Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 589 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

‘i. mi ‘A? —« — can’t burn it easy, an’ if the walls air as strong as they look we kin hold back a rig’ment.” They broke at once into a rapid zigzag flight. Another volley shrieked and whistled about them; and they could plainly hear Hammond’s commands as he led bis men forward witha rush, ** Hyer we air!” shouted the Tom-cat, hurling a bar of iron at a window-sash with such accu- racy that the sash fell inward, a jingling wreck of glass and wood. ‘** Now, shin through thar lively!” The window was almost eight feet from the ground, but both were active men, and it was the work of but a minute to climb, by the aid of the projecting stones, to the window, and drop down upon the inside, ** Whoop!” yelled the Tom-cat, as he realized that heavy stone walls interposed between them and their enemies. ‘* Come on, ye Diggers!” ** T suppose they’ll try to break in the dours!” remarked Brentwood, looking carefully about. “Let em!” cried the cow boy. ‘* Thar’s on’y two doors, an’ we’ve got a pair o’ weepons apiece. Ef ary man gits through my door while the ca’tridges hold out, then ye may call me a granger!” Hammond saw that his foes had taken refuge in the building, and he halted his men for the purpose of consultation. The interior of the house which they had just left was rapidly becoming a mass of flames, and the fire was leaping out of the windows in cir- cling sweeps, Already the town fire-bell was beginning to jangle an alarm; and crowds of boys and men were streaming down the streets, ‘*We must put ona bold front!” said Ham- mond calming his scorched and excited followers by the coolness of his voice. ‘‘I am the owner of this mining property. These men have been attempting the championship of the alleged rights of the Gold King’sdaughter, Seeing they were about to fail in their nefarious efforts, they endeavored, in a spirit of revenge, to burn the works, Fortunately we were near to discover the first fire and forced them to seek shelter in the stone building before they could do worse injur or even escape. ou, my brave boys, under my gallant lead- ership,” with a short and bitter lau h, “cast yourselves boldly into yonder burning ouse and fought the fire desperately. Tothat fact your singed beards and scorched and blistered bodies bear ample evidence, ‘*The house could not be saved; but the fire- bugs are behind those stone walls, and we pro- pose to drag them out and see taat justice is done them,” The shrewdly concocted story pleased the members of the Silver Circle; and with wild cries and shouts of rage they rushed toward the stone building. ‘*Hyer they come!” shouted the Tom-cat. ‘* Ha’r on eend an’ eyes a-shinin’! Whoop, Ma- riar! Git yer shooters ready, fer they mean ole bizness every time. That Hammond’s a fighter frum ’Way-back, an’ I glory in spunk, ef "tis on t’other side.” The flames curled upward from the windows of the doomed structure, lapped the shingles of the roof, and then, breaking out in many places at) once, swirled and hissed as if filled with a fiendish joy at the havoc wrought. The crowds of men and boys on the streets thickened, the bell coutinued its jangling alarm, and a hastily- -improvised company of firemen hurried, with hooks and ladders, to the scene of the disaster. Hammond’s men had collected a number of” heavy poles. These they poised as _battering- rams and rushed with them against the doors, A shot from the cowboy’s revolver answered the thunderous crasb, and, as the bullet plowed its way through the heavy door, one of the as- sailants dr opped the ei gave aroar of pain, held up a shattered hand, and staggered back- ward, ‘Down with them!” yelled Hammond placing himself at the head of bis force. ‘‘Smash the doors into kindling wood and drag the scoun- drelsout! Hanging is too good for such incen- diaries. They ought to be thrown bodily into the fire they kindled,” His men echoed the cries, and another des- perate rush was made at the door which the cowboy was defending. Again a ball plowed its way through the door, this time imbedding itself in the thumping log, and doing no barm, But it was quickly followed by another, that shattered the shoulder of one of the chief howl- ers; and the crowd fell back as if by a common impulse. ra bes Pg iam ae aire te ih eh fe ‘i . ear d > ea + Tom-cat and Pard. ** You can’t batter in that door,” growled one ‘*It’s braced with iron, They’ll kill every man of us before we can make a of the men. breach.” ‘*Then climb to the windows,” shouted the ‘* We will drag those irate chief, furiously. fellows out of there, let it cost what it may. This is our golden opportunity. We must take | advantage of it,” CHAPTER X, HEROIC MOLLY, THE jangle of the fire-bell, and the shouts and calls of excited men awoke Molly Mitchell at the *‘ lone and dead hour of midnight.” She glanced through the window, and, seeing one of the Edgerton Mine buildings on fire, called to her father, and then began hurriedly to dress, ‘*Hello! What’s up?’ asked Mitchell, coming out into the sitting-room, as Molly emerged from her own apartment, He had also hastily arrayed bimself, and now proceeded to take down a revolver and belt of cartridges from the wall. ‘* Looks like somebody’d been tryin’ to burn up the Edgerton property, don’t it?” ‘* Yes; that’s what I thought as soon as I saw the fire. Now, if you'll get my horse out of the stable, father, Tll run into the street and ask some questions. Be as quick’s you can. Some- way, something tells me we have friends in danger down there. It can’t be that Mr, Brentwood or—or the Tom-cat is connected with it. ‘*T hear firing! There goes a whole volley of shots. It’s more than a fire, father; it’s a fight! Here, I will help you with the horses, ou will want one, too,’ She sprung past him and ran nimbly to the stable, where their riding-ponies were kept. She had hers saddled and bridled almost be- fore her father reached the stable. ‘Here is yours,” she said, tossing a bridle over its head and handing him the rein. ** Slap a saddle on it as quick as ever you can; or ride bare-back.”’ In her hurry and exciteément Molly had not time to pick and choose her words, She leaped nimbly tothe back of the pony and clattered away, without waiting to see whether or not her father was lumbering along after her, When half-way to the mine she met Reke Tanner, who was racing up the street, bare- headed and almost exhausted. ‘*Rally a crowd, Miss Molly! Rally a crowd!” shouted Tanner, when he saw who it was, ‘* They’ve got Brentwood an’ the cowboy cooped up in the stun house, an’ they swar they'll hang ’em ef they kin on’y git ’em out 0’ thar,” The girl’s heart almost ceased its beating, ‘* They who, Eureka?” she asked, leaning for- ward until her face almost touched the pony’s mane, ‘‘Why, Hammond an’ his sneakin’ crowd! Who else sh’u’d it be? Who’s been at all the sneakin’ dirt in this country doorin’ the las’ six months?” ‘* But how did they get them cooped up in the stone house?” ‘Don’t know, miss; an’ we ain’t time to find out by argy fyin’ an’ axin’ questions. Beggin’ yer pardin fer bein’ so all-fired bluut! Ham- mond says thet the Tom-cat and Brentwood sot the frame afire, . ** It’s a lie, o’ course, fer thet gambler couldn’t tell the truth if he wanted to, But, they’s one thing, shore! They'll hang ’em ef they git holt o’ ’em onc’t, ef we don’t do somethin’ to prevent it. Rally yer frien’ s, miss! Rally yer frien’s, an’ I'll do likewise,” He ran on up the street pantingly, leaving Molly dazed and bewildered. Fortunately Jobn Mitchell came up at that moment, His presence served to strengthen and stimulate her. She hurriedly repeated the information re- ceived from-Reke Tanner. ‘Get together our friends, father!” she con- cluded, ber face white and her voice quavering. I will visit some of the prominent men Mr, Brentwood has won to our side in the past few days. Send every man you can find straight to the mine.” She wheeled her horse and galloped rapidly away, and John Mitchell began a series of bur- ried whispers and consultations with many of the men flocking together in the main street. While these two, with Eureka Tanner, are rallying a rescuing turce, let us return to Brent- wood and the Tom-cat and the lively scenes be- ing there enacted. When Hammond gave that order to climb to the windows, he was the first to grasp the pro- jecting stones and attempt to swing himself up, nstead of accomplishing it be fell back with a how] of pain. He had forgotten his burned hand, The rough stones recalled him to a sense of his injuries, and as the loosened cuticle began to slip beneath his ‘firm grasp, he tumbled bac k, baffled and bleed- F ‘Up there, some of you!” he cried, with a snarl of rage. Above his command and the thunder of the tumult came the calm, clear vuice of Brent- wood, ‘*The man who attempts to enter by one of those windows might as well leave hope behind him, We give you fair warning. We will put a bullet through the first head that appears! We know what you are after and we do not in- tend to be taken alive.” **Cool as January!” said Bonanza Bill, who stood by Hammonu’s side, ‘**I think myself that we might as well order wooden overcoats for the men who try to climb in at those aper- tures!” One darvaw and reckless fellow, who had started with Hammond and had continued on when his chief slipped down, now grasped the sash and tried to hoist it to make an opening. His head was not yet visible to those witbin the structure, but the hand with which he was endeavoring to lift the sash could be plainly seen. ‘‘T don’t want to kill the fool!” declared Brentwood, raising bis revolver. The ‘“ spang ” of the weapon followed, and the sash was splintered and broken just at the side of the fellow’s expanded fingers, The concussion of the blow numbed and deadened the arm to the shoulder; and with a startled cry the foolhardy climber lurched back- ward and fell sprawling to the ground. ‘It won’t do, you see!” repeated Bonanza. ‘‘ Courage is a good thing, but it leads a man to his death sometimes. If it hadn’t been for your burnt fingers you’d bave been a pleasant subject for a funeral by this time.” **Sometbing must be done!” shouted Ham- mond, his wits almost deserting him, so great was his desire to exterminate the men sheltered bebind those walls of sclid masonry. ‘*The town is gathering and there will be too many inquisitive eyes and ears around us i sige clatter of hoofs drew his attention. Molly Mitchell followed by Lily Edgerton and a score of mounted horsemen, among them Jobn Mitch- ell and Eureka Tanner, thundered into the midst of the crowd, which gave way before them. ‘* We demand to know what these men have done?” cried Molly, heroically, her glowing face and flashing eyes lighted by the crackling flames of the burning house. ‘* Done!” roared Hammond. ‘ Haven’t they fired the building youder with the intention of destroying all this property?” ‘‘That’s a lie!” cried Reke Tanner, “A ornery sneakin’ lie, an’ we'll cram it down yer throat yit!” ‘‘ Whoop! Mariar!” yelled’ the Tom-cat from within the building. ‘*‘The wimmin forever! Jest lissen at ’em, will ye, a-chatterin’ at that rattlesnake as gassy as any fgg ay owl!” This cowboy must have drawn slightly on his imagination, for only one woman had spoken, ‘Pr iends!” cried Brentwood, raising his voice so that it could be heard above the uproar, ‘*Hammond and bis men captured me to-night in a skulking and cowardly manner and took me to the building which is now burning, They were preparing to hang me for the part I have taken against them, when the Tom-cat came to my rescue. ‘In the melee that followed the coal-oil lamp was exploded, which accounts for the flames and the scorched condition of some of the men you see out there. ‘* We tried to get away from them, but they pressed us so closely we were forced to take refuge in this building. ‘*That’s the truth, sv’ry word of it!” howled the Tom-cat. ‘‘ An’ the man that says ’tain’t is a no-"count sheep-herder! You hear me!” “It’s a lie!” vociferated Hammond, glancing defiantly at the angry faces of the horsemen. ‘* Whether a lie or the truth, Mr Hammond,” returned Moliy, ‘‘ we do not intend that you shall hang these men without judge or jury. If they fired the building purposely no doubt you can prove it. So we must ask you to step out of t e way, and allow them to come out of there. “That's the ticket!” shouted Tanner, “A