Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 838 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

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Not far from where he lay hidden, the valley narrowed abruptly until it was not more than good pistol range across, while directly in front of him was the only prac- ticable slope in view. Along the higher ground were scattered a number of men whom Clean Grit decided at a glance belonged to the Killers, and they evidently intended to command both ways of egress, while a little further down Cap- tain Kill himself, on foot, and alone, was striding boldly in the direction of the ‘men beyond. In his hand he upheld the white handkerchief the hustler had seen him draw from his pocket. ‘* Dollars to dimes those fellows over there are the Red Owls!” mentally exclaimed Clean Grit. ‘If they are you want to be ready for something else. It’s what I have been looking for all along, though I didn’t expect to see it. Kill thinks he has them in a box, and wants to trade—and I'll wager at half price. There will be fun amazing before this thing is done and over.” The band of Red Owls it was, and when Captain Kill halted near the center of the - valley, one of their number stepped forward oo after a hasty glance around went to meet im. The men had no great love for each other, if appearances could be trusted. They stood a little distance apart, watch- ing each other like hawks. There wasa good deal of pantomime about the confer- ence, and Clean Grit thought he could al- most foilow the course of their conversation through their gestures, It took time for them to come to anything like an agreement, and it was not until Cap- tain Kill drew from his breast a wallet, and held up what the boy supposed to be a sheaf of notes, that the leader of the Owls appear- ed to be satisfied. At sight of that he nodded, and leaving a standing there went hastily back to his wis. There he held a brief conference, and then returned. This time, however, he did not come alone, for with him he brought Helen Ford! Though he had been expecting it, Clean Grit started when he first recognized the girl, and leaned forward in breathless eager- ness. He knew there would be something startling for the next scene, He was right, for, as they came closer, Kill suddenly thrust away the notes and covered the other outlaw with the revolver in one hand while with the other he menaced Helen Ford. CHAPTER ZY. IT THUNDERS ALL AROUND, A very shrewd move it was, too. The Red Owls could see at a glance that if they should interfere it would result in the killing of their captain, while the men of Captain Kill could arrive on the spot as soon as themselves. The numbers on each side were so nearly equal that in a fight on the open pin it was no sure thing which side would win; and the prospective gain was so uncertain at the best, it was not likely many risks would be run for it. 4 ~~ Pott 4 . — “ is & J te er ae e* . *) . "a4 . Lae he Soy) - is aie anew . ‘WA, ants ° Poker Pete’s Double Dodgre. With the drop on him, and no one to come to his aid, there was nothing for the captain of the Red Owls to do but to submit to the terms of the other, though he did not like to be too prompt about it. As long as the band of Killers did not make an advance move- ment he was willing to temporize. At the last moment something might turn up in his favor. Something did turn up, but it was not by any means what he expected. Mounted on one horse, a man and a boy came shooting across the valley. They had struck out from the cover on the further edge, at some distance beyond where the Red Owls were gathered, and their move- ment was not seen by them, since all eyes were riveted on the scene in front of them. Straight as an arrow the animal bestridden by the two darted toward the spot where stood the chiefs, with Helen between them, and yet the Killers, too, were slow to note. Then, suddenly waking up to the fact that there was going to be some new hands in the game, the Killers burst out from their semi- concealment, and came charging down the slope, while the Red Owls hesitated no longer, but darted out to meet them. Both parties were making good time, and the distance was not far. \ If there had been the least hesitation the man and the boy— who happened, of course, to be Move-along Mike and Harker Hazen—would have been caught between the two lines and crushed. But they were in an earnest haste which admitted of no delay. As they rode up, Captain Kill shifted the aim of the pistol with which he had been covering Helen, and would have brought it to bear on young Hazen. He did not see the boy, who, an in- stant before, had slipped off from behind, but he felt his presence in a way that was unexpected and somewhat painful. Down came a cudgel upon his outstretched arm, and the pistol which was about to line Helen rolled into the dust. There was no time to stoop for it. ‘‘Amputate your mahogany!” shouted Mike. ‘‘ Get out ov ther push! It’s goin’ ter be dusty hyer, an’ we’ve no use fur you.” He caught Helen by the arm, and was drawing her away toward Hazen. If they could get her on the horse, which the two had stolen from the Red Owls when they made their escape, a short time before, there might be a chance for her to get away, and in the fight which Mike saw was coming, or ought to'come, he might pass unnoticed. Perhaps Helen was excited too badly to re- cognize her lover, She pulled away from Mike, and wheeling, darted down the valley adhe the two rapidly closing lines of out- aws. The movement had its use, wild though it was. With botb parties anxious to hold the gir} prisoner, each hesitated to fire, and while they thundered closer some one else took a hand inthe game. Clean Grit had seen the move of his two pards, and was not going to stay out of the circus, He gave the rein to his broncho, and came down the slope like a whirlwind. When Helen broke from the grasp of Move-along Mike he was not far behind, and it was his voice which a moment later caused all her coolness to come back to her. ; ‘‘ Steady, little woman!” he called, holding his horse well in hand. ‘‘Give a spring when [ catch you and I'll try to pick you up. I think we can make the riffle.” She recognized the voice of the boy hustler, and halting at once, stood expectant. He had tried such feats before, but was un- certain how far Helen would aid him, or hinder. Had it not been for that he would not have had a doubt. Tightly gripping the saddle with his knees he bent low, extending his arm, and just at the right moment she sprung to meet him, tai - $A), Fae j Fs 7) mst 4 we ‘ > ic ft +A 4 > % ‘as j hy as 4° al mt ie ae 4 4 ‘ AW" vt eee ih thai a Wiel ioe anced MAR Se ah eS ed A Na Wey Ade | WT ihe Che Fe ie te eee 445) 4 sia) | ud wo We -— “e - aa , , - ‘ S47 = ! OR ST en ye ae oli “> There was a heave, and something of a ~ ar scramble. Then, Clean Grit was away, with Helen on the saddle in front of him! “Tf they join in to take us, and fight afterward, I don’t know that we'll have much show; but we’re light-weights, and for a while we can hold our own with the best of them. Keep your head low, an’ we'll soon find out which way the bullets are going to fly.” ‘‘ But Harker, and that other lad?” gasped Helen, looking back over the shoulder of her young rescuer, ‘‘ They have risked all to save me; we dare not, we must not leave them.” ‘‘T noticed you were pulling out fast enough,” retorted Clean Grit, who was not averse to almost anything to keep Helen’s wits about her. ‘Harker is of age, and must be governed according. As for my pard—you shoot him from a twenty-four inch mortar and he would light right side up and ready to fight. Don’t worry about them. We're the poultry the infernal wolves bave set their hearts on having, and if they can’t slip clear in the racket they ought to go up the flume.” There was a rattle of firearms which near- ly drowned his words, and Clean Grit could not help looking back over his shoulder. Mike was stretched at full length on the ground, as motionless as a corpse, but some- how Clean Grit did not think he was very dead. Hazen was seeking the very cover where the boy hustler had been concealed; and the two chiefs were falling back on theirmen. When the apple of discord was snatched away from them they bad some- thing more important to think about than their differences. ! Such an exciting time would hardly have been complete without the crash of fire- arms, and that had begun. First, a shot or two had been simed at Clean Grit, and at the distance it scarcely seemed likely they would miss. ‘The hiss of the bullets showed the lead had come perilously near, but no blood was drawn, and then, rca the other side there wasan answer, which was directed at the fugitives. After that, the battle was joined, and just in time for the two in flight. They were by no means out of danger, but attention was drawn from them, the two gangs of pur- suers slackened their speed somewhat, to be ready for each other, and out from the double row of would-be captors the boy rode, with at last a fair start and plenty of hope. There was no time now to pick his course. He saw the ground. before him was open and smooth, and followed the trend of the valley, uncertain where it was going to lead him. He could see a long distance ahead, and though it narrowed in the distance he was not concerned for that, He hopea to finda path out of it before he had gone far, and if he could not shake off his pursuers per- haps be would have to cast his mount adrift and stand at héay,/if he could not find a place for concealment. Such an opening as he bad hoped for did appear, but it was rather sooner than he wanted to find it, for there were two or three mounted men who were holding their own, if ney were not closing up, Clean Grit might have passed it had it not been for a ringing hail. ‘“Ahoy, there! Clean Grit ahoy/ Run under my guns and I'll make the bloody land spiders sheer off.” The voice was familiar, but Clean Grit could hardly believe his senses. He had pees 80 gel ny’ Sam was een Mh i or dying, to have him appear here, rs) life dnd Aght, was a shock. But, Clean Grit was used to shocks. His ey life had been full of them. Without hesitation he swung sharply around to the left, and glancing upward saw ? : ric ' : . ( . 5% a3 ~" comicbooks viet j ale . - yy | , =. ( : (i sf * 4 eo, ™ ‘ = oe = ’ 7 > + ae Nay. Po w es j he Pe 4 a if a“