Beadle's Dime Library No. 299 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

¢ “ * : a rf aoe SE _ — ET ee _—— — ~~ Three of a Kind. have said, with fright, ‘‘Jist you go ’way, Missy Habbilan’, won’t do fur to ’cite him dis away, nohow—'deed ’twon’t. Now, massa jist you let ole Sam fix ye. Dab, now, we'll hab ye all right ag’in in jist no time at all,” While he was being put back in bed the gouty old chap alternately execrated his foot and his servitor. Forgetting her anger, his one-time ward laid ¥ her child on the lounge and sprang to his assis- — oe 416% wt fhe « ————— tance. ‘Oh, dear guardie!” she cried, recurring to the old title of endearment, “‘ let us not part in anger. lam truly sorry for the pain | must jeave you in: but I cannot delay. I must go to him at once. You do not know what he is suf- fering. You have not seen the despairing let- ter he wrote to me.” And so she poured out all sorts of excuses and palliations—far more than the delinquent mer- ited, no doubt: but then, if we got only our de- serts, how would the best of us fare? But old Jasper Haveland would not be placated; and his harsh strictures roused her anger again. So, bridling proudly, she said: “Very well, then! If you will persist in your unjust pitilessness, I cannot longer listen to you. This is a fieal good-by, as we may never meet again.” ow, then, the old fellow began to swear with- out restraint; and seeing ber preparing to go, he shouted to bis servant: ‘*Lock that door, you black rascal, and bring the key to me!” ‘Stand out of my way!” cried Stella, ad- vancing upon the distracted Julius with an im- rious flash of the eye that made him quail. ‘Do you think that Iam a child to be restrained against my will?” ~ “ Fo’ de L»’d, Missy Habbilan’, don’t r’ile de ole massa!” pleaded Julius. *‘ He’ll take it out o’ dis hyear chile, ef ve do. Jist wait tell we git him comf'able like. Ye know he al’ays comes roun’ in de en’.” | | | But time was pressing. To miss her train | ‘seemed to her like losing all. So, in spite of her former guardian’s furious commands to his Tom Doby ran the distance she had gained, and catching her up without a ‘“‘ with your leave or by your license,” swung her to the back of her borse again. There was no time for ceremony. It was neck or nothing. Sbe must not only retain her position, but hold her child. There was only one position in which she could do both, and in that position she found herself before she could catch breath. The next instant her child was placed in her arms, ‘*Hang on! the next instant, goaded by a bowie, the borse leaped forwar away over the prairie. She knew that sbe had her treasure in her arms; she felt that she was being swept oar as on the wings of the wind; she heard the yell- ing savages in her rear; she realized, too, that this rude fellow had sacrificed his life to save hers and that of her ecbild, if possible. All these facts went eddying through her mind like leaves caught up in a whirlwind; but blinded by the rush of air she sbut her eyes, clung convulsively to her baby with one arm, and had the other hand clutched firmly in the horse’s mane, and so waited breathlessly. Behind her, brave Tom Doby leaped back to his fallen horse, and throwing bimself down be- hind the body as a breastwork, and aiming his carbine over it, he opened fire on the approach- ing savages, nstantly they scattered to circle round him, when, gaining his rear, be would be without protection, And just within the cover, where the smooth bosom of the prairie rose into uplands, sat a _tacsdely a Ar it borseman, witness to this act of eroic devo'ion, It was lron Despard! Now, look out!” cried Tom; and rod with his and coursed CHAPTER XXIII. A MAN’S HATE, Now Iron Despard, as we have said, had servant, she put bim to one side and left the | worked himself intoa state which bordered very hotel, She was driven to herown home for the trunk that was now packed, and thence to the depot. And now fate frustrated ber plans by decree- | ing that an accident should delay the sending of her telegram.until her husband had passed Abi. eago. She was not informed of the fact; but when he failed to meet her, such was her con- fidence in him tbat she at once divined the truth. So she kept on to the prairie metropolis. There she got track of him, and followed him south toward Santa Fe, by coach, making in- quiry all along the line, | She was thus proceeding one sultry day across a stretch of pee, the only occupant of the stage, when the swaying vebicle was brought to an abrupt stand, and the driver swung from his seat and appeared at the door. ‘Kin you ride hoss-back, ma’am?” he asked, excitedly. ‘ “What is the matter?” she cried, s‘arting forward. ‘‘ Injuns—Apaches!” was the laconic answer, “Kin you ride? Ill take yer young’un. But we've got to git, and that right smart.. Thar ain’t no use o’ tryin’ to pull the heases through, Speak quick! ey’re right hyar.” Even as be spoke her ear was greeted bya chorus of blood-curdling yells; and gazing out of the coach window shesaw a line of wild war- riors goading tbeir horses at full speed to inter- cept the coach. ‘ Yes! yes! I can ride,” she answered, hand- ing her baby to bim and bastily aligbting. He disengaged the traces, mounted her on one horse and lea to the back of the other. “‘ Now jest keep cool an’ hold on,” he directed. And he goaded the borses to so wild a run that it seemed to heras if she must be thrown at every leap. . On came the Apaches, yelling and lashing their horses, In that mad dash she could not look back. ae held ber breath and clung on for dear e. ‘ Tom Doby on the other hand measured the lessening distance with anxious eye. Just above the head of one of the horses ap- peared a puff of white smoke. Then came a sharp report, followed by a zip close at hand, “7 am detaining you!” cried the mother, «‘ Leave me, and save my child! Ob! dear sir, if you can make better time alone, abandon me! ‘Hang on an’ don’t waste yer breath!” re- plied Tom, grimly. He was thinking: . = It’s good-by fur the lot of us, url lose my ess! {t seemed as if his gloomy prognostic was to rove Bue; for the savages were slowly yet urely gaining ground, : Agua aad again they fired, until his horse riek of pain, and jea into the air with a sh fell in & heap. ‘ With a scream of terror the mother drew in her borse rose ep to the ground. She would mot leave her child. | | —— a RRR a RR LT a ee ee : Ls f L3 mae ’ ° %: 7 , ‘» > : bail 4% a. y Ped er Ws closely upon insanity, so he gave not a second glance to the woman flying with her child—all her little world—within the circle of her arms, But his natural humane instincts prompted bim to succor the man so sorely beset; and besides, far from being deterred by considerations of per- sonal danger, the frenzy that seetbed in his brain goaded him to rush upon death as a manine leaps into the fire. Putting spurs to his borse, he dashed straight for the line of savages who were skirting Tom Doby’s flank nearest him. His bridle-rein hung loose on his horce’s neck, and he held a revolver in either hand, The moment he came within pistol range he opened a scathing fire; and, inspired with superstitious terror by his fierce aspect and bis reckless bold- ness which seemed to court death, the Indians scattered and fled before him as before a pursu- ing devil. Abandoning them, be sped across the plain to where Tom Doby was engaged in a hot contest. Again the fury of the assault ewopt every- thing before it. Then he returned to the stage- driver, not caring whether the savages followed on after the woman or not. He found brave Tom Doby breathing his last, have given his life for another. “The lady?” gasped Tom. * Let me seeif anything can be done for you,” said [ron Despard, frowning determinedly. ‘* But the lady—have you saved her?” per- sisted the stage driver, endeayoring to lift his head. that be might look about for her. ‘Hang the lady!” cried Lron Despard—in de- ference to “ears polite” we euphemize bis sny- age oath—irritated by this insistance. ‘“‘ We have something of greater importance on hand, just now. Where are you burt?” The wounded man stared at bim blankly. It was some time before he could realize the de- liberate abandonment of bis passenger to her fate. When be did, he ascribed it to intense personal hatred, But to carry even revenge to such an extent was so monstrous, that he shrunk with loatbing from the hand that would have succored him, ‘No! no!” he gasped, buskily. ‘‘ Don’t touch me! I suppose life is as much to me as to any man; but | wouldn't take it from your bands. When the Sportive Sport asks you bow you left the man that tried as long as there was life in bis body to defend his wife, tell him that my last word to you was that I considered you a cowardly hound!” lron Despard stood erect, with folded arms, gazing down at the speaker, not at all, to out- ward appenrance, affected by bis taunt. Heroic Tom Doby lay gasping feebly, and rapidly bleeding to death. **T’d rather have—my body—as full of—holes as it is—than your so—soul!” be panted, fixing his gaze sternly upon the face that bent above im, Then his eyes slowly glazed over; and he vas gone to his reward! Woaat prompted Tron Despard’s next action? If it was respect for the man who had reproved -— - _ _—— - - - = 25 him with his last breath, he did not take the reproof home and act upon it. ifting the inanimate body, he placed it on his horse, and bearing it to the hills, laid itina er and covered it with a cairn of rocks, hen he went on his way immersed in moody thought. That the fugitive was the wife of his colleague was no recommendation to his protection, but rather the reverse. He recalled the cadence of bitterness he had heard in the Sportive Sport’s voice. No doubt he had the best of reasons for leaving ber—perbaps the same that bad sent Despard himself once more adrift in the world, his soul torn by raging passions. all thanks to the man who would bang ber again like a millstone about his neck! Thus reasoning within himself, be turned a sharp angle of rock, and found himself face to face with the woman and her child, riding be- tween two captors! With a sbriek she slipped from her horse, and rushed to his side, crying: ‘Oh! save me, sir!—save me from these ter- rible creatures!” But long before she could accomplish this— indeed, the ins‘ant that be saw them, and be- fore her captors could lift a finger in menace or self-defense—he bad plucked forth and cocked his revolver, crying: ‘‘ Hands up!” And thev, knowing the peril of his deadly aim, bad obeyed, and were completely at bis mercy. Then had come her shriek of delirious jov— the rebirth of hope—and her flight to him, ber savior! But let us take the moment of breathless sus- pense that followed to narrate how all this came about, Finding himself so well mounted that he did not fear pursuit, Joe Moran made bis way di- rectly to the stage route running between Den- verand Santa Fe, Here ata station he found Mrs, Edward Haveland; the inquiries she made at every step made her story the theme of gen- eral gossip; he at once conceived a plot which would cripple his enemies, by dividing their force, if nothing more: and in less than an hour he had collected a Bey of ruffians who were ready for any fiends’ work, so long as they were paid for it. They were men who were in the habit of hunting together, like a pack of wolves; and they bad every appliance for the successful prosecution of their infamous trade. As it served them to disguise their race, they fre- quently masqueraded as Indians, Then, the mors atrocious their work, the less the danger of discovery. Thus disguised, the coach which containe bave seen their success. As Tom Doby was nothing to them, they were glad to leave him to the man who had come to his aid, while they continued their pur- suit of the woman and child who alone were necessary to their purpose, | They overtook and secured her; and then, while Moran and another burried her away to a place of concealment until be could use ber for the attainment.of his ends, they sent the rest back to cmbush the wayincase they should be followed—whbich they fully expected, Had Iron Despard gone directly on, be would inevitab'y bave fallen a victim to their mur- derous weapons; but the departure from the route to bury brave Tom Doby maie it to his advantage to take another trail; and by this means he passed round the ambush and came upon those who bad the prisoner in charge, tak- ing them wholly unware, He only anticipated their assault when be or- dered them to throw up their hands. It was but a matter of self-pro' ection, thocgh both cap- tive and captors accredited bim with a more genercus sentiment. As Mrs. Haveland approacbed bim, he reined his horse away from ber with afrown of unmis- takeable batred, ‘Do not touch me, woman!” he cried, weeping and laughing tcgether in the atindet insane delight that thrilled her mother’s bosom, she held her child up tobim. ‘* Do you fancy that I would strike a blow in defense of such a thing as you ?” . His intense scorn of look and intonation was like a blow in the face. The unbappy woman sbrurk back, staring at him in dismay. Thena possible interpretation of bis demeanor occurred to her, and she cried: ‘*Oh, sir! but you cannot understand! I am the wife of Edward Haveland. He is well known all through this country. You must have heard of bim. Believe me!—I am an hon- orable woman—a loved and honored wife!” ‘*Ha-a-h! no doubt!” he laughed, with savage eee + OSS Ce Oe ae er er OO ree went in pursuit of the Mrs. Haveland; and we scorn. ‘“‘ You are ali honorable women—uwntil you are found out! Ob, yes! you are loved and trusted! There is no limit to humen cre- dulity—until you teach us what fools we are! Faugh! why bandy words with yout Stand aside, I say!” “But Faas cannot abandon me to these wretches ‘Practice your arts on them! Ha! ha! I EoOmicdooks-co OE