Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 778 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

lied to us we walked in on our ear and knocked things hketwinfamine, I don’t know what-all we did have, Miss Kitty; when you see Harry he'll tell you what flip flaps and ree acks we had at your wedding-supper. And what’s more, I anticipated our needs and brought along in my kets some of the weddin’-cake, some cold meatsand bread. Whenever you want to sam- ple it, just say so, please.” ‘*] will, thank you,’’replied Kitty, ‘‘ but I have no appetite now.” . Nerved and strengthened by the hope of es- cape and the promise of meeting the one she loved, Kitty rose to her feet and announced that she was fully able to travel without further de- lay,and taking her giant escort’s arm, they moved away. More fortunate than Harry had been was - Ajax in keeping his course, and when night had fully set in he was enabled to maintain his bear- ings by the stars. onfident of meeting Harry in the pass through which they had entered the Basin, he made extra exertions to reach the defile under cover of darkness. Moreover, he was well-sat- isfied that the outlaws would endeavor to cut off their retreat by guarding the various pas- sages, and it was therefore highly necessary that he get in ahead of them. Long before daylight he succeeded in reach- ing the entrance to the defile, but both he and his fair charge were sorely disappointed in not meeting Highland Harry. They waited there more than an hour, and as the young rifleman came not, they resumed their flight, knowing it was dangerous to tarry longer. Shortly after daylight they came toa spring where they rested a few minutes, Ajax sharin the food he had confiscated with Kitty; an when thus rested and refreshed they moved on. The canyon they were traversing wound and twisted oe the hills like a serpent’s trail. At times it widened to the dimensions of a little valley with a cheerful light pervading it, then narrowing to a deep, dark and dismal defile. In and out of these stretches of light and shad- ows the Giant and maiden passed. The onl danger they could now expect was from behind, and with no other thought,so far as danger was concerned, they moved on to suddenly meet with a bitter surprise. In emerging from a int where the canyon was narrow and wind- ing into a little opening they suddenly found ee confronted by at least a score of In- ans, Kitty uttered a cry of fear and shrunk trembling to the side of her big friend, At first sight Ajax took the red-skins for friendly Crows, but in a second he saw his mis- take—that they were a party of hostile Sioux and Snakes; and what was still more startling, he discovered Kitty’s father, Stony Boyne, a captive in their midst. ‘Starting back as soon as he had discovered his mistake, Ajax would have retreated into the narrow defile had the wily red-skins not anticipated his movement and cut off his re- treat, On catching sight of her father, Kitty uttered a little cry of surprise and pain and started to- ward him; but a savage rudely pushed her back, and but for the arm of Ajax she would have fallen, Never, however, did that red-skin pay more dearly for an act of rudeness, Instantl the hot blood of the Infant Giant was aeonied, and he dealt the savage a blow in the face with ag that sent him stunned and bleeding to the earth, But it was certainly a rashact, and the Giant saw itinan instant. A cry of vindictive rage burst from the savages’ lips, and a warrior, snatching up a rifle from the ground, leveled it upon the young mountaineer’s breast and fired! CHAPTER XVIII. A TREACHEROUS SHOT. Kirry Boyng saw the murderous intent of | the red-skin who had leveled his rifle upon Ajax, and, with a presence of mind remarkable for one who had for days been almost crazed with fear and suffering, she threw out her hand and pushed the muzzle of the weapon aside. Nor did she do so the fraction of a moment too soon, for the gun being discharged, the bullet passed be- tween Ajax’s arm and body, powder-marks be- ing left upon both his sleeve and the waist of his jacket. Bat even as the gun rung out Ajax grasped it by the muzzle, and with a quick movement of his powerful arm, wrenched the weapon from the red-skin’s hands, and, with almost the same movement, tat it above his head, and the next instant it become a whip of iron in a Highland Harry, the Wizar hand of steel, Phe ger | down with an irresistible power everything before it, The red-skins drew both knives and toma- hawks and turned upon the giant foe; but every one that dared venture within reach of that merciless club went down like grass before the sickle, some with broken heads, some stunned, and others but slightly injured. Around the Colossus, who was the very personification of incarnate fury, surged and dodged and writhed the yelling, shrieking, demoniac savages. He kepta space about Lim clear, and unable to reach him with knife or tomahawk in hand, the Indians finally began hurling their weapons at his head, Directed by an excited brain, and wielded by an unsteady hand, the missiles flew wildly through the air, doing little harm to the brave mountaineer. But this was not to continue so to the end, for finally a flying tomahawk struck him upon the forehead, inflicting a gaping wound, from which the blood poured over his face andinto his eyes, almost blinding as well as slightly stunning him fora moment, But it was only for a moment. Before the savages could avail themselves of this slight advantage, the Giant charged upon them likea frenzied madman. Meanwhile Kitty Boyne stood crovching at one side, her slight form trembling in an agony of fear, and her fair young face blanched wit terror. Bound hand and foot Stony Boyne stood alone and unguarded, writhing and twisting like a fettered panther in a desperate effort to liberate himself, From the west side of the canyon the moun- tain rose upward almost to the clouds, Its steep side was devoid of timber, but covered with a dense growth of low bushes, so that its face was unobstructed to the very summit. —— Boyne in her despair—lifting her eyes toward heaven as if to implore the help of God, saw a human figure drop from the clouds, so it seemed, upon this mountain-side, and come fly- ing down the declivity with such lightning speed that his feet scarcely seemed to touch the earth. Itseemed impossible to the maiden that any human being could move so swift, and the thought flashed through her distracted brain that the unknown had leaped from the almost perpendicular hights, and was falling like a me- teor through space to be crushed in the canyon at her feet. Down so fast that her burning eyes could scarcely follow it the figure came. She could see it was that of a man, but not until he had landed in the canyon upon his feet unharmed, did she recognize in bim the face of Highland Harry, the Wizard Rifleman! Panting with exertion, his face covered with dust and his clothes almost in tatters, the des- perate boy, apparently aware of the situation, hurled himself like a thunderbolt upon the sav- ages, that were pressing hard upon Ajax, ever did aid come more opportasiely. The Infant Giant was upon one knee from a second blow, fighting for his life, although half the ~— lay stretched around him dead or ying. The sudden appearance of Harry from the clouds, as it were, was a surprise the red-skins could not stand before, and as the young moun- taineer charged upon them with flashing re- volvers they turned and fled in utter dismay. Staggering to his feet and panting like a wor- ried ox, Ajax glanced at Harry through a mask of blood. A grim smile played about his parted lips. He was so nearly exhausted he could not speak, nor was Highland Harry much better, but he finally managed to say: ‘* Ajax, you’re hurt!” ‘¢- Yes,” replied the Giant, with a nod of his head, ‘*‘ but we whipped ’em, Harry.” ‘Oh, Ajax! Ajax!” cried Kitty, running with clasped hands and streaming eyes to the young mountuineer; ‘‘ you have saved us all!” ‘‘ Harry put on the finishing touches, Kitty,” the Giant said, clasping his burning head be- ae his palms, and leaning wearily against a rock, ‘* Harry,” said the maiden, ‘‘he fought them all—oh! so long before you came! and I am afraid he is badly hurt. Oh, Harry! if you could have been here at first!” | ‘**And if you'd had your senses "bout you,” suddenly broke in Stony Boyne, in a gruff, angry tone, “‘ you might ’a’ set me free, and I could ’a‘ helped a little.” ‘‘Ob, my dear father!” pleaded Kitty, ‘I was so excited—so terrified that [ could thixk of nothing!” Harry released Boyne, then with Kitty’s help dressed Ajax’s wounded head the best they d Rifleman> eee OOOO 13 could. This done, the young Giant stretched himself upon the ground, when he and Harry briefly discussed their adventures since parting in Teton Basin. After they had concluded their stories, Kitty gave her father the history of her abduction, the flight of her captors to the Basin her forced marriage with Hank Seguin, and rescue within an hour after the wedding by Harry and Ajax. Boyne listened to her story in silence, a dark frown upon his sphinx-like face. He made no remarks in the presence of the mountaineers, but finally leading her aside talked to her in a low tone, Meanwhile Harry walked away down the de- file to see that none of the routed savages were lurking about to shoot them on the sly. Ajax remained lying upon the ground, his head racked with great pain. Some two or three minutes had when his attention was attracted by Kitty’s voice, pitched in a high key, protesting against some wish of her father. ‘*Father,” he heard her say, ‘‘ I have always obeyed your wishes, and never questioned your motives until now. I have ke;t faithfully all your secrets, and tried to be an ohedient daugh- ter, But you know I never liked Seguin—lI al- ways erin, 8 him and always shall. I will never go ack to him, for I know our marriage was a farce anda mockery, and is not binding in — of God or man!” **] do not ask you to go back to the outlaws” a but to go with me,” Boyne replied, surlily. 9 td you go north toward Red Bar, of course I will go home with you, but if you continue south, as you have said you intended to, I shall refuse to accompany you, for this canyon leads back into Teton Basin, along which outlaws may now be coming in pursuit.” ‘*'You need not try to bluff me, Kitty,” Boyne said, ina defiant, determined tone, ‘‘ for ou will do as I say—go whichever way I gol Understand that!” ‘*Mr. Boyne,” said Ajax, unable to remain silent longer, ‘‘ surely you would not force your daughter into danger again?” ‘*T will certainly do asI please,’ was the in- sulting, astonishing reply Boyne growled out. The blood of the impulsive Ajax was instant- ly aroused by the man’s response, and rising to his feet, he said: ‘*No, sir, if Kitty does not wish to go with you, you cannot compel herto! By the throne of mercy! Harry and I have labored too hard, and shed too much blood in her hehalf, to calm- ly submit to the loss of all. We do not be— grudge what we have done for her— yea! would shed the last drop of blood in our veins for her—’’ **Oh, emp balay” o !” suddenly broke in Kit- ty, starting up as if in sudden fear, ‘‘ 1 hear the sound of galloping hoofs coming up the canyon! We are in danger here! It must be outlaws in pursuit of us!” True enough, the clatter of hoofs could be distinctly heard coming toward them, and as Sore again prepared for battle, he said to v: —— ——-—_—— ———$ ‘Run, girl, and conceal yourself in the pass and be spared the sight of another ne ‘* May God help you!” said the giil, as, turn- ing from her father, she hastened to comply with Ajax’s request; and as she disappeared in. the narrow defile, the Giant shouted: ** Ho, Death-Pop! this way, man—quick!” In making ready to meet the coming horse- men, who he knew must be outlaws, Ajax re- treated backward across the little opeuing to take up a position in the mouth of the defile. As he did so, the stony face of Bill Boyne seemed suddenly changed into that of a mad- dened demon; and springing forward he snatch- ed up the rifle of a dead savage and discharged it’ point-blank at the giant mountaineer, who, with a cry of pain, staggered back into the shadows of the defile and fell to the earth! CHAPTER XIX. BROUGHT TO BAY, Waite the smoke from Stony Boyne’s mur- derous rifle still hung before him, no less than half a dozen horsemen came tearing into the little opety almost riding him down in their hot haste before they discovered his presence, Quickly, however, the men drew rein at sight of him, and stepping aside, Boyne \ planced up at them and, despite the bandaged head and black, swollen face of one of the party he re- cognized him as his old friend, peel Seguin. Ho, Seguin, old friend!” he exclaimed; ‘‘T am rejoiced to see you, even though you are tdamaged! I just learned a few min- somew J ‘ ‘ al | <P {o