Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 778 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

- Neg Ms - * eee) > - . —_ At this juncture the baying of a hound sud- denly fell upon the ears of the party, and re- minded Simon Plunkett of Highland Harry’s adventure with the outlaws and bloodhounds, Satisfied that the deceived and enraged robbers were upon his own trail, directed by the hound, the old professor advised a forward movement, and acting upon his advice, the three, accom- panied by Kitty, hurried on and soon entered the canyon in which the maiden had left Harry. Just then their ears were greeted by the re- port of a rifle a short ways down the defile, ‘*That’s Highland Harry’s gun!” declared Uncle Bildad. ‘‘I’d know its boom in Pande- monium, Let us move in that direction.” To this all assented and they moved away. They had journeyed less than half a mile when they came in sight of Highland Harry and Ajax perched upon a projecting rock at theside of the defile, their rifles resting upon a rocky breast- work before them, and covering the heart of Hank Seguin and Stony Boyne! CHAPTER XXT, RETRIBUTION. MIGHLAND HARRY and Ajax started with sudden fear at the sound of the footsteps be- hind them, and with the impression that sav- ages were stealing upon them, they quickly glanced back over their shoulders to be most happily surprised in seeing Spokane Joe, the hunter, coming toward them. Creeping up to Harry’s side Old Joe soon learned the situation, and then informed the mountaineer that Uncle Bildad, Kitty Boyne _ and Simon Plunkett were waiting his return in the defile below, ‘*T’m glad you came, Joe,” Harry said, ‘‘ and to hear that Plunkett is safe. There’s fiye out- laws over norta of here with a bloodhound, and I have been afraid they might drift this way and give us trouble.” ‘We heard the bayin’ o’ their dog less’n half an hour ago, Harry,” answered Joe, ‘** Indeed?” exclaimed Harry; ‘‘ then you hur- ry back, Joe, and send Plunkett here, and you and Uncle Bildad guard the pass below, and we'll bring matters to a close-up here pretty quick now,” Old Spokane hurried back to his friends, and Plunkett soon appaared upon the scene, and chucking Harry in the ribs in high glee, peered over the breastwork at the outlaws, coolly ob- serving: ‘‘ They’re standing there quiet as the eques- trian statues of General Jackson, ar’n’t they?” ‘*Never saw a more docile crew,” answered Highland Harry: ‘‘ we’d hoped they'd do some- thing to provoke us to shoot, but they seem de- termined to freeze us out. However, we're go- ing to change things. Ajax, give your orders.” ‘‘ Attention, outlaws!” shouted the Infant: “*vou’ll now unbuckle your pistol-belts and hang them on the horns of your saddles and ‘then dismount, advance in front of your steeds cand form in line, when we’ll senda man to in- terview you, for be it remembered that within the past ten minutes our forces have been in- creased by such men as Old Spokane Joe, Uncle Bildad Durr, and another distinguished gentle- man. Unbuckle, dismount and fall into line!” The outlaws quietly obeyed the Giant’s com- mand, and as they fell into line Simon Plunkett facetiously observed : ‘* They toe the chalk-line like the big class in geography in a country school, don’t they? Vonder if you couldn’t put them through the manual of arms—drill them—” ‘* With lead,” interrupted Harry; ‘‘ but now Plunkett, we want to take that man Seguin an Stony Boyne prisoners, and some one of us must go into that opening and bind them hand and foot while the others hold them under ley- eled rifles.” ‘‘l’m the man to put on the fetters,” said Plunkett; ‘‘ I'll take the ropes off their own saddles, and if they go to showing fight—” ‘* We'll shoot them down!” said Harry. Plunkett slipped down into the defile and ad- vanced into the presence of the outlaws, bow- ing with mock politeness, and saying: ‘Gents, Simon Plunkett, entomologist of the Brownsonian Institute. Perbaps you, Henry Seguin, remember me as having taken down the dying statement of one Mrs. Grimm, some two yearsago, up on the Yellowstone? Since ian Tv been doing some detective work, [ found Mr. Grimm had skipped the land of the Yellowstone and become Stony Boyne of the -Puritanical settlement of Red Bar. Gentlemen, 1am here to place you in bonds.” Involuntarily Henry Seguin sie ty his hand to his side, forgetting his revolver was not ~ ‘flame, he sprung at Plunkett | there, and that he was covered by the deadly Winchester of the Wizard Rifleman. His dis- appointment and chagrin found expression in a violent oath that reached the ears of Ajax, who quickly bawled out: ‘* Mr, Seguin, you'll step forward and quietly submit to be bound or take the consequences.” Seguin advanced as commanded, but as he did so the ears of all were greeted by the deep bay- ing of a dog down the pass, followed by the crack of a rifle, the shouts of men, the yells of savages—all of which became mingled in the murderous crash of firearms. CHAPTER XXATI. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. THE sound of battle bursting so suddenly up- on the ears of Highland Harry and his friends filled their breasts with a dreadful fear, and for a moment fairly paralyzing theirsenses, That their friends, Spokane Joe and Uncle Bildad, were engaged with an overwhelming number of savages and outlaws there was no doubt; and thus in a moment had tho situation become crit- ical, On the other hand Henry Seguin and his friends took courage, for the sound of the con- flict signaled the presence of friends, and the outlaw leader was not slow to take advantage of the alarm, With eyes earn} to burst into ike a tiger and seizing the naturalist about the waist in the grip of a bear, and holding him thus, began hastily walking backward with a view of escaping into the canyon, his body covered from bullets by that of Plunkett. It was a desperate expedient of a desperate man, and his movements threw his friends into a” panic, and breaking ranks they madea bola dash for life and liberty. Butas one the guns of the mountaineers rung out, and both Boyne and Seguin fell, Simon Plunkett going down with his captor. ‘“By mercy, Highland!” cried Ajax, “ I’m afraid you have killed the professor!” ‘*It was only the top of Seguin’s head I had to draw on,” replied ry leaping down into the canyon; ‘‘ but come, Ajax, our friends be- low are in trouble.” Without stoppirg to learn the fate of Plunkett the two young men dashed down the canyon. They had gone but a short way when they met Kitty Boyne wild with terror. From her they learned that several men under Captain Dalton from Red Bar had joined Uncle Bildad and Spokane down the canyon, and before they had time to exchange greetings, a party of out- laws and savages bad burst from a side canyon and attacked them. By this time the sound of battle was receding into the hills, which gave Harry and Ajax ho that their friends ha | beaten back the foe, To make sure they hastened on, having directed the terrified Kitty to conceal herself in a dark pocket in the side of the canyon near where they left her. Forty rods further on the lifeless body of a dog told them where the fighthad begun. A few rods beyond this they came upon half a dozen prostrate forms of dead and wonnded men. Among them were three savages, Of the white men the mountaineers were horrified to find one of them a settler of Red Bar. Still further on lay the lifeless form of the redoubt- able Bruiser Bill; and near him reclined Captain Kit Dalton seriously wounded. ** My Lord! captain, what does this mean?” exclaimed Highland Harry. ‘* We've a hard struggle of it, Harry,” the captain responded, his face drawn and pinched with pain; **‘ but our friends routed the foe and are pursuing them into the hills.” By this time the sound of the conflict had ended, and so Harry and Ajax went no further, but bidding Captain Dalton be of good cheer they turned and hurried back to Kitty. Finding her safe they proceeded on into the little opening to look after Plunkett. To their bappy surprise they found him unbarmed seated by the side of Stony Boyne who lay prone upon the earth, his head resting upon the body of a dead savage. He was still living though the pallor of death was gathering a his face, Hank Seguin lay where he had fallen stone dead, with the top of his head blown off by the Wizard Rifleman’s bullet. Stony Boyne inquired for Kitty as soon as ry approached, and in answer to his inquiry the half-te rifiod girl came up saying: ‘‘ Here, fatner, lam, Oh, you are dying!” ‘*'Yes, they ined me, Kitty, but it’s no use to complain now. Perbaps I deserved it all. I was doimg wrong—plotting ’g’inst you. Kitty, you are not my child!” Highland Harry, the Wizard Rifiemu&n. ‘**T learned so to-day,” Kitty replied, weeping bitterly. ‘*No, you are not my daughter,” Boyne re- peated, ‘‘ but the daughter of one David Ray mond, who arrived in Red Bar the evening o1 your abduction. But your dying confession in the hands of that man will explain all to you.’ ‘* But why have you and Seguin always told me that mother was murdered by Simon Plun- kett?” Kitty asked. ‘*Seguin and I conspired to obtain David Raymond's wealth, By putting the blame of her death on Plunkett as an excuse for killin’ him, and gettin’ possession of the confession, then marrying you to Seguin by fair or foul means, we intended to establish your claim upon Millionaire Raymond by baving some one else, instead of Plunkett, present the confession of Mrs. Grimm to that gentleman. Of course, if Raymond accepted Kitty as his daughter, he ' must accept her husband as a son, and after we had got that far, further plans were to be made that I might-have a share of Kaymond’s wealth, ‘* Plunkett, however, escaped, and finding Raymond, put bim on the track of his child. To elude him I fled to Red Bar, changin’ our names, and have succeeded in keepin’ out of his way until recently. My object in thus hiding was in the hope that Seguin might win your affec- tions in an honorable way, so far as you were concerned—but for the dishonorable purpose of robbin’ your true father. But your persistent dislike of him, Kitty, has brought about the re- sult that Seguin is dead and I nearly so. [ hope now that you may be restored to your own father; and I shall die in the hopes of your for- giveness,”’ Kitty was coon. grieved and remained by Boyne’s side until he died. As soon as Simon Plunkett announced his death she arose and walked away, weeping bitterly. Harry ap- proached her and in low tones spoke the kindli- est words of cheer and comfort to her—words that strengthened her, for, of all others, High- Jand Harry was her idol—in him had she long since centered all ber hopes of future happiness. While the party still tarried in the little opening Uncle Bildad came tearing up the can- yon, wild. with joy over their victories. He was accompanied by David Raymond, and when they entered the presence of Kitty the old man shouted : ‘*Here she is, David, sound and well, God bless her! Kitty—gal, this grand old gentleman is your own blessed father, David Raymond!” Kitty lifted her streaming eyes to those of the tall, handsome stran. er; her lips quivered, her brain grew dizzy, she reeled and would have fallen had David Raymond not caught her in bis strong arms, murmuring as he did so: ‘* Yes, it is my child! my child—the image of her dear, dead mother!” and bending his head he kissed the brow of the motionless girl again and again, while tears of joy earned down his bearded face. The victory over the outlaws and savages was not a bloodless one for the people of Red Bar; for, besides the death of two of Captain Dal- ton’s party, the captain himself, Judge Kinny and one other, were severely wounded in the fight, and suffered much misery and pain in their homeward march. But, aside from these no further troubles befell the party, and it was with tears for the dead, and shouts of joy for the living, that they were finally received back by their friends at Red Bar. In David Raymond Kitty found an ideal father, and she soon came to regard him with all the love and respect that the most hopeful heart could wish for. But when Mr. Raymond talked of departing from Red Bar with his daughter, he found that Highland Harry had a claim upon her young heart that was not to be overlooked. However, a compromise was effected, quite sat- isfactory to all three: and when Mr, Raymond and his daughter left the Gallatin it was with the understanding that Harry should, at some future time, become a member of his family. Highland Harry and Ajax, the Infant Giant, continued their warfare again:t the outlaws of Teton Basin, and to their skill as mountaineers, more than any others, are the people of North- ern Montana indebted for the crippling of that notorious band of cut-throats, and the final cap- ture, at Bowlder City of Jack Hart himself Ajax, in rea distinguished himself as an outlaw and renegade-Indian-fighter in many a sanguipary hand-to-hand struggle, and of him and his deeds we may hear again, THE END,