Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 786 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

— het ima ee rt tat Be, \e tena - —— ~ phe ww Ay ea: 4 + > : Ge A, o ary — Gr ve '* ' ny ate Rh . , = ; Pe é ‘ y 4 ne | “the, u Be re dat \ 2 } 4 a. Le Siti <a Ia — ~~ Lone Hand Joe. ‘**That’s what I cale’lated. An’ if they air, ey won’t be many hours behind me,” he information was so important that a coun- cil was immediately summoned to consider it, and determine on a line of action, One of two things must/be done; They must seek safety in ‘flight, or prepare to defend Prarie Gibraltar against a greatly superior force. Heretofore they had had little fear of the soldiers at Fort Yucca; but with Ben Stetson to lead the latter, and show them the per into the stronghold, af- fairs took on quite a different phase, CHAPTER XVI, A DECLARATION OF LOVE. OLD Lone HAND and Sidney had been separ- sated, Maverick Bill tbinking this would decrease the chances of their freeing themselves. Apart, they could not aid each other, nor plot for their Telease, Irene Romero was not aware of this when she Jeft ber apartment some time after the depar- ture of her father, and stole softly to the point where she had last seen the prisoners, She was in a state of great mental unrest, and a sudden wish to again see and talk with Sidney had come over her, As an excuse for .making the visit, ‘he carried a few table delicacies, which bad doubtless been stolen by Maverick’s men from ome raided rancb. She found Plilip Sidney in the old prison miche, and the borderman gone; and, on yj al ing concerning him, was told how they bad been ‘Separated, and the supposed reason, Sidney was as fully glad to see the girl as she was to again see bim, The outlaws bad»been gathered for a conference over the startling news they had just received. Sidney knew that a council of some nature was being held, and was rejoiced that the girl had made her visit at 30 Opportune a time, ** You are quite well?” was her anxious ques- ‘tion, offering him the delicacies, as if he were an invalid. ‘ Her too evident solicitude emboldened him to ak on the subject uppermost in his mind, 6 chose to advance to 1t by degrees, however, ** Don’t you think you could help me again?” he asked, looking earnestly at her. He could see she had been crying, and won- dered if it was about him. A thrill of hope and joy came with the suggestion. ** 1m afraid it will be impossible!” setting the ‘delicacies aside, when she saw he did not mean to taste any of them, ‘* Father knows that I veleased you before, and he will watch to see that I don’t do it again.” Her tones told him she had no particular de- ‘sire he should be hurried from her. ‘*I don’t believe I want to go!” he declared, boldly taking one of her hands, ‘ It seems to me I should prefer to remain here with you,” He could scarcely discern the heightenhd color that came to her cheeks, but he did see tke ‘quick, backward look she gave toward the en- ‘trance to assure herself no one was near. She did not draw away ber hand, vor seem angry at what he had said, _. ‘*Ob, Irene!” and his clasp tightened. ‘I don’t feel that I could go away from here with- “Out you, even if I were free!” ‘Then you—you—” ** Yes, Ido love you, Irene!—if that is what you were trying to say. I don’t know why Il should have felt so toward a stranger, but I loved you when | first saw you, and it seems to me that [love you more and more every hour! I can't go away without you!” [tis utterance was hurried and eager, and his grip tightened until bis fingers left their marks, ‘*[ was afraid vou did not love me,” she whis- 8 _ypered, drawing closer to him. “ If I had learned you did not, it would have killed me!” _ He tried to put up bis bound bands to clasp her, but could not, Sbe stooped and gave hima quick kiss; then drew back as if fearful for the result of her own boldness, _ “I didn’t want you to go until you said that, bot now I am willing for you to go, I will help “you, and we will go together,” Her tones were p»ssionate and earnest, She jeaped to her feet and burried toward the en- ‘trance, where she took a survey of the the cham- bers and avenues adjacent. She was pleased to ‘seo that they were all vacant, She heard the ‘sounds of voices in a room near the corral, and ‘Vhen cnet it to learn what was in progress. When she knew what was going on, she smiled; and then tip-toed back to where she had left Sid- bent ca > a will release you, now, in a very short time,” she pruutieos bending down and giving “y haven’t any knife with ? ; at ~ ns re © Sal REE nT $$$ me, or I would cut your bonds this moment, But I will get one, First, though, I think It had better make arrangements for our flight. IL ought to get some horses ready, and attend to some Other things, **Ob, my love! You don’t know how it hurts me to see those cords on you! But I’m afraid it is best for you to remain so a little while—uutil my preparations are made, It would prevent suspicion should my father or any of the men come vear here,” He was unable to clasp her, though he desired to do so; and seeing this, she threw-her arms about his neck and sobbed hysterically. A wild, untrained child of the prairie, she gave way to her full flood of feeling, without any endeavor to stifle or hold it in check, **Now, I must go,” she whispered, drawing away and rising to her feet, ‘* A minute’s delay may spoilall, Father and his men are holding a council, but it’s likely to end at any time.” ‘*Ono thing,” said Sidney, his mind reverting to Old Joe, whom in bis great ecstasy he had al- most forgotten, ‘**Old Joe must go with us, can’t leave him, Isbould never be able to for- give myself if I did. You can arrange for him to go along?” She hesitated. ‘‘ He must zo, you say?” ** He must go with us!” was his firm declara- tion, ‘** Tt may bother me to fix it, but I think I can. I want bim to go, too, for he has been kind to me; and he seems to bea nice old man. He is not your father?” Sidney replied in the negative, with a laugh, ‘**Good-by, then, for a little while!” turniug to trip lightly away. As she faced toward the entrance, she stopped, petrified. Her father was there, having just made bis appearance, He saw the excited look in her face, and her glance of despair. ‘* You little minx, what air you up to, now?” he demanded, She could not reply on the instant, so great was her disappointment, and he accepted this as an acknowledgment of guilty intentions. ‘* You were goin’ to release him!” striding wrathfully forward. ‘‘1’m thinkin’ it’s a good thing J come jist when I did!” Tbe council bad not reacbed a conclusion, yet, but Maverick had been Jed to make this untimely visit because of bis well-grounded fears of his daughter’s treachery. Sie threw up her hands as if to ward off a blow, and cowered for a moment; then she drew herself defiantly erect. , ‘* What were you two plotting to do?” recoil- ing a little before her fierce look. ‘“ What was you talkin’ about?” | , ‘“‘This,” she said, in @ tone that had a deadly steadiness about it. “This young man, Philip Sidney, has told me that he loves me, and I in- tend tomarry him!” _ | ‘* Oh, is that it? A nice time, an’ a nice place, for billin’ an’ cooin’. 1 dcn’t think you'll want to marry him, after he’s been made into a cold corpus!’ | ‘*What do you mean by tbat?’ was her startled demand. | ‘Ob, nothin’!” evading her glance, ‘It strikes me, though, thst you might find some- thin’ better to Go than to be makin’ up this way to a feller that’d be tickled to death to see me bung. I always thought a girl’s first love belonged to her father. I guess I was mis- taken,” _** You were not mistaken!” advancing impul- sively toward him. ‘* You have had my love for these many years. Yvu will not forbid that I should love him now He shook off her touch. ** A nice way to show your love for me to turn against tne at the very first chance! I hardly thought it of you, Irene. You haven't confessed that you meant to let the feller go. You needn’s confess it. I know you did.” ‘ He looked beyond ber to where Phil Sidney lay, and his glance was threatening. This sudden interruption of his dream of bliss was a terrible blow to Sidney. He was writh- ing and struggling against the cords that held him, wildly anxious to fly at the throat of Mav- erick Bill. | The outlaw chief realized something of this, and chuckled in a pleased way, — , “When you succeed in lettin’ that feller go, come an’ let me know about it!” turning sharp- ly on Irene, “It will not be in a burry, ’m thinkin’!” ee | ‘* | did intend to let him go!” with savage bitterness. ‘‘Strike me for it, you want to!” aay | she exclaimed if tN . “yi tka! ee. : * ree * ie Soe J hyhy team, vy | he couid sti He raised his hand asif for a moment he was © tempted to do what she said. “Bah! You're crazy, Irene, Crazy as a Junatic! If it wasn’t for that, I might strike you. You'd bave let him go, would you? And I reckon you'd have tried to go with him.” ‘**T should,” she confessed, with impressive emphasis, ‘*T thought as much, when you talked to me last. That’s why I didn’t care to leave you alone very long. Well, you'll not go with him; nor let him go! Ill see to that!” He stepped aside and pointed sternly toward the entrance, ‘* You march along there, without provokin’ me further, Ivo got enovgh to think about jist now, without bavin’ to worry over you. You'll go right back to your room, and you'll stay there; for I'll set 9 guard there to see that you do. If that don’t answer, Dll tie you up!” There were no indications of relenting in his words, and Phil Sidney saw that the last chance of escape was gene. The girl could not aid him, now, much as she desired to, ‘*Onb, father!” Irene moaned, gaspingly; but she knew it was not safe to refuse to obey, and went sobbing in the direction pointed out, Maverick Bill lingered a moment; then hurled this threat at Sidney: ‘*T don’t think you'll git to see her ag’in, my brave young rooster! If the men don’t change their minds on the subject, it’s my idea that you’re about to the end of your rope!” CHAPTER XVIL UNPLEASANT KNOWLEDGE, OLD LONE HAND had been placed in a small room nearer the corral, and be had not been there many minutes when he discovered that there was a horse in a narrow, Stall-like place adjoining the little pocket-like apartment which he himself occupied. ‘ He twisted about to get a view of the horse- stall, and was astonished and somewhat terri- Se igs he discovered that it held the phantom orse His attention was drawn from it by the sounds of voices coming from a point some dis- tanceaway. He fancied he recognized the deep notes of Maverick Bill, and became anxious to know what was being said, It might con- cern himself and Sidney, and be of great impor- tance, There seemed to be an open passage leading in the direction of the sounds, and be began to roll slowly that way,every revolution of his body bringing him nearer and nearer to the speakers, This took him’ further from the pbantom horse, also, a thing be by all means desired, He brought up finally against a wall, and heard the voices jast beyond it. He could readily recognize them, now, and could under- stand what was being said. He was against the wall of the council room occupied by Maverick and his men, . . What he heard was of a@tartling character. It revealed to him that Ben Stetson was sup- posed to be leading the troopers of Fort Yucca. against Prairie Gibraltar, In spite of the low estimate Old Joe placed upon the soldiers, he was not sorry to hear this news, % But he beard something else that was not so pleasant.’ He found that the council had decided to stand by the stronghold and defend it to the last; and that to make themselves secure from any treachery from within, they bad 1sesolved to sacrifice the lives of Old Joeand Sidney. The prisoners were to be shot before the coming of the troopers, This decision had been hastened by Maverick Bill’s discovery of the duplicity of his daughter, Reference was made to this, but in such a way that the old borderman was not able tocom- prehend it, ‘ “Pil hev to git out o’ this in some way,” he thought, as be glued his ear to the recky wall, “Old Joe don’t intend to’liw himself an’ pard to be shot down like a couple uv dogs if ve kin help it. Not by a jugful!” e realized the preciousness of the pens minutes, and immediately began to tug an .strain at the cords on his wrists, He had tried them before, but now bis desperation lent him increased strength and determination. — “Tm just bound to git away!” panted, stopping for a moment hecause 0 @ pain. “1 jist must git out uv these things!” | Then be renewed the contest. | He was paying no heed to the voices, now, nor to the phantom horse, whose shining coat dimly see, He was thinking of bimself and Sidney and tbe great peril they | were in, Whether they were to live or die, ym r e - \ : an ’ as yw ‘=. . 7 1 ry . TH a. ae C A ~~ ~ “ z.