Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 820 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

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It is u clear case of biter bitten,” The astounded cowboys who had witness- ed the encounter said not a word, Touching a hidden spring in the cane, Nat allowed the slender blade to slide back from view. ‘* If you desire to see me again, Mr. Roper Dave,” he said, ‘‘ you know where to look for me.” With that he walked deliberately toward the ranch-house, not once turning his head to look back. Quite unaware of what was taking place outside, Major Blukes was in his private room. There Nat reported to him. That night a party of armed cowboys were stationed at Rocky Gap, the fence having been put up again. They were instructed to ‘‘make it hot” for any persons who tried to cut the wires. Near midnight they were startled by the sudden appearance or a horseman, who proved to be Nobby Nat. ** Look here!” cried the detective; ‘‘ while you are watching here, the fence is being chopped to pieces five miles to the south!” ‘‘How d’yer know this?” asked Mustang Harris. - * Because I just enme from there, and I saw the cutters at work,” was the reply. That was enough. In less than a minute every cowboy was ready and eager to be off to the south. Nat led the party, and they urged their horses relentlessly, A crescent moon hung low down in the West, and hundreds of pale stars shed a white light upon the plain. The perfect peace of the beautiful night was soon to be broken by the sounds of deadly conflict. The white light showed the dark forms of nesters at their work. The U.S. A. Cattle Co. was being swiftly and effectively robbed of their fence. - The soft grass of the plain muffled the. hoof beats of the advancing cowboys until they were close upon the cutters, who, by some rare chance, failed to discover their ap- proach until the last moment. With the discovéry came a yell from the lips of the cowboys, and they charged down - on the nesters. ‘Surrender, you sneakin’ whelps!” shout ed Mustang Harris. The reply was a yell of defiance, as the fence-cutters hastily mounted their ready _ horses, Tien came the clash. A lariat in Mustang Harris’ hands circled through the air, and the noose snatched one The unlucky man’s comrades were on the point of taking to flight, but they would not leave him in ~ penis or their foes, so they wheeled ack, Just ‘then a black horse came thunderin _ down across the plain, and on the creature's back wasa female figure. _ * $. 4 - ‘* Hurrah, boys!” cried a ringing musical ‘‘ Don’t let the punchers drive you! _ You're better men than they!” + = / . ea .7,-" . ' > ~ « oJ a! oY a. = ‘Nat, in the foreman’s ear. sha) i. - eS “a? «4 +: aw >. 2a (+7 <- Py A 4 , We < 4 ’ ‘ : ps ‘ ‘ F rh , ‘ —* ~~") =< thre ae r @ =i ¥ ve ?, 4 ¢ “s am a”. ay a 4 : > ¢ ir? This brought a wild cheer from the lips of the fence-cutters. ** It’s Git Thar Gert!” shouted a stentorian voice. ‘‘ Hooray fer the Queen of the Nest- ers!” ‘* Whips, lads, whips!” cried the girl, the aan in her own hands cracking like a pis- tol, j They knew what she meant, and they fol- lowed her into the thickest of the fray, ply- ing their whips with telling effect. Al- though the nesters were outnumbered, their sudden turn and assault took the cowboys so by surprise that Mustang Harrisand his men were thrown into confusion. The moonlight glinted on a knife in the hand of Git Thar Gert, and the blade severed the lasso that had dragged one of the fence- cutters from the back of his horse. ‘“Up, Bildow, up!’ she cried. Recovering from the surprise caused by the sudden turn of the nesters, the cowboys began to close in on the fence-cutters, The Girl Rancher saw this move and real- ized the danger her friends were in. ‘‘ Strike at their faces!” ahe screamed, set- ting the example by cutting’one of the Lone Star men across the check, the lash cracking loudly as the cowboy fell headlong from the saddle. ' Her fighting blood was up, and she seemed like a perfect tornado. In truth, she was avoided by the cowboys, who. suddenly realized what a formidable foe she was. The nesters understood her, and their cruel whips were plied with such effect that the Lone Star men were demoralized for an instant. Instead of meeting the fence-cutters with their own weapons, the cowboys suddenly resorted to revolvers. Mustang Harris’s evil blood was thorough- ly aroused, and he bellowed: ‘* Shoot to kill! shoot to kill!” ‘‘Man, you are mad!” shouted Nobby ‘This is like murder!” ‘Ef you're skeered, git out, tenderfoot!” sneered Harris. ' ‘And then he caught the bridle-rein in his away, only to find himself face to face with Git Thar Gert. Like a flash, the girl flung back the hand that held her whip, her eyes flashing in the moonlight. It was plain she intended to leave her mark on Nathan Kirk’s. face. Like a statue the young Easterner sat on his horse, looking straight into her face, not flinching in the least. The blow was not delivered. *‘Not now!” she said, lowering the whip —‘‘not until lam swre/” The sharp cracking of revolvers now min- gled with the pistol-reports of the nesters’ whips, and the use of firearms was swiftly demoralizing the fence-cutters. Seeing this nd knowing there could be but one termina. tion of the conflict, Git Thar Gert gave the order to retreat. There was no hesitation about obeying. Away went the nesters. having taken: to flight so suddenly that the cowboys were surprised. This gave the fugitives the start, ‘‘ After them!” yelled Mustang Harris, whose blood was thoroughly aroused, ‘Come on, pards!” : The pursuit began. On the scene of battle two dark figures were stretched on the ground, telling that the cowboys’ bullets had not all been wasted, The nesters were well mounted, and it seemed that they might get away from their enemies; but Harris chuckled with satisfac- tion, as he wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve. ‘‘ We've got ‘em foul!” he declared. teeth and began to work his revolvers with both hands. . Horrified, Nat Kirk wheeled his horse Nobby Nat was at the foreman’s side. ‘‘Their horses are as good as ours,” said the detective. ‘«Thet may be, tenderfoot.” « Then they will get away.” ‘* Not much.” “Why not?” ‘« They’re inside our preserves. ” ‘* What of that?” * They ve fenced in,” Then the detective understood the situa- tion. The nesters were in a trap, for the barbed fence of the Cattle Co, surrounded them, The magnificent black horse on which Git Thar Gert was mounted easily kept the lead of the fugitives. One of the men called to her that they were trapped by the fence, but she only turned her head to com- mand them to follow her closely. In one direction lay a stretch of twenty miles with no fence to stop them, but Gert, did not choose to go that way. Instead, she made a cross-cut, actually striking for the nearest point of the barbed wire fence. ; Behind them came the cowboys, now and then uttering yells of triumph, for they be- lieved the nesters were cornered. Again one of the fugitives called to the strange girl who, within the hour, had be- come their recognized leader. ‘‘The fence! the fence!” he shouted, She turned her head, “All right,” came back the reply. have some nippers.”’ They understood her purpose then, and a cheer broke from their lips. Letting out the black horse, Gert was a long distance ahead of her companions when she reached the fence. In a moment, she leaped from the saddle and began work with the nippers. Her gloved fingers were strong and she soon severed the wire strands, after which she swung up to the saddle. All this was accomplished by the time the nesters reached the spot, and she led them through the opening she had made, ‘They of defiance at the cowboys, who answered with cries of anger, realizing the chase was ended, CHAPTER VIL. . GERT AND HER DOGS, Finpinea the fence-cutters had escaped, the cowboys halted and held a consultation, finally deciding to return to the place where the encounter occurred. , Nobby Nat had nothing to say, but in his heart he was pleased by the escape of the nesters, They rode back to the’ spot where the battle took place, expecting to find dead or wounded foes stretched on the ground. In this they were disappointed. The trampled ground told just where the affray occurred, but the moonlight revealed no bodies, although there were dark stains on the grass. If any of the nesters had been slain, some of their comrades had removed the bodies. | Rod after rod of the fence had been de- stroyed, showing the cutters had worked diligently before they were molested. ‘Hang ’em!” growled Mustang Harris, whose left cheek was a mass of dried blood. ‘‘Tll kerry this yere mark as long as L live!” . He was not the only one of the Lone Star men who were marked for life by the whips of the fighting nesters. Indeed, it was a de- cidedly soie and angry mob. Harris led them back to Rocky Gap. There they found a surprise awaiting them. | wo) The fence had been unmercifully slashed! ‘Holy Moses!” snarled the foreman, 8 7 ’ » + al» » “ turned to fling back a yell | > 4 - r ey y%» << » 4 y & > » i = % AH ‘ rit * “ ut) hail > *, a. ' “Aw ‘ ‘ ». ‘ay ~ epee 7 é > a ‘ b ; 4} % >. or} * . € ‘a st