Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 870 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

seek, One of these is vour resemblance to your father.” ‘‘ Well, well,” returned the hermit, glancing with a look of deep solicitude at his daughter, ‘*{ want time—a day or two to think this mat- ter over.” ‘‘That JI will grant,” assured Bondurant, ‘‘for [ am bound to know before I leave here what Lam to do with your father’s wealth, all of which lies in an Ohio bank in cash, bonds and securities, Moreover, I think I shall enjoy a day or two of rest in this little Paradise-like Park.” ‘‘Then you will not return with me to my ranch?” Clint Roper observed, ‘‘No; but I shall keep my promise and stop over adayor two with you before | depart the country.” ‘¢‘Then I had better be going, for it is not long until night, and I’ve a long ride before me, You may keep my horse here, Mr, Bondurant, until you come down to the Cross- Bar, You'll be likely to need him. Miss Alfa has a superb little pony, and is a superb rider, and 1 advise you to have her ride with you to Palisade Park before you leave, for it’s one of the most romantic spvtsin Wyoming. So, J will bid you all good-evening.” The ranchman took his departure, Doctor Dave going out with him to where his horse was hitched to see him off, ‘‘ Mr. Roper is a very pleasant and hospitable gentleman,” remarked [ra Bondurant to Alfa, as the ranchman departed. ‘* Yes, sir,” Alfa replied, ‘* he has been very gn to us, and yet, lam selfish enough, ¥r. ondurant, to wish Clinton Roper knew nothing of your roission here.” ‘* Why, Miss Bond?’ the man asked, in sur- prise, ‘* While you were talking,” Alfa exclaimed, ‘‘strange expressions passed over bis face; he glanced at you and father in a nervous way and all the while seemed uneasy and restless, I may be wrong, Mr, Roper, but, Mr. Bondurant, I have little confidence in him,” ‘* Woman’s instinct is more penetrating than man’s, I'll confess,” admitted Mr, Bondurant, ‘* but if lam any judge of human nature, Alfa, you are mistaken as to the big-hearted ranch- man,” ‘*T hope so,” was Alfa’s response, but it was plain to see that she still adhered to her opinion of Clinton Roper. CHAPTER III, THE DUEL. Brush CREEK and Cross-Bar Ranches were only five miles distant from each other. The Fr bar of each had always been on the friendliest terms, despite the dislike of Clinton Roper for Dan Temple, oper was the first to locate in that part of the country, and regarded Temple’s coming there asan infringement of bis rights of priority, hence his feelings against the young ranchero, Temple had been fully aware of Roper’s enmity, but, regarding his right to the public domain as good as that of any other man, he resolved to stand by it. No words, however, had ever passed between them until the day Roper at- tacked Temple in front of Doctor Dave’s cabin, and challenged him for an apology or a fight for words he had overheard backer by Temple. If Roper had had an idea that Dan Temple would make a retraction rather than fight he was sadly mistaken, and that his hot-headed haste had got him into a serious predicament from which there was no backing down, And, true to bis promise, the ranchman sent one of his men, Jack Dean, up to Brush Creek Ranch to arrange terms with Temple’s second, for the fight. It was past noon the next day after the challenge, however, before Roper’s man came, and Temple was not a little surprised to learn that Roper had not returned from Doctor sexy until the middle of the forenoon, that av. Jack Dean and ‘‘Broncho” Dick, Temple’s man, held a short conference and considered the possibility of first trying to bring about a settle- ment of the trouble between their employers without bloodshed, Two or three trips were made by the men between the two ranches that afternoon. Each principal was willing to com- promise the difficulty if the other would make a written apology. he effort to settle, conse- uently, proved a failure, and it was arranged or the fight to come off the next morning at ten o'clock, the usual sunrise hour for duels being disregarded by the seconds, Another new feature was to be introduced in this fight; as Winchester rifles of 45—90 caliber were to be the weapons, a thousand yards was to be the distance between the combatants at the beginning of the fight. After the first shot the duelists, if neither of them had been hit, were to advance toward each other, firing at will until one or the other was killed or placed hors du combat, The place selected for the duel was ‘* The Sand Trough,” a long, deep, sand-covered basin in the foot-hills sone five miles from Brush Creek Ranch, It was nearly a mile in length by per- haps eighty rods in width. On one side an un- broken chain of high, wooded bluffs rose like a mighty wall, while on the other side the bluffs were broken and cut by defiles that trended away into the mountains. At the appointed hour for the duel the ranch- men and their respective friends appeared in The Sand Trough. A thousand yards were measured off, lots cast for position and then each man and his friends rode down to his end of the range. A man was stationed midway between, and to one side of the duelists to give the signal for the shooting match to begin. After the principals had reacbed their posi- tions, dismounted, and strapped a belt of fixed ammunition about their middles, filled the magazines of their rifles and bid their friends good-by, they signaled their readiness for busi- ness to the man down the range. The seconds and their friends uow rode off some twenty rods to one side, for, at that dis- tance, glancing bullets were liable to take a wide range, Each second was provided with a field-glass, and closely watched the movements of bis op- ponents, Suddenly a puff of smoke was seen to burst on the air, down the field, and was immediately followed by the report of a gun. It was the sig- nal for the fight. The first shots from the duelists’ rifles quickly followed, and almost together. Clint Roper’s bullet fell fully thirty rods short of the mark, dashing up a cloud of sand, while that of Temple went to the right and beyond his adversary. Roper’s second shot was still short, but he was gradually getting the range, Advancing toward each other with quick footsteps, they continued firing. Their friends moved along abreast of them, in deep and terrible suspense, Roper had emptied the magazine of his rifle— sixteen shots—in going a hundred paces, He stopped to reload. oung Temple, who had made but ten shots in the mean time, ceased firing, also—not because his enemy had, but be- cause of the sudden appearance from the bluffs on the right of the basin of a horseman, who galloped across the range, and drew rein mid- way bevween an@ directly in line with the duel- ists. An exclamation of surprise burst from the lips of Broncho Dick, who saw at a glance, through his glass, that the horseman was a woman! But this fact Dan Temple quickly perceived with the unaided eye, and, what was more, he recognized her’, despite the distance, as Alfa, the daughter of Doctor Dave! Standing on a line between the duelists, she excitedly waved a white handkerchief above her head, as if in appeal for a cessation of hos- tilities, It quickly flashed through Temple’s mind that her presence there was the work of his and Roper’s seconds, who had tried every other means to avert a conflict. But, be this as it may, the oung ranchman, thoroughly ashamed of the usiness in which the girl had found him, de- clined to fire another shot in her presence, even if he could have done so without endangering her life, Clint Roper was less conscientious, Having taken in the situation, he swore Alfa’s presence was a ruse of Temple’s to help him out of his difficulty, and he again opened fire on Dan; the distance requiring an elevation, he knew that would carry his bullets high above the girl’s head, However, he had fired but three shots thus, when there came another interruption to the unique duel of a most startling character. It was the sight of half a score of mounted savages, who burst like a whirlwind from the bluffs, and with demoniac yells rode straight to- ward the maiden! CHAPTER IV. A WILD RIDE. FoR a moment or two the duelists and their friends stood as if stupefied, gazing at the yell- ing savages as they swept across the basin to- ward the girl. Alfa, herself, was terror-stricken at sound of the red-skins’ voices, She knew in an instant that they were not the fr outlaw or ** wild” savages, too glad to strike a blow at slaying both ber and her pa urning toward Dan dem she essayed to escape to then anticipating such a movemen the right, and urged their b¢ of speed to cut off her esce her, Then a hideous wretch big horse rode alongside of bh from her pony to a position ir other savage taking charge of Then the whole party turfs down toward Temple and his frietiis, the demon with the captive riding in advance. ‘‘Dan!” exclaimed Broncho Dick, as he and his friends rode up to where the young ranch- man stood, ‘‘ we’re 1n for a fight or a foot-race!” Dan Temple made no response, but droppin upon one knee he raised his rifle, took carefu aim, and fired. One of the foremost Indian’s pony went down, but in a moment the red-skin was up and astride of Alfa’s animal. A second and a third shot was fired by Dan, when, all of a sudden, the foe turned and gal- loped away toward the bluffs, one of their num- ber evidently mortally wounded, for he had to be supported on his horse by a friend riding at his side. By this time Clint Roper and his friends were in their saddles riding furiously across the basin as if to reach the bluffs ahead of the red-skins, This, however, they failed to do, but they turned into a defile some distance from the one taken hy the foe and disappeared from view of the Brush Creek men. Leaping into his saddle, Dan Temple ex- claimed: ‘** broncho, you come with me to the cabin of Doctor Dave, and, boys, the rest of you hasten to the ranch, for I fear a general raid is bein made all along the line, The duel is postpon for the present.” The young ranchman and his friend, Broncho Dick, now dashed away across the Sand Trough, heading for the home of Doctor Dave, fifteen or twenty miles away. Their ponies were animals of tested endurance, and they knew exactly what peat they could stand for a given distance, and that s they maintained to its utmost, ‘*We must reach the cabin and warn the doc- tor of Alfa’s peril,” Dan declared; ‘‘ if the maid- en’s captors have not already been there and—” ‘*Dan,” spoke Broncho Dick, ‘‘I am afraid they have, and that Alfa, escaping, came south for help, the red devils pursuing her.” ‘‘Ah! I bad mistrusted that her presence in the basin was your and Jack Dean’s work,” ‘* Not at all, Dan,” assured Broncho, ‘‘ Then it’s the doings of Clint Roper!” decided Temple. ‘‘ That may be,” replied Dick, ‘* for Jack Dean told me yesterday that he thought his boss had some other big scheme on hand than the duel, But what object he could have in draggin’ that gal down here I can’t conceive.” ‘‘Time will tell, Dick,” ay ee Temple, Swiftly the miles glided bebind the rancheros, and they were nearing the cabin of Doctor Dave when Broncho suddenly observed: ‘* Dan, it seems to me there’s smoke in the air from burning pine.” ‘*Phere’s a fire somewhere about, sure,” de- elared Temple. The deep, pine-clad hills around them shut off all view, but when they at length dashed into the little park wherein stood the home of the hermit, the source of the smoke fell with appall- DE, surprisa upon their eyes. he cabin of Doctor Dave was in flames, and almost wholly consumed, ‘* Great God!” cried Temple, ‘*‘ the work of the old bermit’s enemies has been complete.” Without another word they rode on up to the burning but, where they were grected witha spectacle of horror that made them sick at heart. In frontof the burning cabin lay Doctor Dave, bis white hair and beard covered with blood, He was dead, and had been scalped which fact told that his death was the work o the wild red-skins, ‘* Heavens!” exclaimed Temple, * this is hor- rible! Only two days ago I begged of Alfa to induce ber father to leave this lonely, dangerous lace, The doctor knew he had enemies amon he red-skins, as well as friends, It is the wor of the lawless devils that infest the Wind River country, and there will poor Alfa be taken! Broncho, she shall be rescued if it costs me my life. I shall mount and ride at once for the cabin of Norway Nels, the big Scandinavian hunter, and procure his assistance. You re- GOMlEDOO