Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 136 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

- «5 » - . man!” 26 —_—— tor Meier remarked kindly, to the old man; ‘‘ give her tirae. So important a step must not be taken in haste.” ** Well, I do not mind,” replied the old man, with constrained gocd-humor; ‘‘but I do not see why—” ‘What is that?’ cried Christian, who had all the time been struggling within himself, doubt- ful whether or not he should follow Susanna. ‘* What is all that neise and shouting?’ : The little party listened to the sounds and shouts which reached them, and seemed to be quite close at hand. Yells like. those of the savages were heard, while the watch-dog tore like mad at his chain. A sudden and shrill whistle resounded amid the noise, almost under the windows. ‘*T must see what is going on,” said old Lischke, taking a double-barreled gun from the wall. .He sometimes used it to shoot ver- min, whieh came into his fields and garden, and it was always kept loaded. ‘‘ There, Chris- tian, you take that sword which hangs behind the door, against the bed; one cannot tell what is going on, and the barn is close to the street.” ‘Pray, father, stay here!” said Mrs. Lischke, taking hold of her husband’s arm; ‘‘if the blacks should—” ‘Ob, nonsense!” growled the old man, ex- tricating himself from her grasp; “there are plenty of police about, and we have nothing to fear. One cannot tell what they may be doing to the garden or to the fences, and I must sce to it, Christian!” Old Lischke, with his gun under his arm, followed by Christian and pastor Meier, went out of the house, They at once perceived that the noise was at some distance further up the road, A crowd had apparently assembled. Without thinking much about it they walked hastily toward the spot. We left Red John in the store-keeper’s , par- lor, where, by the assistance of Hohburg, and the betrayal of his former comparion, he ex- pected to obtain sufficient to carry him through all his difficulties, All he wanted was money, Money he must have by some means, and he fully believed that what he desired was almost within his grasp. He knew very well that he played a danger- ous game in betraying his companion, and that he thereby partially placed himself in Miller’s hands. He took his measures accordingly, and arranged with Miller that he should leave his share of the reward at the store-keeper’s, stat- ing that he would call for it at a convenient opportunity. Red John had not seen any of the black police during his short stay in the German set- tlement, nor did he entertain the least desire to do so, In accordance with this plan he spent the night in the bush, which commenced close behind the house, and he remained there until the morning, His suspicions were aroused by a white man who several times in the course of the day visited the shop, apparently to buy something, although he always stayed longer than was necessary for such a purpose, The man was dressed in the ordinary costume, but John had far too practiced an eye not to recognizw in him, at first sight, a constable in disguise, It was therefore evident that he was .no longer safe, . Accordingly he concealed himself in the bush till darkness should set in. Just at dark he was about crossing the hedge into the high road, when he perceived a coach driven slowly backward and forward past him... Accosting the driver, he soon learned his errand. He had been engaged, by Von Pick. Red John invited the coachman to alight and take a drink from his flask. Jehu couldn’t refuse. Was a coachman ever known to refuse a glass? Red John, watching his opportunity, dealt. the unsuspecting man a terrific blow, that felled him senseless to the ground. The fellow then dressed himself in his victim’s garb, mounted the box, and drove slowly in the direction of Liscbke’s house. . Von Pick glided to the fence, listened for an instant,and then putting his hands to his mouth in the shape of a funnel, gave the agreed-upon signal, a loud *‘coo-hee,” This done, he has- tened to the garden-gate, opened it, and lis- tened in breathless expectation in the direction | of the path whicb led to the house, ““My dear, dear child—” “Away! away!” cried Susanna,. approach- ing from the house, ‘‘I will follow you wher- ever you like. I will not, I cannot marry this Oo 20 TE Ee Ree SUISSE SS Sc. | The (Outlaw Hw Hunter. ‘‘ Everything is ready,” whispered Von Pick, running to the gate, leading Susan to, the car- riage. Without making any answer, the trembling fugitive followed him, slipped out of the gar- den, sprung into the carriage, and threw kher- self in a corner, with a handkerchief over her eyes. “Go on, my good fellow,” said Von Pick, to the coachman, as he followed Susanna into the carriage and closed the door. Suddenly a not very loud but shrill whistle was heard through the darkness just before the horses’ heads, and the animals shied and started back. At the same moment three or four dark forms rushed to the heads of the horses, while others came out right and left, and placed them- selves at both sides of the.carriage. ‘* Stop, in the name of the Queen!” said a stern and commanding voice. ‘If you stira step, we shall bring you off your box quickly enough.” ‘Who is there? What do they want with us?” asked Von Pick, putting his head out of the window. ‘ This must be a mistake.” “‘ Back!” a voice thundered out to him, and | he distinctly heard the click of a trigger. ‘What is the, matter here—what is going on?” eried several pcoople,, almost with one voice. ‘‘ Father!” said Susanna, almost. breathless; and Von Pick, in a subdued but angry voice, observed: *‘ Are you already anxious to return to him?’ “* Bring the torches here,” the sergeant cried, impatiently; ‘‘the voice sounds so precious strange.” Four of the black police hurried to the spot, with their flaming torches—two at the right and two at the left side of the carriage. ‘The devil!” eried the old soldier, with by no means a pleasing look at Von Pick, who was thus caught in the trap. ‘It is not Jack Lou- don, after all, and there is a lady with him, sure enough, my men.” ‘What is going on here? What is all this commotion about?’ said Lischke, who had managed to get near enough to recognize, by the light of the torches the pale countenance of Von Pick, although the latter, on hearing the voice, had fallen back into, the carriage. with the rapidity of lightning. ‘*Only a mistake,” the old sergeant growled, discontentedly, ‘“ which has very likely spoiled the business. A gentleman and a lady—” ““A lady?” exclaimed the old man, feeling as if an icy hand had seized and crushed his heart. ‘‘ A lady? and thac knave with her? A light here! a light!” With trembling bands, and unconscious of what he was doing, only feeling the horrible and choking sensation at his heart, he gave his gun to the parson to hold, and took one of the torches from the black standing at his side. The light fell upon the shrinking form of his daughter, who dared not meet her father’s gaze, and covered her face with her handker- chief. The old man uttered not*a word; but stood a few seconds, pale and motionless, and looked wildly at his unhappy and lost child. Indeed, he scarcely saw the wretched figure of Von Pick, who had retreated as far as possible in the corner of the carriage, wishing bimself anywhere, to,escape this unpleasant. position, Another man, crushed and. broken-hearted, witnessed the scene; need we say that this was Christian? ‘Stop! stop!” cried Susanna, rushing past Von: Pick, who did not offer to detain. her. The sergeant, who stood by the door, opened it, and Susanva jumped out, “Father!” she cried, with an expression of heartrending sorrow in her voice—‘‘ father!” aud she tried to throw her arms round his neck, The old man turned away, and pushed her from him, not harshly, but with firmness. He would not allow his daughter even to lean upon his shoulder, “‘T have no child,” he said, in a low voice, giving the torch to a black standing near him; | and having done this, he walked with a slow | and firm step back to the house. ‘‘Come, Susanna; come to your mother,” said the pastor, to the poor girl, who stood the picture of misery and despair in the road. He drew her arm within bis, and led her, back to the house, whither Christian Helling followed, with seeming reluctance. The torch bearers next turned their ebention, toward the coachman on the box. Qn the evening in question they had been posted -by their lieutenant before Lischke’s house, with strict orders to stop everybody coming out of the same, while they were not to interfere with any persons entering. At eleven o’clock all the entrances were to be sud- denly occupied; and by this maneuver Walker hoped to secure M’Donald, who had kept away from the house during the day. Mabong, who was holding one of them, more from his old habit of leaving nothing unex- amined which presented itself to him, than from any definite suspicion, had several times endeavored, but in vain, to bring the light of his torch to bear upon the face of the coach- man. With this object in view he held the flaming torch as high as he could; shaded his eyes with his left hand, which was disengaged, and looked at John. John, who had his own particular reasons for not allowing him to see more of his face than he could possibly avoid, drew his head into the high collar of his coat, which he had turned up round his neck, and pulled his hat over his brows. ‘* Look out there,” the coachman shouted, foaming with rage at the idea of having run into danger in so stupid a manner, ‘if you cannot let an honest man. alone, look out for the conse- quences. Just mind the horses, When I get off the box they always start—make room there!” Two of the blacks went to the horses’ heads, and the others drew back a little to let the man jump down. John determined to seize upon this opportunity, the last, as be con- cluded, of eseape. Before getting off the box he took the whip in his hand. He, jumped down, and, leaping up again immediately, struck the nearest man who stood in his way a blow on the face with the butt-end of his heavy whip, and bounded toward the garden gate. In the dark garden, full of bushes and winding paths, he might easily have escaped ; and his sudden attack took the blacks so completely by surprise that the fugitive was enabled to reach the garden gate, against which he dashed with all his weight. His usual luck, however, failed him; the gate opened to the road, and a short but strong stake driven into the ground inside, resisted the first shock, The next in- stant, before he had time to break the gate open, two of the blacks rushed upon bim; one struck him a violent blow on. the head witha heavy torch, making the sparks fly in all di- rections, and another seized him by the collar and pulled him back. The bush ranger, driven to desperation, drew a knife he had concealed to cut his way through his assailants; but before he could use it he was seized, and in a few seconds brought to the ground, overcome and powerless, “Ah!” exclaimed the sergeant, while the prisoner, in spite of the terrible odds brought to bear against him, defended himself desper- ately with arms, legs, and teeth, ‘the fellow bas shown his sting! Bring a torch and let us see who the fellow is. It cannot be Jack Loudon?” ‘‘Red John!” exclaimed Mahong, with as- tonishment—‘* Red John!” ‘‘ Very well; secure bis feet well, and throw him into the carriage. One of you sit by him, and another drive to the Saaldorf Hotel, where you will watch him until I return. I need not tell you to keep a sharp look-out. Stop; what noise is that?” he said, suddenly pausing, and listening attentively. The sound of hoofs was heard on the road. A rider came galloping along, and stopped by the group. It was Lieutenant Walker. “ What is the matter?’ he exclaimed, has- tily; ‘‘ whom have you got there?” “Red John, sir; we found him on the en of that coach-box,” the sergeant replied, with his hand to his cap. ‘Ah! very well; has anything else hap- pened?” ‘‘No, sir; we have taken the wrong bird, but he will prove no bad catch, either, and I was just going to place my men out again.” “Jt is no longer necessary,” the lieutenant replied. ‘Draw your men off, and let them keep quiet.” ‘Very well, sir.” ‘‘Mahong, here!”’ ‘* Sir!” exclaimed the black, hastening up to his officer. “Take my horse; I will follow on foot; mind you keep a good watch over the prisoner. nm Having said this, the lieutenant disinounted, gave the reins to the black, and watched his men as they placed the bush ranger, bound EOMIEDOOK: es . ad