Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 289 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

aS Ae ~. 5.5 °F i en eo re ee — ee — — oz —— be ae CO~ et he ery ee < _ ws -_ pos vote oem ON ie ee TI. * a an — . ee Zz PO ge eee ee +8 wwe SS 12 He peered out from behind the big trunk of his oak, and thought he saw the form of a man flitting from one tree to another at a little dis- tance, Yet it might have been an illusion, caused by the shadows cast by the intermittent moonlight. He stepped forth from his concealment, be- pape that the man, if it was a man, was near enough to be captured, or at least to be halted by a pistol-shot. As he did so, he perceived that the intruder was equally on the alert with himself, and had even got ahead of bin. A shot rung through the forest, and the flash was clearly visible. Another followed immediately, and Fred felt a sharp twinge in his left arm. It was plain that the watcher had been watched, and that the intention was to kill him or to scare him off Here at last was something practical and palpable as a result of his vigils—a clew that must be seized and followed up. But he did not stop an instant to reflect upon the cause or sequence of the shooting. Angered and eager, be ran in the direction of the sound and the flash, firing twice as he went. There was something to fire at. * Hethen clearly saw the dark form of a man who left the shelter of a tree, and bounded away through the forest. Neither of Fred’s shots seemed to touch him, and there was no chance to fire aguin, so swift- ly did the fugitive make his way westward into the thickest of the forest, so as to keep the trunks of the trees between himself and his pur- suer. But Fred pressed on, eagerly seeking a chance for a shot that would count. Swiftly as he ran, the man he was chasing was too swift to be caught, and probably too well acquainted with the intricacies of the forest =i Sip red was soon sure that he had lost the slip- pery shadow, as he neither saw nor heard any- thing more of him. He stopped, but looked and listened in vain. The forest was as quiet as a graveyard. He had been almost sure of seizing a clew, of gaining a point, but the opportunity had eluded m, It was difficult to believe that it was Jonas Hexamer whom he had been pursuing. The dark-featured and somewhat elderly man whom he bad twice seen and closely no- ticed was too heavy of build and too slow of mo- tion to have escaped him so a af Yet who else could have had a purpose to serve in trying to kill him or scare him away? No person, surely, but one who was responsi- ble for the disappearance of Kate Helmsley, or who wished to end the efforts of the chief of the searchers, As he reflected on these points he sat down at the foot of a tree to rest. But he heard a rustling in the undergrowth near by, and rose hastily. Not soon ones to meet the onslaught of a men who suddenly threw themselves upon im. CHAPTER XVI. SATAN’S ASSISTANCE, FiusH FrRep’s first sensation was that of be- ag erick on the head, as if by a club. he blow was a hard and heavy one, suffi- cient to knock him down, but not to stun him. The instinct of self-preservation was strong within him, and he struggled to his feet, striv- ing to shake off the grasp of his assailants. But they were both strong and active men, either one of them fully a match for him ina By the fitful moonlight he could see that one them was a negro, and the other seemed to be a white man. Again he was struck, though not with a club, fair contest of and the combined efforts of his antagonists forced him to the und. As he fell he let out his voice in a far-reach- ing cry for help. course he could not expect to bring any one to his assistance in that wilderness; but it was natural to yell. He was answered by the deep voice of a hound neat at hand—a voice that seemed to be familiar m. At the same time there was a manifest com- motion among the two ruffians who had piled “oo alae on top of him, and their grasp re- The next instant it was their turn to yell and shriek, as an immense dog leaped upon them, and added himself to the buddle. ‘“Sejze ’em, Satan!” shouted Fred. ‘Seize ’em, Satan!” Then he heard a clear and manly voice, which he also recognized, calling the dog. Satan obeyed the order instantly, and fell back, wling, while the two ruffians picked themselves up, and scampered away. Flush Fred sat up at the foot of the tree, and felt of his head, which was whiriing as if a cyclone had been started within it. He saw his assailants running off as fast as ‘their legs would carry them, and reached for Flush Fred’s Full Hand. — bis pistol, wishing to give them a parting shot; but it bad fallen to the ground, and he could not easily find it. Right before him, seated on his haunches, and making mute demonstrations of friendship, was Saul Stiner’s great hound, Satan. A little way off was Saul Stiner himself, Couns on at a lope, with a sbotgun in his and. “Ts it you, Mr. Henning?’ exclaimed the swamp sucker, as he halted gear the dog. ‘*'What is the matter? hat are you doing out here in the woods?’ “Trying to get my wits together just now,” answered Fred. ‘I wouldn’t have been doing anything much longer, if Satan had not come to my help in time. Those scoundrels would have made carrion of me.” ** Who were they?” “ IT don’t know, I wish I did. One was a nig- ger, and the other may have been a white man. wish you hadn’t called the dog off. If he had held one of them, I might have learned some- thing that I would be very glad to know.” ‘** He seems to have worried them some, judg- ing by the spots of blood on the ground, I called him off because I hate to have him tear men. Are you burt, Mr. Henniag?” **T don’t believe I am—nothing to speak of, anyhow, my head got a hard knock or two; but it is tough as a pine knot. Come to think of it, nt left arm is a little stiff, 1 was shot at a while ago, and must have beeo hit.” The hit had evidently not disabled him, as he easily pulled off his coat, and Sau! Stiner rolled up bis shirt sleeve and examined the burt. It was only a slight flesh wound, hardly more than “a graze, just enough to draw the blood pretty freely, and when the [swamp sucker had pound it up with a bandkercbief Fred felt no in- convenience from it. Saul was naturally anxious to know what had led to the encounter, and Fred was quite will- ing to tell bim. ndeed, there was a special reason why he should acquaint the swamp sucker with his business there, and it was strange that he had not thought of it before. He had cause to consider Saul Stiner his friend, and Saul, by his habitation and his pur- suits, must be thoroughly acquainted with that region, including its most inaccessible portions of forest and swamp. Therefore Saul must be well qualified to assist him in his search. Indeed, nobody in that neighborhood was likely to be better qualified than the swamp sucker. There was Satan, too, a dog of undoubted ability as a trailer, a hunter, and a protector. It would naturally be supposed that Saul would be one of the first persons to whom Fred would apply, and it was strange that he had not thought of that before. To be sure, he could not have found his way back to David Stiner’s abode without a guide, and Saul had hinted that he would prefer to keep away from Gravelly Bayou. But these considerations would have presented no Pe, difficulties if he had thought of applying to S.ul The fact was that he had not thought of him in that connection, and he blamed himself severely for having overlooked so important a pacer in the problem he had been trying to solve. But, with Saul and Satan there before him, he proceeded to tell the whole story of Kate Helmsley’s disappearance, with all the facts and articulars that were or might be more or less intimately related to that w Sper winding up with the encounter which the arrival of Satan had terminated. This narration took time, and it was length- ened by the interruptions of Saul, who was anxious to have clear and connected ideas of everything as he went along. Fred concluded by asking for the assistance of Saul in the search, promising him that he easy be well paid for his labor and loss of time, ‘“You may count on me,” cheerfully replied Saul. ‘I will be glad to do all I can to help you, and so will Satan. Neither of us will want any pay, though, and ~ mustn’t speak of that again, Mr. Henning. I don’t need any money, and will be right well pleased to take up that sort of a bunt, unless the old man objects, and I don’t believe be will.” Flush Fred expressed his thankfulness, and the prospects of the search already began to look brighter. ‘‘T wonder, now—” said Saul, with a little hesitation. ‘‘ Yes, it may be. It is possible, anyhow, that something I lately found may fur- nish a point in this affair.” ‘* What is that, Saul?” ' ‘‘A locket that I picked up the other day in the woods, near the edge of the big swamp. ** Where is it?” “Oh, Pye got it with me. It is good-luck, 78 know, to find that sort of thing, and I carry t wherever I go.” The swamp sucker showed asmall gold locket pang from his neck by a leather string, an Fred examined it carefully by such light as the moon afforded. | | rrr ti tt LE LE LL LLL LLL LL A There was no inscription upon it, nor any- thing about it to indicate its former ownersbip; but Fred Henning thought that he recognized it. “I believe it is Miss Helmsley’s,” he said, “I am almost sure that I have seen her wear it, and yet Iam not quite sure. Can’t you bring it over to the Delarosse plantation in the morning, and show it to her brother?’ **T don’t want to go there,” answered Saul. Why not?” ne: Well, the old man is kinder prejudiced against that place. But you can take it 2nd show it to him, Mr. Henning. I would trust anything to you.” ‘“*Thank you, Saul. I would also like to know where you found it. I want to see the exact place. Could you take me to it!” ‘*Of course I could, and I will do so with pleasure.” An appointment was made for the morning, and Fred Henning took the locket to Gravelly Bayou to show it to Arthur Helmsley. Arthur recognized it at once. It was his sister’s locket. She had worn it when she left bome, and Flush Fred was sure that she was wearing it when he met her on the Sabine. The next morning Saul Stiner was met at the appointed place by Fred Henning, Arthur elmsiey, and Dennis Malone. All were eager to see the place where the locket had been found, as from that point they expected to start the search anew. Saul lai them through the forest over the track which they bad followed at the instigation of Dennis Malone—the track which led to the swamp—the route which they had abandoned because it was impracticable and dangerous. They did not goas faras they had gone on the previous occasion, halting at the edge of the swamp, and Saul “ede t out the exact spot where the locket bad been found, near the trunk of a fallen tree. There was nothing in this besides a reasona- ble certainty that Kate Helmsley had been at that spot. : = she gone forward; or had she turned ack? Re she had gone on into the swamp, what the n ‘* It’s right I was, as yez see now,” said Den- nis Malone. ‘There was a nest out this way, an’ it wasn’t a mare’s nest, ayther. Phwat, now, did young Black an’ Crusty mane by act- in’ loike the birrd? If he didn’t know av the nest, it was quare, intoirely.” In this opinion the others agreed with bim. The attack upon Fred Henning meant some- thing, and that something was probably an at- tempt to stop the search for Kate Helmsley. In this connection the discovery of the locket, showing that she had got as far as the edge of the swamp, was siguiponnt. Had she gone there alone, or had she been brought there by persuasion or force? The condition of the locket had a little story to tell. It was not so worn that it had become loosened, but had clearly been broken from its chain, showing that force had been used to de- tach it; but the force might have been acci- dental, such as the catching of the trinket on a thorn or twig while she was wandering about. The most careful examination failed to dis- cover any traces of footprints at the spot where the locket was found, other than those of Saul Stiner and the searching parties. Since her disappearance there had been at least two heavy rains. But sbe bad surely been there, and must still be somewhere in the vicinity, It was not likely that a desperate assault would bave been made upon the chief of the searchers, unless there was something t 4 continued search might pi Fred Henning, having got hold of these clews, and having secured the aid of Saul Stiner, was more than ever determined that the search should go on until Kate was found, Would she be found alive, or dead? —_—_—-——_ CHAPTER XVII. THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE, Denny the Drummer, mouse actively inter- ested in the search of the missing girl, had found time for other occupations during his stay at Gravelly Bayon. He had made satisfactory sales of wines and liquors for the house he represented to Leon Delarosse, General Brayham, and several other planters of the neighborhood, and had gained a customer in the tavern-keeper at tigny. So much to show that he was not neglecting business. He had also become a general favorite, hav- ing ingratiated himself with all the ple at and about Gravelly Bayou, from the highest to the lowest, with the single exception of Paul Delarosse, who surely d him intensely. But he was by no means the only person thus distinguished by the young nabob, and he took pleasure in reciprocating t sentiment. One of those whose favor the young Irishman pad succeeded in gaining was pretty Kitty es. GDOOCKS com i=