Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 609 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

- i ad - = . . b} ee ee ee, ae me , ol - , < wm x . nn ch gine _ —\& eo = (a? «- 10 two entered, carefully securing the door after them. Turning up the light, Gideon Grim flung him- self wearily into a chair, an example that was at once followed by Pepper. “* Wot’s ther word, boss?’ queried the latter wortby, after a moment’s silence, ‘¢ To Hearne’s, as soon as things grow a little quieter. Wecan do nothing here, [f Darrit is found, ther boys will take care of him.” ‘¢ An’ Sandy Jordan, too!” suggested the mar- shal wrathfully. ‘‘ Ther derned, deceivin’ cuss.” And then the two lapsed into a silence scarcely broken during the two hours that passed ere the streets grew quiet, save by an occasional oath at the prolonged and unaccountable absence of Major Menace, ‘““Time’s up!” cried Mayor Grim, at last, springing to his feet. ‘‘ We can’t possibly wait any longer. Go get the wagon, Red, and we'll set out. With a muttered response, the marshal strode out of the room. At the expiration of twenty minutes he reappeared, ‘‘ All right, Gid!” he exclaimed hurriedly. *‘ Quick—the way is cl’ar. Let’s bustle Ortho- dox ont ov byar while kiver’s good,” The Mayor of Yellow Dust simply nodded his assent to the proposition, and in due course the captive Jehu was conveyed to the covered spring- wagon the marshal had left standing in the shadows at the corner of the hotel. ‘“‘T don’t think any one is the wiser for this move,” said Grim, witha chuckle, after a search- ing scrutiny of his surroundings, ‘ We'll turn Orthodox over to the bishop, with a full enum- eration of our suspicions. ‘‘ But into the wagon with you, for the night is ) getilnes old.” moment later the spirited team sprung for- ward, Grim yiving free rein until the two or three all-night places of the camp were passed, “We shall likely a up Old Man Keene, if he hasn’t failed in his undertaking,” observed the mayor, as they swept out of Yellow Dust on the Rocky Bar trail. ‘‘He’d ort’er be ‘long hyar sum’ers,” the ‘marshal assented. In the mean time, the occupants of the room adjoining the apartment of Major Menace had not been idle. Nosooner had Grim and Pepper entered their ally’s quarters than Darrit, in his stockings, crept out into the hall and bent hisear to the keyhole. Thus all that passed between the two plotters was overbeard, Darrit beating a stealthy re- treat at the moment Pepper arose to go after the wagon. hen, after a brief consultation, Dan Rack hoss slipped out of the hotel to await the mar shal’s return, taking a position where he could see and not be seen. As a result of this maneuver, when the wagon left the camp it carried with jt the lank, loose- jointed spy, perched on behind, despite the pre- cautions of Grim, Threé miles from Yellow Dust, Grim turned into a branching road, and thence, an hour later, after the way had become almost impassable, into a gloomy canyon. Proceeding - the defile at a slow and tortu- ous pice for a half-mile, the wagon was halted by a mounted sentry, with the challenge: ‘Hold, pilgrims! Have you the time?” To this in cautious tones Grim replied: ‘‘Tt is the hour of political power, civil and re- ligious liberty.” The sentry drew aside, and the plotters push- ed onward. : Within a hundred yards the canyon widened, opening into a splendidly wooded valley of con- ‘siderable extent, anda short distance further on the wagon was halted in the shadow of a large building. ‘* Here we are,” announced Grim, handing the ‘reins to his companion and springing out, ‘‘ Hold on to the nags unti] I arouse the bishop.” _ “Thar he be, now,” returned Pepper, as a door suddenly opened in the side of the building, per- ‘mitting a long shaft of light to escape, and re- vealing on the threshold a man in smoking-cap and dressing-gown. “It’s Hearne, sure enough,” the major re- nded, hastening forward. The bishop started at the words, “Ts that you, Grim?” he exclaimed, as he peered sharply toward the wagon, ‘‘Come on —l’ve remained up, awaiting you. ‘* Where’s the major?” ; “Don’t know,” was the laconic repl, | “But he was to have come with you,” | **Very true; but I suppose circumstances mr lled him to amend his plans,” and, halting riefly outlined the com beside Hearne, the major events of the night. The bishop proved an attentive listener. More than once during the recital his sharp, white teeth clinched savagely. ‘‘ Orndare is making a better fight than was to have been expected,” he exclaimed, at the conclusion of the narrative. ‘ Let us fetch in the captive spy. He must unbosom bimself,” The two men proceeded to the rear of the wagon, where Gideon Grim lifted the curtain and groped about inside. He started and changed color, then withdrew his arm, and held up to view a bit of rope. ‘What does that mean?” cried Hearne, ex- plosively. “Tt means,” replied the Mayor of Yellow Dust, in measured tones, “‘ simply that we have had our pains for nothing—tbat, despite all our precautions, Orthodox Pete has succeeded in giving us the slip, and is again at large!” CHAPTER XI, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, LET us now return to the cabin of Lewis Carson—'' Mose, the Hermit-Miner.” The sudden appearance of Jason Marks and his outlaw crew had chilled the stout heart of Little Lightning, for the moment rendering him fairly incapable of decisive action. Marks was not unknown to the young ranger, and the reputation of the desperado was so thoroughly bad that the lad shrunk from the bloody conflict that seemed almost inevitable. But it was not for himself that Little Light- ning feared. Fair Rachel Carson was there, and her pure, sweet face, her grace and her beauty, had gone straight to the heart of the dashing young plainsman. One tremor of dire apprehension as to the results possible to the presaged struggle, and then he was himself again—cool, shrewd, cal- culating, ready to do and to dare. Escape by way of the door was impossible, and but one other avenue presented itself, and that problematical as to its ultimate utility. Waiting, watching with the wariness of a hawk uutil the proper moment, the young ran- ger suddenly bounded forward and, catching up Rachel Carson, disappeared in the second room, closing and barring the door almost before Marks and his followers could realize his inten- tions. Then, after a cry of defiance, he turned to Rachel saying: ‘‘ Pray do not be alarmed, Miss Carson, You sball not fall into the hands of those scoundrels without a struggle. ‘Ts there an available outlet to this room?” “There is, sir,” replied Rachel, in tones as guarded as Little Lightning’s bad been, ‘‘ My father*in anticipation of an event of this kind, rovided a secret avenue of escape when he uilt the cabin, ‘*Come—if you are ready to go 1 will show you the way.” Placing her hand or the ranger’s arm, the girl led him across the floor, pausing in the cor- ner of the room, ‘““Here is a_ skillfully-contrived trap-door, opening into a tunnel leading under the cabin,” she explained, kneeling. ‘* Desceud—I will fol- low you.” Even as she spoke a portion of the floor swung downward. Into this opening Little Lightning carefully descended, by means of a short ladder ‘get firmly in the wall of the cavity. He was promptly followed by Rachel. The next moment the trap-door swung back into place with a faint click. “This way,” murmured Rachel, groping about in the intense gloom for her companion. ‘ Let us take up a position under the other room where we can hear all that passes above.” ‘* Agreed,” muttered Little Lightning, yield- ing bimself to the guidance of the girl. “ It is not likely that they will scent..out this pas- sage, and if they do we shall at least have the start in the race.” a In accordance with this idea, the fugitives -pushed ahead until they came to a second ladder leading above where Rachel stopped, saying; ‘Here is the place. Directly overhead is a second trap-door, within a foot of which papa was thrown, If—” A shock that seemed to shake the cabin to its foundation interrupted the girl. ‘‘They have broken down the door!” Little Lightning cautiously exclaimed, ‘ Listen!” n the almost breathless silence of tbe tunnel the words of Jason Marks and his men were dis- tinctly audible. dgxt ae 7 reg * . 4 7 ? , _ -— - — ed> Pa 48 ; aw y . Bolly Darrit, the Veteran Detective. At the proposition to extinguish the light Little Lightning started. “Can you open the trap from below?’ he asked, laying his hand upon Rachel’s arm. ‘* Yes, Why do you ask?” ‘‘T intend to ascend and rescue your father,” was the guardedly-uttered reply. ‘‘ Listen— stand ready!” The girl obeyed, quivering in every fiber. ** Now!” The headlong rush of the outlaws overhead effectually drowned the faint clicking of the trap, and in less than the time it takes to tell it Little Lightning was in the cabin bending over Lewis Carson. A few deft slashes of the young plainsman’s keen knife, and the Hermit-Miner staggered to his feet—free! ‘Through the trap—quick!” urged the youth, as a match flared up in the adjoining room, Little need to urge haste upon the part of Lewis Carson. His quick brain had readily grasped the situation, and his feet were upon the rungs of the ladder almost before Little Lightning’s cautious strains had died away, As noiselessly as a shadow the young ranger followed him below, then the narrow opening in the floor closed, and the rescue had been accom- plished. ‘‘Let us away, now,” pursued the ranger, hurriedly as the miner wrung bis hand. ' ‘* Some one has entered the room, e have no time to lose!” The next instant, as if to bear bim out in the assertion, there arose a shout of alarm, ‘‘They have discovered my unceremonious departure,” muttered Carson, firmly, ‘ Come on—lI will lead the way.” Even as he spoke, he set forward, closely fol- lowed by Rachel, with Little Lightning bring- ing up the rear, A dozen yards, perhaps, were thus traversed, and then the Hermit-Miner halted. ‘“We leave the tunnel, here,” he announced, ‘‘The question that arises is, in what direction shall we proceed?” ‘‘My camp is not a great distance away, and my pards can be depended upon till the last,” Little Lightning returned. ‘‘I would propose, sir, that we go there.” ‘‘ An arrangement pre-eminently satisfactory to me, 1am sure,” averred the miner, quickly. ‘*“As goon as we gain the outer air, you may take the lady, sir.” A moment sufficed to see the trio clear of the undergrouud passage, which opened into @ cluster of shrubs and bushes a few paces from the end of the cabin, “Here we are,and without a moment to spare,” uttered the hermit, in a whisper, as he anxiously strove to note his surroundings. ‘‘ These fellows must be tearing the house to pieces, from the racket they make, The way of our escape cannot long remain hidden.” ‘‘ Remain here just a moment, sir, until I can see if our course is clear,” said Little Lightning. ‘The presence of your daughter renders every possible precaution an imperative necessity.” “True, true.” The next minute the young ranger disappear- ed. A moment d in silence, then there arose a hoarse cry of alarm, followed by the sounds of a desperate hand-to-hand conflict. ‘6 He has been discovered!” ejaculated Rashel. ‘Alas, yes! 1 fear that escape is out of the question,” the hermit returned, as Marks and his followers came trooping out of the cabin. ** Come—we will retreat in the opposite direc- tion. ‘* Yes, go,’ came the voice of Little Lightnin in subdued tones, ‘‘ Itis your only chance, vii try to run these sharks off on a false scent, and rejoin you later on.” ‘‘ Brave boy!” murmured Rachel, peering over her shoulder in a vain attempt to see the face of the gallant young plainsman, ‘ If—” A shout of alarm from Jason Marks, answered by a note of defiance from Little Lightning, and then paudemonium seemed to have opened. Under cover of the hurly-burly, the hermit and bis daughter stole away, And Little Lightning? At the very moment the brave youth left the confines of the thicket the form of a huge out- law loomed up before bim, and a shout of alarm went echoing vicky 3 the forest. The next instant the prairie nomad flung him- self straight at the throat of his burly foe, his strong fingers effectually cutting off a repetition of the yell. Overtbrown, borne down by that impetuous assault, the outlaw yet struggled fame y; but the clutch of that steel-like hand held good until supplemented by 4 succession of heavy blows —— Se ee ee