Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 906 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

rode forward, until through the darkness, and riders ahead. i. ‘cocked it **T could do it easily,” he said to himself, ** but there is the possibility of a mistake, and I cancot afford to take the risk of that. No, I must wait, and let it be by strategy.” Advancing yet a little nearer he held that distance, and thus they went forward, Shadower and shadowed. Safety Sam was almost as silent as a shad- ow, going at slow and steady speed, while those ahead made no sound save by the hoof- | strokes of their animals, Sam, still grasping his revolver, had about _ decided to rush in and bring the matter to a conclusion at once, when the horses came to & slop. Now-he slipped from the saddle, laid the wheel on the ground and ran forward, ‘We'll stop here and take a rest, my dear,” he heard the man saying. He had dismounted, and was leading hig horse a little distance apart to a spot where some bushes marked what might possibly be @ spring, ‘‘And will you not free my hands now?” the voice of Fanny Fielding asked, in pleading accent, ‘‘ These cords are almost cutting my flesh, and I cannot help myself ip any way whatever,” ‘* [Il attend to that, soon as I see whether youare armed or not. Just wait till I secure my horse.” an, gi Ly a At the same moment the young lady heard _ -~—s & hiss of caution at her side, and a hand was Sue laid on her arm. ‘ Sh ees “Be silent for your life!” whispered the | sport. ‘‘I am Safety Sam! J[’]] save you ” or we'll die here together, Miss Fielding Even while speaking, he had. cut the lariat that bound her to the horse. Then she was difted from the saddle, but in that moment | ae they were discovered, me 8 i Having secured his horse, the outlaw turn- Bite): ed to his prisoner; but seeing the saddle empty he sprung forward with an angry ex- clamation. Sam gave a pull upon Fanny Fielding’s arm, &@ signal for her to drop to the ground, _ and which she understood instantly, while ie es, he turned and leveled his revolver over the eae saddle, | Ey “Stop!” he cried. ‘‘ Up with your hands, or I'll drop you!” _ The outlaw stopped short, but it was on] sto jerk a weapon from his belt and fire, the | bullet barely missing Sam’s head, The Cycle Sport did not wait for another ae shot, but fired instantly, and the fellow drop- oe ped to the ground like a log, without even -—s- uttering so much as q groan orcry, | . That settles him, c guess,” Said Sam. And Lam only too glad, for he well de- swerved it,” declared the undaurted Fanny. Sine **Do you know him?” Veg; it is that Miserable scoundrel, Grat b “* ” 0 i ee % _ Benson, whom papa had to threaten to shoot, at one time, and who afterward deserted.” Then McKenzie was right, But, come; let me free your hands, and if yon are ready —_ LT will assist you to mount again and will con- duct you to the fort, or to Join your father, -. -&8 you prefer.” ae |. “My father! Whereishe?” |. “He is out in pursuit of these deyjls, I -._-will tell-you all about it as we 80 along,” __ * Yes, for we must hasten to the reseue of the others, Oh! it was horrible, Mr, Hoff. a b> * : bs : moa F fe hy ; —y man! =But, how came you here? Where is *} ~~ yourhorse? And, how can I thank you for this great service?” . . all of which _ Are you ready? we ~ hee i I. will tell you a8 We go, i} My horse is my_ bicycle, _ andit is lying on the ground a little way from here.” co : - +e 7 Hr) 5 ij ‘a (4 r ’ 4 ? a : : an *) ly 4 | ul > Te WAS Syesiiae ; yet ya '® etd “i As }e a ‘ iPxk Me sf) ; ah! yp, he { “a Te “I might have known that Safety Sam ’ Safety Sam, the Cycle Sport. Making sure that the guns in his hip hol- | would ride nothing else. Yes, I am all Sters were ready for instant use, he again ; ready.” He helped her to the saddle, and that done, ‘the caught sight of the dark forms of horses ' took the bicycle lamp from his pocket and | turned up the light, Out came one of his revolvers, and he | ‘*T'll just take a look at that fellow, and i see if I fixed him for good or not,” he re- | marked, stepping around in the direction of where the man had dropped. To his great surprise the fellow was not there! At that moment the thud of hoofs was heard, accompanied with a Jaugh, and a shot was fired in their direction, *‘Ha! ha! ha! It is Safety Sam, is it? Well, (’ll show you how safe you are now, my dandy sport. It won’t take me long to lodge a bullet in you, and then Ill have my prisoner.” He fired again, and the sport returned the compliment, ‘*We are not out of the woods yet, Miss Ficiding,” he said, quickly. ‘* Come, this way, and [ll get my wheel and be off with you. Who would have thought he was tricking me? I don’t see how I missed him, No matter; we are two to one, now, and he knows it,” Sam ran in the direction of the place where he had left his wheel, found it quickly and leaped to the seat, ‘* Now, then, a race for life, I suppose,” said he. ‘*If-you only had a wheel, too, Miss Fielding, we could lose him in ten min- utes, for he would not be able to hear us, Now we're off!” CHAPTER VI. SAFETY SAM SCORES, Anp off they were. The young lady’s horse was anything but fresh, but it was yet good for a considerable race, Barely had they set forward when they heard the big brown thundering after them, and it was plain that they were seen, The brown, too, seemed to be the faster of the horses, ‘‘ Ha! ha! ha!” came the taunting laugh. ‘It seems we have changed places, Sam Hoffman! Before, I had the girl and you I want her. Let’s see if I can’t drop you out of the race, and then I'll have it all my own wa M hod. forthwith, the whistle of a bullet was heard, simultaneously, almost, with the report of a revolver. ‘What shall we do?” asked the young lady in alarm, | ‘‘T’]] have to stop and kill him, if he is going to keep that up,” was the cool re- pt But, you might get killed yourself, Mr, Hoffman, and then I should be at the mercy of the heartless monster,” “ **Didn’t fetch ye that time, hey?” sung out the pursuer, ‘‘ Well, here’s for it again, and letter luck this time, mebby, I’m bound to have ye!” Another shot, and the bullet sped unpleas- antly near, Both had gone to the right of the Cycle Sport, proof that the outlaw was taking care not to hit the young woman, Fanny was riding close to his left, and they were speeding along side by side, the sport regulating his speed to suit that of the horse the young lady was riding. Sam now gripped the handle-bar firmly with one hand, and with the other he drew one of the revolvers from its holster at his hip and fired a couple of shots at the pur- suer, firing over his shoulder and without aim, of course. And another laugh was the ‘result. ae ‘‘T’l] have to stop and tackle him,” the Cycle Sport decided. a? ‘But, think of what I said; you might et killed yourself, and then—” Sct | y , Lea a . . : ; os 2 in : } ' . 34 4 th qa ; » 4 Hy: ‘ 4 i . Y je : a ’ si - ‘ad na u an ay rs L ee ey." i 4 ‘y : iw Cpe fe iS i wt 7 " ig } t ashy 5 er AL rile ee Pe ‘ if er ‘4 A . £ * : \ J —_ SoC ates. bitte) Tt Che ek Aa 4 aly Sate fe hs 218, i\e av eae ¥ ef yrad > A ges x oe. wanted her, and now you have got her and | in time to witness the start. | try it that way, are you? Se Viieea ov : yerey Ml) ‘*T have been thinking of what you said, ae Fielding. Your concern was for youre self—’’ ‘‘No, no, Sam; you wrong me, indeed 7: you do! I spoke thoughtlessly when I said What I did. If you stop, I wili stop with you; you shall not risk your life alone,” | Another shot, and this time decidedly ay close. Sam wheeled to the right, sharply, stop- ped, and leaped to the ground. The moment he was upon his feet his \ guns began to talk, and the pursuer turned ‘bps to the left to get out of range. a Fanny Fielding had turned in the same direction, as it happened, with the object A, placing the outlaw at a disadvantage, of between her own weupon and those of her rescuer, te Sam was upon his wheel again in a mo- mept, and started after the rufflan, but, ae even as he started, he heard a scream from a the young lady, : § The raseal had fired a shot at her horse, ae at close range, and the bullet had done its Be work only too well! ei; The animal was rearing, as Sam could see ae in the darkness, from his position, and the a t next moment it fell heavily to the ground, law while, with a laugh, the outlaw dashed v3 By away. + Oe Sam was to the spot in a moment, and he ai asked anxiously: | : er ‘Are you hurt, Miss Fielding?” yam ‘*No, Sam,” was the glad response. ‘‘I 1g jumped clear when my poor pet fell. I fear Se we are lost now, for he can circle around us Sian and shoot us down before we can hit him el) moving.” a Bi ‘‘ We still have the bicycle,” asserted the ae sport, ‘‘It can carry us both; it must. He aa wants you alive, and will not dare Sre again | for fear of hitting yon. Come, I will show you how you must place yourself and hang ae on. It won't be comfortable, for you will a have to stand on one foot,” | , eae ‘No matter; L can doit, Sam. And,we = | are not so safe as you think, for, if he finds Se he cannot possess me, he will endeavor to kill me as well as you.” . + ¥ou think sot ays": te | _‘*He has declared that he will do it.” “That’s bad; but he'll try to get posses- sion of you before he hag resort to that — ea measure,” GR he. SL) The Cycle Sport had, while speaking, = = 8 — righted his bicyele, and now he said; ene ‘“ You See this step. Well, I will mount Sh Se and start slowly, and as soon as I do so you y Mp ee put your foot here, taking hold of my coat, Bake | and pull yourself up, and then take hold ae upon my shoulders.” | Teas ‘*T understand, Sani,” pa “Your right foot will have to hang idle and you will have to do the best you can es with your skirt, but it is dark and we are under press of stern necessity. Are you ~ ae ready?” | ay sé Yes.” | ; i Sam mounted and started slowly, and the i 7 : young lady made the effort to carry instruction he bad given her, | At first she was not successful, but, after. an attempt or two she held fast,andina mo- ment announced that she was all right, | whereupon the sport increased the speed of | the wheel and they were away, RICE ‘It had been quite an effort for him to | steady the machine while the young woman ‘ei got on, but now it was plain sailing, But, they had not escaped their foe, © © After dashing off a littledistance, and find-- out the J * ie 1 hte ity ed and circled back again, ; f want Al at Sa ing he was not pursued, the outlaw pa wi. rn he? [ *. and came Up if st. a* eM } stew ae so _ Jt can be understood that he was reall; disadvantage, and he knew it, for they. two to one against him, as Sam _ had said. ‘ Ta! hal” the fellow laughed, *‘ Goin’ to — Mp co) pan | lcs Na haerear For his. answer, ‘Panny; Jeb) 62 wit) one , VER ee lg lie Seth ls e t of j Ly . - . ae i ’ we ; +a oF | . 0 7 ob tock ve Ft rs 4 \ ; ‘ 4 ‘ ‘ e a) . Maye bil oll J. . ‘ . "? s e ~~ - 4 “=| . ‘« . ‘ a'¥ so | a 4 As > et See 1 - =