Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 156 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

Velvet Face, the Border Bravo. -_w each other,and by their actions seemed strangely | halt, while Kennedy said inatone that seemed a | li nervous. ‘* True, but we must take the chances; come, we go over the mountain, and then down by the Devil’s Ladder,” and the leader wheeled out of the trail, directly up the steep mountain side, Muriel silently following, with a fearlessness and command of her horse that showed her to be a perfect equestrienne, Though taking her capture coolly, to outward appearances, and acquiescing in the orders of the leader, Muriel Merle was not one to give up hope, and her bright eyes were open to any chance of escape that she might deem feasible; while she muttered to her horse, as she bent over and patted his neck: ‘‘There may come a chance, Featherhoof, when pen can try your speed against these . gaunt-looking steeds; an thou lovest me, don’t ail me then,” The faithful animal gave a low whinny in re- sponse, as though understanding her, and as cheng anticipating her intention, the leader sala: j ** You need hope for no oppor amity to escape, be your horse ever so swift, for Death is the only thing that can release you from the power of the chief.” ‘* Then Death shall be my friend, if need be,” was the fearless response, and then on in silence, excepting the strokes of their horses’ hoofs, the party wound their way up the rugged moun- tain side, while fainter and fainter in the dis- tance was hear:l the cracking of the teamsters’ whips, and their cries to their teams to urge them on their way. At last the sounds from the toiling train were no longer heard, and Muriel’s heart almost sunk with despair, for the last link seemed broken that bound her to those she loved. Then there flashed through her mind a thought that flushed her face, That thought was: de “Tf he who calls himself Velvet Face heard my ery for help, he can save me, and will.” CHAPTER VY. | DOWN THE DEVIL’S LADDER. AFTER a hard climb over the mountain, to throw any pursuers that might follow, off their trail, the Masked Riders, with their fair cap- tive, still hopeful in spite of her danger, began the descent of the other side, ‘* Kennedy,” suddenly called out the leader. ‘Yes, captain,” answered one of the men, the one who rode upon the other side of Muriel. ‘‘T have an idea that we will be hotly pur- sued, and to throw the hounds off our scent, yon | take two men with you, those that are the t 4. ‘ ‘ \ a ' mounted, and go by the way of the Devil’s Lad- der, for it will give you a gain of ten miles.” ** And the lady, sir?” ‘*She goes with you, forshe must not be re- taken; do you understan??” ‘** Yes, captain; but if it be impossible to keep her against overwhelming numbers?’ ‘You know your duty,” was the stern re- nse, tr You mean I shall—” The man paused, but touched the hilt of his knife significantly, anu Muriel saw the act and shuddered, . & “ Yes,” came in an ominous tone from the » leader’s lips. 2 ‘‘And you, captain?” queried the man ad- - dressed as Kennedy. \ ‘Will keep the road with the rest of the men , ‘® and the pursuit will follow us, not you, and will contest every step until you have reached the cavern, and then sie is safe from recap- 4 ally ‘‘ T will obey, captain; see, there is where we separate,” and Kennedy pointed to where the broad trail circling around the mountain was visible, and in a few minutes more they came to a halt in it. : you know what I expect of ou, so “If will, captain; come, lady, you go with me,” and seizing the tite tin” of uriel’s horse, the man rode aeey followed by two of | his comrades, whom the told to follow Seeing them disappear in a pine the leader rode on, Seiten the trait around the mountain, A ‘Lady, | bee have shown that you courage and nerve; you will need all your pluck in a few moments to face a danger few men dare face,” ‘Muriel turned slightly more pale than she was, but asked calmly: ‘‘ What is the danger I have to face that is |) greater than being in the power of such wretches y * as you have proven yourselves?” “Ha! ha! ha!” ng nAS on man at the shot he received, while lie replied: “Oh! you will face the ordeal without flinch- f ing i, but that is a severe shot, lady, from one so ovely, ' Muriel made no reply, and kept her eyes i steadily before her to naek for the danger she ‘was told she must meet. é' Soon she discovered a large live-oak, growing upon the very edge of what seemed a precipice, and beneath its shadow her captors called a * — = : Yes. paused t } eee ittle nervous: ; “Prepare yourselves, men, for the Ladder, and you, lady, bring all your nerve to , for you see that precipice before you?” “ e y ‘Well, from yonder edge leads a path, run- ning around the side of the mountain, and bro- ken here and there with steps; it is halfa mile long, < uite steep, and will conduct us to the val- ley low * ‘* Well?” quietly asked Muriel, as Kennedy used, “Tt is but three feet wide at its greatest width, and at one place but two and a quar- er.’ In spite of her great courage Muriel Merle shuddered and her lip quivered; but she made no reply, and watched the movements of two ot her c..ptors, who had dismounted and tight- ened their saddle-girths, and then thrown one stirrup over to the other side, after which they again mounted their trembling horses, who seemed to understand the fearful danger that threatened them. ‘* Now hold this rein while I look after our girths,” said Kennedy, dismounting, as he threw the rein of Muriel’s bridle to one of his com- rades, the act causing the fair captive to com- press her lips angrily, for she had determined when he also dismounted, to wheel Featherhoof suddenly and ride for her life. Thwarted in her plan of escape, Muriel si- lently watched the man tighten her saddle- girths and his own, and remount his horse, sit- ting sideways, as did his comrades. **Come, lady, follow me, for I will lead the way, and hold your horse well in hand, for a stumble will be instant death,” In silence the maiden obeyed, and the party moved forward to the edge of the precipice, over which the spreading branches of the mas- sive live-oak hung. Just as Muriel came to where she could look over, Kennedy, with a word of caution, urged his trembling horse to take the shelf of rock, for it was nothing more, that jutted out from the cliff, and, like an artificial ang way, ran around the wall of rock, dually descending toward the valley five hun feet below. After a moment’s hesitation Featherhoof, to Muriel’s regret, followed the horse of Kennedy, and bebind her came the other two, the three men, by riding sideways, saving their legs from being crushed, for the animals pressed against the rocky wall, with a force that threatened to tear their saddles from their backs, “Do not look down, lady; keep your eyes upon the head of your horse, and give him f rein,” warned Kennedy, but without glancing around, for he hardly dared move a muscle, for fear of causing the animal he was mounted upon to lose his equilibrium, and topple over in the Ra lor as ca sus eli amie oti pright, w as a corpse, wi set, and hand as firm as iron, Muriel Merle we the fearful descent of the Devil’s Ladder, as the rocky and narrow path was appropriately called, while before and behind her were her captors, showing less nerve than the young ah they were perhaps bearing to a far worse fate than death, “Steady now, for this is what we call the first round in the Ladder, lady,” warned Ken- nedy, and slowly his horse made the step down of nearly a foot, and with wine caution Fea- therhoof and the other animals followed. ‘* Bravo! you have a nerve of iron, lady; and we are half-way down now,” again said Ken- nedy, after a pause of a few moments of horror, in w several more ‘‘rounds” in the Ladder had been Muriel made no reply, and once more her capto anes as they came to a turn in the Pte ‘Here, lady, we come to the narrowest of the Ladder; just two and a quarter feet from the wall to the edge, and for the distance of forty feet, around the brow of the moun- tain, and with two hundred feet of empty space beneath us, and rocks to catch us below. You paint a cheerful picture, kidnapper Kennedy,” said Muriel, s ing for the first time since the fearful descent had commenced, and without a sign of tremor in her tones. ‘“‘And you are the bravest woman I ever saw— Great God! see there!” And well might the cry break from the man’s lips, for, just as the four horses were on the narrowest part of the ledge, and pressing hard against the wall, suddenly in the path before them appeared a horseman. , All at once came to a halt, for instinctively the animals knew their danger, and that there could be no seer there; but with the cry of horror that burst from Kennedy, came an ex- clamation of joy from Muriel Merle, for in the horseman before her she recognized Velvet ace, the Border Bravo. CHAPTER VI. WHICH MUST IT BE? FOLLOWING the glad of Muriel Merle, camo two startled eaiietione from the men behind her that she could not understand, iS) Certainly they had seen the horseman in their front, for they had echoed Kennedy’s cry of horror; could a double danger be facing them, she wondered? And her woman’s nature onaeeee pru- dence, she turned her head, and, like Lot’s wife, glanced behind her. What she saw, that had so startled the two ne following her, was a*tall form in the on h behind them, with one hand hold a w sprung back, the other sigh to let go the arrow-head and send it on its flight, Almost reeling from her saddle at the sight, for she recognized in the form behind her the Indian captive of the Vigilantes, Muriel turned her gaze upon the noble black horse that barred their wey and then upon the handsome, smiling face of the rider, who sat with one leg care- lessly thrown over his saddle-horn, and in his hand he held a revolver that covered the heart of Kenedy. It was a moment of awful suspense, and then the stern tones of Velvet Face were heard, and they reached the ears of those for whom they were intended with fearful distinctness: ** T pass here, sir !” “There is a lady, and we are four; you but one,” said Kennedy. ; “*It matters not; the lady I will see meets with no harm, but I pass here,” was the smiling response, ‘How in Satan’s name will you do it?” an- erly cried Kennedy. “*T will first kill you,” was the provokingly cool retort, and nerved into a spirit of utter recklessness by his awful dan er, Kennedy re- plied in something of the same tone: ‘“*Then there remains the lady to pass.” “That I will arrange.” ‘*In Heaven’s name! how?” “But just now you asked a like query in the devil’s name; you cannot serve two masters,” was the provokingly cool reply, while the smile exceedingly fascinating in Sp aaghon te if it was not analyzed closely, never left the lips of Vel- vet Face. ‘You are a fool, and I would be willing to try conclusions with you just here, were we on foot,” angrily said Kennedy. “But we are not on foot, sir, and it is well for you that we are not; now, sir, I say I pass,” and the noble black cautiously moved a step nearer, : “Great God! will you hurl this lady off into eternity?” ** You are most careful of the lady, sir, seein that three hours ago you captured her; but will relieve you of all further trouble regardin her,” and, coqnenn * quickly upward, Velve Face gave a loud ‘* Yes, the Red Dove hears,” came back from over the edge of the cliff, which at that place was a hundred feet above them, *“Lower the lariats, Red Dove,” was the or- der, and all waited in silence and awe, until a dark ia around Muriel, who nervously i Ota % y, be good enough to wrap that around your waist until you are secure—that is it! now grasp the lariats above your head and raise yourself from your saddle!” Silently and with perfect coolness Muriel ee and again came the order: “Now urge your horse forward, and from under you,’ There was a space of ak Mba lengths be- tween each of the descendi orses, and at an earnest word from Muriel, Featherhoof slow! moved forward, and left her suspended in mid- air, when again the calm voice of Velvet Face was heard: ‘Now lower yourself to the shelf, please, for the lariats are long enough.” In silence Muriel obeyed, and her feet touched rei vie tats felita ema ee Oe waist gave a ng 0 security. rly Kennedy and bis nredee had watched these maneuvers, the former striving to catch Velvet Face off his guard so as to draw a revolver, but to his chagrin, fin that he seemed to be watching the maiden’s move- ments, and at the same time keeping his eye upon bim. ** Now, sir, I here.” Seeing that the moment for instant action ad come, Kenned his hand upon his pistol-butt; but with the act Sone cake a sharp report and with a bound the horse of the raapwgy beeps i > went over 8 Aeanity Epbee in, and carryin er with him still seated in his saddle. . Yet, in that fearful moment, while the cry of horror at his fate was upon lips, the man drew his revolver to attempt to avenge his own death, but the weapon fell from his shattered arm, and down into the abyss of eternity went steed and rider, to fall with a sickening crash upon the rocks below. With horror at the scene, Muriel Merle cov- ered her face with her ben and felt herself reeling with weakness; but the lariat around her waist upheld and saved her, while Feather- hoof, alarmed by the shot, had started so that one hoof sli ped over the edge of the precipice, and for an instant his life hung by a thread, as it were; but a dextrous movement recovered - —_ —————— mzmaananammmmmmmipmmtnsmmmmmmmtssnmmntdmsmsumtasaimammmummauasimapaataaaas atau tata ete Cn Cc (0) (COMMNElOOOKS