Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 756 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

tli - a ee * ~ + -_ ll ee oad wr ee* ad Dashing Charlie’s Destiny. 7 secret, or dies, fer he has got to do oneor t’other, yer kin gamble on it.” ; ‘t Jist so, for I sings ther same tune; but how is it ter be did?” ‘‘ We is ter lay fer ther comin’ back o’ ther fur- traders, lead *°em into a ambush, and wipe ’em out, all except ther cap’n, who are too precious ter kill, yer knows,” “ That’s biz, pard.” “Yas, and we'll talk it over, so thar will be no mistake; but now I is nigh played out, and as our blankets is dry, I shall turn in fer ther night.” ‘Me, too,” was Bricktop’s answer, and the two villains were soon fast asleep. It was just growing ligbt when Buck Baldwin arose ana threw some wood upon the fire, Then he went to lead the horses to water and stake them out upon a fresh grazing-ground. He had gotten his horse down to the river, when, in the increasing light, he gazed out upon the waters to note the rock which had wrecked the raft, ) He saw it looming up above the others, the spray dashing over it, and his eyes detected quickly that a few logs of the raft yet held to- gether, lodged upon the rock, Was it a log that he saw upon the rock, mov- ing with the motion of the waters? Ro, it was no log, but a human form, and a closer look revealed the fact distinctly. Instantly his voice rung out loudly: **Ho, Pard Bricktop! ther boy hain’t dead et. mi Come quick, fer he are out on ther rocks,” A shout from the camp told bim that he had aroused bis companion, who came running to- ward him, But as he did so the remnant of the raft swung clear of the rock, and went whirling and dashing away down through the rapids, “Oh, Lordy! the tboy hev got on ther raft and set it a-goin’! yelled Baldwin. It was true, for Charlie had noted that the men would soon discover him in the daylight, and he observed that the logs of the raft that remained were so well bound together as to resist the action of the waters, He also saw that they could readily be moved from their position and sent down the stream. He glanced down through the rapids, and saw that not a single log had lodged below. There seemed to be an open space through which they had passed on down the river, and the raft would do the same, he thought. Could he run the gantlet of the rapids, he hoped to get the raft ashore, and with the day before him, make his way on after the train of the fur-traders. It was worth the risk at any rate, he decided, and so he worked hard, hampered as be was by having but one arm free, and soon set the raft adrift, He bad hoped to have it dash away without being seen; but the quick eyes of Buck Baldwin had sighted him, and he saw that it was a chance of death among the rapids and of cap- tivity if he missed being killed or drowned. So Charlie set his teeth firmly, threw himself down upon the now small raft, and awaited the ordeal of running the gantlet of death. He felt the logs working terribly, was tossed about wildly, and several severe shocks came as the raft struck a rock on one side, then the other, and again beneath the surface of the wa- ters. He could not see the shore for the splashing of the spray, nor could he hear the voices of the men on account of the roaring waters, On, on he went, tearing along like a mad racer, Whirling, surging, tossing about, his raft staggering under the blows it received, and at last floating clear of the last rock, having run the gantlet of the rapids with its boy navigator, Then, as the stream broadened, and the banks became low and level, Dashing Charlie saw his two foes mounted and in hot pursuit. ‘‘Tf I had only started before it was dawn,” he muttered to bimself regretfully. But it was too late to repine, for there he saw Baldwin and Bricktop flying along on horseback in full chase of the raft which was plowing so swiftly along. It was a novel chase, and one which seemed about equal between fugitive and pursuers, ——_—_ -—-- CHAPTER XV. AFLOAT AND ASHORE, THE sight was a strange one. he sun was just peering above the horizon and the raft was plainly visible whirling along down the river at a pace of six miles an hour, The brave boy was seated upon his frail) sup- port, master of the situation, and attentively re- garding all that passed, Asbore was Buck Baldwin on horseback and in hot pursuit. Far back up the river came Bricktop, mount- ed upon his own horse and leading Dashing Charlie’s, Having discovered the seeming escape of the boy, just as he had observed him in the gray light of early dawn, Buck Baldwin had brought his comrade quickly to his side with his cry of alarm, Bricktop realized the situation at a glance and called out: : ‘* What’s ter be done, Pard Buck?” ‘You git ther camp outfit tergether and fol- low me quick as yer can,” ** And you?” ‘*Tll follow ther boy down ther river and head him off at ther ford some miles below, ‘*It’s our only chance, Bricktop,” and with this, Baldwin bastily ran back with his horse to tbe camp and threw on his saddle and bri- dle. ‘* Don’t lose no time, pard, but come along,” he eried and away dashed the horseman. Bricktop gathered the blankets, drying clothes and the rest of the outfit together with all haste, unmindful of the pain his wounded arm gave him, and then saddled his own and Dasbing Charlie’s horse. Strapping the traps on Charlie’s horse he mounted and rode away in pursuit of Baldwin, now a mile away. When going through the rapids the raft had fairly flown along, and Charlie had bright hopes of escape. But once through the rapids the stream began to lessen in the speed of its current and soon came down to about four miles an hour, Then it was that Buck Baldwin began to gain upon the raft. Buta break in the bank, just as he came up with it, forced him to make a detour which caused him to lose time, and the raft once more got ahead, Seeing his pard turn out to bead a ravine, Bricktop from farin the rear rode obliquely and thus gained considerable in time and dis- tance, Once more Buck Baldwin got up with the raft, and as he galloped along the shore, not fifty yards away from it, be threw his rifle to his shoulder and called out: “Say, boy, bring that raft inshore.” ‘“ What for?’ asked Charlie in a tantalizing way. ‘* Because I order you to do so, boy.” ‘It’s not a sufficient reason, old man,” was the defiant reply, ‘Then 1 shall shoot you if you do not obey.” ‘What will you shoot with?” ‘* My rifle.” ** lt got wet and won’t fire.” ‘* Tt will, for all our ammunition was in a rub- ber bag and kept dry, ** Will you obey?” sé No,” **] will shoot you, I tell you.” ** You didn’t kidnap me to kill me,” The mn uttered a curse and Charlie laughed, though he felt in no laughing mood. 7 he was one to keep his courage up at all odds, Then Buck Baldwin raised his rifle and sent a bullet over the boy’s head. ‘* You see I can shoot. ‘Will you come now?” ** Don’t you know I am tied and could notif I wanted to?” ‘«That’s so: but how did you keep on the raft?” ‘‘ Just stuck to it, that’s all,” As Charlie had not shown that one hand "7as free, and his feet also, and remembering bow well he had tied him, Buck Baldwin realized the absurdity of asking him to bring the raft ashore. He knew that the raft would keep in mid- stream, where the current was, and thus elude im, But he knew the country pretty well and was aware that several miles below was a buffalo ford, which the Indians also made use of, The water there was not deeper than up to his saddle-skirts, and he could ride on abead enter the river and catch the raft as it went by. So he called out: “Tl catch you yet, boy.” ‘* How’ll you do it, man?” was the rejoinder of Charlie, who called his foe man in retaliation for being called boy, ‘* Pl show you how I’ll do it,” was the answer, as Baldwin spurred his horse into a run, just as Bricktop had nearijy overtaken bim, a rrr, LL SS LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL ee er ‘**’You keep even with the raft, pard, for I’m a-goin’ on ter head him off,” shouted Baldwin over his shoulder. He readily gained on the raft, while Bricktop came up even with it and called out: ‘Yer honery young scamp, how did yer keep from drownin’?” ** Maybe it’s because I’m like you, you honery horse-thief, for you’ve got my horse,” ‘** And l’ll have my grip on you soon, too,” **T doubt it.” ‘** How did yer escape drownin’, I asked yer?” ‘** Because I fear I am like you, I told you.” ‘* How is that?” ‘* Born to be hanged, maybe.” Now it was Bricktop’s time to swear, and he did it with considerable vim, while Charlie laughed at him. ‘*Yer'll change that laughin’ tune to cryin’ afore long.” **T reckon not, pard.” ** Well, we'll see, when Pard Buck gits whar he kin head yer off.” And as the man spoke Charlie looked ahead and saw that Buck Baldwin bad reached a point of land far down the stream and was riding out into the river, as though to intercept him. CHAPTER XVI. AN EXPERT WITH THE LASSO, CHARLIE EMMETT was in a quandary, and a serious one, It was true that he might get by Buck Baldwin and keep on down the river. The horse of the kidnapper could not outrun the river very far, he knew. But where would he go? What was before him? There were other rapids he felt sure, and alone, bampered by his bonds, unarmed and without food, all looked very black for him. On the other hand he had the horror of again falling into the hands of bis foes, What they meant to do with him he did not know, could not tell. Had robbery alone been their object they would have taken what he had at first and let him go, Had they wanted to kill him they would have done so long before. To fall into their hands again meant food and rest doubtless, and a chance to dry his clothes and get warm, for he was chilled to the bone, ‘*] reckon I can get a chance to escape, ** At any rate it won’t be so bad as to be here on these logs, going I know not where. **T guess, as I can’t belp. myself, I will let that fellow head me off, and I don’t want him to make any mistake about it either,” and Charlie felt relieved at deciding im a way he could not help doing. Buck Baldwin in the mean while had ridden down to where he knew there was a ford. With unerring instinct, asis more often the case with dumb beasts than buman beings, the buffalo bad selected the best spot for a ford, A bend of the river sent a point of Jand far out into the stream, and along this they had one. ce From this point a bar extended, and as the other shore was low and shallow there was but a short distance where the water was deep, the river being wide there, Out upon this point, to the buffalo and deer ford, rode Baldwin, and he pressed on until his horse went breast deep in the water. From where he was to the shoals on the other shore was not over a bundred feet, and through this gantlet the coming raft must pass. Baldwin bad taken in the situation tborough- ly, and had evidently made up bis mind as to what he would do. Like a great many of the bordermen, who had ranged in their wanderings down into Texas and New Mexico, Baldwin carried a lariat. And he knew how to us3 it well, too. He had run it through his hands to soften it, after its getting so wet, and held the noose and coil ready to throw. The raft would bardly pass out of range, be felt sure, as he noted where it was coming down the current. The boy might, with his feet, urge the raft toward the other shore beyond his reach, and yet perbaps he would not do so. If the boy lay flat upon the raft, of course, he could not catch bim in the noose; but the man bad noticed that several of the logs had ridden over the others, and there were ends sticking up a couple or more feet which he could catch a hold upon. These should be his aim if the boy dodged, yet he was carefu] not to reveal his lasso to Charlie’s eyes, as be thought. -_