Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 811 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

"Cy Fr _ The prisoner hailed this discovery with a cry iy joy, for he saw a possible means of libera- ion. Laboriously he wormed his way to the spot, assuming such a position that the wont knife- blade pressed against the cord encircling his arms. Then, by a steady, oscillating motion, he sought to saw the obstinate bonds asunder, It was a slow, laborious task, but the knife held firm, and steadily its keen blade performed the work of liberation, parted with a snap, Joyfully Ralph Renwood snatched up the weapon that had served him so opportunely. A vigorous slash released his feet, and he arose free at last. His first act was to liberate his wife, who wept with joy at the excellent prospect of es- cape. by this time darkness pervaded the gloomy recesses of theswamp. The wooded island was wrapped in gloom and silence. Renwood felt that delay was dangerous, and prepared to leave the place at once, before the enemy returned, ° He opened the door of the hut, and cautiously peered outside. Apparently the clearing was deserted. But as the young man took a step forward, a deep, ominous growl fell upon his startled ears, and two blazing orbs glared from out the darkness, Ralph paused in surprise, just as the animal, an enormous bloodhound, leaped at his throat, with a ferocious snarl. Quickly recovering, the yourg man retreated within the hut, and poses the door in time to avoid the infuriated east, Here was a new and utterly unexpected phase | to the situation. Renwood had forgotten the bloodhound, mentioned by White Phenix as be- ing the faithful companion of the sable Swamp Demon; but now the huge brute made his pres- ence manifest in a most forcible manner, Peeping through a chink in the door, Ralph * could see that the dumb sentinel still stood be- fore the cabin, his glowing orbs fixed upon the entrance, Armed only with a knife, the young man saw the sheer folly of attacking the formidable ca- nine; and so the bloodhound remained master of the situation. In a fever of anxiety, the young man paced the floor, vaguely planning how to dispose of this unlooked-for adversary. It was exasperat- ing, when escape seemed so near, to be held at bay by adog. Momentarily expecting his foes’ return, Renwood planned to elude the watébful brute, and make a bold dash for freedom. There was but one entrance to the hut; but Ralph, moving noiselessly to the rear, hastened to make another by cutting into the wall, which was constructed of deerskins laced together with thongs. Working rapidly, he soon made au opening of the requisite size. A hasty glance from the front entrance re- vealéd the basilisk eyes of the bloodhound, who still crouched at his post, Now forit! Cau- tiously Ralph led his wife through the hole in the wall, and together they moved stealthily in- to the thicket, : Better to risk a battle with the dog than remain tamely at bay till the arch-enemy re- turned. But scarcely had the fugitives proceeded a hundred rods, when an ominous sound assailed their ears. It was the cry of the bloodhound! | Already had he scented the fugitives! Clasping Gracein his strong arms, Ralph Ren- wood darted ahead, beedless of where his foot- steps led, thinking oniy to elude that terrible foe, Impenetrable gloom shrouded the puth. Crashing through dense undergrowth, stum- bling over rocks and logs, on—on he fled, with a speed born of desperation. But of what avail was his flight against the superior fleetness of the four-footed pur- suer The bloodhound came on with the persistency of Fate. Ralph could hear the ominous patter of feet, swiftly spurning the ground. Despair- ingly he looked quickly about for a place of | refuge. Close at hand loomed an enormous bowlder, with precipitous sides, the top of which was flat, and fully a dozen feet from the ground. Could hereachit? | s , With an energy fairly superhuman the young man scrambled up the side of the rock, still clasping Grace in his arms, and finally succeed- ed in reaching the top, just as the dumb pursuer er aT flashed upon the spot.: Expecting the beast would spring, Ralph , a whipped out his knife and braced himself for fees the i as ggle that would surely follow should i, oe tere fe é Soon the last strand | a | Headhght Harry opened his eyes. The White Phenix. the animal reach his position; but the attack came not! The bloodhound stopped at the base of the rock, and, squatting upon his broad haunches, | fixed upon the shadowy forms of the fugitives orbs that gleamed with almost human sagacity, He seemed to comprehend that the couple were ‘*treed,” and evidently, in his doggish mind, de- termined to thus hold them at bay until his | master, returning, should discover the loss of the prisoners and hurry on the trail, Ralph Renwood viewed this proceeding with unutterable disgust. Thwarted again by this demon dog! He would have given all he pos- sessed at that moment for a trusty revolver. The rock upon which the fugitives crouched was split by a wide fissure, doubtless the work of lightning, and by dint of hard labor Ralph succeeded in dislodging a fragment several pounds in weight. With both hands he raised the rock above his head and burled it at the huge beast below. Un- erringly the missile flew, striking the dog square- ly between the gleaming eyes, talph leaped exultantly from the bowlder, to find the bloodhound stretched upon the ground with a shattered skull, However, ‘‘to make assurance doubly sure,” he plunged his knife several times into the quivering bdédy, then turned to assist Grace, satisfied that the formid- able canine was effectually disposed of at last, Yet, the fugitives were by no means ‘‘ out of the woods.” They were on an island several acres in extent, low and swampy except the portion where the huts were built, and sur- rounded by waters of unknown depth. How to traverse the dismal expanse of the swamp wasa problem that now presented itself to the young superintendent, But as, reaching the edge of the island, they cautiously moved along the bank, Ralph en- countered an obstacle that proved to be a birch cance, haif-hidden among the reeds and grass, Delighted, he hastened to launch the craft, and after helping Grace to a seat, he himself em- barked and paddled cautiously away. Though ignorant whither he was going, Ren- wood knew that the great swamp had its outlet inasmallistream that flowed into Mad River; and this outlet he hoped to discover, lt chanced that into this very creek luck di- rected the course of the canoe, Presently they approached a spot where the forest was less dense, and through the tree-tops mellow moon- light penetrated the swamp, lighting the dark, | dismal waters with a ghostly radiance. As the frail canoe shot silently into the moon- lit space, Ralph Renwood was astonished to Lear voices ahead, mingled with the splash of oars. Atthe same time two boats, laden with men, flashed into sight; and in the foremost, his blazing eyes fixed triumphantly on the luckless fu. itives, rode the death-faced White Phenix! CHAPTER VIII, LOST IN THE SWAMP, AFTER a long period of unconsciousness, The lad’s head was spinning like a top, and for some time he failed to comprehend his situation; but his aching throat brought to mind the grip of the Swamp Demon’s bony talons, and gradually he recalled the stirring events connected with the train-robbery. The outlaws, embarked in two boats, were in- dustriously making their way among the water- courses of a vast swamp. arkness shrouded the scene, for only at intervals did. 3 moon’s rays penetrate the dismal depths. Giant trees arose on every hand. The mournful hoot of the owl, or the shrill cry of the nighthawk, mingled with the sullen splash of oars, were the only sounds that broke the silence. Winding between bogs and half-submerged islands, the bandits guided the boats, cursing at numerous snags and fallen trees that frequent- ly retarded progress, The first boat contained the White Phenix, sitting in the bow; his hideous satellite, the Swamp Demon, whose powerful arms untiringly propelled the craft; also, Duke Derby, who sat in the stern, with Ruth Sharon clasped in his arms. The other boat, following a few yards behind, was occupied by the worthy pair of gamblers one of whom rowed, while the other maintained a comfortable position upon the legs of Head- light Harry, who lay nearthestern. Thiscraft also carried the bulk of the robbers’ plunder. All these details were duly observed by the young” engineer, from his position in the boat. Shrewdly he lay without moving a muscle, and while the two gamblers fondly believed him still fo a i. —— as —— —————ESEE ee ee eee iO Oe COS FC kh = : 7 , 4 aie c is 1% : a eh iw ; — al a 8 i ~ i) unconscious, the wide-awake youth was planning with busy brain. His captors had not troubled to bind him, but the wruiaiit of the burly fellow who sat upon his ees formed an excellent preventative to easy flight. feadlight Harry, aware that Ruth was in the “sapeyy of the outlaws, knew that, free, he could e of far more service to the girl than if a fel- low-prisoner; and he decided to make a bold break for liberty. Bringing every nerve and muscle to bear, the engineer gave a mighty heave, nearly overturn- ing the boat, and completely upsetting his near- est foe, who little expected so marvelous a dis- play of energy. The robber pitched violently forward into the arms ofghis associate, who dropped the oars, and, losing his balance, fell back in the bottom of the crait, Taking advantage of the temporary confusion, Headlight Harry quietly slipped over the boat’s side into the water, just as the occupants of the first craft, hearing the disturbance, bore down upon the scene. The youth was at home in the water, and dropping noiselessly beneath the surface, swam away like a fish, When at length, unable to longer breathe, he came up for air, it was to find himself many feet from the boats, and clcse to the shore. Under shelter of an overhanging bank, he keenly watched the movements of the outlaws, who were making strenuous efforts to find the escaped captive. The rufflans were greatly in- censed at the occurrence, particularly the White Phenix, who cursed until the very air seemed redolent of sulphur and brimstone. As the boats darted to and fro, Headlight Harry, secure under cover of darkness, laughed at the fruitless efforts of theenemy, But, pres- ently, elation gave place todismay! The bandits suddenly shaped their course toward the shore, evidently suspecting that the youth was con- cealed ar: among the tangled growth of water-plants and grasses. Headlight Harry saw, with disgust, that one of the boats containing his foes was advancing straight toward his hiding-place, Astheyslow- ly skirted the bank, one of the men stcod with uplifted oar, with which he viciously prodded every object that might possibly shelter a fugi- tive. The young engineer feared this operation would result in driving him from his refuge. Clinging to a projecting limb with one hand, hoe hung motionless as a statue, submerged to the chim. Keenly he watched the craft approach, until 16 was fairly opposite. Then, quickly re- linquishing his grasp, he sunk beneath the sur- face, just as the oar of the inquisitive boatman descended upon the very spot where his head had been. The slight noise made in executing this move- ment was drowned by the splash of the descend- ing oar, and so the occupants of the boat kept on in blissful ignorance of the cunning trick just performed beneath their very noses, When Headlight Harry came the surface the Se were fully ten yards away, and he hastened to regain his position, chuckling glee- {ually at the success of his ruse, The swamp-fiends now gave up the search in disgust. As a last resort they drew their wea pons and fired shot after shot at random, hop- ing, perchance, to strike tho concealed fugi- tive. Bullets flew promiscuously in every direction, but the engineer escaped injury, though some of the missiles came dangerously near, After emptying their revolvers the robbers abandoned this wholesale waste of ammunition and reluct- antly continued their way. | The sound of oars grew fainter, finally dying away,and once more silence reigned over the dismal expanses of the great swamp, | Headlight Harry’s beart was heavy, for, though himself free, the fair girl he loved was being borne away into a terrible captivity. While fully resolved to exert himself to the utmost in Ruth’s behalf, yet the youth realized that against such formidable odds, his own unaided efforts would be of little avail, and so wisely concluded to look for assistance before trailing . down the denizens of the swamp, Satisfied that the latter would not return, the engineer left his hiding-place and laboriously climbed the shelving bank. His feelings, men- tal and bodily, were by no means comfortable, | The icy waters of the creek had chilled him to ° the bone, and he shook and shivered in the night-air, ar: arkness pervaded the scene, so dense that-he — could scarcely see a hand beforehim, Totally AG PECO