Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 609 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

4 “ ~ ~—, -% & + = Ai + Sea} de Bolly Da in a dozen paces of the bowlder behind which Rachel Carson was crouching. ‘* T leaye the minein your hands until my re- turn,” ‘‘ Guard it well, for I don’t like the looks of the numerous prowlers about of late.” ‘‘ Nor do I, Davy,” was the prompt avowal; ** but you may rest assured that it will take tall work to dislodge and rout the Prairie Invinci- bles, if I do say it.” David Kane— Little Lightning ”"—nodded as if perfectly satisfied on that score, ‘‘The claim is ours, clean and clear, and I reckon the boys will hold onto it as long as they can hold a ‘six,’ or grip a bowie,” he re- marked, ‘‘ But I must get on down to the Yellow Dust trail, for I do not care to miss the stage. “You may look for me back to-morrow night, barring accident or delay.” ** So long, Kent.” ** Luck to you, Davy.” With a warm clasp of their hands, the bro- thers parted, Little Lightning proceeding on his way down the mountain, while Kent ne re- mained motionless, gazing after him. ‘‘ Brave, true Davy!” he muttered, as he at mi retraced his steps into the depths of the de- le, Rachel Carson witnessed his departure with a breath of relief, ‘They are noble-looking fellows,” the -girl could not help thinking; ‘* yet, 1 am glad that I was not seen. ‘*It seems that they, too, have a secret claim and are beset by spies. ** But I will return to the cabin, for I might be seen and tracked by the prowling knaves.’ The return was without adventure, The afternoon gave place to evening, and then night came down in starlit beauty. Contrary to ber usual custom, Rachel de- termined to situp to await the coming of her father. Her uneasiness had returned with two-fold force. The words of the open book on her lap were a blur. Between her eyes and the pages seemed to float the dark, handsome face of David Kane. Midnight came and went, without the return of Lewis Carson. One—two—three o’clock! Rachel sat down, in despair. ‘‘Something has happened!” she moaned, wringing her hands. ‘‘ Heis three hours later than ever before!” A shuffling, dragging sound, a quick, sha tapping at the door, followed the words, an -Rachel sprung to her feet. ‘Who is there?’ she demanded, her voice quivering between fear and suspicion. +4 i. 05 Rachel—I’m hurt!” was the weak- voiced reply. Her face growing colorless, her blue eyes dilating with a nameless dread, the girl glided across the room and unlocked and opened the door, to a start back wit a piercing sbriek. It was not the honest, rugged face of Lewis ‘Carson that looked in at her from the gloom! On the threshold, aglow with wicked satis- faction, stood Rico Rube and Peet Brown! CHAPTER VI. THE ASSASSIN’S SHOT, DRAWING into the shadow at the end of the lock-up, Little Lightning closely scanned that portion of the rough street visible. ‘*Tnere’s a gum-game of som> sort back of this move on the part of Grim, Menace & Co,,” muttered the astute youth. ‘‘If 1 could scent it, I'd block it, or go back into limbo! “Its Bolly they’re after, though, and I reckon nothing short of the Invincibies can pull him through,’ As there was nothing to indicate the presence of a lurking foe or spy, the young ranger pro- ceeded rapidly down the street toward the cen- ter of the camp. Arrived at the St, George Hotel, he hastened to his room, drew the curtains, locked the door and bung his bat over the keyhole, after which he lighted a lamp. Then out came his revolvers for a critical ex- ‘amination. Every bullet had been drawn. _ ‘* As I suspected!” Little Lightning muttered, with a grim smile. “*Sandy Jordan wasn’t called aside for nothing. : ‘“*Tt begins to look as if they might be ‘ going’ efor me as well as for Bolly; but I calculate they’ll be disappointed somewhat when it comes to the scratch. ' “Jt was a meancur that put up sucha job and if they crowd their game, I shall feel ca ed upon to do the best I can for this fiery Red ao aving carefully reloaded his weapons, Little Lightning tightened his belt and otherwise pre- pared himself for the arduous errand before bim. Then, just as he extinguished the light, there was a cautious rapping at the door. ‘“‘Friend or foe?’ the youth asked himself, ‘¢ A moment will tell!” Relighting the lamp, he unlocked the door and flung it wide open. In the hallway stood a man—a tall atin built personage, of commanding mien, plainly dressed, and, so far as appearances went, un- armed, The deep lines in his fine face, the silvery whiteness of his closely-cropped hair and mus- tache, betrayed the ravages of not less than fifty years; but the flash of his keen, piercing black eyes revealed a spirit unbroken and un- daunted. ‘“You are Little Lightning?’ he exclaimed, abruptly. “7 om,” ‘‘My name is Orndare—Jim Orndare, of the Silver Streak Mine, ‘*l am here to warn you that your life is menaced by the cut-throat gang infesting this camp.” Little Lightning bowed, ‘*Come inside, Mr. Orndare,” he said, ext2nd- ing his hand. ‘* You are the very man | wanted to see.” ‘“‘T can readily believe that,” as warmly re- turned the mine-owner, ‘‘as I have every reuson to suspect that you are in the confidence of Bull Williams.” ‘‘To a degree, I am,” admitted Little Light- ning, closing the door and placing the single chair in the apartment at the disposal of his visitor, ** And now, Mr, Orndare,” he continued, ‘‘ we must be as brief as possible. My friend is in imminent danger of death at the hands of the cohort besetting you; and, unless decisive meas- ures are promptly adopted, he is lost.” A peculiar smile crossed the mine-owner’s ce. ‘“They’ll have to fight to get him,” he de- clared, a fiery glint appearing in his black eyes. ‘‘ ve gotten together balf a dozen of the more trustworthy of my men, and Bolly Darrit shall have ut least a fighting chance. ‘** At the first sign of an attempt at lynch-law, it will be found that the Saints haven't things wy vee their own way in Yellow Dust. ‘* Thanks to Darrit, my eyes are opening as to the identity of my foes, and they shall find that fire can be met with fire.” " Little Lightning openly expressed his satisfac- on, ‘‘As Bolly has probably informed you, my daughter has been abducted and is held for ran- som by this accursed Mormon cohort,” pursued Orndare, witb knitted brows; ‘‘and it would be extremely impolitic therefore for me to take the field openly in this matter.” “You must meet cunning with cunning, strategy with strategy,” Little Lightving ac- uiesced. ‘That is the idea, exactly. I must fight from under cover. If a mob, at the instigation of these «levilish plotters, go to the jail to-night to hang Darrit and be resisted by a body of picked men of the camp, my connection with that body should by all means remain unknown, Other- wise my daughter would be imperiled.” ‘* And yet, should that thing bappen, it would be Jaid at your door,” observed the young ranger. ‘* They are striking at Darrit as your agent—a detective in your employ.” ‘‘Very true, as to their motive,” returned Orndare, pulling from bis pocket a wig anda false beard. ‘‘ As tomy partin the affair, how- ever, all would be mere conjecture, inasmuch as it is supposed that I am in Bullionville,” The mine-owner carefully adjusted his dis- guise, then continued: ‘* Even Darrit himself believes that | amaway from Yellow Dust; yet, I was present at the Monumental when he made his appearance there.” ‘Your disguise is certainly a capital one,” avowed Little Lightning, after a critical seru- tiny of the make-up. ‘You will be safe in taking the field yourself.” ‘*] propose to doso, There are eight of us, all told, and, although the odds will be over- whelmingly against us, yet I think we shall be able to make a pretty good fight.” “T’ve nine trusty pards back in the billsa few miles, and you may count on them,” said the ranger. rrit, the Veteran Detective. Needless to say, this proffer of assistance was -_——_- —--- <n - rere > --OorOrOOoOr--—-— OO eee m . = gladly accepted. ‘And that brings me to my real errand here,” said Orndare, when he had expressed his thanks, ‘¢ As I have before stated, my daughter, Mil- lie, has been abducted by this villainous cohort, with a view of extorting aransom. Unfortun- ately for the success of their plans, they have placed the amount not less than $5,000 higher than I can go, and I have been compelled to in- voke the aid of detectives, of whom Darrit is the chief, ‘“Through him I have heard of you and the Prairie Invincibles, and, taking advantage of your unexpected appearance in Yellow Dust, I am here to make you a proposition. ‘‘My daughter has been secreted somewhere ~ in the surrounding bills, Find her, return her to me, and I will pay you $5,000 in hard cash,” ‘‘T won't accept your proposition, Mr. Orn- dare,” Little Lightning exclaimed, after a mo- ment of deliberation, ‘‘It is out of the ques- tion. ‘‘ But you may consider the Invincibles whol- ly at your service, you to meet only the ex- penses of the search; and I assure you that my pards will scour the hills witb a zest, for the fact that a lady isin distress will arouse their strongest sympathy and call forth their stoutest efforts. ‘‘Then, too, they abhor and detest the Mor- mon hierarchy, and nothing could suit them better than a whack at that monstrous evil. “You may certainly count upon us, Mr. Orndare, with the understanding that the In- vincibles subordinate themselves to Bolly Dar- rit.” ‘“So be it, my boy,” cried the mine-owner, taking the young ranger by tke hand, while his black eyes flashed hopefully. ‘‘ But remember, if you succeed the money is yours—you may de- mand any reward within the bounds of reason and it is yours. ‘* And now, a word as to yourself: You have not been released simpiy as a matter of justice. There is a dark motive back of the move, and if you are wise you will be exceedingly wary.” ‘“‘T am painfully aware of the fact,” smilingly returned Little Lightning. ‘*In fact,” pursued Orndare, ‘‘I am positive that you area marked man. Old Man Keene accompanied Grim and Pepper to the jail, and shadowed you thence to the hotel. ‘“‘The actions of the trio aroused my suspi- cions, and | followed them, taking the opposite side of the street, and so witnessed a part of their maneuvers, ‘*Sandy Johnson wasn’t called out of the jail without an object. Pepper wished to be alone inside, “ Have you examined your weapons?” ‘¢ Yes—the bullets were drawn,” ‘‘That explains it all,and at thesame time forms another link in the chain of evidence go- ing to show that Grim, Pepper, Menace, Keene, Rico Rube and Peet Brown are ruling spirits of the desperate cabal.” ‘**+Give em plenty of rope,” quoted Little Lightning, nodding shortiy. ** And now, Orndare, 1 must go, It will be daylight before { can bring my boys up. If you can stand the critters off till then, well and good, If not—” A lurid flash of the ranger’s black eyes com- pleted the sentence. The death of Bolly Darrit would not pass unavenged. Little Lightning left the hotel a quarter of an hour in advance of Orndare. . Straight down the rough street went the young ranger, striking into the Rocky Bar trail at the outskirts of the camp. A glance over his shoulder detected no sign of ursuit. F ‘Tf they make an attack, it will be from am- bush,” he muttered. The surmise was correct. A mile from the camp, in one of the gloomiest stretches of the trail, a sudden flash lighted up the bushes,and, with the sharp report of the assassin’s weapon, Little Lightning uttered acry of agony and fell at full length. CHAPTER VII. LITTLE LIGHTNING’S ADVENTURE. No ordinary western desperado was Old Man Keene, ; His career had been as checkered as crimina), Born in the Mexican Province of Sonora, of out- lawed American parents in hiding among the wild fastnesses along tke upper waters of the Rio Altar, that region had been mace the scene of bis first depredations. At tbe time he made biS appearance in Yellow err + an | + ce