Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 851 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Ps $e +y en Ao - > * f + * J% i 7 bd Ye i” re ag - mt : " Md ce + o 7 i + z 5 his sud only a question of time when it would be © Overruled, and. the rope would be noosed ae Inever noticed it except as belonging to a ee oer miss. Could it—can it e?” It was hardly possible flight could be kept up long at the gait at which the horseman started, and pursuit on foot was not alto- gether as wild a thing as it might have seem- = A one unacquainted with the lay of the and. Up to his feet sprung Briggs, thrustin away his weapon, so as to be Sniuramenbled in his movements, and with his elbows at his sides, after the fashion of a practiced runner, he struck in on the trail, following the foot- steps, the sounds of which were rapidly growing fainter. He trailed along for some distance, and the sound of a pistol-shot urged him to greater exertions. ) J ‘Curses on it,” he panted, as the sounds of the steps finally failed altoger. “The man was Morris Howe. Ghoul that heis, if he knows who he has in hand—and why else should he have taken her—her life is not worth a dime. He will kill her if no worse. I'll trail him to the Fair Dove Mine, and shoot him in his own shanty if I can do no better. Perhaps it will not be too late to save her.” He recognized the route as one by which the mine could be reached, and meant every word that was said. Only, for the time being the men of the Flat had been forgotten, Now that there was a fair distance between them they could have been circumvented easily enough, but they had ceased to enter into his calculations from the moment sight had been had of the fair, frightened face of the girl captive. But Sinners’ Flat was around—or, at least, that section of it represented by a determin- ed gang of would-be lynchers—and it was fated Charley Briggs should drop into their. hands after a fashion which rendered resis-- tance impossible. He came along carelessly enough, and several men, darting out from behind, threw themselves upon him and bore him to he ground. Before there was more than time for a mut- tered curse to leave his lips, a cord had been twisted around his wrists, and his captors were bending over to take a closer look at their find. *‘ It’s not the galoot ez downed pore Dave, but he’ll do jest ez well,” growled one who, with knee on his chest held a lighted match ' to his face. “Ef he didn’t kill Dave he warnted to, jest ther same, an’ we'll swing him off ter keep our han’s in tell we kin find his pard.” ‘** Reckon we ort ter give him some sort ov a show fur his white alley,” answered another. '** Guess we best take him back ter town an’ have him turned off regular like. P’raps we kin turn ’em both off ter wunst.” ‘‘An’ give him a chance ter git away an’ slaughter a few more good men like Dave. I vote ter turn him off right hyer, an’ now, an’ then keep mum about it. Ef we hed got his pard we’d’a’ put ’em all both up hyer an’ now, so what’s ther dif?” Charley Briggs was as silent asa wolfina here was no chance for resistance, and he knew that with these men talk would RY not count, There was something more be- hind all this than the shooting of Dave Johnson, or he was very much mistaken, Would he keep up that sort of nerve to _ the end? Faough there was still some objection to en taking off, the sport knew it was _ that was to end the struggle. _, There was just one point in the sport’s _ davor, and that was, the scarcity of rope, The Tie-To Sport. For a little it really seemed as though the execution would have to be deferred. Two or three belts and suspenders finally solved that difficulty, and with savage earnestness the tragic farce went on. ‘The rope was short but it was stout, and the noose that was made slipped as freely as though it had been of the best hemp. It could be utilized, and they intended to do it, doubly brutal as their method might be. ‘The end was made fast toa limb up to which one of the men had climbed; and he kept his perch, holdiug the noose open, to receive the neck of Charley Briggs, whom the rest were raising up. They meant strangulation, pure and simple, At the last moment the gambler found his tongue, ‘*One moment, men! listen!” His voice sounded no more like the care- less, cheeky Charley Briggs. The change was 80 great, one of the lynchers dropped his hold and staggered back. ‘*Curse you fur a coward!” shouted the leader—he who had insisted on an immediate execution. As he spoke his hands sought Briggs’s throat, cutting off further speech. ‘*Up with’ him, an’ ef Tom don’t like it we kin put him alongside ter keep him com- pany. All tergether, now!” ‘* S'kassly!” chirped a shrill voice, ‘* | reckon it ’ll be one at a time onless yer han’s all goes up tergether. On’y time ov askin’, Drap that an’ git, afore I put the brand on.” Billy Jingle did not intend the force of his words should be lost by waiting long for an answer, About the time they had fairly left his mouth he began to shoot; and his first shot went plowing along the shoulder of the a up the tree, just fairly breaking the skin. With a howl of dismay he plunged head- forward toward the ground. Underneath him was the group supporting Charley Briggs, and as he descended spread- eagle fashion he was able to take them all in, just as another shot from Billy’s revolver hurtled over their heads. The men stumbled this way and that, and each one was more than half-sure the bullet had struck him. Charley Briggs was allow- ed to drop unheeded while they took to their heels instanter, It was a rout as sudden as it was, to all parties concerned, unexpected. ‘*Ha, ha!” laughed Billy, darting toward the prostrate gambler. ‘They are awful sinners, but they ain't got sand fur a cent,” His keen knife quickly divided the cords at the wrists of the late captive, and Char- ley’s hands at once went for the revolvers which no one had thought worth while to remove. ‘*Sinners they are, but when they hunt together they have the courage of a pack of wolves. They may be back on us any minute, Come, before they get here, Tuere’s one or two in that crowd who can shoot very straight.” ‘‘That’s right. Glad ter see yer gittin’ a& move On OV some kind, Whar ye think ov goin’ to?” ‘* Straight to the Fair Dove Mine. There’s business there for me to do, and if I had the time, and dared to go back to the Flat, I’d never go alone,” ‘‘Ner ye won’t either, pard. I reckon I’ve biz thar meself, an’ ef I don't hev ter ut ther brand on it ’ll perobably be acause 've grow’d colder than this hyer iron, This are ther way I heat her up.” He threw out the empty shellsas he spoke, and thrust in fresh cartridges. His brand- ing-iron was ready, and unlike Dell Ham- mond, Briggs did not disdain the aid of the boy, for together the two left the spot, For heaven’s sake 11 CHAPTER XII. MORRIS HOWE’S MERCY, Tue clutch on Stella Stone’s throut was: more for warning than harm. It gave her a. taste of what she might expect if she did not yield promptly. W hen it loosened a little, the voice of the man hissed into her ear: ‘‘This time I take it in hand myself, and there will be no getting away. Submit. quietly and you have a chance for your life. Make any resistance or outcry and I will wring your neck like I would that of a spring chicken, You ought to know if I have the strength.” She certainly did know. The gripe on her neck® had not been there for long, but it had left a mark that would stay for some time, and she was even now in the dazed condition of one who has been thoroughly well choked. It was useless to ask the cause of this treatment. Her heart misgave her. Steve Bradley had failed him, and Morris Howe was taking up the business himself. After the warning of the road-agent she knew she would have to expect the worst if she fell into his hands. The flight went on without more words. Before very long they flitted past a small party of men, one whom tried to stop them, and fired a pistol-shot which hummed peril- ously near to the head of the man behind her, but Stella was not sure whether she wanted their aid. Men wandering on the mountain-side’ at his time of night were not the safest of all ties for young ladies such as she. There was one thing which offered her some consolation when she was cool_enough to think about it. If she managed to get safely out of the clutches of the man, she ought to take with her considerable information about his in- tentions, which she could have gathered in no other way. } Perhaps this abduction would turn out to have been for the best, after all. And if she did not get away? Well, Stella Stone was no coward. She recognized that there was a chance against. her as well as in her favor, but as she had not invited the risk’, so she would not shrink from it. If the worst came to the worst she would probably find out the fate of her father before she went. Meantime, where was he veges her? She had not yet learned much in regard to the environments of the Flat, and all she knew was that he had turned aside from the trail she had previously followed, and thus had avoided the spot where the man who had called himself Adam Druyer had come to her rescue a little while before, Perhaps Captain Brand, or some of his satellites, would turnup again, In that case the end would not be quite so bloodless as when she was taken out of Steve Bradley’s. hands, The man offered no further explanations, Stella could see that he was all the time on the alert, and was sure any attempt to es- cape would find him ready to thwart it. After what seemed to her a very long and wearisome ride he came to a place where there were signs of settlement and work, A rude cabin lay against the side of the mountain, and near to it were several open- ings in the ground. ‘Tt is a mine,” she thought. ‘‘What if it is the Fair Dove, and I should find poor father’s bones? I wonder if I would recognize them. I wonder more if I could bring this man’s crime home to him?” The man came to a halt, and cautiously dismounted. He evidently did not intend to give her the least chance of escape, since, when he slid from the horse, he drew her with him so that she fairly tumbled into his arms, “ : ” E | - ) big Y, ‘ - < We aa re | — - it a = ® = 4a ° 2 ’ - —_ - a ‘ me eekll” P¥e nd -* - — « vo SSeS + eee te we q = > a eee wd SS ee » i y + ut “_e PPT ad |