Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 673 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 The Lightning Express Detective. Recoiling from the shock, the craft swung ciear round, pitching and plunging violently; then, its momentum suddenly checked, rode like a ship at anchor on the breast of the tide. Headlight Harry opened his eyes, and stared in utter amazement. Half stunned from his rough experience, the railroad-boy scarcely knew whether he was dead or alive. The cataract, thundering close at hand, was still below him; and ,-how he had escaped from plunging over the giddy brink was a question that mystified the youth not a little. At this moment the moon reappeared, shin- ing with increased brilliancy; and, tbanks to her friendly rays, Harry was onabled to gain a faint idea of his surroundinogs. Before him stretched the foam-fiscked waters of Mad River: scarcely fifty feet beyond, a long dark line, surrounded by flying masses of spray, marked the spot where the flood took its terrible plunge. Oa either side, a jagged rock rose abruptly from out the water. The space between was extremely narrow, so much so as to prevent the passage of the log, which, having struck one of the bowlders with sufficient force to divert it from its original course, was sucked into the marrow opening, and thus became tightly wedged. An omnipotent hand had guided the. craft straizht upon this rock—the only barrier be- tween the youth and death. Had thelog passed this point, nothing could have saved the rail- road-boy. Tiankful for his marvelous escape, Headlight Harry set his wits to work to devise some means of extricating himself from his unpleas- ant predicament; for, half suYoc;ted by the spray, and bruised from the log constantly beating against the rocks, his position was far from comfortable. Besides, the turbulent waters, angry at being cheated of their prey, surged about the timber, threatening to tear it from its anchorage, and send it to continue its interrupted voyage. The thought stimulated Harry to renewed strength and determination. Summoning all his power, the lad strained at the bonds which held his arms in a hempen vise. Joy! The stubborn thongs, so long immovable, now parted with a snap. During the tinte that the log was thumping agaiust the rock, a sharp, knife-like projection, constantly striking the cord, had been uncon- sciously performing the work that the boy’s muscle failed to accomplish; until the rope was nearly severed, and it only needed his effort to complete the work of liberation. The delighted youth’s first act, after assuming a sitting posture, was to vigorously rub his be- pmabed arms to restore the circulation, after which, with the help of the jack-knife he always carried, it was but the work of a moment to liberate his feet. Free once more, Headlight Harry leaped from the log and climbed laboriously to the top of the rock nearest the shore. But when this point was reached a brief glance told the boy that es- cape was not, even now, an absolute cer- tainty, Angry waters surrounded him on every hand. The river at this point was extremely narrow and the channel was upon one side of the stream ; so the distance from the rock to the nearest shore was slight—an active man could have leaped it. However, to the railroad-boy, bruised and sore and chilled to the bone, with no foothold save a wet and slippery ledge, it was an under- taking fraught with great danger. But Headlight Harry was impatient to re- turn to Richville to aid Grace Garland, whom he knew to be in deadly danger. Fearful that he would be too late to frustrate Dave Darke’s scheme, the brave boy determined to risk the leap without delay. Pausing for a moment to take breath, Harry ' poised upon the slippery ledge, carefully meas- uring the distance with his eye; then, concen- trating all his strength, he shot like an arrow far out over the raging torrent! In his exhausted condition the distance was too great for the boy tocover. Narrowly miss- ing the coveted shore, he descended into the boiling water with a sullen splash; but as he fell, one hand stretched forth in a last despair ing effort, and seizing upon a projecting spur of rock, clung to it with a grip of steel. With superhuman strength the railroad-boy raised himself, inch by inch, until he was free frow: the sweeping current, then crawled labo- riously up the slippery bank. Safe atlast! But the effort was too much for the gallant boy. Exhausted nature could do no oo. “¥ \ ae | 5 * : 7 = ¥ y y ‘ } ' ed Mis em GI : ee A a ‘ee riya ; . 4% 4 - 4 "6 . : ; ~~ - hen 7 : a aX 4 2 t® . ). hg mn? ot} ' ‘ Ons \ eee > 14>. ——_—_—- . ’ : more! Headlight Harry’s brain reeled, and pitching forward he fell heavily to the earth, lying unconscious in the mellow moonlight! CHAPTER VIII, ON THE TRAIL, WHEN Headlight Harry at length recovered his senses, the night was far advanced. Quick- ly recalling the incidents of that eventful night, the boy struggled to his feet, regretful that so much valuable time had been lost. Perhaps, even now, the dark deed was accomplished, and Grace Garland in the toils of her enemies, Hoping against hope that he would yet arrive in time, the lad hurried from the spot. Covered with cuts and bruises, stiff, sore, and benumbed with cold, every step caused the poor boy pain; but, ignoring his own suffering, he pressed bravely on. It was fully three miles to Richville, follow- ing the devious course of Mad River; but Har- ry, knowing every square foot of the country, adopted a ‘* bee-line ” across fields and meadows, making the distance much shorter. On through the darkness hastened the bold railroad-boy! In his excited condition, min- utes seemed like hours; tnough in reality, it was an incredibly short time, wien in the distance he saw the lights of Richville gleaming. As Headlight Harry dashed across a field, in the direction of the Garland residence, he was startled by the rapid report of fire-arms, while lights appeared at the mansion, and excited voices reached his ears. ‘*My God! I’m too late! The fiends are al- ready at work!” gasped the boy, divining the truth instantly. Dashing madly ahead, Headlight Harry strained every nerve to reach the scene of com- bat. When he arrived upon the spot, the en- counter was over; the mounted party were in hot pursuit of the fleeing bandits, while the moonlight revealed Black Bart, accompanied by two companions, hurrying in the opposite direction, with Grace Garland clasped in his arms, One glance at the flying outlaws, another at the waiting locomotive, and Harry compre- hended the bold design of the bandit chief, In- stantly he darted in pursuit, hoping to prevent the audacious escape. It was impossible to overtake the fugitives, indeed, it was lucky for Harry that they were unaware of his presence, for in his excitement he overlooked the fact that he was alone and unarmed,and had he been discovered, Black Bart’s sure shots would have made quick work of the reckless boy. Others than Harry were hurrying in that di- rection, but the raiJroad-boy was first upon the spot, rushing up just as the outlaw captain sprung to the throttle. Realizing it was too late to prevent the és- cape, Headlight Harry, acting upon a ready impulse, and determined to follow the fleeing abductors, made a desperate leap for the engine as it glided past him. So, when the stolen locomotive shot down the line like a fiery meteor, it carried an extra pas- senger in the person of Headlight Harry, who clung desperately to the rear of the tender! The youth’s recklessness nearly cost him his life, fcr at this moment a crowd of citizens rushed up. They caught sight of the clinging form, and, mistaking it for one of the marau- ders, made it the target for a choice volley of pistol-shots. Bullets whizzed viciously about the head of the railroad-boy, but, fortunately, not one of them reached its intended mark,an the next moment the engine was out of sight of the bel- ligerent Richvillians. Over the rails like lightning sped the stolen ngine, The Night Express had the “right of way,” and as the outlaws were only a few min- utes in advance of the train’s time, they could nee, calculate on a clear track. Black Bart ~ at the lever, and managed the machine like a veteran—indeed, the notorious bandithad once been an engineer on that very road, and a good one, too, until he abandoned the position for the more lucrative pursuit of train-robbing. Headlight Harry’s position was a trying one, He sat astride of the iron bumper, clinging to the chain which hung from the tender, and which was attached to the coupling-pin. Perch- ed in this uncomfortable poser, the boy held on desperately, the breath neariy jol from is body by the swift motion of the locomo- tive. If the chain broke, nothing could save him from being precipitated to death upon the track below. Harry resolved to gain a safer position, 7 . es . ~ ee 4 ‘ap a — a o_O OO —_-_ ~>-- OOO see eee ‘ ‘ 74 at tis » - ¢ , * *EL —e- * rl though at the risk of discovery. With some difficulty he reached the top of the tender, and crouched behind the wood-pile, (for on this road wood was used for fuel), from which position he was able to obtain a good view of the cab and its occupants, The three outlaws were attentively scanning the track ahead, unaware of the presence of an enemy. Grace Garland lay passive upon the floor, not yet fully possessed of consciousness, and at the sight of the poor girl, Headlight Harry could hardly resist the impulse which prompted him to throw himself upon her cap- tors, tooth and nail. Luckily, the lad’s discretion conquered his temper. Reckless as the youth had been, to follow the outlaws, alone and unaided, yet there was method in his madhess. It was his intention to discover where Black Bart carried his cap- tive, and then call his friends to the rescue. Making himself as comfortable as circum- stances weuld permit, Harry patiently waited for the wild ride to terminate. Smith’s Siding, the next station, was soon reached. The opera- tor, doubtless awakened from a nap, rushed be- wilderedly out upon the platform ; bat before he could rub his sleepy eyes open, the engine flashed by like the wind. Madly they rushed on their wild career; the big wheels spun like lightning, while the whole machine shook and trembled, as it tore wildly around the sharp curves, threatening at times to leave the ‘‘iron” entirely, Black Bart had pulled the throttle wide open, and drove the th Be as if a legion of fiends were close behind im, Suddenly the outlaw captain shut off steam and reversed the lever. e was about to stop the engine, Headlight Harry was on the alert, and quick- ly retreated to his old position on the bumper. The speed of the locomotive slackened gradual- ly, and just before it stopped, the boy released — hg and dropped lightly and safely to the rack, Swiftly he darted to one side, and, lurking in the shadows, watched the movements of the three marauders. Black Barts men quickly left the engine, bearing the captive girl between them, while the captain deliberately restarted the machine, then swung briskly off and rejoined his fol- lowers. Away went the locomotive, left to its own idance, gaining increased s at every revo- ution of its huge wheels. hat would be the end of its wild career? Perchance to jump the track; or worse, to collide with some human- freighted train, and send scores of precious lives into eternity! Little cared Black Bart! With a fiendish chuckle he watched the lone engine roll around a bend out of sight, then turned his attention to the work before him, At this point the railroad crossed a narrow stream, whose deep, still waters flowed into Mad River, some distance below, To the bank of this creek Black Bart hurriedly led the way. A brief search among the rushes brought to view a long, light boat, into which the outlaws clambered. Meanwhile, Headlight Harry was not to be baffled. It was no easy task to follow the ban- dits, for already the gray light of morning had appeared in the eastern skies, and objects were fast becoming visible. However, creeping like a very sleuth-hound, the boysucceeded in reach- ing the water’s edge without detection, just as the men in tbe boat pushed off from the shore, and beaded the craft up-stream. And now’a new difficulty arose. How could he follow the boat fast enough to keep pace with the sturdy strokes of the outlaws, and yet re- main undiscovered? However, the cunning spy quickly solved this problem, Headlight Harry could swim like a fish, so, dropping noiselessly beneath the water, he shot swiftly after the receding boat. So precisely did he calculate, that when at length he came to the surface, it was to find himself at the very stern of the craft. Grasping the boat with one hand, the lad swam easily in the wake ready to dive again in case of discovery. Indeed, there was little danger of the latter, for trees and bushes grew thickly upon the bank, their branches forming an impenetrable archway Overhead, and objects | in the creek were well-nigh invisible, Propelling the boat up-stream with long, ad tigi strokes, the outlaws proceeded for per- aps half a mile. Then suddenly they turned the boat’s prow toward the shore. Perceiving they were about to land, the spy released his hold and dropped beneath the sur- x ° ; ~ - : . _ ee mt tg - ee eee a ee! ae” are > ,- - inn ain: » 4 ‘ : A ~ Se Pegrye 6 eee = a eee Ox — - ~ : 2 ~ - . . sos . ° -