Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 820 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

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She was quite exhausted, and she | order jist at this present time, you bet!” couch, looked like one from which life had departed as she lay with closed eyes. ‘Gal sick?” asked Prince, “Yes,” replied Wayue. her in your care for a time,” Ivy heard, and her eyes quickly opened. “Oh, Carter!” she weakly cried; ‘‘ you are not going to leave me, are you?” ‘* Only for a little, Ivy. Now, don’t be a ‘ de Ot eet can.eiclieseng ceitehl ge” ate ee ee ee ee pest oe Nobby Nat, the Tenderfoot Detective. a pa _— ‘Bet a hoss you’re off yer nut, dirty She clung about his neck, her cold | face!’ cried a strange voice, and a queer- looking old fellow leaped in at the open ‘*T’ve got ears, an’ they’re in workin’ It was Old Billy Bedam! The queer old vagrant flew at the half- breed like an uncaged tiger. Spat, spat! ‘‘T must leave | Prince felt Old Billy’s fists twice, and he was knocked down in a most scientific man- ner. Then the old man leaped upon the half-breed and pinned him to the floor, while he rapidly made him secure with cords which he drew from a capacious side- fool!” he added, as he saw she was about to | pocket. plead for him to remain with her. ‘‘I have some business I must attend to before I can | taken by surprise, and Old Billy’s blows had leave. I will not be long from you.” ‘Oh, Lam so weak—so tired!” she sobbed. **T do not want to be left alone, Carter—I | behind him. don’t want you to ever leave me again! I didn’t know I was so weak.” ‘Now, you are silly!” he roughly de- | viewing his work with satisfaction. ‘‘ P’izen clared, ‘‘ You will be safe here with Prince, and I will come for you in a short time. You must trust me.” He sat down by her side and coaxed her into submission, although she was weeping | panting and wild-eyed. when he left the hut. The half-blood followed him outside. ‘* What matter with gal?” he asked. “She is going to die, I reckon,” replied Wayne, heartlessly. trouble to sack her. alone now.” ‘* You care for her?” ‘*Bah—no! She is nothing to me!” *« Give her to Prince?” “* What will you do with her?” ** Prince knows.” “She has friends who will be searching | he had obtained the whole story from her for her. They may come here.” ‘Prince will keep her safe where no one | into his eyes. will ever find her.” ‘“Look here,” said Carter Wayne; ‘‘ this girl is a bother to me. It is her sister I want. creature here, but she is my wife. ‘‘Ugh! Gal your wife? How come so?” ‘* Had to take her. Now, I wouldn’t mind if she were to stop breathing all at once. Do you understand?” The half-blood nodded, “* Yes. How much pay?” “* Fifty dollars.” i ** Prince will do job,” **'Then I won’t come back here.” ‘* Pay now.” | | ! ** Yes, here is your,money.” The dastardly villain five golden eagles, and the eyes of the chosen tool glittered as he jingled them in | on her myself, but w’en I saw ther kind o’ his hands, “ Gal never bother you any more,” he de- clared. Without a word, Carter Wayne mounted | as much o’ me ’zif we'd allus bin tergether.” his tired horse and rode away from the lone- ly hut, leaving the poor girl who trusted him tothe tender mercies of the miserable half-breed. Prince re-entered the hut, finding Ivy | girl and starting aw She was quite exhausted | porting her. asleep on the cot. by what she had passed through, and her hollow’cheeks were wet with her.tears. The half-breed sat down and lighted his’) feet. pipe. Fora long time he sat smoking and gazing at the girl. At length, he put down the pipe and | which was only touched by the sun at high argse to his feet. As he started to approach ' the couch, Ivy opened her eyes and looked squarely at him. Alarmed with fears she | vagrant suddenly drew rein. could not control she sat up, shrieking with | stopped a shot sounded above, and a bullet terror. In another moment the dusky-faced wretch had grasped her, as if incensed at her fear of | tered the strange old fellow. of him, but with all her strength she fought. your nose once more,” ‘Help ! help /” ) . ° —— 4 4 = or be SS ~ * = 2 .edle.< 36-2 ‘* Tf I had known she | critter w’at hurts a woman in ary way. was so far used up, [d never taken the} Now, I’m goin’ ter take ye back ter yer I was a fool, but it is | sister an’ Do you understand? | else fer ye to do but jest go back. Ill It was a howling | take keer 0’ ye, an’, e idiot to take the trouble to drag this weak | a squar’ man, “ate the half-blood | on good looks,” he observed, with a grin. C Prince was a fighter, but he had been been terrific. When he recovered from the shock, the half-breed found his hands secured ‘‘T hain’t goin’ ter tie yer feet, dirty face,” assured Billy Bedam, stepping back and skunk though ye be, I don’t want yer blood on my han’s, an’ ye might die o’ starvation ef I trussed up yer feet.” The girl was sitting on the edge of the cot, ‘*Don’t be skeered 0’ me, miss!” urged Billy, ducking’his shaggy head. ‘I’m ther Shp pertecter o’ female loveliness, J be! if thar’s anythin’ I deespise, it’s ther yer home, safe an’ sound—you_ bet Tam!” | ‘* But I don’t want to go back there,” pro- tested Ivy. ‘‘I—I can’t go back!’ ‘“Why not?” » “Oh, I can’t tell you!” Old Billy sat down and coaxed her until lips. His face hardened*and a shadow crept ‘*You can’t stay hyer, miss,” he decided, ‘* You must see thet. So thar hain’t nothin’ Carter Wayne is Tll_make it right so you kin see him ag'in. I give yer my word fer that.” There was something about him to inspire confidence, and the girl decided to trust him fully and completely. CHAPTER XIV. OLD BILLY UNMASKS, Oup Bu.1iy’s white horse was waiting out- side the hut, and the vagrant assisted the girl to the deceptive creature’s back. ‘* Jinuary’s a good one, ef she hain’t none ‘*She kin make time, you bet. I got fooled critter she wuz, I jest planked down my rhino an’ scooped her in, Thet was only a few days ergo, but she got so she thinks This did not interest the girl, who was lly too weak and exhausted to bear Lage jaunt. Old Billy kept up a running stream of talk, climbing up behind the ay, his sinewy arm sup- They rode slowly. The sun was well up in the eastern sky, and the day seemed per- For some reason, Old Billy chose the deep shadows of a ravine, the bottom of noon, | | They had proceeded some miles when the Just as he whistled past the old man’s head. “TT reckoned you wuz thar,” grimly mut ‘** Jest show As if at Old Billy’s invitation, the pur . q— a + ee ee —' = — i. ns Beene & It was Prince. the half-blood, who in some way had freed himself of the cords Old Billy put upon him and had trailed him to that spot. Flinging up a hand, the vagrant took : snap shot at the dusky features ot the vil- lainous half-breed, <A cry of pain came down the rocks, and the dusky face vanish- ed, ‘*Reckon thet'll l’arn him afew!” chuckled Old Billy. ‘* This is ther wrong crowd ter crowd inter without a invitation.” They went on for some miles, until the ravine was about to lead them out on an open plain. Then the man halted. ‘*T’ve got a Winchester rifle tucked away up ‘mongst ther rocks,” heexplained. ‘ I'd kind o' hike to hev it erlong, fer I may git inter a regler scrummage. Jest you stay here with Jinuary while | go after thet thar gun, [ll be right back in a minute, leetle gal, so ye needn't be skeered.”’ She expressed a desire to get upon the bround, to rest herself. and he assisted her to dismount, after which he found her a good seat. Old Billy clambered up over the rocks as if he were a mountain goat, pausing far above to wave his hand at the weary girl, who had not stirred from the rock on which he placed her, Then he disappeared. It took him somewhat longer to find the rifle than he had anticipated, and nearly twenty minutes elapsed before he returned, Then he was astonished to find lvy gone; but imagining she must be close in the vicin: ity, he called to her. There was no answer. ‘Hang it!’ muttered Billy, think she kin hev gone fur,” He began searching for the young wo- man, but soon became convinced the task of finding her was not to prove so easy. Although he called her name again and again, only the echoes answered his shouts. The old man was sorely puzzled and trou- bled. His old white horse had not been “T don't molested, which caused him to believe the girl had wandered away of her own accord; yet he could not understand why she should do so. And, weak and exhausted as she was, she certainly could not go far. He resolved not to give up until Ivy was found, but the hours slipped away with- out the accomplishment of his purpose. Still, he would not give up. | The darkness of another night found Old Billy still searching vainly for the lost Ivy, a feeling of despair in his heart He was finally forced to confess that she could not be found. and then he fancied she might have fallen once more into the power of Prince, the half-breed. ; Back to the half: preed’s hut then hurried Billy Bedam, but only to find the place de- serted. Then he turned toward Cross Bar Ranch. having determined to report, all to Gertie Grant. The old fellow had ridden many miles when he heard the rattle of firearms. Some thing told him an engagement between cow- boys and nesters was taking place, and he headed for the spot immediately, | The moonlight showed him a party of men in full flight, while some yelling cowboys were pursuing them. Shots were being fired by both parties. a Without hesitation, the vagrant rode down to join the cowboys, something leading him to choose that course He was able to cit them off, and scarcely attracted a glance. so eager were the cattlemen, to overtake the fleeing fenee-cutters, a One of the cattlemen’s horses had been “hs wet = i" *, . * ’ 1. £ y n / iJ i & > _ fa joe F / 7) ol 4 I. ; Pad % at ? e uf .) r os ' ME) ing y £ 4 My > | & ye abt , Oe \ / ; a J é : injured in the, encounter, and the animal | was slowly dropping behind, aithough its, | rider strained every nerve to keep the crea. m7 ture with the others, There was something = _ familiar about this man’s figure, and Old roy cogs BS Billy uttered a low cry of satisiaction when! 2 1 yey he approached nearer nes ARIAS Wy ae } fees ‘RE 8 grt oa ie | LF srk, i Soh at Bra Jac " : sea BERET SP Ling Aves oy tat ti vty £ a a 0 ,aeutve books. Corn