Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 901 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

—- , > 1 ay Jlc o ace, and the resemblance he saw in it to an- other face which he remembered fairly took his breath away. When he looked around again over his shoulder she had flitted down the aisle. and was no longer in sight. After that there was a little questioning from her mother, a brief consultation with everybody that came along, and who look- sy),*though they might know something wer: the possibili'tes of the night. Then, ano» ladies decided they would have to ga. +¢ the best-of it, and Vera tried to think as she had fo nd no trouble going to Rippin the ca... .¢ile moving she ought mich more to rest serencly when the car was lying peacefully on a side track, If she had been a young man she would doubt- less have tried to get a place on the hand-car which went down the road on a tour of ex- ploration, As it was, she finally closed her eyes and fell to wondering how Kent Baker happened to be there, * The train was to remain until orders were received, and they would not be given until after the return of the hand-car. To the west the wires were down, but communica- tion was still open with the dispatcher’s Office, Midnight came, and still there was noth- ‘ing from the exploring expedition, Phe berths had long ago been made up, and the train lay on the siding, with the fire banked in the engine. Without orders to attempt it the conductor would not take the responsibility of moving forward; and it be- gan to look as though his decision had been a wise one. Nothing had yet been heard from the hand-car. Unless something had happened to it or its human freight, some word shou!d have come long before this. It had taken Vera a long while to fall asleep. The attack of the road-wreckers had been exciting cnough of itself, but when, in addition, she saw the face of one whom she had mourned as long ago dead, there was another item to think of, scarcely less thrilling, if, indeed, it did not engage the greater part of her meditations. In the car the lights burned low, and the rest of the passcuzers appeared to be asleep, Diamond Dave occupied the berth above Kent Baker, and was making up for lost time. The fact was, he had not slept much for three days and nights, and the present position of affairs could hardly have suited him better, He could sleep almost anywhere, but he was not above a few trifles of personal com- fort, and the Pullman berth presented a few advantages over the hard bunk at the Hotel Royal where he had originally hoped to spend the night. The Gilt-Edge Shooter had not taken upon himself the contract for protecting the train, aod having once assured himself of the fact that the crew expected to remain alert for the night he resigned himself to the slumber he so much yearned for, Nevertheless, he slept with both ears open, and his pistols convenient to his grasp. When he turned init was with his belt around him. He knew something of what it was to be suddenly awakened to find a weapon nan unusual position, and a friend of his ‘had had a revolver stolen from under his pillow before the intruder began to ransack thre room, ‘Miss Vera could not know all this, but it ‘re. just be confessed the presence of the hand- some sport’ was reassuring whenever the thought of him returned to her mind. She ‘was thinking of him when the curtain in front of her berth was slightly agitated, Some one was;,moving along the aisle in his stocking feev. She thought nothing ment. ' During her long journey across the con- tinent such a thing had happened a dozen times. And there were a dozen men within of it at the mo- a ate site w . ~~ ie Oo pee me pw ~~ wrr armed, and all of them ready to spring at her call, Then, she recognized a sweet, sickening smell, and was ready to make that call, but it was too late. A heavy hand pressed what seemed to be a damp sponge over mouth and nose, while a strong arm, sud. ny winding around her, held her help- ess. It seemed like an age that, vainly striv- ing even to struggle, she was held thus, Then, her muscles relaxed, and she lay almost like a dead woman. Even Mrs. Vane was not roused as Vera was lifted from the berth, with the bed-clothing wrapped about her, though an instant later she awoke sud- dely, and mechanically thrust her arm over to touch her daughter, The place by her side was empty, and with a& premonition of trouble the elder lady sat bolt upright, in time to heara stumble, and then a curse, from the further end of the car, ‘‘Vefa!l Vera!” she cried, not knowing why, or what it was she feared. The lethargy which held the young lady was not as complete as it had seemed. That ery reached her ears after a fashion, and urged her once more to a last effort to break the spell which had benumbed her. It was the fight of a pigmy with a giant, yet it had its measure of success. Hastily she turned her head, relieving her lips from the pressure of that carelessly held sponge, and uttered a faint shriek The sound was heard through the car, for nearly every one had been aroused by the frantic call of the mother. Immediately afterward was heard, too, the slam of a clos- ing door. Diamond Dave leaped from his perch with a bound, his pistols swinging out as_ he came, and a dozen other men were crowding into the aisle, when under the trucks at the end toward which all eyes were directed there was the sound of a fierce explosion, and the car seemed to be bodily lifted into the air.” “Dynamite!” whispered some one; and then, outside, they heard the clatter of horse’s hoofs stretching away in a mad gal- lop. CHAPTER \V. HELD FOR RANSOM, Ar the alarming sounds, Kent Baker gathered himself up, and rolled out as good a man agever. He forgot the pounding he had received, and cuts and bruises pained him no lounger. If most of the passengers were panic stricken, what wonder? They did not hear the shrieks of the wounded as they expected to hear them, and the car ep peared to have stood the shock reasonably well; but who could tell what was next to come? Diamond Dave was as cool as the coolest among them, and had he known exactly what had happened, would have perhaps seen something for the emergency. ° He had ‘‘ strike ’ on the brain, however, and his first idea was that a reckless at- tempt had been made to wreck the car, without thought or care for its occupants. The hand of Kent Baker on his shoulder changed the current of his thoughts. ‘*For heaven's sake! What. was that scream? Who was the woman who gave it?” ‘‘ How should I know? ‘There was an in- fernally pretty girl cutty-eyed you when they brought you in. Did you know her?” ** Could it be?” exclaimed Kent. ‘‘ Let me go!’ It must have been her, and she is in danger, Did you not hear? She was at the other end.of the car.” ‘* Bless your soul! Who is trying to hin- der? We'll gotogether. Don’t strain your- self. She has been frightened by the explo- sion, but she’s not the kind to die of a shock. As they pushed along through the men who were crowding toward them they heard the voice of Mrs. Vane: ‘Vera! Vera! Oh, my daughter It needed nothing more to convince Baker that it was no dream, and that the woman he had seen, and the woman ke had loved were one and the same. Yet, though the young men forced their way through and through, all the time making sure they were overlooking no one, not a trace did they find of a faint- ing girl. The end of the car had been lifted from the rails, and was more or less racked out of shape, and broken, but the doors were open, and now that the swarm of those seeking egress at the other end was passed there was nothing to hinder their going on out. If the trainmen had been slack in their watch they were on hand now, and Diamond Dave suspected the danger must be over from the way in which they crowded around, A question or two served to gain all the information that was to be had, and it told but little more than was already known. There was an explosion under the truck, which had first called attention to the spot, Then, several dark figures were seen, dart- ing away to join a body of horsemen, drawn up ata little distance, This was the very first thing known of their presence, and they did not linger an instant, Nothing had been seen of Vera, but Dia- mond Dave knew without telling she had gone with the horsemen as a prisoner, and for the present anything like pursuit was useless, _ *‘Looks as though I was elected to stay in the swim,” said the Gilt-Edge Shooter, cheerfully, ‘‘TDon’t take it to heart, old man. You and I couldn’t imagine any such infernal nonsense was gcing to happen or we might have slept with both eyes open, and two fingers on the trigger. The first thing is to find out what it is jall about. Was she rich?” | “Rich as you call it, no. Her mother had a few thousands, enough to keep them in decency.”’ ‘Perhaps there has been a mistake? She may look like some one who is rich, Cap- tain Curse might make a mistake, for you can chip up to the limit that this is his work, and that he wouldn’t have laid it out for less than twenty thousand. When he makes a haul he intends it shall count,” ‘Tf it was Curse, then, why did he not at- tempt to make a cleaner haul? With the whole train lying at his merey he might have gone through it at his leisure.” ‘* Guess all the wealth on board wouldn’t amount to enough to pay for the risk. He is apt to know what he is doing. But, if you know that poor woman, you had better see what you can do to give her a little hope. She is just going wild.” ‘‘T doubt if she has ever met me before, and I fancy you could do more to serve her, for you would know better what to promise. There is no use to try to follow on foot, but certainly, a party can be organized. ‘Tell her the truth, and say her daughter shall be saved.” ‘‘ Not much chance for a party of men who would be worth their salt until the gang gets back with the hand-car, or we go down the track to reach them, That man you call Sandy is made of good stuff, and we might roust him out and see what he has to say. Then, there is Gross. He may want to go along. He has nerve and dollars, and in a case of this kind might be willing to lose a few days. There may be a few others on the train who could help, but it’s asking @ good deal when you think of it. And I don’t see how they can be fitted out this side of Standback.” 9? hearing, most of whom she knew were | Keep your head cool.” Hastily Dave ran over all this, but meade. cy! . rae pt ad - . oa . { - 4 - 2 he Py x, . », . ~* fr ae Fe 4 wey - | > / PS t F 44 _ 2 ’ a ON -. - ‘ - ’ fod k i; —* . . ’ ’ \ ba 5 oy oa , 5 ’ - : : ¥% e, ; "We ; : : | : bd : 5 a - - . y - j - : 7 } > ery 4 c a P.! . ah . a . j Ty. e re ae re “ 7% 3 2 hen , ¥ pa 5a? LA Reet) nt . P - : J ‘ 4 | } — : - x , ~ . eo 4 e": . - an - 4 Y are, 5" 7 ‘ , 7 ' - j ; teary ~ = “| os cS 4 | an ~— F 5 lb. Sin &, Se pe , o is f F - - : " ¥ . , ‘ ; . —S ‘S he ae | = ( 29 i; -.* i {4 rag 7 Aye ‘ waeray : : - re se P i) f ‘ nl) ie a * * “