Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 794 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

. — =< ~ aaa ——— —_— ———_s— —_—— —— _ three meals a day, with a lunch at bedtime | time been dragged into the inner chamber, Headlight Harry’s Hunt. 11 mer were now unmistakably felt, serv- | sound,’’ he called, cheerfully. ‘‘ An’ [ ha’n’t ' fruits are the sweetest, so here goes to prove is & disagreeable reminder that neither | come back empty-handed, neither, betcher | the truth o’ that adage,” exclaimed the enyi- mad tasted food for many long, weary | sweet life. Come hyar an’ gimme a lift with | neer, while as for Rufe Ruffle, he was ainends hours. ~ | the plunder,” busily eugagel upon the tempting viands, Reclining upon the rocky floor of the ‘*You’ve b’en gone a ap: pats long time, ; with his mouth two full for utterance. chamber, where they could command a view | Spider—fully five hours,” declared Head- | For the next half-hour there was little at- | light Harry, as all hands advanced to, tempt at conversation, as the hungry fugi- eagerly watched and waited for the Spider | greet the welcome visitor. ‘‘ We were afraid | tives fell to discussing the fruits of the to reappear. | you had fallen into the clutches o’ King | hunchback’s forage with appetites sharpened ‘‘Confound the feller! Seems to me it’s | Kirby’s gang.” | by continued fasting. Their attack had no high time he showed up his ugly mug,” A hideous chuckle escaped the lips of the | apparent effect, however, upon the generous growled Rufe Rufile, discontented ¥. ‘A | hunchback. | Supply which, as the Spider assured them, poor devil stands a good chance o’ starvin’ ‘‘Ketch a weasel asleep—then talk o’ | was calculated to last fully a week—an as- to death afore relief arrives. Great snarlin’ | ketchin’ the Spider,” he squeaked. ‘‘I1 | surance that at least served to put at rest all wildcats! I’m that hungry I could eat a! reckon I knows the ins an’ outs o’ this hyer | fears of immediate starvation. : hoss; an’ the yawnin’ vacancy in my bread- | kentry too well to be tuk in by sich ornery ‘‘ Well, Spider,” said the Young engineer, basket is growin’ bigger ev’ry minnit.” galoots. Ho, ho! I’ve had some gorgeous | at length, when the cravimgs of the inner ‘* Let us hope the poor chap hasn’t fallen | fun ter-night. I’ve b’en all over Satan’s | man had been partially appeased, ‘‘ you into the toils o’ the enemy,” exclaimed | Camp, an—” haven't yet given us the details of your Headlight Harry, solicitously. ‘‘ He has in- ‘ Hole on, thar, Spider!” interrupted Rufe |} wanderings in the camp of the enemy. Did curred a great risk in entering the settle- | Ruffle, pressing eageily forward. ‘‘For| you happen to run across that arch fiend, ment, when discovery means probable cap- | Heaven’s sake, partner, bottle up your chin- King Kirby, in your travels?” ture and death. Even at this moment he ) music, an’ tell us, in the name of the great A demoniac chuckle escaped the lips of may be a helpless prisoner in the hands of Christopher Columbus, have ye brought us | the dwarf, at the bare recollection of his re- of the tunnel entrance, the three fugitives King-Kirby’s dastardly minions.” anything to eat? That’s the all absorbin’ | cent stirring experience with the boss of “The Lord forbid! We'd all be dead! question w’ot’s agitatin’ our mighty minds, | Satan's Camp. men by mornin’, sure!” gasped the fireman, | jest at present, ye kin bet.” ‘*T sorter reckon I met the gentleman,” he whose anxiety, it must be confessed, was less ‘‘Oh, yes; plenty to eat, pard—enuff to | laughed in glee. ‘‘In fact, I’ve not only for the safety of the absent dwarf than for | last a week,” the grinning hunchback as- | b’en inter the Gambler’s Glory, ter-night, but comfort of his own “‘inner man.” ‘‘ Hop-| suredhim. ‘‘ Plenty todrink, too! Ha, bat} I’ve penetrated to the king-pin’s private pin’ horn-toads! This sort o’ bizness may | Come, ye shall seé how successful the Spider | chamber an’ met him face to face.” be fun for sich blokes as Signor Succi or | kin be foragin’ for grub in the enemy’s ‘‘The deuce you have! Tell us all about Doctor Tanner; but skin me for a muskrat | camp.” it, Spider!” if it don’t come kinder hard on a poor chap He at once proceeded to reveal the nature The huncbback lost no time in recount- who has always b’en used to his reg’lar | of his heavy burden, which had by this | ing his thrilling adventures, while the others listened with marked attention, becomin to boot.” while the others gathered expectantly | especially interested when the speaker told Handsome Charlie, who had taken little | around, vaguely wondering what gastronomic | how he had witnessed King Kirby’s mental part in the conversation, laughed good-na- treat the dwarf had in store for them, struggle with the elusive cryptogram. el A LLL LL LLL LLL tl alte ttt turedly at this, ‘‘T hope you've brought along some kind ‘‘From the way the boss gambler cussed “Well, I’m a trifle more fortunate my-| of a light, Spider,” said Headlight Harry | an’ raved over that piece o’ paper, I opined self, in that respect,” he remarked. ole ‘anxiously. ‘‘ Hungry as we are there isn’t | it must be somethin’ extraordinary important, was only this very morning that I feasted | much satisfaction in eating in total dark- sumptuously upon a fine, plump partridge, | ness,”’ | | so when he threw it on the floor, almost within reach, I made up my mind I'd have the document or bu’st. I'll allow, however, my curiosity cum near provin’ fatal, for it was only by the narrowest squeak. that I managed to give ’em the slip.” ‘‘ But did you secure the paper?” eagerly demanded Headlight Harry, fairly trembling with suppressed excitement, : For answer the Spider drew from his pocket an article which he held triumphant- ly up toview. One eager, devouring glance, and the engineer, leaping forward, snatched the paper from the hunchback’s hand, a cry of triumph welling from his lips. It was, indeed, that much prized docu- ment, the mystic cryptogram! CHAPTER X. THE SECRET SOLVED, FRANTICALLY waving the precious manu- which I was lucky enough to bring down Even as he spoke, the hunchback deftly with my trusty revolver. Yet, my appetite ! struck a matchand applied it to the dingy, at the present moment is such that [ wouldn’t ! smoxy lantern which he now suddenly refuse a good square feed of it were placed | brought to view. Its feeble, flickering rays before me.” but partially illuminaced the gloomy re- ‘‘ Well, pards, I reckon it depends alto- | cesses of the chamber, butto the three fugi- ether upon the Spider whether we feast or | tives who bad remained so long in utter ast to-night; soit behooves us to go down on | darkness the change wasa most welcome our Ebenezers, like true Christian believers, | one. and pray for his safe and speedy return. ‘‘There’s yer light, pards!” was the Meantime, Rufe, old man, it might be well | triumphant exclamation. ‘‘ Not a first-class to imitate the ideas of the noble red-men, who | vlim, I’ll admit, but a durn sight better’n are said to alleviate the pangs of hunger by | none. An’ then there’s plenty o’ candle to simply tightening their belts.” fall back on after the ile burns out.” But his forlorn associate only heaved &@; ‘‘Spider, you’re a diamond of. the first lugubrious sigh as he replied, with a sorrow- | water! I only hore your efforts in the pro- ful shake of the head:. vision line have proved equally successful. “I’ve tried the scheme a’ready, pard, an’ | Ah! What have we here? <A big basket, as it don’t work worth acent. D’ve drawn my|I’m a sinner, fairly loaded down with belt up to the last notch, an’ I’m durned nigh | eatables. Holy Moses! Whatasight for a | script above his head, Headlight Harry cut in halves; but the cravin’s of the inner | hungry man!” danced about the cavern like one suddenly man are jestias obstreperous as ever. I reckon It was indeed, a huge market basket | bereft of his senses. I ha’n’t constructed on the same principles as | which the dwarf had deposited upon the ‘‘Hurrah! Victory at last!” he exclaim- a red-skin, nohow!” cavern floor, and its contents he now deliber- | ed, in glee. ‘* Rufe, old man, we're in the The conversation flagged as the moments | ately removed, one by one, while the others | race at last. Here is our Jong-lost legacy, went slowly by; but still the weary watchers | Jooked on in blank astonishment. A whole | the secret cipher, thus providentially re- continued their irksome vigil. t was not | ham, half a cheese, crackers, canned meats | turned to us, and we can now snap our fin- until long after midnight, however, that their | and fruit in choice variety, together with | gers at King Kirby and his gang, so far ag patience was finally rewarded. numerous other articles of diet, went to | their hunt for the golden treasure is con- Tien, suddenly, the lugubrious hoot of the | make up the Spider’s “ plunder,” and testified | cerned. Shades of Christopher Columbus! night-owl,thrice repeated in quick succession, | to his ability as a forager. | Who ever dreamed of such good luck? awoke the stillness of the forest, penetrating ‘* Where in the world did you get all these | Why, it fairly turns my brain!” to the inner recesses Of the cavern, and fall- | things?’ gasped Headlight Harry, as the For some moments he continued to cavort ing low but distinct Upon the ears of its vigi- | dwarf completed his display by going down | over the rocky floor, much to the surprise lant inmates, It was the pre-arranged signal | into his capacious pockets and producing | and amusement of bis companions; then, by which the Spider was expected to an- | enough cigars, tobacco and boteledetnonls to | having in a measure given vent to his pent- nounce his approach; and the three fugitives, | stock a small-sized saloon. up enthusiasm, he settled himself to ex- springing to their feet, NOW Waited in a state ‘Oh, these hyar things are a part o’ Jim | amine the mysterious cipher so luckily re- of eager expectancy. Jumper’s stock in trade,” answered the stored to him, while the others gathered Presently the call was repeated close at | hunchback, with a chuckle. ‘‘Jim’s she- i around forming an interested group. : hand, and a moment later the screén of vines | bang was shut up for the night, but that lt will be remembered that Headlight and bushes was pulled aside, and the mellow | didn’t prevent me from borrowin’ a few | Harry had received his curious legacy from moonlight, streaming in, revealed the gro-| articles on account. *T'ain’t more’n a week | the dying miner, only to bave it snatched tesque figure of the dwarf, standing in| back that the p’izen galoot skinned me at | from his grasp by King Kirby ere it had re. shadowy silhouette at the mouth of the pas- poker, so I reckon him an’ me areabouteven | mained five minutes in his possession; and sage. ? therefore he had given the cipher but a cur- ‘‘Hyar I am, at last, pards, safe an’ “Well, I’ve heard it said that stolen | sory examination, Now, however, he was LLL LLL LLL LLL Lt LC CL = ee ee ee