Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 851 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

—S - — a ® 4 . @ J : : = €' # wt ™ Pe ° eee > ~S. oe +. at — ——- 4 a" a bs = 4, * ~~ a) uy é : sf x — 4 a. oh ae oS be , a cr) aon, ea ', i, ~ hak PAs fet ES Mave we a ; “~ Ves asa) - A te” ‘ ‘ “RA ~ ~~ -? ~{, Bec air So . ~ 10 «Sorry I haven’t time to stop and tell him so, but 1 reckon he’ll catch on to it shortly after the crowd does.” Voices near to him caused his reflections to take another turn. The rear of the house was evidently guarded. A. man or men had been stationed there, and aman or men had just come hurrying to the spot. ‘ You bet it’s a racket,” one of them was saying. ‘* We got Captain Brand, the road-agent, cooped in there, and the boys are just getting away with him. If he comes out of this door, plug him!” ‘*Sounds as though he might be gettin’ away with ther boys,” suggested one of the party. ‘You can’t scoop up that sort without more than fun.” ‘*Right you are. He and his pard salted down Dave Johnson, and have salivated two or three more. They passed the word along, but I tell you they are bound to have him.” It seemed possible no one thought or knew of the fact that the men detailed to guard the windows had both been downed, and that avenue of escape was open. Hammond fancied it would be best to leave the region before they did, though how to go without ehescr apd attention was not so easy to deter- mine. The Gates of Glory was a nucleus towa.d which men were running from all directions, While he hesitated, looking this way and that, Billy Jingle’s paw was hooked under his arm, ‘*This way, pard. It looks dusty, but the road are level. I give’em somethin’ ter think about, an’ I shouldn’t wonder ef I put the brand on two or three. Better come erlong with yer grandpap an’ hunt a hole.” ‘I'm huntin’ a hole, right enough, but I’m not so sure I'll find it in time, Stop your a and goto hunting if you mean sport, f rot, clear out!” ‘*This way, then. I jest wanted ter know ef I war ter count yer in.” He stood and stole off at right angles, fol- lowed by the sport. Billy knew what he was aiming for. In the rear of a shanty not more than a dozen paces away there was an old ditch which offered the best kind of an avenue for re- treat. Along this they stumbled for some dis- tance, while the noises in their rear showed they were being sought after principally in the opposite direction. ‘‘Guess Briggsy are drawin’ them that way, an’ I must say, I ain’t a-keerin’, Ef they ketch him they’ll hang him, but that’s twiste ez good ez though they hung me, I’m leavin’ town, how are it with you, pard?” “Oh, I guess I will hardly go yet. Ican slip around to my room and wait till the tide goes down,” ‘No, you cain’t mister, fur hyer they come now. Legs, do yer duty!” The heavy tramp of half a dozen men running at coe rate came quite plainly to their ears. If they bad thought of the ditch and were now following its course it would not be long before they would give the sig- nal which would draw the rest of the gang thither. 7 Billy. waited for no answer, but shot away as fast as his little legs could carry him, never once looking over his shoulder, Dell Hammond would have followed, but at that instant an unlucky misstep caused him to stumble, and seeing he could scarce] save himself from falling he allowed himself to drop to the ground, Then, he rolled over and over a few times, and remained quiet. | The fact was, he knew that if he rose from the ground he would be seen, and he did not think he was ‘bound to show himself : dee 4 » vee ~ “ mA es o : $ 2 . u } 7 7 . t. ir . . A ‘ . ¥ > * ar be. ->A Mr a ee s & a me . ; — K a Se - ~ 3 31 > < 7 { ‘s Vivgs Les » - ae ~~ d ” Wiad a — a : ¥ ve Be a : A Ne a dele iN ape re The Tie-To Sport. simply because the plunging steps of the boy in advance could still be distinctly heard. The crowd rushed past, in the wake of the boy, and then he rose asd followed. ter goit alone say yer an’ go hunt fur that man Briggs.” ‘ Don’t you think you had better go now? Your infernal chinning will bring all the It | Flat this way; and no doubt Briggs needs struck him it would not be the fair thing to | you more than I do.” desert the lad, for the tender mercies of such men as those were cruel, and if they thought Billy had designedly led them off the trail— even if they had no other account against him—they might do murder. In this way the chase kept up until they were well out of the camp. Perhaps Billy Jingle played the same game the sport tried, At any rate, he appeared to sudden- ly vanish without track or sound, and hear- ing him no longer the men from Sinners’ Flat came to a halt, fairly puzzled at the disap pearance. ‘* Bet yer a dollar he’s dodged around an’ got back ter ther town, ef that war him,” said one voice; and then others chimed in, giving different views of the situation. Back in the town lights were glancing, and there were the shouts of men who were running to and fro, ‘The Sinners were in dead earnest, and appeared to have turned out en masse for a grand batteau. After some consultation in a low tone the party divided up. Two remained standing with drawn pistols, watching and listening, two went back to- ward the camp, while the rest stole carefully along in the direction the fugitive seemed to be going the last they heard of him. It was plain they were not altogether cer- tain they had been on the right track. Had they been so they would have given a general alarm. With such evidences of determination Hammond saw that he could not regain the town without a fight. He was an exile, and all that was ieft for him to do was to get as far away from the place as quickly as possible, So far as knowledge of location went he was altogether iost, He knew nothing about the approaches to the Flat save the trail by which he had en- tered it, and he had not taken particular notice of that, nor did he have the least idea of whereabouts it lay. The best he could do was to seek a hiding place and wait for daylight to decide upon the final line of retreat. It was ticklish work edging away from the spot where he had been lying, but the at- tempt had to be made, and very cautiously did he move away, flanking the two sen- tinels, and avoiding the route taken by the rest, He might run upon some of the latter at any moment, He went slowly, but he went surely. No attention was attracted in his direction, and in ten minutes or so it seemed he was fairly ont of the dangerous neighborhood, and could draw a long breath. As he gave a sigh of relief he heard a low laugh almost at his elbow and Billy Jingle was around as usual, ) “Mighty close cutting, but I got a fair gaan outen the piece ov cloth, One time tho’rt I’d have ter draw my poppers, and slap ther brand on, but I reckon they kin run wild fur mavericks a bit longer.” ‘A young man about your size will get more than branded, with your fool capers, some of these times. I'd like to know who is running this thing, you or I, And I'll swear, I don’t see what call you have to chip anyhow, <A sweet youth of your age ang appearance ought to be at home and in e ue? The sport could hardly be angry with the boy, though it appeared to him he was getting to be something of a nuisance. ‘*In bed, yer grandfather! Whar would ou come out at ef Billy Jinglean’ his brand- n’ irons wa’rn’t around. Foller me, an’ ef I don’t lead ter glory I’ll show yer a road | outen ther wood, After that, ef yer want ‘‘Dunno. He's a young man ov gand, though, onfortunately, it runs out by ther time ther pinch comes. Ef it’s his time on he’s a roarin’ lion ov ther archipelergoes, an’ ef it ain’t he’s a spring lam’, with green peas an’ sparrowgrass. I don’t take much stock in him, an’ I kinder think he’s a-runnin’ yit.” ‘* No doubt, if he thinks you are coming on his trail. For a small boy with great gall you take the cake, I think [ll run myself.” The conversation had been carried on in a careful tone. Without waiting for answer Dell started off at a rapid rate, Lilly did not attempt to follow. He folded his arms and looked after the vanishing shadow, ‘Never mind, young man,” he muttered, ‘‘You’ll come my way before ther night are over, an’ ef Sinners’ Flat comes with yer ’li most likely hev a chaince ter slap on me brand.” CHAPTER XI. THE BOY, AND THE MEN, Wuen Charley Briggs went out of the window he had no idea of further flight than the rear of the house. He gave one glance over his shoulder to see that the Tie-to Sport was following in his wake, and then pushed on to clear the way. The men on guard were a revelation, and he began to see it was a more serious situa- tion, even, than he had thought. For an instant he stood irresolute, looking backward, and saw Hammond come sailing through the window. Then, at the noise of running footsteps he broke away in a flight so silent that Dell failed to catch a sight of his flitting figure. After he had once begun to move, circum- stances kept him moving on. He was not far ahead of Billy Jingle when that interest- ing youth was trying to throw the pursuers off the track, and he kept up his rapid pace — for half a mile or more without pausing to look back. Then, he broke into a laugh and threw himself down by the side of the trail. ‘Well, for asport of my experience I do take the most foolish panics now and then that man ever dreamed of. Ifit was not so ther word an’ I'll drop ‘oe i< ~~ - * La . *¢ . > 7 —< Sex 2 , + * ae “= —— ee ridiculous it would be infernal, and I don’t a know that I would care to meet Daisy Dell ¥ is e be ; v4 in the morning.” He started and looked up, even while he was thinking this. further off. If some one was getting into position to” f ea command the road, Charley Briggs was de- termined to ‘hold his advantage, and he bent forward, though beginning to be uncertain xo ee whether the lurker was man or beast . What he saw wasthe capture of Stella as Be é detailed in a preceding chapter. From the time she came into view—and in ; the dim light she was none too clearly to be He heard light footsteps = near him, and the clatter of a horse’s feet =~ seen—until her captor was dashing away, was so brief a space it was a wonder Briggs — aia recognized her at all. He did, though, and flung v : training his gun to bear on the back of the weird horseman as he turned a | More than one reason held his tightning on the trigger. fi) A. bullet which struck the one might well a pierce both; and, hit or miss, the report | Ve: oe would be sufficient to guide all Sinners’ Flat to the spot. “@reat heavens! It is the girl who came ~ in on the stage, and—and—that face! Strange: ) nger from + * Oy aed or: z ry - toa , 2." _~ <5 * a 7 - r it ty N 9 a a? x * w - * eat ay - up his hand, 9 Lg aan “<“wen a — T° ° e Shae >. eee} —* 4 ~*~ ° 7 = a. Soe eae ° a on, gas a eee A . 7 S as --_ é . -~ od < a Ws =e! i" . ~: a ee pe aes at’ a ee