Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 755 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

~~ ~ lose the mines and our chance at the buried treasure, and ead up with our necks in a halter, to boot, ‘Frank got onto it that there was trouble brewing, warned us, and went to Rapid City to warn you, and Mose and I went down and noti- fied the Regulators to clear out of the vicinity, under pain of being driven off. But the cusses laugbed at us, and simply shifted their camp a mile nearer the Gulch.” ‘‘You can leave the Regulators to me,” Red Panther observed. ‘‘My men will be here shortly after noon, and shall proceed at once against the gang. ‘* The main point is to secure Gold-Dust Dan. “As for Reckless Roy and the Bradlaw girl, they are here in the hotel, if I understand the matter right, where we can put our hands on them just when we want them,” ‘*Bdzactly!” cried the marshal, ‘‘An’ I moves, pards, thet ye snake ther young varmint an’ his pard out ov this hotel in ther mornin’, ive ’em a tria] an’then h’ist ’em by ther neck er bein’ road-agents an’ outlaws.” _ The mayor and Red Panther nodded approval. “* And the girl?” queried Sleek Sid. “‘ Keep her in ther hotel till ter-morrow night, then run her off inter ther Hills. Most likely she’s got ther casket we’ve bin wantin’,” ‘Correct you are!” quoth the mayor, approv- ingly. ‘*To-morrow will be a fine bg! or a lynching-bee, The camp will likel ly be cked, as it is the day for Professor Flyer’s balloon as- cension, and that event has been widely adver- tised. it will be no trouble at all to shuffle them off, if we only have a few good witnesses,” “Trust me ter find them,” chuckled Weeping Mose, carefully wiping his eyes. “I'll go out an’ hustle ’em up, by an’ by.” Jubilant at the prospect of success, the nefari- ous trio took a couple of drinks around, and then Weeping Mose departed to ‘ fix” the ‘witnesses, while Red Panther called Landlord Jerry into the room te arrange for the capture of Reckless Roy and Idaho. That done, the renegade rose, drew his pon- cho about him and quitted the hotel, Securing his horse, he mounted and rode east nearly a mile, where he went into camp in a secluded little dell to await the appearance of his band. An bour after the departure of Red Panther, tbe marshal rejoined the mayor, with the an- nouncement that be had procured and coached the necessary witnesses, Then, just as day be- gan to show in the east, the two wretches sallied forth te set their nefarious schemes afoot. Their first move was to arouse the three men constitutiag the town council. This body, let it be known, was as plastic as wax in the hands of the mayor and the marshal, and now readily fell in with their scheme, witbout knowing the depth of villainy underlying it, After a brief consultation, the five proceeded to get out a half-dozan miners, and then the crowd started for the hotel, with Sleek Sid and Weeping Moses the lead. Landlord Jerry was just opening up the bar- room, and met the posse with a wondering stare, ot rascal was well up in the part he was to P Bleck Sid briefly explained their mission. The landlord pleaded ignorance as to the character of the twe men, and vigorously protested bis innocence ef any desire to harbor outlaws. In- viting the crowd up to the bar, be set out the liquor, then closed and locked the door and announced his ene to conduct them to the quarters of Reckless we No time was lost. ith stealtby tread the twelve men ascended the stairs and tried the door of the young outlaw’s room, It was locked ~ on the inside. “Stand ready, apg 4 hig Weeping Mose in a hoarse whis ‘‘ Hyar she goes!” With the words the burly Fane horled him- + forward with a force that shook the build- ing and sent the door crashing inward, torn _ from its hinges, Uttering a triumphant yell, the mob surged into the room. Idaho, awakened from a light slumber by the uproar, sprung to his feet, revolver in hand. A single startled glance, then he retreated a pace, weapon and fired. sped true. With a convulsive bound Weeping Mose dropped to the floor, dead, t the same instant, Reckless Roy sprung half-dressed from his cot and seized bis weapons; but before either man could fire a second shot, the posse was upon them, and in less than the ene it takes to tell it, both were bound and less, “ Aba! mv fine fellows, you are caged at _ Iast!” cried Sleek Sid, his pale-gray eyes glow- Gold-Dust Dan’ Ss Oath. ing with devilish satisfaction. ‘‘ And, my word for it! you shall swing for this hour’s ‘work! ** Away with them, boys! Take them to the lock-up, and inform Ish Wade that I shall hold him responsible for their safe-keepi ing. Before the sun sets again they shall be tried and pun- ished |” In grim silence the prisoners were hurried away, followed by four men bearing the corpse of Weeping Mose. ‘* Now to secure the girl,” the mayor ex- claimed, turning to Landlord Jer ‘y 4s soon as they were alone. “ Lead on, for we must get this business over.” “Ther sooner ther better,” {he Boniface re- sponded, and he led the way to Media Bradlaw’s apartment, A vigorous knocking elicited no response. Ut- tering an oath, Sleek Sid tried the door and found it unlocked, ‘* Aba! that is strange!” he ejaculated. ‘‘Can she have fled?” ‘““We kin see,” the landlord replied, with a startled air, and pushing the door open he strode into the room, It was empty! The two rascals stared at each other in mute astonishment. ‘“Gone, by thunder!” ejaculated Landlord Jerry, after a.mo.ment, and then a torrent of profanity burst from his lips. A thorougb search, first of the apartment, then of the entire building, failed to discover so much as a Clew to the missing girl’s whereabouts, and the two men were forced to the conclusion that she bad slipped out of the hotel and fled into the hills, Roundly cursing his ill-luck, Sleek Sid hur- ried out, and within a half-hour bad three of the “nae § trailers in the Gulch quietly bunting the trai That done, the mayor turned his attention to another matter—the trial of Reckless Roy and Idaho, As the forenoon wore away, the men from the surrounding hills came in to witness the balloon ascension, and by eleven o’clock there were near- ly two hundred men in Gold Gulcb. Of this number, when noon came, but a small “hep ere clustered around the balloon, which was being inflated, while for perhaps fifty others the lock-up was the center of attraction, The saloons and gambling-dens were doing a thriving business, for there were most of the miners to be founda: and between these alluring resorts and the coming trial, Professor Flyer, the aeronaut, was in a cold sw ‘eat, as his chances for a paying collection looked poor, Just at noon, forth from the lock-up came the mayor, followed by the three members of the council, and the two prisoners under beavy guard, and the court was formed and the trial opened, with the mayor presiding, Then the saloons and gambling-dens gave up their inmates, and as the balloonist saw the throng gatherin around the doomed outlaws, he took hear’ and grimly waited. His chance at the crowd would surely come next! For over an hour the trial dragged on, and in the opinion of the miners the accused was given ‘the biggest kind of a cbance;” but the evidence of outlawry was strongly against thei, and then in resisting arrest they bad killed Weeping Muse, the marshal, so that hanging was a fore- gone conclusion, The Judge delivered his charge to the jury, and after balf an hour of grave deliberation, the twelve men returned a verdict of guilty against both men, Then came the sentence, and preparations were made for an immediate execution, One member of the council burried away and brought up a horse, another a rope, and Idaho was placed in the saddle, with his hands pinioned at his back, Down near the swaying balloon stood a lone oak, and thither the crowd surged, following the doomed outlaw. The rope was deftly thrown over a strong Jimb fifteen feet above ground, -— as the end descended it was grasped by r hands and a noose hastily formed, daho, erect and defiant, with a set, resolute face, watched the bands upcn the reins with un- faltering eyes. Hope was tugging fiercely at the outlaw’s heart, for by some strange chance tbe horse singled out for tb bb execution was his own, And the moment he watched for came, The completed noose was flun forward, and hands left the reins to grasp it place it around the outlaw’s neck, Unwitting move! A sharp thrust of his spurs, a wild yell, and Idaho, | bending low in the sad- dle, swept ‘forward with the speed of a thunder- se eer oe ea ee ee bolt, the sae Weel | Wadi dee Santen roan horse hurling men right: and left from his path! A moment of stupefied inaction, then up from the crowd rose a mighty roar, followed y the sharp rattle of revolvers. The darimg outlaw reeled in his saddle, then recovered, just us bis horse plunged out of sight around an angle in the trail! A pursuing party was hastily organized, with the mayor in the lead; but after two miles of furious riding without catching so much as a glimpse of the fugitive, the chase was abandoned and all returned to the Gulch, The crowd was clamoring savagely for the life of Reckless Roy. Naught but the determined front of the strong guard holding him in charge had prevented his being lynched during the ab- sence of the mayor, Enraged at bis combined ill-luck, Slick Sid at once gave the order, and the outlaw leader was burried forward and thrown upon a horse, The noose escaped by the daring Idabo bung ip waiting for a victim, and in another minute it settled firmly around the neck of Reckless Roy. But, a moment before, unnoticed by the excit- ed throng, a man mounted upon a matchless black horse bad ridden into Gold Gulch, sweep- ing along with the speed of the wind, and now plunged straight through the crowd, to draw rein abruptly beneath the tree, A knife glittered in his band, and with ee swift stroke be severed the tighteving ro Then, as a roar of rage went up from t e baf- fled roughs, he dropped the blade, drew and lev- eled his revolvers, ‘* Where is the mayor of this camp?” he stern- ly demanded, his dark eyes fearlessly meeting the sea of angry faces around him, *‘lam the man!” Sleek Sid enunciated, in a vvice hoarse with fury, as he leaped forward with weapons in hand. ‘And curse you! I'd know why you interfere in the execution of this. outlaw!” ‘* Because it is my duty to do 80,” was the measured response, “Roy St. Clair, or Reck- less Roy as you know bim, is no longer an out- law! ‘* In my pocket I hold for him, not only a full and unconditional pardon, but also his commis- sion as a United States Marshal! “Stand back, for he goes from here a free man!” * He is guilty of the murder of Weeping Mose, and I say he shall hang for it!” cried Sleek Sid, . and au approving yell went up from the crowd. ‘* And i say he shall not!” sternly retorted the youth, a look of dire ire flashing from his dark eyes, and be quickly covered the may or. ‘* And Red Panther ordered him banged!” ‘“Hands up, Gold-Dust Dan!” uttered a werful voice, and forth from the cover of a set rge building bard by spurred the noterious renegade, closely followea by a full score armed men! A hush like that of death came over the turbu- lent throng. CHAPTER XII, ROVING RUTH'S REVELATION, Wruat had befallen Media Bradlaw? Up with the first gleam of day from a seund, refreshing sleep, she bad quietly dressed herself and put her room in order, then buckled on her belt of arms and donned her hat in readiness for an early morning walk, Assuring herself that the casket was yet safe in her pocket, she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, just as the pesse under the lead of Landlord Jerry appeared at the bottom of the stairway. Something in the appearance of that body of armed men struck a chill of terror te tke beart of the girl, and unobserved she retreated into her room and softly closed the deor, A moment of suspense, then came the crash of assault and the report of Idaho’s revolver, and Media felt that her worst fears were cenfirmed, A glance into the upper ball showed that it was deserted, and catching up her rifle the girl cautiously quitted the room and glided toward the stairway, and thence undetected descended to the lower floor. The key was in the lock of the doer opening upon the street, and in anotber minute Media was in the open ‘air, Hardly pausing to choose ber course, the girl darted away through the windin ms street, flitting along jike a shadow in the light of the early dawn. On the outskirts of the camp she paused a moment to look back, then hurried en over the reugh trail ata rapid walk, And now that she was safely clear of the camp, her courage returned, she became ceel and col- * "com choo! bea oan Ne tind om % ee . *> ‘ TFs ® cS.