Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 729 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

TTI But then, fighting back his scorching passions, he spoke again: ‘* You hear him, pardners? Is that aman to leave even the ghost of a show for escaping? Is he one you can feel sure of killing, unless your own eyes take note of his last gasp and gurgle? Isay no! Isay that we’d be worse than fools, if we left him here, with aspark of life linger- jag in his foul carcass!” ‘*How can he get away, Toramy?” drawled the big knave, who seemed a prominent member, if indeed he was not the actual chief of that gang. ‘‘ Even a devil couldn’t break these cords on his arms, And if be should swing clear of the saddle, the noose’ only draw the tighter. Why, you’re turning looney, Thomas!” ‘Tsay no! 1 say that— wait a bit,” swallow- ing his hot rage once more, forcing himself to calm, in outward seeming at least. ‘* As 1 told you before, so 1 tell you now: you don’t even begin to realize what manner of devil this Buck Horton really is! Fifty times he’s laughed in the very face of death, yet here he is, laughing again!” ‘* At the hungry whine of a cowardly coyote— that’s so, Tom Frinkle,” mocked the man on horseback. ‘* Why, less than two months ego, to go no further back than that, mates, [ saw Big Horn Buck in a fix that looked ten times as desperate as this, and even / felt that bis death was only a ame of minutes, Instead—he escaped then, and— ‘**Clapped the darbies on the fellow who sen- tenced me, just as I’ll serve you, Thomas!” broke in the dauntless prisoner, ‘** Bottle him up, Andy,” nodded the giant, to one of his fellows, ‘* What with his breaks, and Frinkle’s chinning, it’]l be next year before we know it. Plug his jaw, if you have to slit his cheeks frorn ear to ear in doing the job!” ** Rub it over the molasses-jug to take the bit- ter off, and [ll open up like a— Wide enough, ardner?”’ asked the doomed man as a monkey- like shape sprung up bebind him, gag in hand. His jaws opened freely, and in less than an- other minute Andy was at liberty to return to his former position. ‘* Now, Frinkle, say your say out, all in a lump. If you can show good cause for short sey: all right. If not, the old law stands ood, **Pll hold you to that pledge, Darnell, and— here goes! It all happeued up near the border, where a few of us were stirring up the red-skins with the ghost-dance racket, and at the same time making a grab fora pile of yellow-boys, You know Zeno Godfrey? Well, his son John was at our head, that trip, and there was a petti- coat mixed up in the case, just to make it more binding.” ** Boil it down, Thomas!” growled Darnell. “ Boil it down goes,’captain, but I’ve got to sketch the background a bit before you can un- derstand the main points of the picture, So— the girl was a half-blood, her mother daughter of the one-time war-chief of the Shoshones, God- frey wanted her son, the girl’s brother, to mix in the coming war, so he could havea better chance to win the girl and her father’s big stock-ranch, ‘Everything seemed working lovely, when this devil, Big Horn Buck Horton, the Border Beagle as people call him, chipped in. We nip- ped the fellow, together with a cowboy who was sweet on the girl, and Godfrey, like you, to-day, reckoned he’d put in a few fine touches, to tor- ment the brain before destroying the body. ‘*Tt all seemed easy enough, and such a dead- sure thing, too, just as this looks to your eyes now! I kicked against delay, but Godfrey would- n’t bear to’ reason, and I had to stand back What was the result? / ‘That Big Horn Buck nt only escaped with life, but jumped on our backs just when we felt we had the game won! He collared Godfrey, and run bim across the line, Hoe delivered him up tothe law, but a mob gathered, broke into the jail and—Godfrey lost his light!” ‘* But that wasn’t such a tight cinch as this,” Think not? Let me tell you, then judge. We took the two fellows faraway from any trail, or any chance of their being discovered by friends. bucked and gagged them, both strung on a stout pole, This was lowered over a canyon, and fastened so the two men swung di- rectly in front of a den where we knew a wound- ed mountain lion barbored, with a couple of half-grown cubs, She couldn’t come out, with- out almost touching the bait, They were gagged so they couldn’t scare her back by shouting, nor could they bring help by calling for it, **T lay and watched them, beard the lion snarling. I even saw her muzzle as she poked it out, to see what was up. With each moment that passed, I expected to see her leap upon the bait, but—well, like you, Godfrey couJdn’t wait. Off ne went, with a rush, on business! And so —the next we knew, Big Horn Buck was on our backs, instead of in the stomach of the lion! ‘* And that’s why | say—make sure work be- fore you leave it! If we know that Buck Hor- on is dead, he can’t come to make fresh ‘trou- e!’ ‘* Why didn’t you shoot him dead, then, when you had the drop?” growled Darnoll, reluctant to yleld, yet strongly impressed with that strange recital. ‘** Because Pve sworn that be should die even as my brother died!” came the fierce retort. ‘‘ Me hung my brother, J must hang him! I ask it as a favor, captain, and you, gents,” turning swiftly to that motley gathering of law- less knaves, ‘‘ Let me prick up the horse, and laugh my fil] for once, as I watch bim kick—as my brother danced on air, at yonder devil’s bid- ding! Let me—” ‘All right, if you will have it that way, Frinkle,” growled the chief, yielding at length. ‘‘ Hanging is hanging, and that’s all you can make of it, after all!” With a how! of fierce joy, the gaunt avenger sprung toward the horse, drawing bis knife and cutting a thorny bush as he advanced, And gripping the thigh of the doomed man, checking a kick that was meant to drive him back, he snarled shrilly: ‘You hear, Buck Horton? Your time has come! You’re to bang, as my brother hanged! And I—even /—am to be your executioner!” There was no reply in words. The snugly- fitting gag prevented that. But the Border Beagle flashed defiance with his big brown eyes, that spoke even plainer than empty words, ‘* A bit ago, you mocked at me when I spoke of my brother. You laughed because you bad banged him, and you swore that you’d hang his brother, after the same fashion. Does this look that way, Buck o’ Big Horn? ‘‘ It’s a snug noose that fits your neck, Buck Horton, I know, for my hands did the job, and I own the lariat, It’s aynoble nag you’re riding, Big Horn, J lent it to you, for just this once. And it’s my saddle you’re resting on, All is mine! And you are mine, too, Buck Horton, until ’m ready to turn you over to Satan!” ‘*T thought you were in such a mighty rush, Frinkle?” drawled Dave Darnell, moving a bit closer, his dull eyes beginning to glow with the strong interest his fellows were feeling long ere this, ‘*So I was, but that was when I feared you meant to cheat me out of my just dues,” aughed the vicious knave, but stepping back and lifting the thorny sprout. ‘ Ready, Big Horn Buck, the Border Beagle? Then—go tell Satan I sent you to feed his hottest fires !” With those fierce words, Tromas Frinkle struck the uneasy horse a»savage blow across the haunches, and with a wild snort of mingled pain and fright, the animal plunged forward in a mighty leap! CHAPTER VIII. AN OLD FRIEND, WELL MET, AS he delivered that blow, the signal for death as he firmly believed, Tom Frinkle leaped back and to one side, in order to avoid being struck by the body of the doomed detective, as the rope should jerk him out of the saddle, But nothing of the kind took place! Just as the thorn-bush started for the death- stroke, a bright object came flashing through the gloom, or the lariat as it drew tight with the forward leap of the frightened horse— striking so surely, so firmly, that the tough fibers were severed almost to the last one: and these gave way as Big Horn Buck flung his bead and body forward in the desperate hope of increasing the shock sufficiently to snap the spinal cord, thus winning painless death rather than wait through long minutes of slow suffoca- tion! That first long leap was swiftly followed by others, and before the astounded ruftians could realize what had taken place, the horse and its bound rider were fading from sight amid the Shades of night, headed down the comparatively level valley, Dave Darnell was first to rally, and with a howl of rage, he drew a revolver and leaped for- ward in chase, shooting as he ran. And close upon his heels trod Tom Frinkle, wild with fury, blindly working his pistols as he poured forth a flood of curses, hot enough to scorch any less seasoned throat. All was confusion among the outlaws, but even bad they been less thoroughly upset, they could hardly have taken in all that actually “s a wae occurred, so swift and dexterous was the per- tormance, As the tortured horse gave its second long leap, a dark figure rose up from cover, almost directly in its front, Thecreature shied a trifle, but sinewy bands gripped the shaggy bearskin at the cantle of the cowboy-saddle, and a quick spring carried their owner fairly across the ani- mal’s haunches, Then a pair of strong arms clasped the body of Big Horn Buck, and a fa- miliar voice entered bis keen ears: ‘‘ It’s Silverblade, Horton! Sit fast, and we'll cheat the knaves even yet! We'll— Steady, pre “ey ead was flying by this time, and the doubly- laden animal gave a spasmodic bound, as though one of the whistling missiles had found its billet; but instead of falling, the noble creature dashed on through the gloom at still greater speed, ‘** Bend over—make the mark as little as may be, Horton!” cried the young Shoshone, doing the same as far as the obstruction in front would admit, yet at the same time keeping his right hand busy, ‘* Mount, and chase!” thundered the hoarse voice of Dave Darnell, now left so far to the rear that only the spiteful flashes from bis revol- vers marked his position, ‘* We'll be ready for them when they catch up, never fear, old friend,” grimly laughed Sil- verblade, rising erect and using the. keen edge of his tomabawk on the rawhide thongs with which the arms of Buck Horton were hampered. ‘‘Steady—so! And now—that gag!” ‘ Top-side up, and just in the nick of time, Davie, boy!” huskily muttered the rescued de- tective, as he spat out the gag. ‘“* How did you happen to beright—” __ | ‘* Later, not now. We've got to take to the bills, One of those bullets struck this poor nag, and—” ‘* Struck him hard, too!” as the animal stum- bled, ‘‘ Look out, Davie!” ‘*'l'o the left hand!” cried Silverblade, as he slipped over the animal’s haunches, followed the next instant by Big Horn Buck, without at- tempting to check the horse in its unsteady stride. , With a swift leap, the half-blood was beside the detective, but Horton required no aid, though his sidelong leap caused him to stagger a bit as he struck the ground, There was vo time to waste in talk or deliber- ating over their wisest course to follow. From up the valley came angry yells and savage curses as the loaders pressed forward afoot, ancl from back of them came the confused trampling of many hoofs on the hard ground, As already mentioned, the valley was narrow, and it took only a minute or two for the fugi- tives to reach the rising aan, and knowing that it could not ke much longer before the dis- abled horse was discovered by the enemy, they hastily began tbe ascent, making their wa over or around the many rocks, pressing throu thee stiff pines and otber evergreens, rapidly gaining a point where they might feel fairly sure of escaping discovery, so long as the enemy confined their operations to the bed of the valley itself, “You've got a gun to spare, Davie?” whisper- ed Big Horn Buck, coming to a halt and facing the valley as be listened to the growing cries of the Jawless gang at whose bands be had so near- ly come by his deatb, ‘*Gocd!” with a savage note as his extended hand came in contact with one of tbe heavy revolvers carried in the half- blood’s belt. ‘* Now let em come! Ten to one, but the Border Beagle’s tired of running!” ‘* Peace, brother,” whispered Silverblade, but drawing forth one of pig pe and resigning it to thateager grasp. ‘* Why fight, when we can avoid it? They may not discover us, and—” “ But Pd rather they would, Davie, boy!” an unusual rancor in his tones, subdued though they were, ‘* You saw how they had me trussed up, but you can’t begin to know what all they made me suffer before that! I swore in my heart to get even, and now— ‘‘ Silverblade saved your life, brother?” ‘Don’t I knowit? And when—” “Then pay back-that debt, by doing as Silver- blade asks, now,” swiftly interposed the balf- blood. “if we must fight or die, then fight we will, as true braves ‘should; but let us not be first to shed blood.” ' “You talk like an Injun, Davie, but it don’t sound that way in my ears! Surely, you’ve not turned missicnary, lad?” A hand flashed across bis lips, at that, but no explanation was needed. That came from the valley before them, and not so pe rods below Berl where they had abandoned the wound- e orse, - * he * ae -—-— ---—_» ——E— % — — —— é