Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 936 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

\ wy aa, | wee wr yn oot a! 1's A f _ bound their hands behind them. gue + ap 1 + - atk ~s ? (et ° ts apy ’) u 5 . wh a Kn ee mn) aa a ig OT Sahat 45 en Ly Seg ay ¢ *,] ' yor. -otty : Ane a ; ta i 4 “f over him at the discovery a4 Vee Se " So far the man on the cliff had seemed tO befriend him, and yet he knew he had him at his mercy as thoroughly as he did the men in ambush. That he was in deadly earnest, his hay- ing fired upon one man proved. That he had kept him, by that shot, from being longer dangerous, his remark, afterward addressed to but two, seemed to indicate. Thus Ned sat upon his horse in sus- pense, his rifle in hand. It was but a moment, yet it seemed to be many of them. Then the silence was broken by man on the cliff again speaking. This time it was Ned whom dressed. He said, calling out in the same terse, commanding tones he had before spoken in: “ Those three men behind that bowlder learned in some way you were to take the trail for Fort Vidette this morning, and they planned to ambush and kill you. “That they did so proves that they are, though known as miners, really out- laws, and they were among the gang Who sought to hang you. * One is dead; the other two are your prisoners, 80 tie them securely while IL keep them covered. “Their horses are about a couple of hundred yards away in a thicket to the right. “When they are secure, make them mount, tie them to their saddle horns, and strap the dead man to his saddle. “Then take the outfit to Colonel Ben- ham and tell him the circumstances of their capture.” _ “J will, sir, thank you,” and he hastened to obey the instructions given him by his rescuer on the cliff. Dismounting, he hitched his horse and then went around behind the bowlder. The two men still lay there flat on their faces, their arms extended above their heads. The third man was dead. Ned hastily disarmed them, the lariat of one of the men securely the he ad- answered Ned, and with He glanced up and saw the man on the Woes still at his post, so called out: “T will get their horses now, sir, ‘if you will still keep them covered: “ All right, go aheid!” Ned soon found the horses hitched in the thicket, and he led them back to the bowlder. Aiding one man to mount he tied him to his saddle and then told the other - that it was his turn. ie He. too, was bound to his saddle horn, and Ned’s next move was to raise the - dead body across the saddle of his horse and make it fast- “ All ready, now, sir. cs Who shall. I tell. Colonel “Benham “was my rescuer and sent him these pris- ners?” | But no answer came and no one was | mow visible upon the cliff. Ned called, but reeeived no respotise! _ The mysterious friend had disappeared, OHAPTER XI. MEETING THEIR MATCH. Mea Osmond had a strange feeling come _ terious friend had gone. He was in 4 land of strange deeds, 4 land of mystery. but he had pluck enough, and to spare, to Meet any difficulty. __ But why should a man help him and not 4 ] 4 A. >" a) “et him know who he was. “Ah! he has gone around the Hage: to _ corn e into the valley here. | | tT will | wait for him,” he sald. ats. that his mys- | Buffalo Bill's Poy Mascot. ——— -—- -——_—— -— —— -- — Then it occurred to him that if the man had intended to join him he would not have told him to go on to the fort. * No, he does not wish me to know who he is, “I remember that he said he was fol- lowing me for a purpose, for he is the one who shadowed me, I feel sure. “Now, for some good purpose he un- derstands and I do not, he keeps out of sight. “1 will go an.” Thus making up his mind, about to start upon his way two men Called to him, Ned was when the They were hard-looking fellows, the three of them, but death had canceled the ill-will Ned felt against one of them. Two of them he recognized, the one that was dead and one of the living, The third was a tall, lank fellow, with a stoop in the shoulders, and a_ reddish slouch hat on, just such form and make-up as he had seen in one of the four men who held up the coach the day before on the trail. But the four outlaws were masked then, and only by his form, hat and gen- eral appearance could Ned now identify him. Fle had a face that would pass any- where as that of a villain. “TI say, young feller, it's nothin’ ter us, but you js goin’ wrong on tbis trail,” called out one of the outlaws, while the other added: “No, it’s nothin’ ter us, but yer is goin’ wrong, young feller.” “T’ve been over this trail before.” ‘““No doubt, and you is right as far as ther trail goes; but thar’ is Injuns on it now, and ef yer wish ter git to ther fort yer better take ther old trail along ther river, though it is longer.”’ “Yas, it’s not traveled now, and ther Injuns don't lie in wait on it; but this way we'll all be kilt afore we go far.’ * How is it’ yon were not afraid of the Indians ?’’» “We was.” ‘Yas, that’s what we was lyin’ thar’ at | thet canyon fer, when thet pard o’ your’n come along and kilt poor Jim and held us up.’ ‘*Do you know who he is?” «és Wo.”’ “Have you any idea?’ “TJ can't guess; but we intends ter know and let ther Vigilantes deal with him, for he kilt Jim and took us in.” és Yas, and he is foolin’ you ter say we war’ layin’ fer you.’ “You did so once before, at least you did, and that man who iS dead, for I recognize you as men who tried to hang me, and but for Buffalo Bill would have done so.” “Pard, young feller, yer is away off, “T never seen yer afore in my life, and, what is more, L never cares if I don’t see yer ag’in.” Ned laughed and replied: “T guess not; but you don’t fool me worth a cent.” “You is new out here, and don’t know ther ways. ye Why all ther men looks ‘alike out here.” -“ Tn the dark, yes; but, look here, my tall friend, I bave saen you before also.” ‘Whar’ ?”’ “You were one of the four who held up the coach yesterday and wounded Joe Jarvis; yes, and you are the very one who shot at me, I remember, bat, I’m hard to kill, you see.” ae “It wasn’t me, no such thing. “Tt Was’ you, for I recall your voice DOW. ys “T never ‘aaltt a a I—” : ‘Who did then?” : ,. . . ‘ j . * : = Z ‘ j a0 L ‘) Mae i a Be teal fee dat sy ares vee ry at 7 4 - 7 7 : ta Hy hye >, ‘o : é q * n ay i er - ha - ry id ' 4 . *, f Ba te eee sha seh eh ti Pick . . 2 r, ar 2% yee ae <h vr * « ory . "se 2 . . ~ ar > Ysa 7 “Bounce: did ther talk—”’ *Shet up, yer telltale fool, yer!’ whis- pered his companion, and Ned burst out into a hearty laugh and cried: ‘I thought 1 would make you give your- self away, long legs—even as high up as your mouth is, you put your foot in it that time.’ “Well, durn me fer a fool,” the man, and Ned replied: “*T won't contradict you; I knew you. “T don’t know don't I? “ Well, I admit I am a tenderfoot, only a Yankee boy, but I am not quite such a fool as I may look.” growled but I thoug rht the Ways out here, “See here, boy pard, I tell yer thet this’ trail will git us all kilt. ‘Thar’ is ther old trail, so tarn off thar’, fer I knows ther way, and I hain’t no wish ter be scalped.” “Ts hanging an easier death to die?” quietly asked Ned, and oaths in chorus answered him. | Then the man who had before spoken returned to the attack again. “T tells yer we was scoutin’ fer Injuns when thet feller held us up, and they is thick on this trail, “You has us secure, so why not go ther safe way to ther fort?” “Because I am stupid enough to believe that the safe way is the one that you do not wish to go.” was the Yankee boy’s quiet response, with a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. And again the two prisoners cursed him roundly, CHAPTER XII. DRIVEN TO BAY.’ Reaching the spot where an indistinct trail branched off to the right, the men watched anxiously to see if the youth , would take it. Instead he held right on along lar trail, and the tall fellow said: “T bets we is all a hin meat afore an’ hour.” Ned smiled, but made no reply, and after riding a mile in silence the men began to either get uneasy. or feign it, and begged hard that he would leave the trail for fear of running into an ambush. But Ned held on as before, his eyes con- stantly on the lookout ahead. “ How I miss Chum,” he muttered, and then he said to his prisoners: “It is lucky for you I didn’t have my dog along with me to-day, or you’d have gotten the worst of it.” “Whar is thet blamed dog, asked the tall fellow. ‘‘How did you know I had a dog?” Ned Lo a quickly, and added, with a laug the regu- “There goes your foot in your mouth. again.” Another chorus of curses, and. the men lapsed into silenee, until suddenly, as they rounded a bend in the trail, the two out- laws broke out into a cheer of delight. Ned had seen the cause of their joy as. quickly as they had, and at once drew rein. What he beheld were five horsernen eom- ing toward him, and about three hundred yards distant. But for the exultant cries of his prison- ers Ned would have thought that the five ‘men were to be trusted, But as friends of the two men with him he could only } ok upon them as foes. “They is our pards! Now is our time to crow, youn; pei: ‘Yas, we is ov top These remarks w ere ne very assuring to the ais as sien seh re ss ene, anyway ?’ oe el Se af ay + — - a > ) ates Vv - aoe” Tee wate, S Le a nS. yew * a 5 —"F) Lad Pie's a’ —— i df PP ere Be ee ™, 5 i p al Ve . » ee ¢ ge aad ” Sn 6. 7 >. a et ~ mee 7+ 4 eet Sw