Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 902 — page 2: what you’re looking at

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

: ae wank . »*) > rs rid , A #: ¢ pas 7 f Nxt .* | \ af) wo v? \ , y - : . 2 : ee ne oe ** TTalt that old hearse, quick! and. hands up allof you!” : Fred Fox, the driver, was a man of sense and at once drew rein, only too well aware that road-agents were not to be trifled with, that they killed for gold, so he pulled up his horses with the remark: ‘* We are in for it, pard!” The one addressed was a youth, with slender but athletic form, a bold, handsome face and the demeanor of one who had nerve and pluck far beyond his years. And yet, he was, pure and simple, a tenderfoot, and looked out of place in that wild land of the far West. _ He sat on the box with the driver and had listened to the most terrible stories of the border and Overland, some of them true, some made up just to harrow the souLof the young passenger, for Tred Fox delighted in frightening Lis passengers, and little dream- ed of a ‘‘hold-up” on his drive, that day, for a road-agent had not been seen on his tun for many a day. ‘Within the coach were four persons, two men in miner’s garb, and two youths, who also looked new to the country, The miners dropped their hands upon their revolvers, at the command to halt, but, at the stopping of the coach, and the appear- ance of five masked men, one of the miners said, ina low tone: ‘¢Tt’s nouse, pard; they’ve gotthe drop on us, sart’in,” ‘‘ Well, they'll get little from me, and I only hope the rest of you areas lucky as I ain,”” answered his companion, a tall, fine- looking young man with a free and easy air, and a daring expression upon his face, ‘‘Come out of that, all of you, for there is one in there I want, and the gold you carry I'll take, too! ‘The man who resists will die. I’ve got ‘you covered Dy xa dozen men in ambush; so hustle out, all of you!” ‘*You must do it, pards, for it’s no use to fight ag’in’ it,” cried Fred Fox, ‘from above, ‘‘ Here goes!” and the young miner, with a light laugh, sprung out of the coach, the older man following him more slowly, utter- ing au imprecation at having to do so. ‘* Come, tenderfoot, you climb down from your perch, for I spare no one!” called out the masked leader, and turning to the young ‘miner he continued: | . ‘* Your name is Gentleman Jack, and you are the man I want, so you go with us.” _ ‘Where to?” | ‘That is my business, it is yours to obey or become a corpus, so hold out your hands for these bracelets!” - The young miner's face slightly paled, his eyes flashed, and, for an instant, he seemed about to resist; but he saw that four men covered him with revolvers, while the leader held the handcuffs before his face, ‘All right; I’m not one to kick against fate,” he said indifferently, and held out his hands for the irons, Af But, as he did so, there came a flash and erack from, the top of the coach and the i Jeader dropped dead in his tracks, while a _ second and third report’ rung out in quick succession, and two more of the outlaws fell, one of them dead the other wounded badly. 7 — Quick as a flash the young miner saw his chance and drew his revoiver, just as, over his head, other shots rung out, and the out- laws, firing at random in their sirprise, fled, the ieader’s boasted numbers proving to be but six men... a: ‘ Shots were fired after their retreating - forms; then all turned to see who it was who r iad so boldly fired upon the outlaws... -- .**Tt war not me, pards, but this here ten- _derfoot. youngster, and, durned ef he didn't _ plant ther lead in ther head o’ them fellers, Heng nadie os ica St ema ey rca ‘y ae ° ; ies At » tek re es yw v ? * si fie a SA . ‘GSAS Ae ik PRC: Ay a> eh Ree Lies ’ ; (Ord SW hacy 4s *y a Art! , ene L p y > ‘ A +. 4 “~ 28 a i W . aways 7 , hl. . - -;, . we hy 94 ‘ rat te : : ' aa % - F é we | ig, Sega ‘ =. A ~ > , eee om aay ' tet “s ee EEE ; -- stv m , New York Nat in Colorado. | grounds, completel ere a fool, and all the time you know’d I was the idiot,” and Fred Fox grasped the hand of the youth who answered: ‘“T did not believe there were more than we saw, and as they were six we were on equal terms, so I opened fire.” ‘‘And you saved me from what I do not know. 1 appreciate it; but, driver, let us sling these bodies on top the coach and push on,” ‘Vou bet I will!” returned Fred Fox, ‘‘ for we'd better get a move on us,” : So the two dead men were put on top of the ‘‘ hearse ’’ while the wounded man, who was still unconscious, was placed inside. Then Fox cracked his long lash sharply and made a rapid run for the station. “May I ask your name, young pard?” queried the young miner, who had also taken a seat up with the driver, ; ‘‘Where I live they call me New York Nat,” was the reply, “Ah! I, too, am a New Yorker, and years aco was known as Jack Hammond, but out here the boys call me Gentleman Jack. ‘We must be friends, New York Nat, and good ones, too,” and Gentleman Jack held out his hand, while Fred Fox muttered: “* And I took him for a tenderfoot! -‘*T'm a durned fool, and is going to ter git myself branded as sich.” - -——— CHAPTER Il. A SUSPICIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. THe coach rolled inte Wayside City, as the railroad station was called, and New York Nat was a hero in the eyes of all, though he modestly shrunk from the praise bestowed upon him. The two youths who had been in the coach, and so promptly backed him up in the attack on the outlaws, proved to be his companions. | The three had been out in the mining country to seek their fortunes, and said that, though they had uot become millionaires, they had at least made some money, and now were on their way back to their homes in New York, Jack Hammond, the young miner, seemed particularly drawn toward New York Nat, and told him that he also was returning to his home, having laid up enough money to pay some debts he owed, with interest, and have enough left to go into business. 7H ‘* We will take the train to-morrow morn- ing, and go out together, pard,” he an- nounced to Nat, when they parted for the night, ut, the next morning Gentleman Jack was not to be found anywhere! His bed had not been slept in, and the night clerk reported that a man had called for him after midnight, and he had gone out ‘with him, but had not returned, His things were in his room as he had left them, but, what had become of him no one knew. | \ , As the three boy miners were very anxious to go East, they decided to start that after- noon on the Express, New York Nat leaving a letter for his new friend saying where h could find him in New York, : It was the night after their arrival in New York City, that a strange crowd of youtas, ran and tume, from the clerical student and fashion- able “aude to the’ ssembled in a large room on the of MORK... 7 ee _ The ‘mansion da | back tury, was suTro ded by several acres of sly. Overgrown, and ad- joined a graveyard long since deserted. - As the place had a weird 7 leh a PRE BA IEG OE so Sate Pla a a Say, young feller, I was playin’ you for} popularly believed to be haunted, it’ was a ost ng in age from twelve to tweuty years, | Path ed in a most’ diversified style of cos-.| going 1 sti fa more than willing, 1e "bootblack and boy vaga- . of an old-time mansion in the city” to the past.cen- history, and was shunned as a plague-spot would have been, save by the band of Boy Police—a party of Unknown Ferrets, who acknowledged New York Nat as their chief. , When in New York the*syoung leader of the Unknown Ferrets made the old mansion his home, living there all alone, save a large dog that served as a sentinel and kceper. Now the Ferrets had assembled to greet their Jeader and the companions who had been to the Wild West on a Secret Service expedition, In the assembly room the whole band of the Unknown Ferrets were gathered, seated on benches and facing their captain, who sat at a table upon which were a lamp, some books, and papers, By his side sat the Mascot of the Ferrets, dressed in black and wearing a close fitting vail, for she was unknown to any one of the band save New York Nat, whose sister she was. Calling the meeting to order New York Nat spoke: ‘Boys, Iam glad to get back to you once more, and let me tell you that our expedition was 2 most successful one, a8 you will know when I tell you that our Mascot Queen has in the treasury the money paid me for our services. ‘*? must also state that my comrades, Keno and Freckles, rendered me most valu. able services throughout. ‘*But now, let me make known to you another expedition that I have decided to go upon at once, and which I happened to dis. cover by an accident. ‘On our way back from the mines our coach was held up by road-agents, and be- lieving that they were fewer than they claimed to be, and as they were going to kidnap a handsome young miner, I opened fire; the others backed me up and the out-. laws ran off. , ‘The young miner told me his name and said he was coming East; but that night he mysteriously disappeared and we came on ~ without him. ve . ‘ ‘Now, 1 made up my mind that the out- laws had some deep reason for capturing the miner; and failing on the trail, they got him into their power that night by subterfuge. ‘When on my way to New York I saw in a paper which I bought on the train an ad- vertisement calling upon this very young miner to return home, as it was a matter of © life and death that demanded if, while a vb ¢ fortune also awaited him, | ih ‘Now, boy pards, you have all done so well in my absence, with the Mascot Queen. here as your captain, that I have decided to AR . ; oe 4. , return to the West, with Keno and Freckles — ee SN as my comrades, apd hunt up that young miner; but first, I will go to the address | given in the advertisement and see just what — £ } the situation is,” ; ais This story of New York Nat was listened — to with the deepest interest by all, for the — young Ferrets were proud of their chief, and knew that he had accomplished much on his trip to the interior and Wild West—that he | had found a missing millionaire, who had been kidnapped from his home—that he ad a hy run down the kidnappers to their dire. disaster, and had enriched the Boy Police _ ; t band by the rewards he received, all of which bad been turned into their common ‘remeEye oy plat RR Nt) is Ayre So when this young chief said he"was off on another trail, the Ferrets were for they knew that their * Vailed Girl Mascot was a good captain to act it Wa in their young chief’s place. After telling the band to still: their power to keep their police, and to: : | until the right time to disclose who they were and their motive for secrecy, New | York Nat dismissed the band and all depart- le him alone in the old mansion — with the Girl Mascot and the huge dog. _ rag RSet & ed, leavin . : ay we at. : 2 Ww. = » im ‘ : ; : ‘ t 7 4 : > ‘ ‘ 4 pr : “ ae js ) any! 4 hig A F tripe! ’ ae, le: jt 2 Ws 5 ’ be it ’ ; ; : ’ yy) . 7 a Way Say, he . ai MOS pe R aiige ee Bel rake es oe Soa, : tid io ¥ : Phe . . > Je 8 hy Af Vie . =" ? ‘ ° J , Fi = ¥, 4 iy 4 4 : < . ‘ , 4 > : hy. 8 | Mi Se v tis. xs « Jody R a f are) ie , a} deny 14 ‘oa ’ »] e MEA WF £ Pa he , te es ek ee 4 Be ae Oe. y ed eva : J op eT ae es »" 7 7. + st | é fee POW J 4 igh i q ‘ as % + . ) fr * ; 5 ; - AR § =e 4 oa i” irr pay, % int & ° iy : «! of > 7 . . 4 : ’ ly : Spite Se ose ' uA ; ye ae ob a % t r J Lee. he 4 ~~ ‘ ‘S > , Se “i r 4 I rt ans yj St rs -/7 y ¢ =“ é y ont F< ‘2 ") » ; 7 ’ : + 3 . 7 e. -y Ww Mie et ; i aL as vl ore AfgS =) Pal hei ds Reh ye YN Ss Ay ‘ert 4} ¢ OL ORT er Pratl ey ek = —s Te’ * Q all in ep. identity from the remain as Unknown Ferrets = |