Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 682 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

\ - \ 12 : cr ¥ : — iw f Ca. “ 's SShey] aa a 4 ‘ Y : 5 Wild Vulcan, the Lone Range-Rider. places as this, and dreamed of them, but I never expected to find myself in one; but I do not mind it at all so long are you are near, Paul,” The young plainsman thrust the unlighted end of the torch into a crevice where it would remain upright, then he stepped back into the canoe. ‘*This place has served me as a hiding-place before,” he said. ‘*Old Daddy Nick was the discoverer of it, and one time when we were closely pursued by reds, be and I came here and hid away from them. We had to remain here for two days without food, but the water of Pearl Lake is pure and sweet, and we did not suffer from thirst.” p ** How long do you think we shall have to re- main here?” asked Nida. ‘* Not long,I hope. Your father, witha party of friends can not be many miles from here, and they will be likely to come to this lake to obtain fresh water and give their horses a chance to feed. Keepa good heart, Nida, for I am satis- fied that the worst of your troubles are about over.” ‘*Oh, I hope so! But, Paul, do you know if that evil-appearing man, Colonel Danglar, is with father’s party? I wish I might never see him again!” ‘**He is probably with the party, for you know that your father holds him in very high esteem.” ‘** He will not hold him so highly when I have a chance to tell him tke truth concerning the part that the colonel really took in the strug- gle with those two ruffians on the shore of the river. I meant to expose Danglar’s lies, for he made it appear that he was the one who saved me from the wretches, when really you saved us both.” ** Yes,” said the youth, looking at her strange- ly, “I did not dispute his story, for I knew that it would be useless while you remained silent.” **Oh, Paul, do not think hard of me for that! { was excited then, and I really feared that man. I truly intended to tell father the facts as soon as I bad a chance; but I have not yet bad the chance.” ‘‘That is all right, little one. I know you meant well, and lam quite sure your father will yet get his eyes open to Delos Danglar’s true character. Perhaps it will be better to let him discover the truth himself.” ‘* He can never, never force me to marry that man!” asserted the maiden, with determination. *“*T hate Danglar as much as—as—as [ love some one else. At this the hot-blooded youth managed to kiss her, although be came near upsetting the canoe in doing so, ' ‘‘ There, there, sir!” she laughingly exclaimed, although she pretended to be a little—just a little—angry. ‘‘Do you want to drown us both?” “Not at all,” he replied; ‘‘ although if we were to drown, I would hope that we would be together. For me there might be a worse fate, endless separation. Butif the canoe should up- set we should not drown, for the water here is not more than two anda half feet deep. We would simply take a bath, and as for me, I need it bad enough, after my trip over this sandy desert,” ‘*You are the same Paul that I first knew at school,” Nida declared. ‘“*I remember the first day ap came; I shall never forget it,” ‘* Nor I, for then I saw you first. I remember how I looked at you slyly, and thought you the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.” ‘“‘Flattery! That was because you knew so little of girls. You were only used to the moun- tains and the prairies.” *“T had seen many lovely things in nature, but nothing equaled you, my little Nida. You were as frail, delicate and beautiful as the fair- est prairie flower.” ‘* And you were the one who first called me the Prairie Flower. Oh, Paul, the memory of those old days are very sweet!” “You are right; their memory has cheered me many a night as [ roamed all alone over the boundless plains or slept with the mountains and stars for my only companions. A _ hundred times—nay, more than a thousand times have I blessed Old Daddy Nick for sending me to school to obtain a little education and meet you. | Nick was very good to me, Nida, and I can hardly give him up as dead, though I have searched everywhere without finding him. Still it seems that he is alive.” ‘‘For your sake, I hope that he is, Paul, though it does seem strange that after search- _ ing so long for him, you have found no trace.” ‘“T am not going to give up hops; he may turn up when least expected. You know he is searching for a lost child, that was how I came to fall into his hands, He may have struck the trail of the lost ome, I hope he has, for the patient search of years will be rewarded. Daddy almost always seems jolly and full of fun, but there are times when he is gloomy and sad when he gets to thinking of the past.” ‘** But, Paul, while i think of it, how came you to know of the intended attack on our camp by the outlaws?” ‘*T overheard them talking over the attack hours before in a piece of timber miles from the camp. Idid not catch but little of what they said, but 1t was enough, and as soon as I could get away, [ hastened to warn your father and his companions,” “‘One more question: How came you to follow those wretches who kidnapped me? You came up with us before we were very far away.” ** And would ‘have rescued you had not that red-skin taken a hand. I followed the kidnap- pers closely because [ was on the outlook for such a move; but while we were defending the camp, the outlaws stole a march onme. When I slipped back to see if vou were all right, I caught a glimpse of moving figures down on the river’s bank. By the time I had skulked down there your kidnappers were carrying you away in a canoe, Of course I could not be certain that they had you with them, for they kept within the shadows, but I felt that they had been up to miscnief of some kind, and I fol- lowed them.” Thus the lovers talked for a long time, but finally, Nida declared that she was so sleepy that she could not keep her eyes open, Paul at once stepped from the canoe and bade her lie down in the bottom while be remained close by. She did so and fell asleep in a few mo- ments. By this time the torch which Paul had lighted was well burned out, and so he replaced it with another, He had not explained to Nida that those pieces of pitch-wood were there when Nick Rickway led him to the cave years before and that the eccentric old borderman could not tell how they came there. If he told her this, he was afraid that she would think that the outlaws knew of the place, and so might discover them, While Nida was sleeping, he resolved to go out and take a survey of the surroundings. By using the canoe whicb had been concealed with- in the cave, he could do this without disturbing Nida, and it was not long before he had the light craft in the water and was paddling silently out of the cave, leaving the girl sleeping in the other canoe, Barely had the young man left the cave when he heard voices, and, looking toward the shore from which the unknown man had fired at him, he saw a party of ten or a dozen persons, ‘** Bandits!” he muttered, taking care to keep within the now narrow rim of shadow. ‘They are looking for us.” Creeping along close to the shore he succeeded in leaving the cauoe without being seen. With- in twenty minvtes he was looking down at the party on the shore from a distance of less than twenty rods. To his amazement he heard familiar voices and recognized Mr. Errol and Sam Krick! Satisfied that it was a party of friends, he hailed them and made his presence known, Then he boldly advanced toward them, but while he was yet two or three rods away, Old Nick Rickway gave a whoop of delight, ran forward and canght the astounded young plains- man in bis arms. ‘*Itismy boyee Paul!” shouted the strange old fellow, ‘I hain’tseen ther lad fer er blessed long day, but I know ther looks o’ him,” Paul’s joy cannot be described. Every one bad given Old Nick up for dead, except the young plainsman, and even be had grown to think that it might be so, for a year of searching had failed to discover any trace of the man who had been a father to him in his queer way. But at last Rickway had turned up as suddenly as he dis- appeared, — After the first excitement of the reunion, ex- lanations were in order. Mr. Errol’s joy on earning that his child was neur and safe was unbounded. He was eager to go to her, and soon he started, with Paul and Old Nick, They made their way tothe canoe and entered, the youth taking the paddle. In a few moments they had reached the bushes which concealed the opening to the cave, Without stopping to part the bushes, Paul turned the craft sharply and drove it through and under them clean into the cave with a single stroke, ‘* Here we are,” he cfied. > a, 7 eae ~ i. > ms Fhe 7 * Then an exclamation of wonder and d? broke from his lips, The faint light of the dy torch revealed a startling fact that fairly para- lyzed him with amazement. The canoe and the fair sleeper were gone— vanished from the cave! CHAPTER XIV. THE BATTLE ON THE LAKE, ‘‘My God!” cried Paul. ‘“ She is gone!” ‘“‘Gone!” echoed Mr. Errol. ‘‘Oh, heavens! my child!” ‘‘Gone!” gasped Old Nick. ‘‘ Howlin’ misery- ation! Whar has she gone ter?” But Paul was unable to answer the question. ‘‘She cannot have awakened and, having found me absent, propelled the canoe out upon the lake,” he said, slowly, appearing quite dazed. “She may have done so!” exclaimed the rancher, eagerly catching at the least hope, ‘*No, no,” said the youth, shaking his head, ‘*She has not done that, for. I have the paddle in my hands that belonged with that canoe.” ** An’ we sh’u’d ‘a’ seen her w’en we wuz cumin’ hyer,” put in the veteran borderman, The three were frightened, puzzled and dis- © mayed. It was plain that Nida was gone, but where had she so mysteriously vanished to and what was the cause of her sudden disappearance? Those were unanswerable questions just then, They gazed blankly into each other’s faces for a moment, then the dying torch fell over and wert out, leaving them in Erebus-like dark- ness. ** Lot's git out o’ hyer.” It was Nick who spoke, but his voice sounded strangely hollow and ghost-like there in the terrible blackness, Neither of the others uttered a word, but a moment later the canoe began to move and soon they crept out through the bushes and were once more afloat on the open lake, Instantly they all looked around for the missing canoe and its fair occupant. ‘‘ Look thar!” cried the old ranger. ‘ W’at’s them?” He pointed away to where the shadows still lay upon the bosom of the lake, and there they plainly saw moving bodies, ‘* Canoes!” was Paul’sinstant reply. ‘ Nida has been carried away |” With one sweep of the paddle he swung the canoe round and headed it toward the two canoes which were skulking along in the shadows. Then he sent the light craft forward with a swiftness that was remarkable. The other boat was not so very far away, and Paul began to overbaul them with amazing rapidity. ‘Pull, Paul, pull!” exclaimed Mr. Errol, in great excitement. ‘‘ Weare gaining! we shall catch them!” ‘‘ Yes,” grunted Nick, ‘‘an’ we'll ketch er leetle ole Jim Hill o’ er fight ’'m a-thinkin’. Git yer resolver reddy, Elias, an’ prepare ter guy ’em partwickerler thunder, Soon ther crystal water o’ this beaucherful lake sitterwated in ther most forsaken spot in God’s kentry will be stained with gore, Strike hard an’ sink ther shaft deep! Guv ’em glory ter Gideon!” The old borderman begar to examine his re-. volyers very coolly. He had discarded the dead Indiau’s clothing, having his own beneath, and had washed the paint from his face before Paul joined the party on the shore, Hidden beneath the Indian’s garb he had had bis own trusty re- volvers and knife. His rifle he had lost in the battle beside the Niobrara, and, having to leave the sportsmen’s camp so suddenly, had not re- covered it, ep Suddenly a cry for help—a feminine ery— came floating over the bosom ef the lake. Gods!” cried the ranchman, with great ex- citement, ‘That was Nida’s voice! Pull, lad, pull!” But it was not necessary to tell Paul to pull, for, he was doing his level best. Suddenly one of the canoes stopped, ‘“‘They’re goin’ ter wait fer us,” said Nick, quietly. “Ther durned skunks kalkerlate ter keep us back w’ile their comrades in cussidness, git erway with ther gal. Elias, it behooves you to fight like ther devil wuz standin’ in yer boots, ef you ever bdpe ter snatch yer darter frum ther pests 0’ ther plains. We must let ourselves loose like we wuz possessedl by seventeen demons an’ er hydra-headed hoodoo, Thar will soon be music onto the air, an’ I wisht Samuel Krick wuz hyer ter take er han’ in ther merry siary- — nade,” In a few moments they came close to the canoe that appeared to be waiting forthem. There were three persons in the craft—two white men and an Indian. When they were a short dis- 4 ——— ee ee