘“ Rachel,” whispered Reginald, impressively, ‘‘ we must leave this place! Come, make haste, and prepare to accompany me, The sooner we are away from this infernal town the better it will be for us both.” His face was ashy pale, while his eyes glit- tered in excitement, and the awakened girl stared at him in mingled alarm and bewilder- iment. ‘“Why, Uncle Reginald, what do you mean?” she inquired. ‘‘ What has happened?” ‘This is no time for explanations, my child. You shall know everything in good time. Suf- ficient for the present to tell you that we must leave Canyon City at once. Make haste!” Rachel wisely Asked no more, but hurried to do her uncle’s bidiing. She had removed only her outer garments upon retiring, so it took but a moment for her to make ready. ‘** Now come, Rachel; and remember, not the slightest noise! We must be seen or heard by no one.” Stealthily they stole out of the room, down the stairs, and, noiselessly opening the door, passed out into the street. So far their movements had apparently been unobserved. The remaining inmates of the ‘* Pick and Shovel” were doubtless fast asleep, and the house was wrapped in gloom. In the distance shone the lights of the Miners’ Home, and the excited hum of many voices told the fugitives that the menof Canyon City were indulging in their usual night’s entertain- ment. With the tiny hand of his niece clasped tightly within his own, Reginald Ray made his way through the camp. Knowledge of his per- ilous position warned him of the necessity of caution, and the New Yorker exercised his judgment with such good effect that they soon reached the outskirts of the town without en- countering a single person. When the entrance to Spirit Canyon was reached, Reginald breathed more freely, but he was not deluded enough to think that he was then safe. Far from it! ; The nearest camp was fully a dozen miles away, and if they succeeded in reaching it, Ray hoped to find security from Cool Carl and his cut-throats. But it wasa long and tiresome journey, under the most favorable circum- stances, and with the fear of pursuit and cap- ture uppermost in his mind, small wonder that the fugitive almost despaired of reaching a place of security. Rachel Ray, roused from peaceful slumber to a hasty flight into the mountains, was both sur- rised and alarmed by the, to her, incompre- ensible actions cf her uncle. She perceived from his strange and half-crazed manner, that something terribie had happened, but Wisely re- frained from troubling bim Wi b needless ques- tions, and trudged bravely along by her rela- tive’s side. Desperate from anxiety to escape from the clutches of Cool Cur!, the man from New York strode nervou-ly down the rugged trail, halt- leading, half-dragging his terrified niece. On, on—in desperate haste, until, in a re. markably short time, they had reached the dan- erous Vicinity of Satan’s Kettle, aud placed fully two miles between them and the roughs of Canyon City. It was after the hour of midnight, and dark- ness, deep and impenetrable, invaded the gloomy precincts of the canyon. Without, the moon was shining brightly; but her radiant beams recess in the mountains, Fully aware of their hazardous surroundings, the fugitives were compelled to use more cau- tion in their movements, lest a chance misstep should precipitate them into the frightful abyss beside the trail. ‘* Halt!” The stern command rung out with startling distinctness upon the silent air. Convulsively clutching each other’s hands the startled fugitives stood in their tracks as if turned to stone. Could it be that their enemies had observed their flight, and, pursuing, were now close upon them? ‘Tle thought caused Ray’s heart to sink within him. But, he reasoned, it was impossible for the pursuers to have passed them; and, as the sound emanated from a point directly ahead, it was improbable that the challenger was one of Cool Carl's party. Trembling with suppressed excitement, the two listened for a repetition of the command. A minute passed, but no further sound was heard. This fact reassured Reginald Ray. ‘Bah! We are getting nervous, child,” he whispered, hoarsely. ‘* The sound we heard was doubtless the wind moaning through the can- yon! Come! Let us hasten on.” Courageously he advanced a step, but as he did so, the imperative challenge rung out again, sharper and sterner than before, Suddenly, as if by magic, a dozen lights flasbed brightly before their eyes, making the canyon light as day. By the flaring torch-light, the startled fugitives were enabled to see a group of stalwart men, grim and motionless as figures of stone, standing in the trail, a dozen yards away. Several of the foremost held leveled revolvers, the muzzles of which were threateningly brought to bear upon the luckless travelers. With mingled disgust and trepidation, Regi- nald looked upon this formidable array. His first idea was to precipitate flight, but, turnin for this purpose, he was chagrined to behold a line of men drawn up across the trail in the rear. The ae ahi were completely surrounded; so the New-Yorker, seeing the utter hopelessness of the situation, faced the music with what little calmness be could muster. ‘** Well, gentlemen, we have obeyed your man- date,” Reginald Ray said promptly. ‘ Be so kind as to make known your pleasure with us, We are peaceful travelers, and I fail to see why we are thus molested.” As the merchant finished speaking, a man separated himself fron: the group, and sann- tered coolly up to the fugitives, leisurely pufling at a choice cigar. It was no other than Cool Carl, and Reginald Ray uttereda cry of despair as he recognized the ‘* boss” of Canyon City. All for naught had been his desperate efforts to escape. Fool-like, he had believed their de- parture was unnoticed, only to have the dream of security rudely dispelled, and find himself and Rachel once more in the power of their arch-enemy, Cool Carl’s tigrish face wore the look ofa fiend, as he paused with arms akimbo, and leisurely surveyed the perspiring features of his old-time Comrade, ‘Why, its my old friend Ray, or I’m a Chinamar!” ejaculated the gambler in mocking surpriss, ‘Why, Reggy, dear boy, what briags you here at this hour of the night, when honest people should be wrapped in peaceful dreams? Out for a moonlight stroll, eh? Well, it’s the unexpected that always happens, they say, and [ assure you this is a most pleasant surprise. And there is Miss Ray, too! I declare, how charming she is looking!” Cool Carl ended his sarcastic greeting with an elaborate bow, of which Rachel was the intend- ed recipient, but the frightened girl recoiled from the gambler, and clung closer to -her uncle’s side. The scoundrel’s eyes flashed fire, as he noted Rachel’s aversion, but otherwise he gave no sion that be observed it, ‘Give me your hand, Reggy, old boy!” hes continued, glibly - “What? Are you not glad to see me: For Reginald Ray had shrunk from his foe, as from the touch of the ve,,omous rattlesnake, and his only response Was a muttered curse. Cool Car] laughed sardonically. “Tt galls you, don’t it, Reggy, to see how thoroughly Ihave youin my power? Ha, ha! Vere you fool enough to think I would neglect to keep a watch on your movements? Why, you fool! sharp eyes were on you from the moment a LE eee eee Neen nn re Sst sss you left the Pick and Shovel. We could have nabbed you ere you went a hundred yards; but I preferred to pustpone the surprise, and so let you run away with the idea that you were per- forming a very clever trick. You didn’t expect to find me here, eh, Reggy?”’ Ray defiantly shook his fist in the tormentor’s face, and swore roundly in uncontrollable passion, ‘*Curse you, for a merciless scoundrel!” he cried. ‘Curse me for the idiot I was in comin here! But now that I am in your power, Coo Carl, understand, once for all, that I defy you and your Villainous gang, So do your worst!” The boss of Canyon City contemplated his victim with evident enjoyment. ‘Easy, Reggy!” he admonished, carelessly throwing away his bhalf-burned weed. ‘I pray you, don’t work yourself into a fit over the mat- ter. ‘Keep cooland take things easy,’ is our motto here in the untamed West; and you better accept your fate as a matter of course, ‘** it was very ungentlemanly of you, Reggy to thus desert an old friend’s hospitality, an steal off like a thief in the night, without as much as saying good-by. You might et least have waited until morning, and depurted in the coach, as would better befit a suan of your ex- alted station. However, I could not bear to lose you so soon, and therefore have taken the trouble to overhaul you. I must insist that you accept my hospitaliiy for a time, that I may have an opportunity to become better acquainted with your lovely niece, Miss Rachel, , ‘* But enough of this useless palaver! I cannot delay any longer, as I have important business to attend toin town; so L am compelled to tear myself away. My men will conduct you to our mountain retreat, where you will, [ assure you receive the best of treatment. To-morrow I will come to visit you, and make arrangeu.ents for the nuptials. Until then, adieu!” Another mocking courtesy, and the king of Canyon City receded in the darkness, accom- panied by a portion of his men. The remainder, numbering nearly half a score gathered about the captives. They bad doubt- less received instructions beforehand, for no time was lost in starting. Surrounded by these brawny cut-throats, each and every one armed to the teeth, there was no alternative for the two unfortunates but to submit to the will of their captors. as the party moved slowly up the canyon, a person who bad been crouching in the shadows, flattened himself against the rocky wall to escape collision, breathing more freely as the last man went by, actually brushing the skulker’s garments as he passed, *¢ Jee-whack! That was a narrow squeak, I'll allow,” remarked the eavesdropper, coming out into the trail; and the pew-comer’s voice sstified that Tommy the Kid was ugain on deck, Leaning against a convenient bowlder, the mountain boy mentally discussed the situation. ‘‘*Pears tome | was born to be a detective,” he soliloquized. ‘‘ Twice since dark hev I hap- pened round jest in time to hear somethin’ inter- esting. [cum out here lookin’ for the Dandy Sport, but now I’m ina quand’ry. | Here’s these two unfortunates whom Cool Carl hez got his bread-hooks on, an’ which same I oughter foller an’ try to get ’em out of their fix. Shall [ bun up the dood, an’ get him to he!p me; or, bad I better sail in to rescue ’em on Ly Own hook?” ‘IT hev it! Tv foller the gang, locate the whereabouts of their prisoners; then hunt up the sport, an’ together we will work to beat Cool Carl out of bis game. Here goes!” With the intrepid mountain lad, to think was to act; and, his course fully decided upon Tommy the Kid started resolutely after Coo Carl's cut-throats, CHAPTER 1X. THE “ CITS” CELEBRATE. Ir was the night following the remarkable base-ball match between the Silverton and Can- yon City clubs, in which the latter, thanks to the timely assistance of Algernon Arnold, came off first best; and the friends and backers of the victorious team were making extensive prepara- tions for celebrating the event in a manner be- fitting so enterprising a burg. The setting sun that night looked down upon a scene of unusual interest: never before in the varied history of Canyon City had that rough- and-ready town witnessed so wild and pictur- esque a spectacle, The entire population was on the move; for who could keep quiet on this, an occasion for universal jubilee? Pandemonium seemed let loose within the limits of the usually peaceful boo ec yw.