Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 658 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 coherent, the fact was strange. His chances of unintentionally doing a good deal of damage were abundant, and the Life‘Saver could not make a single gesture to warn him back, Call’s back was toward him, but Call’s face was toward Rob, and if the latter made a mo- tion, the watcher for the abductors must see it. There was nothing to be done except to let Tony operate as he would. The simple-minded fisherman’s face bore a cunning expression, and there was faint hope that he realized the critical state of affairs, and would govern himself according. He was anx- ious to learn all about the shanty and its occu- pants, but the light was not strong, and no one but Call was plainly visible. Gradually a puz- zied look overspread his face, and his ally be- came nervous, But the worst was yet to come. Once more Tony advanced; he passed the door; be entered the shanty. Rob was too much alarmed to form any plan. He could only watch in a species of fascination. Tony moved with singular vaution and good luck, so that bis advance was almost noiseless, and Call was singularly oblivious to what was going on, This could not last forever, though. Tony was creeping straight toward where Al- berts lay wrapped in his blanket, and this brought him into the middle of the room. Call saw him at last, and tke discovery was both surprising and startling to him. He gazed in inactivity for a while; then he leaped to his feet and found his voice. ‘* Who.in perdition are you?” he cried. Tony leaped up, himself, and a look of com- plete terror overspread his face, He had not seen that member of the party before, and he fell into a panic in the presence of discovery. His lips unclosed and he suddenly emitted a yell which would have dune credit to a madman. Another moment and the revolver which he carried flashed in the fire-light. He turned it swiftly uvon Call and fired. There was neither aim nor system about it, and probably as little thought, but he kept blazing away until six sbots had been fired as fast as he could deliver them, while his almost unearthly yells made a strange and alarming accompaniment, Of course the whole party was astir. Rob and Alberts had leaped to their feet, but while the latter was frightened almost out of his ‘senses, the Life-Saver was calmer than was to be expected, He had called to Tony to stop firing, but his voice was lost in the uproar. Then he thought -of Corona, and started toward her, but he collided with Alberts with such force’that both fell. Rob struggled up and started again. This time he was more successful: he reached the blanket and brushed it aside, Disappointment awaited him. Carona was gone! He was surprised, but it dawned upon him ‘that she had fled during the disturbance, and he quickly emerged from cover, He was just in time to see the skirts of Alberts’s coat vanish through the door, while a glance showed him that the departure left him sole occupant of the shanty. Every one else had fled. Greatly alarmed for Carona, he was not slow to follow a distance in their steps, but, when he reached the outer air, not a person was to be seen, Night and the bushes had swallowed them up, CHAPTER XV. ROB STRUGGLES TO WIN. ALMosT total silence retgned around the shanty, and Rob was unable to locate even one of the runaways, It seemed almost impossible that they could get out of hearing so quickly, and, already bewildered, he stood in a state of uncertainty for several moments, Then ke made a vain circuit of the shanty. ‘This, however, brought him back to the door, and, looking in, he saw, not one of the party, but a revolver, He hastened to secure it. It proved not to be Tony’s, but a fine, fully-loaded weapon, which be welcomed gladly, As Call was not to be seen, it followed that, whether wounded or not, he had escaped death in spite of all of Tony’s headlong shooting. It would not do to delay there, so the Life- Saver hastened down the bluff. Both boats were where they had been left, and were vacant. Plainly, all of the missing persons had taken to the woods in precipitate flight, and it was bard to say who had been the most frightened of the uartette, If the situation had been less serious or Carona, the thought would have excited Rob’s laughter, ’ . iv e J Fi ¥ aed re v7) rer “ bs k % : fee a ~ Ue ~ ae ; A aap es Be) ees . ei As it was, he was terribly alarmed for her. Which way was he to go to seek her?” After a while his wits returned fully, and he rocured the lantern and searched for the trail. n this attempt he was successful at once. It was not hard to find the sharp-pointed heel- marks which, well imprinted in the soft earth, betrayed the passage of a lady’s feet, and, once started, he followed rapidly. Carona’s course had been toward the north- west, and there was every evidence that she had gone in great haste. He dared not lose Sight of the tracks, so, as a consequence, he could not equal that speed, but he did his best. It was a rough way the unfortunate girl had taken. Trees and underbrush abounded, and the swamp had been made almost impassable by recent rains, A traveler suvk in mud and water at almost every step. Rob went on with the lantern beld forward and the revolver ready for use. In a short time the trail began to curve around toward the west, but so gradually that it became clear she was unconsciously following the are of a circle, Where her wild wanderings would end he did not know, but the gravest fears seemed called for as the swamp became worse and worse. Mud, water, bushes and logs alike barred the way. Whether he was gaining Rob could not tell, but he did have evidence that Carona’s strength was giving out, and that she was mov- ing but slowly. At last he made a discovery. He was follow- ing the trail as before when he came up to a large log, and, as he was about to cross it, he raised the lantern and the light fell full upon a man who was sitting upon the fallen tree, It was Call, ‘* Hullo!” spoke the latter, faintly. ** You, here?” cried Rob, ‘* Part of me,” ‘* What are you doing?” ‘* Resting.” ** Resting!” ‘*That’s what I said. When a man has two bullets in his carcass, he needs to take things easy. ‘* Are you wounded?” ‘*Rather! That maniac who descended on us got in his work, and it’s a wonder I’m alive. I ran into this diabolical swamp, and only stop- ped when [ got so weak that I fell down—more fool, I! Now, I’m trying to get out of this fix, but it’s slow work.” Rob was thinking more of the girl than of the wounded abductor, and he looked down at the trail. ** Where is Carona?” he asked. ** Just what I'd like to know!” groaned Call, ** Don’t you know 2?” ‘*¢T don’t.” All this was quite possible, The Life-Saver saw that she could easily have passed before Call reached the point, ‘Will you give me your arm and help me out?” the speaker added, ‘*T will, on one condition,” ** Name it!” ‘* Why did you abduct Carona?” Call’s eyes opened widely. ** What's that?” he cried. ** You decoyed her away from friends by lies, You know you never intended to take her to her mother, but acted as her foe, Why did you do it?” ‘* See bere!” cried the wounded man, in a rage, ‘* Alberts was right; you’re an infernal spy!” ‘*1’m here to rescue Carona, I admit.” ‘* By the fiends! Vlu—” Call rose to bis feet and lifted the club he had been using as a staff, but Rob unceremoniously turned the revolver upon him. ‘Drop it!® be called out, sharply, ‘“‘ I hold the trump here, and you can’t scare me, Keep off, or I'll add to the damage already done you! T« kidnapper was in a passion. “Oh! if ‘y had my povalvedl he cried, fix vou; [’'d do you up—” ‘* [f’s don’t count, and I can’t stop to waste words on you. S&S Jong!” The Life-‘Saver leaped over the log and re- sumed his way. The man called something after him, but it passed unbeeded. Once more the brave youth was on the trail with the patience of an Indian, He had lost all knowl- edge of the points of compass, but he had a vague idea that, already, he had nearly com- pleted a circle, and that bis face must be to- ward the ocean. For five minutes longer he pursued his way, and then the swamps ended ata knoll. He as- cended the side, and, at the top, saw a low tc Td } we 5 7 + wh #4 wv es ‘ an - a os Yt : >, ob 7 s > call hy Ww 4 i bd ad ~~ 5 ane 3 structure faintly lighted by a fire; but notso faintly but that he recognized it. After all the tramp, he was back at the shanty. Despite his suspicion that they had gone in a circle he was surprised at this discovery, but Carona’s trail led straight on, and he burried to the sbanty. He reached the door, The place was no longer untenanted; Carona crouched by the fire, warming her hands by the blaze. She sprung to her feet, and then terror gave place to oy. oe Oh! Rob, Rob!” she cried, ** I am so glad to see you. Thank Heaven you ai here!” He shook her hand warmly. ‘* Jiminy! but you can’t be gladder than I am!” he declared, ‘It’s been a hard pull, but I hope we are all right now.” ‘‘ Where have you been?” ‘ Following your trail.” ‘* And I—oh! Rob, I wandered on, and on, in that fearful swamp, only to learn in the end, when it seemed that I'd gone many miles to- ward safety, that evil fate had led me to go ina circle. I came back to this horrible place.” ‘Never mind; it’s a good place to start for home from,” ‘* Can we go now?” she asked, eagerly. ‘“‘T hate to trusta boat to the ocean right after such a squall” ‘* But the men—where are they?” ‘* Gone into the swamp, too,” ‘** Aren’t they liable to come back?” ‘* Yes,” Rob admitted, reluctantly. ‘**T care not how roughly the water may roll; I had rather take my chances there than to re- main and meet those men. Who are they? What are they?” Her agitation and fear influenced Rob not a little, and he began to think well of the idea of leaving. It did not seem that he could oppose Alberts and Call alone, while as for the ocean, he had been accustomed to that all his life, It would be a most dangerous undertaking to sail down the coast, unless the water was quieter than he had reason to expect, but he was in just the mood for trying it. He explained bow he regarded Call and Al- berts, and Carona agreed with all he said, She had lost all faith in them, ‘*Can’t we start for your home at once?” she asked, when he had finished, ‘*Dare you risk it?” ‘*T am eager to risk it.” ‘‘Then we'll go!” That seemed to decide it, but Carona sudden- ly uttered acry of alarm. Rob wheeled and saw Alberts standing at the door. The man smiled sarcastically. ‘* A very pretty plan!” he commented, ‘* Only one thing is lacking to make it a success, and that is, ability to carry it out. When you sail, Miss Dane, you go north, not south. As for this hop-o’-my-thumb, [ll tie him up here by his heels!” He advanced upon the LifeSaver, full of brute confidence that be could carry everything his own way, but Rob had no intention of being disposed of so summarily. Out came bis re- volver, and he was about to call a halt when af- fairs took still another turn, Through the door sprung a figure covered with mud so as to be almost unrecognizable, He carried a club, and might have been a wild man of the woods, His eyes. certainly were wild and staring, and the light of reason was not especially prominent in his face, Yet, this man was Tony Bristles, and there was method in his movements, He rushed toward Alberts, the club upraised to beat him down. Some instinct, perhaps, told the kidnapper of his danger. He turned, saw Tony, sprung to one side, drew a bead upon him, and was about to fire when Rob, as alert as ever, leaped for- ward and knocked the revolver away, Then the boy’s own six-shooter was raised, while Tony lifted the club again, Both ad- vanced, and, in the face of such danger, Alberts lost his nerve, turned, and then fled from the shanty. ‘¢ Now for the boat!” cried Rob, “Get away at once. We'll trust all to the ocean!” CHAPTER XVI. THE LOST MONEY. Iv was no time for coherent thought. Carona was pallid and nervous; Tony was excited and incapable of reason; and Rob was far from calm. Realizing that Alberts probably would return soon, end belering, that such would be the case with Call also, he had only one strong “com cCbooks | : | — ae Oil GE i a i . eZ ——...,- ee a ae ’ . ay. et, 7 ~ Oo m