Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 801 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

——— —_ — — —~ a a - “7, ? _- . ee eM ee gente pith Tg er RE ee he. 4 tte AA ES 0 SEE ge . . 10 the ladder as some of the men sprung to mount | it, Don’t let him git away, boys!” he heard | Conner command, ‘“ He bas seen too much for our goo.” The High-Kicker was aware that Conner thought the interloper and spy none other than Seal Shelton; and so be ran with ali speed to the house for the purpose of warning Seal of the peril that threathened, and to urge him to get out of the way of it. He gained the grounds about the ranch build- ings before Conner’s men cleared tie mouth of the mine, ‘* Seal! Seal!’ he called, rushing into the bunk-room, where he thought Shelton might be sleeping, Seal was not there. house, ‘‘ Lordy!” and the sweat of anxiety poured from the High-Kicker’sface, ‘* He’s out walkin’ witb that gal, and he'll be killed ’fore I kin git to speak to bim.” He knew not what to do; and while he hesitated, and could hear the tread of the advancing men, he beheld Marian Carlow enter the house, She was alone, If she bad been out walking with Seal, he wasmot to be seen now, Sure of this, and feeling somewhat relieved because of it, Kirby sped out toward the river trail; and there creeping into a tangle of high grass, concealed himvelf from the search of Con- ner’s followers. He did this, hoping to see Seal as the latter returned from the river, whither he frequently went. But when Seal did not come, and nothing could be seen of bim, nor could his advance along the trail be detected, Kirby boldly return- ed back to the bunk-room, ‘¢ Hello!” he said, in seemimg wide-mouthed amazement, as he saw Conner and others anx- iously grouped about the room, which they had been searching, ‘*‘ Whatever under the canopy is up? I beered the blamedest yow-yowin’ and clatterin’ an’ goin’ on awhile ago, that my mor- tal yearsever liton, Come from the direction uv the ole mine! Must be a catamount tackled a steer down there, ‘‘T rundown that away, but I couldn’t see a thing. Mebbe you fellers kin explanify! If you kin, do it quick, fer ’m a-bu’stin’ to know what made that unairthly racket,” ‘One of the boys with a little too much | tanglefoot aboard!” Conner dryly commented. “That was all. He tackled me, and let outa screech or two, and I had to down him, his bunk over there, It was Shorty.” He pointed to the cot into which this druoken meinber of the gang had been tumbled, The explanation seemed amply sufficient, and Kirby turned away without further questions, He had no thought of retiring, however, On Neither was he at the sma att te TT trail; and for an hour or more watched and waited in vain for the coming of Seal Shelton. CHAPTER XII. THE SCENE ON THE CLIFF, SHELTON did not return; nor was he to be found next morning. In following out his pretense of being in the vicinity on a bunting trip, Shelton frequently absented himself from the ranch. He had not done so recen‘ly, however, owing to the presence of Marian. The only other explanation of his continued absence which seemed to throw light on the sub- ject was the horrible supposition shat some member of the band of counterfeiters had en- countered him on one of the lonely trails and had there slain him, Kirby knew they had searched for him all through the night; for be had heard them mov- ing about through the gloom like panthers in stealthy pursuit of prey. Marian was to be seenin the house that morn- ing, and Kirby was more than once on the point of entering for the purpose of questioning her, the range, to Jook after some work that needed attention, This called him again in the direction of Rogue River. He bad much to think about that morning. The revelations of the previous night furnished abundant food for thought, He thought, too, of Marian, as he rode slowly riverware, From the first, almost, he had believed her | guilty of the terrible crime of! murder, and | Seal’s infatuation had distressed and pained bim, | When yet a considerable distance from the | | He's in } the contrary, be again went out on the river | | | | He hesitated to do so; and finally went out on - A Pet. mH ei ee ewe | teh Ee eee * oe wr) - Rew Oe Kent Kirby, the High-Kicker from Killbuck. cliffs which backed Rogue River on the west, he was surprised and startled by the sight which his upward glance encountered. Two men were struggling on the face of the rock, now bald, bare and desolate-looking from the effects of the fire. They were struggling, too, for life; each striving to hurl the other from the dizzy height into the boiling torrent, Kent Kirby gave a gasp of dismay, and drew in his horse so sharply that it was thrown on its haunches, His lips moyed, but for a second no words issued from them, The pupils of his eyes dilated and bis face contracted in a sudden spasm of pain, ‘Seal Shelton an’ [om Conner, by the great horned frog of Texas!” he at length managed to ejaculate, ‘‘ Both on ’um up there a-wrestlin’ to the death like a pair uv p’izen grizzlies!” He was not near enough to discern the fea- tures of the men, but he felt sure he was not mistaken in this semi-guess at their identity. Of Tom Conner he was positive, for Conner always wore a pecujiar shaped sombrero; and this was now pushed far back on his head and A in momentary danger of being knocked off, How Seal and Conner chanced to be on that particular ledge engaged in such a combat was something of a mystery. He couldnot fail, however, to recall the fact that to Conner bad been delegated the slaying of this hated foe of the Rogue River band of counterfeiters. Only a few hours before Conner had drawn the nicked bullet which singled bim out as the man to kill Seal Shelton. A secret, stealthly shot from ambush had been the method chosen, but circumstances had probably decided Conner to make an open and bold assault, Perbaps he had tried the stealthy method, and had been discovered and forced into the fight which Kirby now witnessed, All these things flitted through the mind of the redoubtable Hioh-Kicker. With a yell of fear and rage Kirby plunged the spurs into the flanks of his broncho. The yell was intended toreach the combatants on the distant cliff; to inspire Shelton with re- newed courage and energy and to dismay and weaken his adversary, The lithe broncho shot forward with incred- ible speed, urged into madness by the galling spurs, Its first bound was so terrific that it would have unseated any but the most ex- perienced of riders, Kirby drew bis revolver and swung it above his head and yelled again, like an iron-throated demon, ‘‘ Hold him to it, boy, till git there! Hold him toit! Keep yer heels suckin’ the rocks asif they wus glued thar, Dou’t let him b’ist ye! Dou’t let him git ye off’p your pins! Stay with him! Stay with him} The High-Kicker from Killbuck is a-comin’ like a runaway cog-train a-slidin’ down Pike’s Peak!” Almost every sentence was punctuated and emphasized by such a yell as only the High- Kicker from Killbuck could emit, But these frantic outcries and the pheno- menal speed of the broncho availed nothing, Even while Kent Kirby swung his revolver | and uttered his yells he saw Tom Conner lift | Seal Shelton bodily and hurl bim by main strength from the top of the high cliff, Down, down, with dizzying velocity dropped the form of the unfortunate man, disappearing almost instantly in the racing, green waters of Rogue River. A faint, far cry of despair reach- ed Kirby; a cry that seemed the last wail of a Jost soul, Kirby involuntarily drew in the broncho; and reeled, sick and faint, in the saddle. ** My God!” broke from his pallid lips, ‘* Con- ner’s killed him, Thisisturrible! Turrible!” | _All power of movement had suddeuly forsaken | lim. With an effort he recovered and again merci- | lessly spurred on the broncho, This time he | did nut swing the big revolver; but sat almost | motionless in the saddle, his ashy lips muttering maledictions on Seal Shelton’s murderer, His eyes were fixed in a baleful glare on the cliff whereon stood Tom Conner. There was a murderous fury iu that glare and Conner’s life would have been short if the High-Kicker could have reached him at that moment, Presumably Conner saw Kent Kirby’s furious advance, At any rate he sprong backward | from the face of the cliff, darted across the blackened slope, and disappeared amid the rocks | beyond. The High-Kicker gave a howl of baffled fury and spurred the broncho into a still quicker gait. | He was nearing the river, now, and bis eyes | ———— me eel . aS began to search the swirling surface. He could. scarcely hope that Seal Shelton bad escaped death. Still he did hope, and ran his glances up and down the uneven banks and into every like- ly nook and cranny where Seal might possibly be clinging. He was frantically excited and panting. ‘‘Ten thousand cusses on him!” he growled, referring to Conner. ‘‘ May ten thousand bhiss- in’? devils bear him down to the deepest hell! May he pull hemp till his neck is stretched clean from this hyer airth to the moon! May he—” The violence of his outburst choked him, and while the lips continued to move the bitter words remained unuttered. Again he searched the river and the shores, with hig devouring, hungry eyes, “he current rusbed and roared as if in gleeful joy over the tragedy that had been committed. It seemed to mock and defy the impotent horseman now charging in wild wrath along the flinty decline, It flung up foam-flecked and white arms as if in taunting derision; as if flaunting in bis face man’s weakness and its own majestic strength. No sign of life anywhere greeted his gaze. On all the stream’s torn surface there was nowbere a bobbing, black speck indicative of the head of an exbausted swimmer. The High-Kicker licked his hot, parched lips and again urged on tbe broncho, His bright, glassy eyes continued their roving search. But it was all in vain.. The man, burled from the cliff, bad apparently sunk, never to rise again. ‘It was a fate not to be wondered at. The fall was terrific; and after the shock of such a de- scent there was little chance that any save the most expert of swimmers could reach either shore. Still there were worn hollows in the banks, many of them brush-covered and hidden with grasses. He dismounted from the broncho and made a careful search of these on that side of the stream. The search was utterly bairen of results. He had not expecied it to be enything else, Tae waters of Rogue River had the evil repu- tation of forever recaining within their grasp the bodies of the drowned. Nevertheless he again bestrode the broncho and rodeon down the stream, narrowly scrutinizing every inch of the way. This search was also fruitless, He was sure, now, that he should never again see Seal Shelton; and he groaned aloud in his despair. ‘“That coyote-minded Tom Conner will pay for this hyer!” and there was a fearful menrce in his voice as his gaze again sought the over- hanging cliff. ‘* He’sa foolif he thinks be kin play a trick like this, an’ not have to reckon with me ferit. It’s a mighty onlucky thing fer him that be hain’t sized meup yit. ’Fore he gits through with this byer bizuess he'll low ’m the most cantankerous catamount that ever gripped his trail!” This was not said boastiugly, but was merely the expression of the vengeful resolve that then moved bim, Having thoroughly satisfied bimself that Seal Shelton was not to be found, living or dead, he sougbt the most convenient fording place and lashed the brancho recklessly into the flood. It was a perilous swim; but under Kirby’s deft guidance the broncho succeeded after a fierce strugyle in gaining the opposite shore Here Kirby left it tied toa tree, and laborious- ly climbed to the top of the mesa. From this point he went back to where the struggle bad occurred on the chif and there took up Tom Con- ner’s irail, The trail was an easy ore to follow across the cinder-strewn slope, but when the rocky district beyond was reached all indications vanished, Kirby was a good trailer and he was animated by the zeal of an unquenchable hate; but he was finally forced to give up in despair, Beyond a certain point Conner’s footsteps could not be fol- lowed, ‘‘ Blast his picter, he seen me comin’, an’ he knowed that to leave bis hoof-marks on these hyer ledges ’u’d be about: the onhealthiest thins he coulddo. But hell find that ['m not to te shook off like a no-’count yaller dog on a rabbit tral, ‘* He'll learn what it isto have the High- Kicker frum Killbuck a-beaglein’ him!” Although be turned back toward the river, baffled for the time, he was resolved to even scores with Tom Conner before the end of the week, if be had to drop everything else to doit. . In this mood he again sought his broncho; and having forced the animal toagain brave the cur- rent, set out for the ranch buildings, convinced that it was useless to waste further time on the margin of Rogue River, it - mi tr ee ee é G . . 7 e F ia | Gan rae ” ae L 5 is ae! i Am 7, L —_ "a