Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 727 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

12 Headlight Harry’s Siren. ability. First, let me tell briefly of afew im- portant events that have occurred in the outside world during your temporary sequestration.” Sbe skimmed rapidly over her various exploits, with Headlight Harry an attentive listener, finally touching upon the wrecking of the evening Mail-and-Express, and the attenud- ant capture of Mabel Melrose. ** You will doubtless recollect that the daughter of the railway president was once before in a similar position, having been seized by my father, Nick Norman, and carried tv his secret home in the wilderness, His object was to ex- tort a large ransom from the wealthy nabob for the safe return of the lady; but, very unfortu- nately, he met death at the bands of his enemies ere such a result could be broughtabout, Now, it has for some time been in my mind to repeat my father’s plan—to gain possession of this proud heiress and exact a pretty penny for her return; so you can imagine my elation at meet- ing her among the passengers of the Express, for I had not anticipated securing the coveted prize soeasily. I have her here, safe and sound: and the haugbty Maurice Melrose wiil needs come down handsomely with tie dust, if he de- sires to ever see his darling daugbter again. ** But [ will burry on to another subject, in which [ know you will feel a still greater inter- est. At about the bour last night that my gal- lant band reached home, after the successful plundering of the Mail-and-Express, a small de- tachment composed of my most trustworthy men was riding away from the stronghold, bound on a most important and delicate mis- sion. That mission was to proceed to a certain dwelling in the very heart of Richville town, take a fair maiden from her home, at dead of night, and convey her to this distant mountain retreat. Quite a difficult commission, you may well say; yet, incredible as the statement may seem, my trusty minions accomplished their work so nicely that the fair victim had no know- ledge of what was transpiring, unti] she at lengta awoke to find herself an inmate of my private chamber. Now, Headlight Harry, can ou not guess the identity of my latest guest? isten! Sbeis none other than Rath Sharon, the flagman’s daughter!” With ashy face and staring eyes, the young engineer heard the startling utterance of the girl-demon before him; and something like a groan escaped his bloodless lips. ; ‘Ruth Sbaron here? Impossible!” he gasped, though fully convinced, even as he spoke, that the crushing announcement was all too true. ‘* Yes; here, I repeat! In this very cavern, not a hundred feet from the spot on which you are now standing,” reiterated Mad Madge, glee- fully. ‘‘ If you doubt my words, just come and test the evidence of your own eves.” ‘* But why—why have you brought her to this dismal! place?” The Outlaw Queen laughed loud in ghoulish glee. ‘* Why have I brought her here?’ Why, in- deed! Simply because she is your sweetheart— your betrothed wife! Ha, ba, ha! Did yon for @& moment suppose that I would fail to discover her whereabouts? Why, nothing in the world was easier to ascertain: for does not half Rich- ville know of your engagement to tbe pretty flagman’s duughbter?” Wretched in look and spirit, the .enginger vouchsafed no reply; while for a few moments Mad Madge, too, was cilent, evidently enjoying his manifest discomfort. Finally she spoke again: ‘* Now, Headlight Harry, [ have carefully ex- plained matters leading up to the very present moment; and, since you comprebend the situa- tion perfectly, perhaps we shall be able to come to some understanding between ourselves, re- garding the subject of which 1 spoke at our first interview,” ** Well, I am ready to listen to whatever you choose to say, but I warn you beforehand that it will be a mere waste of breath on your part,” declared Headlight Harry, firmly. “@ have already answered you fully on the subject, and have as yet seen no good reason for reversing my decision,” ‘““ What? do you still defy me?” cried Mad Madge, with eyes ablaze. ‘* With the knowl- edge that your sweetheart is at this moment hopelessly in my power, do you still meet my roposition with scorn? Beware, Headlight arry! You are as yet ignorant of the penalty of continued refusa!.” ‘*Ob, [ suppose I shall be hung, drawn and aren or something else equally horrible, fully believe you are capable of it,” rejoined the engineer, with a brave effort to appear un- hough his heart was already sinking concerned, t in anticipation of tbe words about to issue from the lips of the Outlaw Queen, ‘“*Not upon you, but upon the innocent girl whom you adore, shall the burden of my ven- geance fali,” declared the latter, speaking with startiing energy and distinctness, ‘* It was for this purpose that I brought Ruth Sbaron bere. Through her I propose to humble your proud spirit, and bring you in subjection at my feet, Now, listen to my ultimatum! ‘‘Agree at once to the proposition already submitted, and Ruth shall go free—free to win another lover, and enjcy a life of sunshine and bappiness. On the other hand, persist in re- fusal and I shall immediately turn her over to the tender mercies of my band. You can readily imagine what that signifies! Now, Headlight Harry, knowing the alternative, will you not come to terms?’ Coolly, deliberetely, these thrilling words fell from the Jips of the Outlaw Queen. There was no mistaking the terrible earnestness of her pur- pose: and, asthe young engineer listened, anger, disgust and horror found expression upou his bloodless face. ‘* Mad Madge, you area very fiend in buman guise!” he criez, in righteous indignation, ‘* No sober-minded woman would so far forget herself as to talk in such a wild, blood-curdling man- ner. You are, indeed, a madwoman—a beauti- ful demon!” The Outlaw Queen laughed bitterly, ** Yes; you are right! 1 am a madwoman; yet, there is metbod iu my madness, Truly has it been said that ‘ bell bath no fury likea woman scorned.’ You have rejected my proposal— laughed my professions of love toscorn; and this is my revenge. Through the woman you loveso truly, | will reach your hard heart and bring your proud spirit into subjection. I have no doubt what your decision will be, now that you know the alternative. No man, without he be an arrant coward at heart, would for an instant hesitate to make a slight self-sacrifice, rather than see a loved one consigned to life-long misery and shame. ‘*T go, now, to issue orders for the day’s cam- paign, for my work of vengeance must go on without interruption. In two bours’ time I sball return to learn your final decision. If still un- favorable, my threats shall be put into immedi- ate execution. I swear it; and Mad Madge al- ways keeps ber oatb!” So saying, the Queen turned to depart. As her receding footsteps died away, Headlight Harry paced the floor of his narrow Cell in an agony of suspense and horror, The situation was far more terrible than be bad careamed, for there was not the slightest doubt that this mad creature intended to carry out her awful threats to the very letter. As he pondered deeply over the affair, it was to feel that he, himself, was to blame for Rutb’s misfortune, Had he but feigned acquiescence to Mad Madge’s plans when first proposed, and quietly awaited a favorable wef > poe oe for es- cape, it was probable that the flagman’s daugb- ter would never have been molested, But now, even though he professed to accept the girl ban- dit’s proposition, he had litile faith in tte latter's promises, and feared that his betrothed would never escape from the presence of that insanely- jealous woman alive. Mentally cursing his own stupidity, Headlight Harry walked up and down like a caged tizer. In two short bours the crisis would be reached! Meantime, was there no wav to foil the schemes of this beautiful demovy?, With poor Roth Sharon a captive, only afew yards away, could not ber escape by some means be effected? Turning suddenly in his excitement, be slipped upon the smovth, stony floor of the cell, and ina desperate attempt to recover, pitched heavily against the inner wall, Instantly there was a sound of crumbling stone, and to the engineer’s great amazement, he bebeld a yawning gap im what had apparently been a solid mass of rock, Assoon as he could recover sufficiently to make an investigation, be found that the wall was in reality but a thin partition—one of the numerous freaks of nature to be found in this wonderful series of subterra- nean chambers; and being here but a few inches thick and of a brittie formation, it required only a violent blow to demolish it, And with this strange discovery came renewed hope and courage to the young engineer. Did not this subterranean passage, so strangely re- vealed, form an outlet to the open air? If so, there was still a chance of escape during the two hours of grace that vet remained, With his heavy boot, Headlight Harry en- larged the opening until it would adrvit of the passage of his body. Then, taking the dingy lamp down from the wall, be passed through the yawning gap boldly, determined to explore the unknown region beyond, Finding bimself in a roomy passage, he moved cautiously ahead, his footsteps guided by the flickering light that but partially relieved the intense gloom, As he went, hopes that the pas- sage led to the outside world were mingled with fears that, on the contrary, it was only taking him still further into the bowels of the moun- tain. However, an occasional breath of cold air upon his face, together with the fact that the way was now gradually ascending, encour- aged him to believe that the first theory was correct, Suddenly Headlight Harry paused, for his quick ear had caught the sound of approaching footsteps in the passage ahead. There was no time to retreat, no friendly nicbe in the wall to afford concealment; and, as the engineer stood in momentary bewilderment, two shadowy forms confronted bim! CHAPTER XII. FRIENDS TO THE RESCUE. ‘‘Yas, pard, it’s true enuff that l’ve knocked off work for a day or two, Oh, no! ‘Tain’t ’cause 1’m rattled on account o’ that smash-up last night. I’m jst as clear-headed an’ gritty to-day as ever I was, if I do have to say it my- self, But, ye see, ve got an important job on hand, the same bein’ to bunt up my missin’ pard, Headlight Harry, an’ I reckon it’l] require my undivided time an’ attention in order to make any kind o’ headway.” ‘*T, too, am decidedly of that opinion, since the authorities have failed ignominiously in their endeavor to solve the mystery of the engi- neer’s disappearance,” The first speaker was Refe Ruffle; the second, Roy Noble the Express-messenger; se-ne, fhe much-frequented club-room of the RKichville railroad boys, on the morning succeeding the destruction of the Mail-and-Express, The aougbty fireman had found it necessary to make a liberal application of court-plaster, to cover the numerous cuts and scratches received in bis desperate life leap from the locomotive; but this, while scarcely adding to his beauty, could not conceal the resolute look upon his face, as be expressed bimself in the uncouth and vigorous terms so characteri tic of the man, Roy Neble, too, wore a look of unusual seri- ousness and determination, Mad Madge’s most recent exploit—the abduction of Mabel Melrose —was of the utmost personal importance to him, enjoying as be did the proud position of husband-elect of the railway magnate’s beautiful daughter. It was with mingled grief and indig- nation that he learned of the outrage, and now, beneath a calm exterior, there burned an ardent desire to hasten to her rescue. ** Authcrities, hey? Bab! Don’t mention ’em. What do they amount to, anyway ?—jest makin’ a big bluff at doin’ notbin’, ar’ drawin’ a good fat salary for it,” and Rufe Ruffle’s tone was fully indicative of his contempt. ‘‘ Why, it’s been three hull days since my pard was knocked in the head like a beef-critter, an’ car- ried off, body, bones an’ breeches, An’ what have the authorities done, in the mean time, to find out whether be is dead or alive? They’ve done a powerful lot o’ talkin’ an’ considerable monkeyin’ around, but what the dickens does that amount to? The fact is, this ’tarnal Mad Madge bizness has completely flabbergasted ’em, Tbey’re afraid—downright afraid—to make any determined move against these pesky outlaws; an’ that’s the bull sum an’ substance of it, Now, I’m sick an’ disgusted waitin’ for the proper par- ties to perform their duty av’\clear up the mys- tery surrounding the fate of Headlight Harry. So, I’m jest a-goin’ to pitch right in, without further palaver, an’ do up the job myself. You hear me?’ The messenger’s face expressed both in- credulity and amusement. | ‘‘ Yours is a truly Jaudable intention, Rufe; but I fear tbat, when you attempt to carry out your purpose, it will be to speedily find you bave bitten off more than .you can chew, as the ex- pression is. How in the world do you expect to succeed where Others have signally failed ‘Simply by the exercise of a little sound hoss sense, backed up by plenty of Yankee pluck and energy,” was the bold fireman’s ready retort, “All these qualities, 1 reckon, were decidedly lacking m the individuals to whom you allude; hence their iznominious failure.” ‘* But still I don’t quite see the light, Rufe, my boy. Tell me, what are your plans, and why are you so sanguine of success?” ‘** Well, pard, ever since the nicht that Head- light Harry disappeared without even bidding