Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 661 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

camp o 14 Banner Ben, the Wildfire of the Prairie. exclaimed, as he stood clutching the willows on either side of him, and gazing with fixed and throbbing heart upon the boy; ‘‘ he’s ridin’ to sure distruction, gal, sure distruction.” For a short distance the mountain rose gradually, and a few of the savages followed him on horseback a little ways, but they were soon compelled to abandon their ponies and con- tinue on foot. The few savages in pursuit sent an occasional ‘shot after the fugitives in hopes of halting the pony and causing it to make a misstep, which would be certain destruction to both horse and rider. Those watching at the foot of the steep kept up a yelling that made the mountains seem alive with screaming demons, But all this confusion had no effect upon Banner Ben nor his pony, for on and on bounded the noble little animal—up and up the dizzy hights it carried its rider. At timesit seemed to stand upon its hind feet so steep was the way ‘before it, and its rider was compelled to lie forward upon its neck so close that the two seemed but one to the watchers below. In breathless suspense Kit Bandy and Singing Bird stood in their boats, their eyes riveted up- on the steed and its fearless rider, Time and again the noble pony was seen to stagger backward as if exhausted and about to tumble down the acclivity, but imbued with the unconquerabe spirit of its rider, and urged on by gentle words of encouragement, it lunged forward again—rising higher and higher on the mountains—growing smaller and smaller—dim- mer and dimmer to the watchers on the margin of theriver, finally enpeeete altogether in the clouds that wreathed the brow of the msuntain. ‘*Thank God!” exclaimed Bandy with a long breath of nelief, ‘‘the young dare-devil has reached the top and is safe, and no red-skin ’1l finger his locks to-day. And my old heart drops out o’ my throat and swings back into its pro- er territory. But what a ride into the clouds! o one on earth but Banner Ben would dare "tempt it; and now, little gal, as 1 see a smile o’ joy and happiness on your face, I know your silent prayers bave been answered, and if }you- *ve any word to send to Banner Ben, the toy- tempest, Pll carry it to him in the strictest con- fidence. Many’s the time I’ve been an old ‘star-route’ between lovers, and no breach o’ fidence.” The fair girl, with her eyes still lifted to the mountain-top—eagerly gazing like a hopeful, ’ heart into the vailed future for a glimpse of its idol, softly answered: ““T have no message to send him now.” * All hunky, Singing Bird,” Kit said, ‘‘ but now, I believe I'd better pull out afore I git my- self into trouble. Ill go up and find the cave in which Benjy Banner said that young feller that helped you gals ey in the boat last night lay badly wounded, and ” **T will go with you,” quickly said the maiden, and pening herself in her canoe she took up the paddle and sent the craft gliding up-stream. Old Kit followed in sight, for in spite of his most - ni gran efforts, he could not keep up with her. CHAPTER XVI. ‘A THREE-CORNERED CONFLICT. Away through the mountain pass galloped Doctor Gwynn with Rose, followed by Dead- Kye and the two red-skins. he canyon through which they were travel- ing led away tow the north at ae angles with the course Gwynn had told R. e intend- ed to take. But after the doctor’s brutal con- duct at the cave where Ashmore lay, and at Willow Bars, she had become fully satisfied beyond all doubt, that she had been deceiv and her confidence betrayed, and that there was nothing, however bad and cruel, the man was too good to do. So the change in their course from the river valley eastward to the Longhorn northward, added nothing to her previous esti- mate of the man’s base and deceptive character. But she reproached him as they rode along for his deceit and treachery, though her words had no other effect upon him than to produce a grim, sardonic smile, After she had exhausted her vocabulary of contempt the doctor said: ‘‘ Rose—Jessie Hampton, for by that name I desire to call you now, you have by inference promised to be my wife, and—” ) “ deny the assertion, sir!” exclaimed the irl. **You can talk that way now,” said Gwynn, ‘ since you have seen the face of your old lover, but I will not be trifled_with longer. I have given up my position as White Medicine in the Stooping Bear, and all to take you out £ >= ‘ ‘ F ' 1 eA” Lag Pig , “ : Ve has 4 t « yg uote. 4 wi Wy oy J ‘ 7 fe Dh ; y Ps > / * ; 4 “> d ar 7 ("1 s€ x : Pe ; i Sa Dis A Rane MN i kD at ache of your captivity, believing you were a woman with a true heart. But I can see now that you and Singing Bird were the conspirators, and hoped to entrap me by getting me to visit that dead man in the cave, No, it is.1 that should be the one to complain.” ‘* Be that as it may, I should prefer captiv- ity in Stooping Bear’s camp to freedom with you,” declared the maiden, indignantly. ‘*Oh, I presume you think so now, but you'll get over that in time.” ‘Never! never !’”’ cried the girl, vehemently. And thus they talked and badgered each other as they galloped along through the pass. Years of captivity had developed in Rose a large degree of will-power and self-reliance, in- stead of a meek and humble spirit, and aftershe had recovered from the nervous shock sustained at the cave she betrayed a spirit that Doctor Gwynn saw could not be overcome by threats and provoking taunts. The renegade doctor, however, was supreme- ly happy in the triumph of his long-cherished scheme, He felt no uneasiness as he rode along through the lonely Longhorn. They were fully twenty miles into the Long- horn and were riding leisurely along when, a of a sudden, six horsemen wheeled into the can- yon from a side defile, and drawing rein before the doctor and party, and revolvers unpn them, demanded: ‘* Surrender, there, you lopin’ varlets, or we'll mow you!” The man making the demand was the irre- pressible Jaguar Jim. At his side was the no- torious Panther Tail, Bracelets, the outlaw and three powerful Indian warriors. Dr. Gwynn grew white and red by turns. A look of baffled triumph swept over his face, but he endeavored to conceal his emotions by addressing Jaguar Jim in a free, familiar tone. ‘* Jaguar James,” he said, ‘‘ you’re up to your old jokes, ar’n’t you?” ‘‘‘Nary joke, Dr. Gwynn,” replied the outlaw. “Pve quit jokin’ since I got into this bloody, matter-of-fact country. I’m in dead earnest in demandin’ your unconditional surrender.” ‘* What do you mean, anyhow, Jim?’ was now asked in an appealing tone, for the doctor saw that the outlaw was in earnest. ‘*T mean that you have carried your jokes far as you can with the White Wolves, You’re the very man that killed Captain Jubal Blood at Roarin’ Rocks to save the secret of your lit |. tle scheme which is now at an end, for we will take that young lady into our custody, and if there’s any ransom to be had, I, Jaguar Jim, and Shiner Bracelets there'll take it in.” The doctor fully realized that he was in a des- perate strait—that the odds were against him and that a fight could not be averted. But he was not a coward if he was a villain, and he knew Old Dead-Eye was a perfect demon in a fight, and if the Indians would on}y stand by them they might come out best in a struggle. ‘* Jaguar Jim,” said the doctor, in an assur- ing tone, ‘‘ you have known me long enough to know I’m no coward to be scared or bullied by any man that walks; and I think there is no need of trouble between us and our friends.” ‘Not a bit of itif you site up that gal, your arms and horses,” replied Jaguar Jim; ‘* these are our terms, and we can’t modify them be- cause we don’t have to.” ‘They’ never be complied with. Jire, men !” cried the doctor. And as he spoke he whipped out his revolver and fired at the outlaw, Jaguar Jim, whose arm fell shattered at his side. A yell burst from the lips of each party, and then bullets and tomahawks began flyin through the air and horses began rearing an plunging in affright as foe met foe in pap Paes encounter, A second shot from the deadly revolver of Dr. Gwynn tumbled Jaguar Jim from his sad- die, but at the same instant Panther Tail seized the doctor and endeavored to tomahawk him, and in the struggle that ensued the two rolled to the earth between their ponies and there continued the fight with all the ferocity of enraged tigers. flying tomahawk knocked Old Dead-Eye senseless from his saddle, after he had killed a red-skin, and then victory seemed within easy grasp of J Jim’s friends, when suddenly own the mountain-side dashed a horseman, re- volver in hand, who drew rein in the midst of the combatants and began shooting right and left. Bracelets fell dead at the first shot. A savage went next, and almost as fast as one could count the revolvers of Banner Ben rung out, for Banner Ben the horseman was. Near] every shot, though fired in haste and peer 4 7 * we « ny > | 7 ) fw i : is Ba Sf “ a O a» ( & j a “4 <e \ d * “ i 4 ‘ Fy '), 2 ~ : Ss i * ¥y * ment, told upon the ranks of the foe without regard to which side they were upon. inally one of Jaguar Jim’s Indians, seeing the destruction the ‘‘toy tempest” was work- ing among them, whirled his pony and en- deavored to escape up the canyon; but as he was the only one of the two gangs remaining un- horsed, Ben gave chase and after a few rods’ ursuit sent a bullet through the red-skin’s neck, iilling him instantly. Meanwhile the maiden’s pony had carried her beyond danger. At the very beginning of the fight the animal had dashed away up the can- yon, and as her hands had been kept tied she could do nothing toward stopping him; but the hope of escape invigorated her mind and body with renewed strength, and with a desperate effort she succeeded in freeing her hands, when she soon got the animal under control, and stop- ping it, turned to see how the fight was, going. As she did so she saw the mad horseman dash down the hillside and open fire upon the enemy. She saw the outlaws and savages tumble around him, and when the last savage—he who had at- tempted escape—had been unhorsed, she turned and rode toward the victor, the thought never occurring to her but that he was a friend and well-wisher. Banner Ben’s face was covered with dust and dirt and streaked with tine ec geil His head was still bare, his hair hung in disorder about his brow, his shirt collar was open, and alto- gether he presented a rather wild and savage ap ance, e e bowed to the maiden as she came up, her face white with fear and her mind in dire sus- pense, for she had never seen Banner Ben, and it had suddenly flashed through her mind that the dirty-faced, hatless little savage might be a new foe. Ben saw that her face wore a look of doubt, and said: is - Don’t be frightened, miss, for ’m Banner en. ‘‘Banner Ben!—you Banner Ben?” exclaimed — the girl, her face becoming radiant with joy; ‘*then you are my friend!” ‘‘*You can count me that way, Miss Jessie Hampton, till my veins have been drained of every drop of hot blood.” ‘Ah! and you know my name?” cried the happy girl. **'Yes, ma’am, Harry Ashmore told me who you was.”’. ‘‘ Harry Ashmore? io Harry Ashmore still _ live, Banner Ben?’ ; “He does, miss, though it’s an awful wonder Dr. Gwynn didn’t kill him and me both when he war at the cave this mornin’,”’ ‘Oh, thank God! thank God!” cried the maiden, clasping her hands over her mom breast and lifting her streaming eyes towar Heaven. ‘¢ He’s your lover, miss,” Ben went on with a boyish frankness, ‘‘and he’s an all-sloshin’ nice TT esicaiasthe vanitagutekd ‘dae sian, Twa at en reco me when I was a the cave this morning, did he?” \ ' ** Yes, ma’am, he did and took on dreadfully *bout you doctor’s thump on the head I told him I'd go and bring you back and I’m goin’to doit or die. | ‘‘Banner Ben, you are the brave and noble boy that I have heard you were, and I will never forget your kindness if you conduct me back to “Til do it, miss, so let us ride down and make sure them villains are all fixed so’s they won’t never trouble you ag’in.” Side by side they rode down and stopped on the late battle-field. Banner Ben dismounted to secure such of the fallen foes’ arms as he could make useful. He found Panther Tail and Ja- guar Jim both locked in each other’s embrace stone Gea and he supposed all the others were, but to surprise, while relieving Old Dead- Eye of his weapons that notorious outlaw pnt a. a “he and rolling vee time or two rose to a sitting posture and gazed around him in bewilderment. Ben was in the act of putting him out of his mi when the maiden, forgetting the past, begged for the old man’s life, and putup his pistol and apologized for his act of cruelty in her presence. A wound on the head was the only injury Old Dead-Eye had sustained, and as soon as he had fully recovered his senses he gazed up at the maiden and exclaimed: ‘‘ Confusion, gal! it looks as though a hurri cane ’d- wallopin’ the boys ‘round here, that lives—heavens!”—this as he suddenly i“ ae two ‘ Dd Rae - M4 felt | ee, rag - . = TE, 4? ‘ x 4 4 .e AA, Vv >) es Pie ** =—3 @ J Pn Aes 5 a vag Ou ‘ but as soon as I recovered from the _- 4 P vA 2 p rf h. ve ea | | Dee = we ' - — eee) <SACe , ~~ | E a a5) bd Je i, CF “ “oe >. 7 4 A . ; aa 5 . $ es od td i “ a Ve 1 f x % A, & A , . y, Dat, v4 , is eS" f . rs ~~ 4S oe