Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 786 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

a - = Ss ~~ ——EEw - — eee eee Se “4 LO ‘Yes, he and twoof his men. All the others have gone away. But father and those two could easit overpower and kill you. I’m afraid they will do it, too, if they find you bere. Oh, please goaway! Goaway at once!” Her pleading was aimost irresistible. ‘* But the young man?’ Connetty persisted. ‘*T will make you.a promise,” she declared, in a whisper that was lower than ever, * You must believe it when I make it; and you must ‘go away! If Philip Sidney does come bere—rif he should fall into my father’s hands—I will see that he is not hurt. Does that satisfy you?” * Pll go,” Old Joe made answer, feeling his de- termination oozing from bim under her contin- ued entreaties, “Til go, but I won’t say that I’}l not come back, should sich a thing seem to become necessary. ” ‘Oh, thaok you! Thank you!” and her joy was pronounced and apparent. ‘‘I will keep ~ word. I will see that no harm comes to im. She stepped from bim as if to emphasize the need of haste, while Joe reluctantly arose to go. ‘*T said ’d come ag’in, if I thought I ought to!” turning on ber. ‘* That’s what I said,” She did not reply, but waved bim away with her hand; and Old Joe leaped the corral barrier to the slope tbat led down to the river, CHAPTER XIIJ. A WOMAN’S SURVEILLANCE. It was Old Lune Hand’s intention to leave the place when be sprung over the wall, so strong an effect did Irene’s entreaties have on him. He halted, however, instead of continuing on down the slope, and stood for a time in deepest reflec- tion, ‘“‘That girl witched me,” he declared, as he made a mental inventory of ber statements, ‘“* She made me think so much of the girl that I lost, that I plum fergot myself while listenin’ to er. Old Joe Connetty’s daughter had been slain by Indians, some years since, and he bad never ceased to mourn for her. Theugbts of her fol- lowed him by day, and she visited him in his nightly dreams, She somewhat resembled [rene, though the resemblance was not close, She was much younger than Irene; and he believed if she had lived until now, the resemblance would have been very marked. He sighed deeply, as he thought of the fair face and form he was never again to see, ‘‘T wonder, now, if she could bev been a-fool- in’ me?” his thoughts drifting to Irene. ‘‘ I don’t know why sbe’d want to do it. A woman has cur’ous reasons sometimes, though—so cur’ous that I often think they don’t understand them themselves,” He was growing dissatisfied with Irene’s con- duct and with his promise to leave the place. He could not rid bimself, eitber, of the vision be had seen on the wall of the precipice, If he abandoned his search at that point, whither should he go? The wordsof Ben § tet- son had made him think gee was a prisoner in the power of Maverick Bill. The last time Stetson saw Sidney, the latter was engaged ina conflict with Maverick, ard Mayerick’s men were within and all about the house. From this it seemed plain that Sidney bad been killed or taken captive by them. Connetty had argued al] this out long before,. but he now went over it again, in his desire to determine the best course to pursue, If he left there, whither should he go? He could not answer the questién, Neither could he remain in idleness. “*T jist ain’t a-goin’!” be savagely declared, facing about. The syspicion bad come strongly upon bim that for some unknown reason the girl had de- ceived him. *“T’'m a-goin’ to see the inside o’ this? Prairie Gibraltar, if they ’s any way o’ doin’ it,” With this he walked again toward the corral, Irene Romero was not a dozen feet from bim when be made this change of front, althougt Old Joe never dreamed of such a thing. With steps as = as thistle-down she had followed him to make sure he meant to obey. She had feared he would not. With what longing auxiety she bad watched him, as he n the gloom debating with himself, She sonia see only the dimmest outlin of his form, and could hear now and then onl au indistinguishable muttering; but she guessed pretty accurately what this delay meant, and was in a fever of nervous dread lest he should ar to go on. It was ap ppereny she had great cause for wish- ing him to leave the place; and when she knew he did not intend to, she 3.4 ee angry. 27 ION REIB RR 8 TE es Hand Joe. She followed him again, as he moved toward the corral, and was only a few yards distant when he once more climbed the rocky barrier. ** He is not going to leave!” and she sunk her nails into her palms, at the thought, ‘*‘ He must not go inside! He m»pst not! do? What shall I do?” She crept close t»> the wall of the corral and peered after him, Shs could not see him, mae. she could hear his light footsteps. Apparently | he was making a survey of the corral instead of | 1 know what's become o’ the boy. | If you know anything about him, tell me uv it,” going toward the opening. This was what Old Lone Hand was doing! He mesnt to approach the opening by and by, but did not desire to leave any unexplored places behind him. He had already gone over most of the corral, but he wished to examine it again. He had no ‘knowledge nor thought of the girl’s surveillance, He bad scarcely commenced his search, when there was another startling occurrence, Almost without warning, the Specter Steed seemed to rise out of the ground at the further end of the inclosure! It was riderless, now, but some one was leading it; and when it drew nearer to bim, he saw that this some one was Irene Romero! Then he knew that the horse bad been in hiding, and that she had b ought it forth for some cause yet to be ascertained. He was almost angry when he recognized her, which be did not do until she was very close; but this anger was overmastered by the fear with which he viewed the animal. Irene came straight toward Old Joe, as if knowing he was there; and that she did know it was quickly made plain to him. He started to leap backward in the direction of the wall, when she stopped him with a word, ‘I've come to ask you to go again,” drag- ging the strange horse forward by its bridle, a [ want you to go, and I want you to take this orse.” ‘“‘T won't do it, little one!” and Old Joe fairly shivered as he vociferated this, ‘‘ There’s no harm about it,” shesaid, ‘‘ See!” stroking its neck gently. ‘¢T don’t want nothin’ to do with it!” Old Joe asserted, agein backing away. ‘A hoss that looks that way, an’ kin climb clifts, an’ carry on as I’ve seen that critter do, would be shore to kill me before I'd rid it a mile, No; I hain’t a-harkerin’! I've got a good enough hoss fer me back in the river willers!” ‘‘But [ want you to ride this,” she urged, in her coaxing way. ‘‘It won't burt vou. You can come up and examine it, and see that it’s nothing but a horse.” Old Joe stared at the beast, but positively re- fused to budge. ‘‘ Come and examine it. Put your baud on it, and see if it isn’t just as [ tell you.” Its coat was covered with that singular phos- phaseoesy glow which had so puzzled the old ma 7 “Why do you want me to ride that thing?” | was his earnest query. He was wondering if there was not some trick in this he diabolical invention to in- jure or slay him ‘**T will tell you, ” leaning forward and whis- vering the words. ‘‘If this horse is gone, father cannot use it any more for his evil purposes, and that may bring an end to his cattle-raiding, Will you not take it, please? Take it, and never let it be brought back here!” Connetty stoutly shook his head. ** Little one, I anit straddle that boss fer worlds! Besides, I’m not anxious to leave my present stampin ground, ” ‘¢ Poilip Sidney rode it,” she coaxed, - This was news to Joe, and brought afresh to his mind the glimpse he had of the phantom bores: while journeying toward Good Cheer neb “When was that?” he asked. ‘* The night he escaped, and the night I re- leased you,” ‘That accounts fer the present mix-up,” was his firm declaration. ‘‘ Phil Sidney rode away that hoss, an’ whur is he now? If [ wus called on to believe my eyes, I’d say he wus a spirit, an’ that I’d seen him this very night. No; thankee! I'd ruther trust to Sbanks’s ponies fer the rest o’ my nateral born days!” “Ts he your boy, that you think so much of him?’ bending on bim an earnest look. ‘*Not bone o’ my bone an’ flesh o’ my flesh, little one; but I couldn’t think more uv him if he wuz, Thinkin’ so much uv him is what brought me hyer to-night, an’ the same thing’s what made me break my promise to you, I’ve set out to find him, an’ I’m a-goin’ to do it if he’s on top uv ground,” Oh, what shall I | He fancied she shivered a siete E EiepideNGhrach isi sdgeer lea tc roma boweehs ele Lacintaa, che alive a idence cama as she caught these strongly-worded sentences, ‘* Please take the horse and leave!” she whis- pered again, ‘‘Every moment you stay here you’re in the greatest danger! I’m honest in telling you that; I really am. Won’t you take the horse and go?” He felt ie spell of her pleading tones, but nevertheless clung to his determination, ‘*T can’t go,” he asserted, almost fiercely, *‘ te}l I won’t go! What answer she would bave made may never be known, There wasarusb of men from the interior leading into the stronghold, and before Old Connetty could defend himself or fly, he found tbat such efforts would be useless, Still, it was not in his nature to he taken without a struggle. He could not see who the men were, nor their number, but supposed them to be Mav- erick Bill and the two outlaws who, Irene stated, were in the stronghold. He struck out vicious as they rushed upon him, and succeeded in felling one to the ground; but before he could do more, he was. seized by the otbers and his arms pinioned, Woben he had time to look about bim again, be saw the pbantom horse standing near, but Irene was nowhere visible, Doubtless when the onset was made sbe had burried to her apartment to escape the anger of her father. ‘You've got me rt ! the veteran gritted, facing the leader with a resolute front, ‘And now that you've got me, I reckon you'll keep yer grippers on me better’n you did before,” The words seemed to anger Maverick Bill, ‘“‘ You'll not git away again,” he threatened, ‘an’ you wouldn’t have got away then if it had- n’t been for that wild gir] of mine. I’m afraid I'll have to put handcuffs on her, if I expect to hold you, for you an’ Phil Sidney do havesich winniu’ ways. Women ’pear.to fall in love with both of you at sight,” There was a sarjonic grimness about this that made it far from pleasant, Old Joe did not fail to observe that in Maver- ick’s words there was a suggestion that Philip Sidne ney was a prisoner in the outlaw’s hands, ev you got Phil Sidney with you?? he queried, forgetful of his own danger, <. You'll find out soon enough whether we have or not.” This anda kick was the only satisfaction he ot as he was pushed toward the opening lead- into the interior. he old man was almost wild with disappoint- ont He felt sure he should soon see Sidney. But alas! he would be a prisoner even as Sidney was, and could do nothing to eid him, CHAPTER XIV. A LOVE SICK YOUTH. ‘““Wuy Joe! You here?” This was Philip Sidney’s greeting to the old ranger when the latter was conducted into the stronghold, and the two were brought face to face. The words were filled with pain, Thus it was revealed to Joe that Irene Romero had deliberately deceived him! When Philip Sidney was captured by Maver- rick Bill’s men at the Cheer Ranch, be was re-conveyed to Prairie Gibraltar. Maverick heal tale to slay the young man; Sidney’s life was spared, The outlaw chief may have been influenced to this by the pleadings with which Irene had overwhelmed him, when on & previ- ous occasion, captives had been taken. There was no knowing, however, Otber considerations may bave swayed him al)together. Phil Sidney was thankful tbat his life was spared, though to be again Maverick’s prisoner was not pleasant, But, there was one drop of sweetness in this cup of gall. At Prairie Gib- raltar he would be able to again see the girl who had so won on his fancy! He could endure much for that opportunity. Irene’s duplicity, while it puzzled the old man, is of easy explanation. The key to it lay in her love for her father’s young captive. She wished to keep Philip Sidney at Prairie Gibraltar, and feared she might not be able to do this if she could not induce Old Joe to abandon bis searci, She did not desire that Sidney should be kept there continually, but hoped to escape some time in his company, and with him forever leave the place. This sbould be when she bad learned that her love was reciprocated, and after le had promised to make her his wife. She had dwelt on this so much—had so set her heart on it that she was pogry with Old Joe for his attempted interference. Her untaught perure did not conceive it to be wrong to thus ry to acco i Foe her ends. She intensely de- sinal that Old Joe should leave, and if he could ; Ny Nigh > _” ae / . c. % h , 3 / Puy ». = , es i ~ = : » Se Ce a TER a oS comicbooks.com A : | \ | s s | i