Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 618 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

» helps, in a case like this.” * He then procured her the rifle, and she ~ took it with the coolness of a veteran, and “advanced to join Peter Pepper. Every one was in place now, and ready for the fray, and the siege that promised to fol- Ma es Ie. < ‘J A, . ie *, 4 >< * . . . low. I . The gang separated. The men who would ' > jfight the front, remained stationary. The *,) = ‘others, in either direction, entered the | woods, which flanked the clearing, or glade. | ‘Keep a sharp outlook,” Dick ordered, } ‘and tell me when you see a sign from the » woods.” The first call was from Clara. She came to him, and tapped him on the shoulder. | The moon is underia cloud,” she said. | »‘‘Do you think Peter could reach your ‘ ) horses?” * Why do you ask?” Dick asked. ‘‘Because we may be able to resist for & while, but cannot hold out forever. Peter ‘wants to go. He says he can find the horses, * ‘nd will ride like the wind down to the _ Parsons farm, have bim arcuse all the neigh- boring country, and then make a flight to Fosterville, and bring back papa and those Re, re who are with him, and as many more as he a can get. Wecan probably hold out as Jong as the ammunition lasts, and by that time help may come.” ** But, in that case, the southern end of the cabin will be left unguarded!” ‘‘T’ll attend to that, better than Peter could!” Clara assured. ‘I’ve passed through so much, since I was so unfortunate as to marry that scoundrel, Moore, that I absolute- ly fear nothing. My life and liberty are now in the balance, and I want to fight for it!” “You are a brave woman!” Dick declar- ed. ‘‘Iladmire you. Do you really think Pete means what he says?” ‘‘He is eager to go: Heis fond of . and is willing to risk his life for all o iy He was afraid to approach you, | should refuse him. So I came.” — ‘* Send the lad here,” Dick ordered. Just then the report of a rifle reverberated through the building; it came from Peter’s ost. ali , Dick and Clara both rushed into his room and found the gamin grinning with de- light. ; “I’ve knocked over one chap!” he an- nounced, *“‘an’s’prised myself. They begun to come out o’ the woods, over yonder, an’ I | took a header on the first chap, an’ he took a tumble, The rest o’ the blokes sneaked back \} under cover.” | Dick took a look from the loop between the logs, but there was no movement on the border of the woodland. ‘“‘Are you sure you hit him?” Dick de- | manded. | “Tam.” | ‘‘ And, now, how about this proposition of | yours?” ou, us. lest you a “T want to go, boss. I'll ride like blazes. I'll take two horses, an’ if kill one, I’ll have | . another, You'll need help, an’ if you kin * «4 hold out ’ti] I kin get back, or send it, you’ll | be all hunk, [f we don’t hev help we’re | goners,” Pa The idea was not an unreasonable one. i ‘But, Peter, do you consider what you i are risking—your life!’ Dick asked 5 earnestly. “Oh! I’m willin’ to run the chances. I can reach the horses, I reckon, by crawlin’, | an’ once I git thar, no fear but I’m away. b If the horses are gone, I’ll foot it. 1 likes | you all, I do, an’ thar’s four to one to be ‘saved or go under. You men are able to take keer 0’ yourselves On a pinch, but this “)* > | Jeddy must be rescued. I'd die to save her, 48 ef 1am only a bootblack. She kissed me. ie \2 awhile ago, when I sed I’d go'fer help, ‘an’ |. that’s the only one as ever did that, as I kin _) remember. ebbe my mammy did, but I i a » & \-r . * 7 ‘ fy ; 4 ay a ¢ =, oe oe or bet = ae «! a 4 ws | Peart «Very well” Dick replied. ‘‘ Every hand | don't remember ever seein’ her. a) ad ; Tears had sprung to the eyes of both Clara had Deadwood Dick Jr. in Cincinnati. -_—_-— and Deadwood Dick, and the latter | caught Peter to his breast affectionately. ‘You are a noble boy,” he said, huskily, ‘and lll see that you shall reap a rich. re- ward. You may go, and God be with you! I feei thaf you will pull througn,*and bring us aid. Surely, one of your undaunted cour- age, and honest, loving heart, can not fail!” ‘* My blessing be with you, Peter!” Clara | said, kissing him upon the forehead. Just then the Bull-dog entered, “No signs, on my side!” he announced. “‘ Hello! what in thunder is the diffickulty heer? Any one hurt?” ‘‘ The matter is,” Dick replied, “that this | noble boy has just knocked over one of our enemies, and is now risking his life to go and get us help—not for the sake of us men but for your sister’s.”’ The Bull-dog stared at Pepper a few sec- onds, as if he could not believe the evidence of his senses; then, with one of those howls, so peculiar With him, and so hard to imitate, he sprung forward, grabbed Peter up in his arms as though he had been a chi'd, and gal- loped around the room like one insane. ‘‘Whoop! bow-wow! Hyer’s a dorg fer ye, an’ he's of good breed, you kin bet yer bottom doller! Ef ever I’m ther daddy o’ a kid, his name shall be Pepper, fer Pepper is sharp!” Then, standing Peter once more upon his feet, he added, more gently: ‘Go et, boy! and ef ye succeed, an’ I'll bet my ha’r you will, thar’ll be more Clincher dollars in yer paw than you'll know what ter do with. What ther old man don’t pay, Vl make up, an’ don’t ye ferget it!’ ‘‘ Well, that will be all right,” Peter an- swered. “| want to get a move at once. Jest h‘ist the back windy, an’ I’ll be off.” They adjourned to the kitchen; Peter shook hands with the party, and then, the shutters partly opened, the boy slipped out into the night. 4 Refastening the window, the party returned , | | 1S Yes, I'll : justifiable. If those devils get in here, they will slJaughter us all. But tell us about it.” | | ‘*Well, | kept a sharp outlook, and I’ve ' been shut up in darkness so much since I’ve been here, that I can see pretty well in it. I saw the undergrowth swaying, out yonder. It struck me as kind of strange, for, on glancing at a bush near the loop-hole, I saw that not a leaf stirred, ‘‘T then knew that some one was créepir g~ toward the cabin, through the bushes and weeds. Presently a head popped up for an instant; my rifle was ready, and its report was followed by a yell!” ‘“ Yes, an’ jest listen to that!’ howled the sull-dog. ‘* They’re down on us, sure!” It really seemed so, for just at this junc- ture, there was a chorus of unearthly yells, in front of the cabin! Dick and the Bull-dog both leaped back into the bar-room, and peered through the loop-holes. Full thirty desperate loolving ruffians were swooping down toward the front door with drawn revolvers, and uttering discordant yells. They were not ten yards away! ““Quick! let ber go, Clincher! Herel Mrs. Moore—here Parsans! You're wanted, to help defend the front!”’, Then the battle began, in dead earnest: Bang! bang! bang! Every second a jet of fire spouted from the loop-holes in the log walls, and a leaden messenger of death cut its way into the how}l- ing mob, who returned the fire, but, of course, harmlessly, for no bullet penetrated through the logs. Still the ruffians came on, despite that deadly fire, and soon they were close up against the cabin walls, so that it was im- possible to get a shot at them, except when one of them chanced to get in front of a loop-hole, when he was immediately picked: _ off. Full fifteen of the thirty had thus far suc+ cumbed to the Destroying Angels intrenched’ within those walls. ‘* Well, so far, we've not made so bad a to their various posts, Clara Moore takiag | showing,” Dick said, grimly, ‘‘and ef they that vacated by young Pepper. CHAPTER XYII. TBE APPROACH OF DAWN, OCCASIONALLY, Dick would seek his com- panions, to learn if they had seen any sign of their enemy but they had not, except the Bull-dog, who vouchsafed the following: ‘“They war over ther’, awhile ago,” in- dicating the timber, opposite his post of ob- servation, ‘‘but, after a while, they moved along the edge o’ the timber, reg'lar red-skin fashion, an’from the best o’ my jedgement, they went back to whar the main party fu’st appeared. So, I reckon ef an attack is made at all, it will be onthe front door. The ends an’ back o’ the shebang aire solid enuff, ‘cept the windies, an’ the shutters on them’!] stand a pile o’ thumpin’, afore they’ll weaken. So I reckons we two had better keep an eye on the front, and run back now an’ then so as to make sure the rear is all O. K.” ‘“Maybe you are right; but we must take good care not to get surprised in the rear, even though the front may need more atten- tion. Hello!” For the second time that night a shot sounded from the room occupied by Clara— a ringing rifle report, followed by a yell cf agony, outside the cabin, and evidently not far away. Clara was standing bravely-at Her post, showing no emotion, whatever, except a slight pallor in the cheeks, when Dick and the Bull-dog rushed into the room. ‘ Did you hit any one?” Dick demanded. “Yes, and [’m afraid I’ve killed him. Oh! I should be so sorry if 1 have, for I would then be a murderess.” ‘‘Notat all. You were simply acting in self-defense, which is perfectly right and , near mornin’.’ give us a chance, we will make it still more interesting for them, you bet!”’ ‘They've ruther got us by the horns!” the Bulldog replied. ‘They're huggin’ the walls, close, like a pack o’ bloody Turks, an’ they’re up to some mischief, you bet!” Outside, the yeiling had ceased, and ut- most silence prevailed—a silence by no means a favorable symptom. The candle in the bar-room had been ex-. tinguished, so that none of the enemy could peer in through the loop-holes, and get a chance shot, and in the bar-room was inky’ blackness. Dick had removed his boots, and occasion:- ally prowled around, from room to room. and listened by the windows, to make sure: that no attempt was being made, to pry open. the shutters. But, all was quiet. Dick had expected that a peremptory de- mand would be made for admission to the: cabin, but none had been made. What scheme were they hatching up, in order to get into the cabin? That was the all-important question. ‘* Well, what d’yer make o’ the silence?” the Bull-dog demanded, in a whisper. = : am undecided what to think,” Dick re- plied. “Think they're hatchin’ up some plot: to surprise us?” ' ** Maybe-—indeed, most probable.” ‘* What do yoa suppose it is?” ‘*T have no particular idea. I feel certain: of one thing, however. If they don’t spring a trap on us inside of an hour, it will be day- break, and by ‘ send us help!” that time Peter may bring or ‘By Jove! you're right. Et mus’ be purty comic = e. ~~ = 200ks cor * a Aa eget