Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 778 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

x e _ a ‘ ‘stanter) The whole Teton Basin has bee er fair, sweet face, Harry wonted e —_— aceful figure, deep-blue eyes and a wealth of | as though that of an infant, and turning, hur- y dark-brown hair. could see from his lookout, did not wear its ression of happiness and smiles of | swiftly approaching, ‘‘ you must hump yourself ‘vivacious joy. Onthe contrary, hesawit was andcover our retreat. See that ried from the cabin, followed by his friend. ‘* Now, Harry,” he said, as he saw the outlaws our reputa- marked with dejection and hopeless despair,and , tion as a Wizard Rifleman is fully sustained. _ If we can reach the hill we can make good our when Seguin took her by the arm and started tuward the cabin,she drew back and a wild look of terror came into her eyes, as if she had suddenly read over that door the inscription over the entrance to Dante’s Inferno— ** He who enters here leaves Hope behind !” CHAPTER XI, LOST AMONG THE FOOTHILLS, Ir suddenly became evident to the young mountaineers that, owing to the order of the mounted ou‘laws’ arrival, Seguin with the maiden would enter the cabin at least a minute ortwoin advance of the others, when all had | been expected together and arrangements for their reception made accordingly. But a change in the scouts’ plans was necessary, and Harry quickly said to his companion: ‘* Ajax, you must settle that villain, Seguin, witha thump on the head! If we fire the shot will alarm the others and they will come pre- pared.” Ajax winked a significant reply. te pret pan the poor, terrified girl, Seguin entered the door, shouting forth: ‘*Ho, Maggy! come greet your young mis- tress and welcome her home to—”’ Here the outlaw’s remarks were cut short by a voice saying: ‘** Til welcome you /” and at the same instant the Titan form of Ajax slipped from behind the door, and before the outlaw could utter a single syllable, he received a blow on the head that felled him sonseless and bleeding to the floor, At thesameinstant Highland Harry made his presence known to Kitty, who uttered a cry of joy and surprise, and with outstretched hands started toward him, but fell inaswoon at his feet. A little later Ajax opened the ball in earnest by shooting down an outlaw as he crossed the tureshold of the cabin door, At the crack of his big navy old Maggy, the negress, opened up a pair of lungs that would have done credit to a ‘' painter,” A second shot from Ajax's revolver quickly followed the first. Then there was a momentary silence — except the wench’s shrieks — durin which time the Giant, followed by Highlan Harry, sprung out into the yard and opened fire on the other three outlaws, who, alarmed by the report of Ajax’srevolver, were hurrying toward tue cabin, little dreaming of the presence of en- emies therein. Taken completely bysurprise two of them fell at the first fire. The third one dodged behind a horse, and throwing his arm over the animal’s back began a random firing at the scouts. But a shot in each of his exposed legs brought him down and he cried for mercy. The sound and sight of the conflict had cre- ated a panic among thosecoming on foot, Some of them halted and gazed towaru the cabin, ges- ticulating excitedly, while others turned and ran like deer toward headquarters. Harry and Ajax were about turning to the cabin again when the docr was banged shut and they found themselves barred out. Instantly the thought flashed through their minds that Seguin had recovered his senses and closed the door upon them. Harry tried to open it, but it was fastened. With a curse Ajax hurled himself against it like a thunderbolt, and witb a crash it was bursted from its hinges and finng half-across te room, falling upon the pros- trate form of old Maggy, the negress, Seguin still lay upon the floor unconscious, as did Kitty, also, The closing and barring of the door had been the work of the frantic, terrified wench, butshe had paid Gearly for it. Ajax turned and went out of the cabin again to watch the movements of the enemy. Highland Harry lifted the form of Kitty, and lacing it on acouch near, endeavored torestore er to consciousness. While thus engaged, Ajax hurriedly entered the room, saying: ‘‘ Death-Pop, we’ve got to get out of this in- narous- ed. and no less than a dozen menon horseback are flying up the valley like the wind, while a score of othersare comin’on foot!” ‘* Ajax, I can never leave this poor, uncon- ‘scious girl here alive—” ‘* No, never!” interrupted the Giant; ‘‘ by the throne of mercy! we’ii take her with us! [can carry ber, Harry, and then tax your speed to keepup.’ And as he concluded, he stooped and lifted the inanimate form of the girlin hisarms sat. af ‘*Go on, Ajax, and I will do my best,” said the young rifleman, with a calm yet determined air, dropping his repeater into the hollow of his left arm, The Giant, with long, rapid strides, crossed the open space and entered the fringe of tim- ber, Harry following slowly; but at the edgeof the grove, the latter stopped, turned, and rais- ing his trusty rifle, took a quick aim and fired at the foremost of the approaching horsemen, who was now scarcely thirty rods away, It was an easyshot for the Wizard Rifleman, and the outlaw fairly sprung into the air from his saddle, then fell to the earth. The reportof his rifle was immediately fol- lowed by the sharp twanging of a horn, whose blasts seemed to pierce the very heavens and roar and rattle among the mountains in a thousand reverberating echces. Glancing toward the cabin, as he turned to flee, Harry saw old Maggy in front of the building with a hunter’s tin horn to her lips, her whole fat body seeming inflated to bursting in her frantic efforts to arouse the valley. But the sounds of the conflict at the cabin had done that, already. The approaching out- laws required no words, nor signal-blasts of the horn, to inform them of the presence of enemies in theirstrongnold. In fact, they had seen the mountaineers leaving the cabin for the woods, and most of them dashed on past the door in pursuit, Highland Harry ran on until he came up with Ajax, then he stopped and looked back. He saw the enemy following through the timber, and tried a second shot at one of them; but with what result he could not tell, for the shadows of the woods, and the many tree-trunks, made a careful aim impossible, ‘“‘Tf we can keep them off half an hour, Death-Pop,” said Ajax, hopefully, ‘‘ the gather- ing shadows of night’ll help us out.” o make more certain of his work Harry per- mitted the outlaws to gain slightly upon him, for a3 long as they remained upon their horses, he had little fear of their doing much harm with firearms. The result was that the next shot he fired an outlaw was tumbled from his saddle, and a second and third soon shared the same fate. This fatality in the ranks of the robbers end- ed their pursuit for the time being, and High- land Harry was once more permitted to turn about and continue after hisfriends. Rut to his surprise Ajax could not beseen. Of this, how- ever, he thought little at the time, for as the timber was growing denser, the shadows deeper and the way breaking up into foothills, it seem- ed that the young Giant could not be far away although concealed from his view; and,nothing daunted, be ran on, expecting every moment to overtake him, Butin this he was disappointed. A mile or more had been traversed. The way had grown broken and hilly; the shadows had deepened into the darkness of night, and the youth at last realized, with a feeling of bitter regret, that he was not only separated from his big companion, but lost among the foothills of Teton Basin! CHAPTER XII. A BAND OF WROTHY MEN. AMONG the very first of the gang to reach Se- in’s cabin was Jack Hart, or ‘‘ Seven-Up,” he leader of the band. The villain was almost paralyzed by the shocking sight that met bis gaze outside the building, and thestory he heard from the lips of old Maggy and the man who had been shot in the legs, Hank Seguin was slowly recovering from his “quiet,” although he was still in too dazed a condition to pre any information regarding the situation. is face was covered wit blood from a gash on the head, and he presented a rather dilapidated appearancefor a bridegroom. As soon as Hart learned what had happened he became somewhat excited and tore around most furiously. ‘This all comes,” be exclaimed, ‘to his fol- lowers, arriving on the und, ‘‘of that in- fernal, stupid blunder of ‘Flip’ Jim’s party with Old Plenty Cows inSnake Canyon! That big devil, Ajax, who was with the Crows at the time of the attack, has porns and deliberately followed ‘ Flip’s’ party into the Basin, But it’s no use whinin’ now over that, Enemies are in Mee oe nee oF ah Highland Harry, the Wizard Rifleman. > OE ————— ge aS | re d ‘ ™ 79 camp | and they must not be permitted to es- cape. ‘What’s your pleasure, captain?’ asked one Adder-Nose Dick—a very ap a oes name— whose duty it was to keep the asin clear of enemies—a sort of captain of guards. ‘*Mount and go at once for the dogs, and we'll trailthemassassinstotheGallatin but what we get them! Ride lively, man, for the trail should be taken up before it gets too dark.” Away dashed Adder-Nose, and in less than half an hour returned, bringing with him four Cuban bloodhounds—fierce, impatient and hun- gry-looking brutes, that seemed to know what was before them, A purty of four was selected to accompany Adder-Nose, Bruiser Bill and Yakin:a Jule be- ing of that number by their own request. They were eager to get even with Highland Harry and Ajax for the punishment they had re- ceived at the hands of these young mountain- eers. By this time it was growing dusk, and as night soon comesin the mountain valleys after sun- set, Adder-Nose and his party made haste to find the trail of the enemy, and soon they were speeding away toward the north, Owing to the gathering shadows they kept the hounds in leash, and atter a few miles’ pur- suit it was discovered to them by the action of the dogs that the trail separated. ‘* By the everlastin fury !’” complained Adder- Nose, ‘f them two interlopers have parted, and there’s no tellin’ which one has the gal. We darei.’t divide our force for fear of a trap. Them two fellows may only be a bait throwed into the Basin to draw us ali into ambush; they never entered here alone,” ‘* Well, what'll we do?’ asked Bruiser Bill, impatiently. “Some one will bave to return to quarters and inform ‘Seven-Up’ of the situation, and suggest he send a party to Smoke-Hole, Black Gut and Shiver Canyons to watch for the fugi- tives. We'll wait here until he returns with further orders to us.”’ Yakima Jule volunteered to return to camp and no less than three hours were thus lost, for when he returned it was with the iuformation that parties had already been dispatched to watch the northern passes leadiug from the Basin. **Good!” exclaimed Bruiser Bill on receipt of this news, ‘* then we’re sure of the capture of them bold marauders and the recovery of Se- guin’s bride, On, Adder-Nose, with your pups! Let us sleep nor rest not until the scalp of Ajax dangles like a cow-skih at my girdle!” ‘‘And I bave paralyzed the Wizard Rifle- man!” chimedin Yakima, with a vivid recollec- tion of his recent adventures at Devil’s Trap. ‘* And then, there are them two old hunters who are no doubt with them young coyotes be- fore this; so l want to proclaim right now that we’ll have no boy’s piay downin’them four even if they are alone.” ‘* Well,” said Adder-Nose, ‘ we'll not borrow any fear in advance of possible danger. We've got the two separated, andif we can keep them so until we rake them in, as we havea dozen others that war foolhardy enough to venture into Teton Basin, 1t’s not likely another attempt will be made s.on to disturb our retreat. Come, forward to the pursuit!” Taking the trail that trended off to the north- east the outlaws pressed on through the night, over wooded hills, rocky valleys—tireless, deter- mined and revengeful. CHAPTER XIII. A REVELATION BY DAVID HANOVER, On the morning fone the reson at Red Bar the settlers were still in a fever of excite- ment over the disappearance of Kitty Boyne, and the cowardly assault upon the life of High- land Harry. The most careful search of the ground where the maiden was captured, and the adjacent hills, gave no light as to whether the captive had been killed by Harry’s bullet or not. But the fact of their being unable to find any traces of her, living or dead, taken in connection with the well-matured plans for her abduction—as revealed by the intercepted message of the car- rier-pigeon—gave some hope of her being alive; and so Highland Harry and Uncle Bildad at once set “athe the bah “ Teton Basin to obtain any information ible. That the outlaw had ye confederate in Red Bar there seemed no doubt, but among all the men there was not a single one upon whom sus- picion could be fixed with any reasonable unds. There were those, however, who could not help associating the presenceof David