Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 90 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

| | | i i | -_——_—_— a ee oe i Hi Hi | iH! : | | ) | : \, 4 " , 12 - ———-—-- oe “Well, my Regulator, it seems we meet at last, as I have long wished,” ‘‘ This is not our first meeting, outlaw, and it will not be the last,” answered Waring, dog- gedly. ‘¢ Don’t be too sure of that; I have not wait- ed so long for this day to let you escape me now. No, Mark Waring; you will never live to see daylight again!” ‘Boast while you can, braggart,” retorted Mark; ‘‘ but remember that I have friends.” ‘‘None that can reach me,” replied the other, exultantly. ‘‘ My plans are laid for the future. Before the rising of another sun, I shall be leagues from here. Dog! it is you that has made me all this trouble! It was you that robbed me of Bessie Raymun that night! Curse you! I am not one to be baffled! I always triumph in the end. But in your dungeon awaiting death—starvation—you will have time to think of all this. Men, follow with him.” | Asthe outlaw ceased speaking, he plunged into the dark passago that led from the cavern, holding the torch so as to light up as much as possible the place of more than Stygian dark- ness. His followers, with Mark, kept close be hind. Threading the dismal passage, hommed in upon either side by walls of granite, now turn- ing to the left, then to the right, and again to the left, through another cavern, and then again following a narrow, circuitous passage- way, the masked outlaw at last paused upon the very brink of a black abyss. “There is your grave,” said the outlaw, pointing as he spoke to the frightful depths. ‘Tt is twenty feet to the bottom, with solid rock upon every side, and no chance of getting out; so don’t buoy up your hopes for nothing. You will not be the first who has perished there; let that console you.” Mark tried to free his hands, but in vain. In an instant he was being forced down the rope ladder that had been hanging from the place. As he was commencing the descent aided by a couple of his captors, the outlaw leader, re- moving his mask, hissed in the Regulator’s face ‘‘'This is what you get for crossing my path!” ‘Put on that mask again, Len Moore,” cried Mark, deflantly; “it becomes you, Black as the thing is, it is snow white compar- ed with your heart. But, your day of reckon- ing is not far distant! Remember my words, you are doomed—d-o-o-m-e-d/” he almost shouted. Taking up the words witha mournful ca- dence, the rocky walls echoed them again and again, till the whole cavern seemed filled with melancholy sound. Brave and reckless as he was, the outlaw chief could not repress a thrill of terror, and he could not free his mind of the conviction that forced itself upon him. A few minutes more and the outlaw’s flend- ish work had been consummated:—Mark War- ing was alone in that fearful dungeon, with no chance of egress, his hands still secured behind him, a prisoner doomed to starvation! As soon as he had recovered from the first shock of terror at his situation, he commenced to make a circuit of his narrow prison; but the cold, solid rock met him at every step—a wall of granite twenty feet in hight surrounding him upon every side! Suddenly his foot caught in something that made a rattling noise, when a phosphorescent light instantly sprung up from the corner, with a luminous brilliancy that re- vealed the skeleton of a former victim, who had perished in that dreadful place. Oh! the soul-sickening sense of horror that swept over his very soul, He, the strong-hearted man groaned in his utter despair and dread. CHAPTER XIV. THE REGULATORS TO THE FRONT. As the shrub gave away, Gil Rey felt him- self going down, down, into the ragged depths - below! Instinctively he closed his eyes, as if to shut out the fate awaiting him. But as the cliff receded from the bottom this somewhat The Dread Rider. retarded his progress, and clutching wild], the stunted bushes that grew upon its side, though they would not bear his weight, he was enabled to break the force of his fall, so that, save some severe bruises, he reached the ravine alive and unharmed. Hardly realizing for the moment his unex- pected escape, the Regulator staggered to his feet and leaned against the cliff. But the sound of a struggle above quickly aroused him, and though the bushes hid all from view, he felt that Mark was.in trouble; still he was powerless to help him. ‘Peg my buttons!” he ejaculated, in an un- dertone, “‘ but this am the wusserest fix I ever see’d. Mark’ll git gobbled up sartin; an’ hyar [ am with no show to help him. But I reckon Pd better git up an’ dust, else the varmints’ll hev my ha’r. Where’d my old shooter fall? I guess it am putty well bu’sted.” A moment’s search, and the Regulator found his rifle where it had fallen, sustaining no serious injury. Then, knowing that he could be of no help to Mark, and that his own safety demanded it, he made his way down the ravine as fast as possible, while exercising the utmost discretion. Gil Rey was none too soon in his flight. Almost immediately he found that he was pur- sued, and a wild race followed. The outlaws were familiar with every inch of the ground, and, in addition to this advantage, carried a torch, which greatly facilitated their progress, though it at the same time enabled the Regu- lator to tell their exact course, and thus ma- terially aided him. At last the old mountaineer succeeded in eluding his pursuers, and he felt that he had escaped for at least a time. But how should he act? Alone he could not hope to rescue Mark, supposing he was livirg, which seemed very doubtful. He knew of no better course than to return as expeditiously as possible to Chesterville for the Regulators, With this resolution, he left the ravine at the first possi- ble chance half a mile below; and in a cir- cuitous route commenced to make his way back to the glade, where Mark and himself had left their horses. After a somewhat perilous and laborious tramp, he reached the horses, which he found all right. Then, mounting his own, and lead- ing the other, he shaped his course for Chester- ville, It was long before day that Gil Rey reached the Prairie Home; but early as was the hour, a crowd had already gathered there of anxious, excited men. The Regulator was received with a glad welcome; but before he was allowed to tell his story, startling events were related by the others. Rose Conrad had been mysteriously ab- ducted. No traceof her could be found. And her father, Major Conrad, lay at the point of death, shot by a copper bullet ! No wonder then that the crowd was excited; no wonder they hailed the appearance of Gil Rey with delight, hoping as they did that he might bring the kéy to the mystery—some- thing in regard to the outlaws’ rendezvous that | they could at last act, and not remain longer | in the suspense of inactivity. When Gil Rey had told his story, no urging was needed on the part of the Regulators for an immediate departure to the Red Lands. All seemed willing and desirous for immediate action. As Curt Dash was still absent, no one know- ing where he was, the old mountaineer was unan- imously selected as leader and guide. ‘*By Randel Rock!” said the worthy named for that particular spot of the globe, “‘T’ll tell yer, boys, now we ar’ goin’ fur the Old Nick hisself, so jess fix yer old shooters with silver bullets, I hev got mine slung slick; an’ all I ask is to jess git my eye on the old cuss long enough to plum my weepon, an’ ef I don’t throw him cold, then yer ken say I’m a black an’ tan fool without enny top-knot, and speak my shooter without enny hind sight. Wagh!” ‘“Pho, Rock!” exclaimed burly Hank Web- ber, ‘*I reckon this ar’ chap that slings copper round so plenty, is no more or less than an, outlaw. A thing o’ lead’ll tote him off, Pll warrant.” ‘But why didn’t the cap’en’s?” asked Dandy Rock, slowly. ‘‘IT’ll tell yer, Hank Webber, this ar’ no outlaw, but a real live spook uv thet dead fellor uv a stranger.” ‘“What do speerits want 0’ wimmen-folks?” queried the other. How Rock would have answered is only to be guessed, for at this juncture a horseman was heard approaching, and in a moment Curt Dash, pale, haggard and ghostly, dashed up to the door, ‘Well, boys!” he cried, “ what’s up?” In a few hurried words, Curt was told what had transpired during his absence, and, also, the meditated plans for the future, “You are right, boys; we must move at once. Ihave come with the very same inten- tions, for Gil is not alone in his discovery of the outlaws’ retreat, as I, too, found their den this very night. The abduction of Miss Conrad and the capture of Mark make immediate ac- tion imperative.” ‘‘Ror God’s sake, cap’en! what’s been the trouble?’ cried Hank Webber, as he saw the deathly pallor of their leader’s face. ‘‘It is of no account now,” said Curt, “and I am a fool for showing it. But,” he added, slowly, ‘‘I cannot help shuddering as I think of it, though the danger is safely passed, After running the very gantlet of death from the outlaws, I was pursued to the edge of yon- der chaparral by that fearful phantom, the Dead Duelist, Every moment I expected would be my last, as I- heard the demon’s mocking laugh; but I have been spared, and I pray God I may live to see the mystery solved. A few minutes later the Regulators were mounted, and speeding away on their mission, CHAPTER XV. BAFFLED AGAIN,—RIDING TO DEATH. UNDER the guidance of Curt Dash and Gil Rey, the Regulators reached the ravine where their foes were supposed to be rendezvoused, without difficulty. Half a mile below the cavern, they halted, when it was decided that a reconnoissance should be made by a couple of them before proceeding further in a body. Curt and Gil volunteered their services; and after agreeing upon a signal should they get into trouble, the twain left their comrades for the perilous undertaking. Save the twittering of birds, not a single sound broke the morning stillness that hung over the ravine. More like phantoms than human beings, our Regulators glided noise- lessly along, keeping close under the cliff. At last the corral was reached, when to their surprise they found that the horses, which were there the night before, were all gone. What did it mean? ‘‘T am afraid we are too late,” whispered Curt; ‘this looks as if the birds had flown.” ‘‘ Gone off on a rampage, mebbe,” suggested ~ Gil; ‘“‘or p’r’aps they hain’t got back frum last night’s. S’posen we go up an’ see how it looks. I’m mighty shaky ’bout Mark an’ Miss Rose.” ‘We may be running into a trap,” an- swered the chief; ‘ but, be it as it will, I don’t see any better course. Now, be careful; a single misstep may cost us our lives.” As the Regulator ceased speaking, he com- menced the ascent of the path, closely followed by his companion. Slowly and cautiously they worked their way along, until at last they stood at the mouth of the chasm. No sentinel had met them there. All was as silent as death within. Should they run the risk of all danger and en- ter the cavern of midnight gloom? ‘‘We are in for it,” whispered Curt, tight- ening his belt a notch, and clutching his rifle Gomileoooks (E(0) he 7* Sone