Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 901 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

. o ’ ay ot - . e) Pe * aa i? . _—— : f a « . ? * ~ +’ -— - ee te 5 ‘ ~ - —_—_——— a POE Pe = - “=, 2 - ; EST PS . * _ Fad * - ~<a « * a." &-~ a | 7 Mee * < —— bi a + ‘i " ae 4G em, d . : i] > bs ap ae e . * e + — 7 or ™ - — > a - > =, a. ¥ > ‘<< “ ey * } - »- , less question of the captain, as he halted in + of ear, te he if 1 - : ? ie : \ an ‘ ‘ J, _* 4° a - * a) ry}. ‘brought down; and he is going to come * Daddy Grimes was very much like plaguing ,* ‘ ; no ways ’larmed, so fur. _ wipe the’r old shoes on. at way I'd say they oughter be brungdown a te. Dit.” ee, - down, too, with a vengeance. __ cessary to do now is to deliver the goods.” 4 > b : ’ ~~ 2 him ter come, an’ ef he throws that out to a big figger ther boys will swear by him, We pin lettin’ him slip erlong ez though we _ didn’t know he war a big, fat angel, an’ I ‘war ’feared he war goin’ ter slip through, alltergether. Et’s bin kinder workin’ us Diamond Dave, the ) ‘ ee e % s you hy be handing over the coin to take us | anything to complain of. You have to _ @broad.’’ have gloves on when you undertake to handle John Malloy, and if luck had not been in our favor I would not have cared to undertake it even then. Ill be all-fired glad when we get safely out of the mix with our little ten thousand ahead,” ‘Ten thousand ain’t much fur a man like him. We ain’t gen’rally makin’ a strike ov less than twice that, an’ ther boys—well, The bandit had brought Jolin Malloy to | mebbe they won’t kick, but they’ll do a bis terms, so there was no need to waste | heap ov thinkin’ ef it ain’t up to ther more time, or run further risks of being | av'rige.” ‘geen. With a few parting cautions he with- | ‘* Let them think, Daddy; but beware drew, and as he went he thought: ‘how you talk, It might lead some of them ‘The Irishman is no fool, anyway; and | into trouble. I’m running this outfit, and I yet, if he knew what a bold, big bluff I was | know just about what ought to be the limit making he might have hesitated over sign- | of the game. And I know that when you ing that check.” : wolves once begin to growl it’s not long be- , fore you follow it up with a bite,” ‘* Better not ter make ‘em growl, then, Cap. £f you’d jest run’em a leetle keer- ful like, thar would be neither growlin’ ner bitin’.” There was a shade of slinking insolence in the words, and the manner in which they were spoken; but the captain seemed not to notice it as he answered: ‘* An angel from heaven couldn’t run such a gang to suit all parties concerned, and I’d hardly be likely to try it. Right between the bark and the bite I prefer to shoot. Take care, old man, that I don’t have to be- gin with you.” He turned away toward the inner room, and Daddy followed, looking up from un- der his grizzly eyebrows with a steady stare. He knew, or thought he knew, that his life was hanging in the balance, yet he never se ete or gave token that he was suspect- ed. ‘¢ What's ther next move on ther program?” he asked ‘‘Orders are orders, an’ when I git ’em I foller ’em, but ef I don’t git ’em how kin |) a : ‘Lay low and keep your eyes open—all, There is only one danger—that some blun- dering fools may track us over from the rail- road, and try to drive us out of here before we are ready to go. If they wait till I get back it won’t make so much differ- _ ** You divil! 1 bel’ave ye wa'd troy it on. Here’s your check, an’ Oi'll keep me min away av Oi can, but Oi won’t answer for thim av yez wait too jong. Av they foind out the truth they’ll folly ye to the death. ’ Malloy had evidently been prepared for this result to the interview, and took outa eheck which had already been filled up. + | CHAPTER XII. DADDY GRIMES GOES INTO BUSINESS, BELLE Maxwoy knew that joking with 7 a tiger when the tiger is loose. At the same time, she had been rather an imperious bit of mischief all her life, and hardly knew what fear meant. Daddy did not have a very com- fortable time, while waiting on the ladies. He took it all without more than an occa- sional snarl, and finally left them once more to their own resources, having fed them well, and defeated their efforts to gain any infor- mation which might show how the land lay. ‘The future remained as uncertain as ever. Had they been able to follow Daddy “Grimes, and could they have heard his re- marks made to his companions shortly after Jeaving them, they might not have settled -down to the business of waiting with quite so | good a grace. Time wore on, however, ‘and at last the uard outside halted the returning Captain Jurse long enough to make sure of his iden- tity—and to put those inside on their guard, It was intended the gang should carry on business on military lines, but when the cap- tain was away discipline frequently relaxed. lf Curse could have dropped down upon his men unheralded there would, perhaps, have been something darker than a frown under Serna reer er _-- -—— his mask. ‘ence. It is about time to skip this ranch _ addy Grimes came forward to meet him, | anyhow.” . SGI | and gave the customary military salute with | ‘‘ An’ ther gals—what’s ter be did with ’ all his usual exactness. them?” ‘Don’t worry about them. I can run the rest of the affair, and I’m taking them along with me, Don’t make me tell it over again.” The captain spoke irritably, yet without “All right here, eh, Daddy?” was the care- front of his lieutenant. ‘‘ Right ez usu’l. They don’t ’pearter be They stuffed their- ‘selves jest too full, an’ if they stayed hyar much longer, thar would be a famine in ther Jand.” | | ‘Glad to hear it. Didn’t want to break could answer he had passed into the presence ‘their nerves up, or scare them a bit ra | of the young ladies. ‘‘T hope I come as a messenger of good ee gs,’ was his salutation, given with a low Ww. . ‘‘In the line of business we have put you to some unavoidable inconvenience, but I hope you wit consider it in the light of an adventure; and be none the worse for it. All the arrangements have been satisfacto- rily made, and I have come to escort you to what you will probably consider a place of safety.” 3 | Vera gave a little cry of delight, and clasped her hands. Belle Malloy drew her- self up into as stately a position as she knew how to assume, and stood waiting to hear more, “* Your mother, Miss Vane, has béen taken to the residence of Mr. Malloy, with whom I have concluded negotiations; and in the course of a couple ‘hours you will doubtless be in herarms. You are not required to thank me, though I flatter myself I have looked after your welfare as wellas you could ‘than was necessary. Such valuable goods ought to be delivered in good order if we ~want to make moncy in a trade.” ‘* Val’lyble they orter be, fur they treat a ‘man ez though he warn’t good enough ter Ef 1 war axed my “Tt’s the old man who wants to be I’ve seen him, and the deal has been made, All that is ne- ‘* Good, hard cash are ther way we wants Up. iat, Me Which all came from wanting to meddle | have done it yourself.” with matters that didn’t concern ‘b ae you. I| His tone was bantering, yet it was not Gilt-Edge Shooter. == # © ——_— ee Tere tere 4) rh ter ° v ¢ wo: Fs sD re a ae Oe ‘5 id think he was much more of a gentleman than they had thought a train robber and an outlaw could be. Vera looked straight into his eyes, which met her gaze without ever flinching. This was all business, and as such was something the captain tried pot to be ashamed of. ‘‘And mother—does she know?’ gasped the young lady. ‘“ Probably she does by this time. Malloy knows he can trust me, just a8 I have trusted him, and doubtless has informed her, since he would be sure he would be raising no false hopes, I know the meeting will be an affecting one, and I am only too sorry that I will not be able to witness it; but John would hardly care to bring her to the trysting-place. If you are ready we may as well set out.” ‘‘We have been ready all the time,” qua- vered Vera, more and more overcome with delight; but Belle Malloy was watching Daddy Grimes, and she suddenly threw her hand to her bosom, as she did so ex- claiming: ‘“Look out!” Strange as it might seem, the caution was intended for Captain Curse. It came too late. There was the sharp re- port of a’pistol, and the captain fell, drilled through and through, while Daddy Grimes, leaping forward, stood over his body with a smoking revolver in his hand. The shot acted like a signal. Half a dozen of the masked marauders rushed into the room, flourishing weapons, but stopped near the threshold when they saw what had been the meaning of the re- ort. / ‘‘ All over an’ done fur,” said Grimes, composedly. ‘‘Only took narve an’ good shootin’. He ain’t more ner ary other man ef yer hits him whar he lives. He’ll never slaughter any more ov the boys; an’ I reckon we're jest ther half ov ten thousand in, an’ ef ye’r’ game ter try ther racket, thar ain’t no reason why John Malloy shouldn't bleed ten thousand more.” — ‘“We're game ter try it ef yer thinks itll work,” said one of the men, though he turned his eyes away from the still quiver- ing heap on the floor, | 3 ‘In course it’ll work. It’s got ter work. Thar’s ther capital fur our business, an’ cz long ez we hold on ter it we kin git ary per. centage we ax,” and he pointed at the shiver- ing girls. CHAPTER XIII. ) THE TEST OF THE TORTURE. Joun Maitoy kept his own counsel, und any actual anger; and before Daddy Grimes ! amused Mrs. Vane with a fairy story which . fitted the case as wellas he knew how to make it, She was half dead with fear and anxiety and he could have been pardoned for trying any scheme to allay her nervous dread. He really stretched the truth less than he knew when he told her that a band of resolute men were on the trail, and that they would follow the outlaws, on whose trail they had thrown | themselves, and make a rescueif it was with- in the bounds of possibility. If they failed there was still every reason to hope, as he had taken means to open coms munication from another side, and stood, ready to pay the ransom to the last cent, if it should be needful. : f At the same time, he told nothing of his own bereavement, and concealed the loss of his only child with a Spartan firmness. As the day waned away he went off to again mect the outlaw chief, full of the hope that his daughter would soon be in bis arms, He reached the spot where the meeting was to take place, and found no onc there, When he had grown impatient, and nervous, and was altogether off his guard,—swish! A rope came hurtlin have been running the intellectual part of , likely the young ladies would, take offense. this circus, and so far I don’tthink you have Just at that moment they actually began to } found himself a prisoner, ens, a) Sey ee FL a bp” . boy Res Oe Uf PD ey be Mee pebtcs Vee Sota Aly ate Jee pe MIN, an Ly “gui RAED Me Y, J : } oe af by unk i “ ae i ete ¢ ris ‘ ib ed, CR te Ea a5 TAT a di '* tt aes sy | ‘by ~ 2) 7 a —? ne \, - a4 f 2 <e 4 . - _ A Se ae 1 @ IOC through the air, and - oP before he could realize howit wasdonehe