Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 90 — page 14: what you’re looking at

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

J —— ——— —— ST ee | | — a oe + eee ee —————— = ic Fe ge ee ee ee ee eee ee il A ll a a I A A AALS LS, The Dread Rider. on the awe-stricken group, his piercing eyes wandering from one to another, till they seem- ed to become fixed upon Mexican Pete! With a wild agonizing cry asif reading his doom, the Regulator attempted to reach his horse, from which he had dismounted a mo- ment before. But no; that death-dealing rifle, already stained with human blood was brought to bear upon him, One despairing glance he cast around, hoping for an avenue of escape; but that grim muzzle alone seemed to meet his gaze. Then, with the frantic energy of a dying man, hesprung forward, and with a de- fiant yell, seized Rose Conrad, holding her be- fore him, completely shielding his form. As Mexican Pete held Rose before him, so that a shot from the strange horseman must inevitably hit her before touching him, he commenced to back toward the ravine, where the pathway made a descent practicable. Then the others saw his bold design; but would it succeed without a fearful sacrifice? A moment of intense suspense, and ‘ Pete has gained the canon’s brink; one instant more and he will be down its precipitous side, safe. But hold! Another laugh, and the Dead Duelist glances along the barrel of his rifle. Quick as a flash Vall Deckers and Curt Dash raise their rifles but not soon enough to avert theimpending shot. The quick spang of the rifle, and the bullet has gone on its mission; the fatal deed is done! One Leg, the Dead Duelist, has scored another victim. CHAPTER XVII. THE NIGHTTERROR. WirH a wild death-cry, Mexican Pete threw up his arms, and fell half-way down the canon’s bank, where a bowlder caught his lifeless body. Rose Conrad also uttered a sharp piercing shriek, and would have fallen back into the depths had it not been for Dandy Rock Randel, who sprung forward and received her in his arms as tenderly as if she had been an infant, and carefully laid her upon the green sward. jn an instant the others press around, with eager, anxious faces. ‘* My God! this is terrible!” cried Curt Dash. ‘‘Ts she dead?” ‘‘Dead!” echoed Rock. ‘Lord bless ye, cap’en, she hain’t even scarred. The Regulator was right. Rose had not been touched; and save the fright she had received, was unhurt. In a few minutes she was herself again. “Wal, dog my cats!” exclaimed Hank Web- ber, “this ar’ a glad s’prise. But I reckon poor Pete hain’t fared so well.” ‘¢Whar’s my shooter?” suddenly cried Rock. “‘T jess want to try my silver slug on them fire-balls.” sé Shoo |”? The exclamation was jerked from the Regu- lator by the discovery that the mysterious horseman had suddenly disappeared. In the confusion he had been temporarily forgotten, and had silently withdrawn, unobserved by all, though it seemed impossible. “Wal, I reckon it am all fer the best,” said Rock, slowly, after a pause; “‘my narves are all in a stew now.” ‘‘Hyar, Gus, lend us a hand,” cried Hank; and a few minutes later the body of Mexican Pete was brought up the bank, and laid upon the level ground. A hurried examination of the wound was sufficient to solve the mystery of Rose Con- rad’s escape, and his sudden death. He had been shot through the forehead, and thus his head must have been a little higher than hers, probably in looking over to watch his ‘enemy; and upon that hair’s-breadth the Dead Duelist, with his unerring skill, had risked and done so much. “Well, boys,” said the Regulator chief, as he arose from the side of their dead comrade, ‘‘ another one of us has gone, without a single blow in defense. How long is this going to coutinue? until we all fall victims to that fiend, and to Black Wayne and his tools? Men, we have too long been inactive. We must do ———— Se — —— something to stop this, or the consequences will be upon our own heads,” ‘Right, pard,” exclaimed Dandy Rock; ‘sive us yer paw on that, But I’ll bet yer my top-knot thet Rock Randel ’ll be the one to lay out thet spook. Wagh!” no one was inclined to accept the wager, Rock seemed to have the field to himself. Rose Conrad, nearly exhausted after the trying scenes through which she had passed, was anxious to return home. So it was de- cided that four of the Regulators should go back to Chesterville with her, while the others remained in the Red Lands. Soon Rose and her escorts were bidding the others adieu. ‘Well, Rock,” she said, holding that worthy’s hand, ‘‘I suppose you feel better now you and Mr. Deckers are even. I can not find words to—” “There, there, Miss Rose, don’t. As Vall said, it war nothin’, noth—” and here the speech of the confused Regulator actually broke down. Evidently, he was not so well prepared to receive his thanks as he had ex- pected. As the homeward bound ones took their de- parture, Curt and the others turned their at- tention to the burying of their unfortunate friend. Just as the solemn task was ended, Gil Rey and his party returned, startled to learn of the fearful events that had transpired during their absence. They had ascertained nothing new. The out- laws had escaped them, though they had traced them as far as Chester plain, where they lost the trail, and could not find it again. “‘Come, cap’en, what’s the word?’ demanded Hank Webber. ““ Well,” answered the Regulator chief, after a pause, ‘‘the outlaws have left here now, it is true; but I believe itis only a temporary ab- sence. Therefore my idea is to scout around here as quietly as possible to-day; and to-night perhaps something will turn up in our favor. Some of them may return, and if so, we must be on our watch, and effect their capture. Then, indeed, we shall be on the road to suc- cess.” Slowly the hours wore away, till another day had gone. Nothing had happened worthy of recording; and at its close the Regulators tethered their horses, and made a few hasty preparations for a night’s bivouac upon nearly the same spot where Gil Rey met Mark War- ing the night they discovered the bandits’ re reat. ' Two of their number were absent; and the others were becoming uneasy, fearing some- thing had befallen them. | Vall Deckers, selecting Gil Rey as a com- panion, the two had gone back to the outlaws’ cave, to search in its subterranean cavities for some clue of their missing friend. Since noon they had been gone, and Hank Webber and Long Gus were about to volunteer to go in search of their comrades, when, suddenly, a horseman was heard approaching from the prairie at a smart canter. The Regulators sprung to their feet, as the rider dashed into the valley; when, catching sight of them, he turned abruptly toward the Red Lands. | It was Black Wayne, the masked outlaw. Curt Dash, first to act, sent a rifle-ball after the fast receding bandit. Mounting and riding in hot haste followed. But it was in vain; for from the beginning the outlaws had seemed to be endowed with a charmed existence, and the Regulators doomed to disappointment. The Regulator chief, foremost in the wild chase, was last to return. But he had neared the valley, when the sound of a low, mournful cry caused him to stop. Then, though not a single living object, man or beast, save his own, was in sight, he distinctly heard the hoof- strokes of a horse approach—pass him! and then a laugh, the report of a rifle, the shriek of a dying person, the falling of a body, and another laugh succeeded, followed by the still- ness of death. It was the exact repetition of what he and Vall Deckers heard back of the Prairie Home, Brave and reckless as Curt Dash was, really fearing nothing in flesh and blood, his face paled to a ghostly hue, and he actually fled. CHAPTER XVIII DANDY ROCK TRIES THE VIRTUE OF HIS SILVER BULLET,—A SCENE OF TERROR, Git Rey and Vall Deckers are re . Soon they have tethered their horses, and are about to join their comrades. But sud- denly, just by the edge of the valley, they pause. Their companions watch them in won- der. Yet only for a moment. Out from the growth above bursts the Dead Duelist. On he came right toward them. -As he neared the Regulators, he instantly stopped; and though it was then quite dark under the thick timber of the bottom, his form was distinctly seen, his movements terribly ap- parent. With a laugh, he raised his rifle and glanced along its length. Gil Rey uttered a cry of ter- ror, for the weapon was pointed at him, A blinding flash—a deafening report! Vall Deckers, seeing his companion’s with his quick decision bounded forward, with almost superhuman agility, reached the side of the strange rider, to throw up the barrel of his rifle, just as the shot was fired; the bullet missed its mark; Gil Rey was saved. The maddened fiend turned upon Vall. He half raised his rifle, and then, as if realizing it was empty, he dashed wildly through the growth for the prairie beyond. Vall fired after his retreating form, but the shot seemed to have no effect. ‘* By Randel Rock!” he cried, as the horseman turned from Vall; ‘‘I’m jess the old coon to do it, an’ I will! I know thet ’llfetch him! Won’t I make ’em spile! Now, or never! Wagh!” He rushed forward to intercept the Phan- tom Rider. Evidently, Rock meant business, He was going to risk his fate where others had failed; try the supposed charmed virtue of a silver bullet where lead would have no effect, ‘‘ Hilloa there, Mister Spook!” cried Rock as he came out upon the edge of the prairie di- rectly in the path of the oncoming rider. Whether the words, or the sudden appear- ance of the Regulator was the cause, the horse- man quickly wheeled to make off in an oppo- site direction. ‘‘Hyar, yer infernal One! yer don’t git off in thet way!” shrieked Rock. Asif in answer to the threat, the strange rider turned and rode swiftly down under the shade of the timber, Calmly Rock awaited the onset. Lreathless the Regulators in the background watched the scene. If the horseman thought to intimidate Rock, he failed; thus, if he was a human being in -flesh and blood, he seemed rushing to certain destruction, for the Regulator was a good shot, and stood his ground with rigid determination. ‘‘ Take thet, old Tearer!” cried Dandy Rock, as, with quick but certain aim, his finger pressed the trigger. Butto his dismay his rifle hung fire! - ‘Good God! ’m a goner!” fairly shrieked the terrified Regulator, as the grim rider still kept on. Then, with one dismal howl, he drop- ped his rifle, and fled for dear life. The horseman, with a laugh, changed his course a trifle, and did not attempt to follow his discomfited assailant, There is a limit even to the bravery of brave men. Rock, actually overcome with fright and running, fell headlong into a thicket, groaning: ‘Don’t! don’t! Mister Stranger! I war in fun! I didn’t ’tend ter—” ‘What are you about here?” suddenly asked Curt Dash, as he and the others reached the spot in season to hear their companion’s pitiful supplications. ‘““Ts he g-g-gone?”’ gasped Rock. “Yes; this half hour” answered Hank. ecom | | | | JOOKS CoM