Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 936 — page 3: what you’re looking at

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

fr ‘ "" ary : ry . 4 ee ed ‘ < : + o\ <4 7%" . <a - - oa ° . = ‘ - “- - ? -« ‘ = . G 5 iw , _ Ft } wa ee et. = 2 ie ot os - ot; : Sn , . - j 7 hy Se pe - < . ° - Ps 7 : ae a) *') ‘ ‘. ~ oo a “1 >" 7 is a 4 ‘ + @f men,” the other called out, | pi dae ona Say! Hain't yer goin’ ter take ther at ee “ladies along?” Joe asked. . such a recklessly bold act on the part of as we were four, and on the coach.” \ : 4 ight out ahead and we'll pick you up ef : % . a CT tne ¢ : e's eh BOE. ewe’) send aid back . @rted . . . ‘ . oe : ili -»* $$ aE - ~- —- OS SE dhe FRE AT OT TEI A — = » = —_—— eS nm Le "apparently certain death fo follow an at- tempt at resistance. But the youth by his side was riot gov- erned by the same considerations. There were four outlaws, it was true, but against them were Joe Jarvis, himself and two men in the coach. In his ignorance of border ways, his pluck and impetuosity, he saw matters about equal for both sides. Just as the words of the outlaw leader had caught his ears, he had picked up his rifle from the top of the coach to change its position, so he had it in hand when the demand came to halt, and his shot was the first one to ring out. Joe Jarvis was a man who thought \ quickly :and acted with his thoughts, and when he saw the youth’s bullet drop the Jeader, he yelled to his ‘horses and dropped the lash upon the backs of the whole team in one curling, snake-like motion he knew #0 well how to do. And this, too, before there had been an answering shot, while also to help along the Yankee lad, with a savage, thunder- ous bark, the giant dog plunged from the thicket upon a second one of the outlaws, bearing him backward to the earth. There were two rifles eracked to- gether, then, one aimed at Joe Jarvis, the other at the youth. The first tore through the driver's leg, the other cut half an inch into the boy's Shoulder, but did not prevent his pulling trigger rapidly with his revolver, while tthe two outlaws, utterly amazed at the sudden turn of affairs against them, turned and rushed for the cover of the pine thicket behind them. A loud whistle and call then were given by Ned Osmond for his dog, and as the coach rolled on he came dashing after itt, while the two outlaws fired rapidly after the flying stage, several of the bul- ¥ets pattering against it, but doing no fur- ‘ther damage. . “A elose call, that, boy pard, but. don’t take such chances again, for it couldn't “win a second time,’ said Joe Jarvis, still keeping his horses at a run. ‘7 thought the odds were in our favor, “‘No, one man of nerve often holds up a whole coach-load, driver and all, for we reason out here that he has the advan- tage, and men generally are cowed when held up. » “ Now, I'll bet big money them two men inside is as badly scared as ther two wim- min folk be. | “TTL jist see, for them fellers got all they wanted, and a overdose, too, so they won't foller us,”’ and Joe drew his horses to a halt and listened. | There was no sound of following hoofs, and Joe ealled out: a “Tnside ther huss’ thar’. © Are they coming?” asked a man's voice, all in a tremor, While a second -yoice, fully as frightened, called out: ‘Drive on, driver, for Heaven's sake, or we will all be massacred. With a wink at the youth, Joe said: “Tm badly wounded, and my boy pard has got a bullet in his shoulder, so I has got ter halt, but maybe you had better the outlaws don’t kill us.” The doors of the coach flew open with startling promptness at this, and a man sprang out om either side, his grip in to you, driver,” one. ; “Yes, I'll return at t . head of a band “The robbers will not hurt them, <4 | »/ a ‘ é' , ay , IS, “i | ¢ . <" eS Ose Gee , * y ; . . ‘ er; set . et om 4 + ; ‘ DM 4 wt are a 7 ~> by i a». . 2 ~ oe ; me a , Sy ow aP.- ae FS fi 45a A . Boe i} 4 + oye . : ‘ gt > - ie ‘ta, , ¥ ®,: ¥~ > ~ oe ’ - 4 v- - ‘ — -_— ——— +, . ' Me , : . . = . : et" + : : a Sine, : 7 . ee ee 7 —_-¢ . yee Tr ee Ss eee - a * #4 , 4 : ? * ar Raye —_ us ." r P Dre : ? “ me > s es 7 <. r “~~ ' - ; Buffalo.Bill’s Boy Mascot. a ———— —— —. — —_ —- -—— - oe shouted back one of the men as the two ran rapidly along the trail. “IT, for one, will not go with them, sir,’’ Said a feminine voice, and a woman, heay- ily vailed, stepped out of the coach, while a young and pretty girl also sprang out and said: “Tf you are wounded, can I not help’ you?” Joe Jarvis gave a whoop, and cried: “What did I tell yer, boy pard?’ “Them two men is pushing the breeze for Mountain City, scared almost out 0’ their wits, while ther leddies is as plucky as ther others ought ter be.” “They dropped down on the bottom of the coach when the firing began, though we urged them to help you,” said the young girl. “Tt was a bold act to attempt to run by the outhaws, though it saved us our money,’ the vailed lady said. “Tt were ther doin’ o’ this narvy kid, leddies, fer he did it.” “But you are both wounded?” young girl said, anxiously. “TI got a bullet through my leg, and ther boy got clipped in ther shoulder— guess neither one hain’t so bad; but thar’ is a spring yonder, and we'll see if we can’t patch ’em up and then go on fer Mountain City, though it’s doubtful ef we ever ketches them gents as has started ahead so brisk,” and Joe Jarvis laughed as heartily as if he had never known what danger was, and was not then suf- fering from a wound. the CHAPTER IV. JOFR’S FAIR PASSENGERS. The wound of Joe Jarvis was an ugly gash just above the knee, the bullet hay- ing cut its way out, while the youth had . slight wound in the tip of his left shoul- er, Both were bound up by the vailed lady, and then, as the youth started off to see if he could find his dog, which he had seen start after the coach from the scene of the hold up, the young girl asked Joe Jarvis who he was. “Now I has heerd his name, and I guesses it be his right one, as I don’t be- lieve he has any reason, miss, ter hide it, only I don’t remember jist now- “ He says he is a boy tramp from Bos- ton, a Yankee lad, and he come out here on business of his own, whatever it might be, and he’s a dandy, you kin bet, for he hain’t been on ther border over a week, and this are ther fifth scrimmage he hey’ been in, and we owes it to him thet we wasn’t robbed, and I sees you leddies looks well fixed, while I hes a big sum 0’ money in my box belonging to the Over- land Company, and going out ter Moun- tain. City ter pay off ther Men’s wages fer ther quarter.” “Vos, I heard you had a snug sum along, and I am glad to know it—hands up, driver!’ : It was the vailed lady who spoke, and she covered Joe Jarvis with a revolver, while, glancing at the young girl, the driv- er saw that she also had a weapon ley- eled at his heart, while her finger rested upon the trigger and her really beautiful face wore a Smile that was very threat- ening. 4 Never in the whole space of his frontier life, in all of his adventures upon the Overland trail, had Joe Jarvis been so completely downed. — | DM 3 He gave a look from the face of the vail, and then said, with a smile; “Yor plays y’er leetle joke well, leddies, but it’s too serious to do so when ther real road-agents is so near at hand.” fre: =f r : 4 t \ : ’ * Bf " . } «| .; 44, * by af i or <4) a wy fi forest . MPSS ee Te, er RL. og Noda shea: eer j 2 "Sa, ; pak 4 tNG yd 7 aaa, 7 Hi 4 \t is, Fa aa + ne ° ‘eA: vie ye > I, KOH Sy eel Ae eer a 7 ~~ = young girl to the one hidden under the ~ 4 ~ : ’ oS ie : « Ma “This is no joke, but dead earnest. “We came to get that money box you carry, and though the bunglers back on the trail missed it a while since, we'll play a winning hand this time—if you move I will kill you! ‘Hold out your hands!’ The vailed woman spoke in a tone there was a decided threat in, and Joe Jarvis could but obey, for both women covered him with their revolvers. “Kill him if he crooks a finger!’ came the order from beneath the vail, and with great cleverness as she spoke she clasped a pair of handcuffs upon the wrists of the almost dazed driver. Then she disarmed him, and, taking a stake rope from one of the wheel horses, she quickly bound poor Joe to a tree. Then she mounted to the box, opened it and found there the iron chest that held the money. With a key she had taken from her pocket she opened it, the money was put in a bag brought along for the purpose, and, throwing it across her shoulder, she sprang to the ground and said quietly: *T have it all—come, pard.” With the same sweet smile upon her lips, the young girl kissed her hand in farewell to Joe Jarvis, and the two set off at a brisk step along the trail, going toward Mountain City. Joe Jarvis watched them until they were out of sight, and then, with an oath, by the utterance of which he seemed al- most choked, he said: “Well, of all things I ever heerd hap- pen to me, thet is ther worst. } ‘Held up by two women, one wearin’ a mask, t'other with a face sweet enough fer a angel. ‘“Thet knocks ther last prop from under me thet held up my love o’ ther fair sex. ‘“ Who is they and whar’ gone? ‘*T’m knocked clean out, and when I tell ther boy he'll hey’ fits—I’ll call him.” Raising his voice, Joe Jarvis gave a long, loud, clear hail. It was answered At onee from just over the hill, and soon after Ned Osmond came in sight and by his side was his dog, but going on three legs: When Ned approached he saw the driv- er leaning against the tree, and he called out: “They wounded Chum, also, Pard Joe, but not badly. : * He was in the trail, apparently watch- ing to see if they were to follow, so he could come on and warn us, but—what on earth is the matter?’ ‘I’m a prisoner, boy pard.”’ ‘* A prisoner? , “Ah! The outlaws have been here; yes, and have kidnapped the ladies.” “1 wish to Heavens they had done so, boy pard; but jist untie this stake rope and I'll tell yer about it, and it’s ther hardest blow I hey’ hed for many a long year.” : Ned Osmond quickly set the driver free, but he could not get the irons off his wrists, and said: “T'll have to drive, handled the reins some in Mexico; you can direct me. ‘Tet me help you up to the box, and I'll give Chum a boost up, too, and then we'll push on, for I confess I am com- pletely upset at what you tell me, and my word for it those men are in it with the women.” } “Think so, boy pard?” _ “Sure,-for those women have gone om ahead to join them. | “Tt was a most clever and daring scheme.” is “ Yes, and I was hoping they would join Joe, and I’ve but | us on ahead and say it was alla joke.” , : ey bp Aloe iu A) Sy = Beye . , were » i Sse - ree)” Fo at. 4a) rate ate SS me eT * 5 a: SG mes 3 > ieee » tl br ite T | *_ Pt ‘ a Be "ej ha ay Fe ae wv ; re aA Balke Ms f yA . 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