Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 4 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

No. 4, —_—_—_—— —_ eee a little agitated by the precipitation of events, when a rasping, high-pitched voice fell upon her ear. ‘* say, you brazen-faced h !” snarled Mrs. Jerusha Swanton, in a fury of jealous hatred, ‘‘“who air yeou, ora Do you hear?—if yous try to entice William away from me—my awfully wedded husband !—Ill pull ev my nails in yeour brazen face, yeou piece of impidence, yeou!” Mrs. Burbank, not a little startled, reined her horse away from the me eee fe But the filial Sidney checked the threatened attack in a more summary manner. Catching his mother by the hair, he jerked her back and said: “Shut up, ole woman, or [ll lam yeou toa pummy! Yeou must be a blamed ole fool to think that this lady wants anything o’ dad. I reckon she wouldn’t wipe her old shoes on him, or yeou either.” ‘*Sidney Swanton!” cried his mother, ‘‘yveou’re the sassiest, the ongratefulest, the ill-manneredist—” ‘‘Shut up yer yawp, I say, or Pl—” But he di senseless by a stone. The next instant, without seeing an Mrs. Swanton heard a crashing of the bushes at her back; an arm glided about her waist; and a broad, horny pala was pressed over her mouth, not, however, in time to prevent the scream which she sent ringing through the — | about the neck, and er head in her shaw], whirled her round and round, | sciousness. Then father an r than ceremony | est. Her unseen assailant soon envelo and thrust her with more vi into a bramble-bush. There the terrified woman crouched, screaming with all her might, un- heeding the beat of a horse’s hoofs in rapid re- treat, or the approach of a body of savages. CHAPTER XIII. A DASTARDLY DEED. Bur.Ly Ben started up from his examination of Mr. Burbank’s head, with almost a shout of delight. “Only a — wound, blessed be God!” he cried, yet Ba edly. ‘‘ Here, Hal, pass your canteen. e’ll have him ‘round ag’in in jest no time at all. Chafe his hands, while I dress his head. There’s a pair of you, my boy, and *t’ll be my turn next.” . In a few minutes Carlton Burbank was him- self again, the glancing bullet having done less damage than a sharp thwack with a shillelah. ‘“We must find a more secure place than this,” hesuggested. ‘‘If the Indians should dis- cover our retreat, we would be between two ‘We can’t go out o’ here now, not by no manner 0’ ” declared Burly Ben, atter a reconnoissance at the mouthofthe cave. ‘‘ The woods is chock full o’ reds, within stun-throw 0’ our front-door, an’ we’d be gobbled up in a iffy! An’, ’squire,” he added, scratc his ead, ‘‘thar’s somethin’ quare about that shot. ’Twa’n’t an Injin that fired it, ur he’d ’a’ yelled, sartin. If it was a white, why then, of course, he’s friendly, an’ mistook us for inimies.” aia In od why cannot +: nage ei | own, and perhaps gain a valuable accessory?’ ‘* That’s jest my ged said Ben. ‘‘ Anyway, here fur a try Followed by Mr. Burbank and Hal, the scout crept back into the passage to the last le. Here, protected by the jutting rock, he ed, guardedly: $f Hallo, in there!” The hollow echoes of his voice died away among the subterranean galleries; but no fur- ther answer was given back. “ Hallo, ag’in!” he repeated. ‘‘ You needn’t be scared of us. We're whites and friends,” Still no answer. —. ‘‘ It’s mighty cur’ous!” he mused. “If they was whites, they would be afeared to show their faces, an’ if oer? 2 was Injins, they’d yell so’s to let the outsiders know they'd bagged somethin’. But, hold on! Ive anidee. To pit in here, they most likely had to go through his passage; an’ if so be they did, they couldn’t help leaving a trail on the sand that makes the beaten of this end of it. They can’t shoot round a corner;so here goes fur a light. The lantern’s in yonder; but I’ve got my tinder-box, an’, Hal, you’ll find a pine twig jest at the open- in’, Fete it, while I strike a light.” In thirty seconds a diminutive torch, giving the light of half a dozen candles, was burning. By its light Burly Ben discovered what threw - ees off his guard, so that he cried oud: ‘Look! look! By the Great Horned Spoon! if here hain’t the print of her foot!» Oh! glory to God! but we’ve found her at last! Hatt ha! ha! ha! Now, ’squire, do you see that? and that? and that? ! hal ha! An’ it’s the only fresh trail—save an’ except our own—in the pas- sage; so the girl—God bless her leetle heart and eyes—is alone! Great Caesar! but she nearly ed her own father!” ‘* What is it, Ben? Is it her trail?’ cried the parent, almost beside himself with certainty. ‘‘Is my child near? The Kidnapper; ————— ui re ee — _ — Mrs. Burbank was yet looking after him, not not conelude; for he was knocked | one, | Heavenly Father, I thank thee!—and yet I | to their gee place of refuge. She | pose Bur be suffering untold terrors, thinking us her scarcely dare hope! Let us go in, Ben! mai ruthless, blood-thirsty foes!” ‘‘Come on!” cried Ben, enthusiastically. ‘The plucky leetle rat gi’n the Injins the slip, an’ then went to perin’ her ole dad! Ha! ha! ha! He! he! he! Don’t salt me, Miss Blanche! ory spear | Bless her leetle picter! but she does credit to my o’ hair out o’ yeour head, and leave tokens of | Varnin’.” As for Hal, a great wave of crimson swept to or, the Great Shanghai of the ee ee CC ee COSC ee | through whose tops cffec | sound of whispe —— For this pur- y Ben and Hal set out at once. A cautious reconnoissance showed that the Indians had withdrawn from the neighborhood of the cave, called away by an occurrence which will presently be described. Like spec- ters Ben and Hal glided forth, and soon stood beneath the forest trees, the sighing of the wind y drowned the Northwest. ee a red dialogue. ‘* Wouldn’t it be well for us to learn some- the roots of his hair and then receded, leaving | thing about the movements cf the enemy before him _ pale. ‘**Here’s her trail. We can foller that,” said Ben. ‘‘ Hallo! By mighty! Here she is her- self, all in a heap!” With a great cry, the father sprung forward and clasped the unconscious form in his arms. ‘‘Blanche! Blanche! Oh! my child! Awake! arouse |! to me! Look, Ben, is she dead, or only fainted? Oh, God! if we lose her, after all!” “It’s only a faint, ’squire. She dropped all in a heap aiter firing that there gun—scart clean out of her wits.” ‘‘Thank God! she is alive andsafe! Blanche! Boren my own precious one!” is tears, his kisses or his impassioned words, or all combined, brought her back to conscious- ness. She sighed, opened her eyes, gave one mighty start of terror, as if to spring out of his arms, and then recognized him. ‘* Father! Oh, ary !’ she cried, clasped him ainted dead away again. Burly Ben’s skill soon brought her back to con- daughter enacted a scene of childish delight. They wept, they laughed, they clung to each other in long, breathless embraces; and ail the while Blanche overwhelmed her father with a flood of ques- tions, scarcely waiting for an answer to one, in her impatience to put another, or express her delight at their reunion. ** But here are other friends who claim a share of your attention,” said her father, presently. ot until then did Blanche glance over his shoulder, to see by whom he was erent a 9 Naturally her eye fell first upon the torch-bear- er, Ben. With a glad smile she extended one hand, while the other arm yet lingered about her father’s neck. “Oh, Ben!” she exclaimed, ‘‘ are — safe? I was so afraid they had captured or killed you!” “Yes, Miss Blanche, I’m as sound as a nut. | it | go fur the ee we go for Miss Edwards?’ asked Hal. ‘‘ A capital idea, boy,” responded Ben. ‘ But won’t take two of us to do either job. You , an’ I'll scout around a bit an’ pick up what I can. We can rendezvous here, an’ go to the cave together.” ** All right,” said Hal, and moved off without further words. ‘*Ha! ha! ha!” he laughed, when he was alone. ‘‘ That was done neatly. He saved me the trouble of proposing this very arrangement. That will help to ward off suspicion, if any were ossible. And now to cut the Gordian knot! gh!” and he shuddered with a horror that blanched cheek and lip, while his eyes, moving furtively from side to side, blazed and his knees. trembled with quailing terror. ‘‘ Great God! it is a horrible deed! But I'll do it! There is no other way out of the accursed trap!” His features were working odically, his white teeth showing like cruel fangs beneath his mustache, and his brows knit until they met above his nose, ‘* All for one moment of insane pleasure!” he muttered. ‘‘ Perdition seize her! I’ve hated her ever since I got her, and myself too for a cursed idiot! What did I want of this milk and water fool? She promises to spoil everything now. But she never live to doit! She is in my path, and must be put out of it!” At a distance from the clump of bushes in which Mary lay secreted he paused and uttered a peculiar bird-call, which had been their si at many a happy Cen: With a heart-thri Mary reco it, and parting the foliage — forth from her concealment. Hal saw er and beckoned to her. Joyously she emerged and advanced toward him. **Oh, Charley!” she murmured in a low tone, as she neared him. ‘‘ The Indians have been on this very spot. 1 was so fearful, and waited—” ‘* For this!” {07 he gntot But here’s another who has claim to your hand A knife flashed an instant in thesun. Then . before me,” said the scout, denying himself the the clenched hand of the murderer struck the ae of clasping her extended hand, while | breast of his victim with a thud. ‘The blad — i lee re: ry?” asked the girl. ee in her eyes!—a sudden relaxation of the For the time her great joy extended to every | tense muscles, like the dropping of a shadow— one who wore af iar face. Her smile, in its and the girl fell backward, with her still, white joyousness and cordiality, was such a oneas she | face and blood-welling bosom crying to Heaven ad never before accorded him. Hal clasped | for vengeance! : her hand and touching it with his lips, he said: ‘“‘T shall always remember it proudly, since it CHAPTER XIV. COVERING A BLOODY TRAIL. was got when I thought | was me for you. That thought made me disregardful of all dan- ger to myself!” THe murderer dropped the reeking weapon The touch of his lips thrilled her; and her | and shrunk cowering away, frozen to icy horror self-control was not in time to check the invo- | by her look, which brought the full realization © luntary effort to withdraw her hand from his. | of his deed. A moment thus, and he recovered Nor could any exertion of the will can Coe the himself, with a shuddering, blood-curdling laugh. slight shudder, nor keep the startled look from | ‘‘ Bah! I am a cowardly fool!” he ejaculated. her eyes. But her tongue was under better ‘It had to be done; and one life is no more command; and she said: sacred than another. The world applauds the ‘*T will not attempt to thank you; butI will killing of a savage or of any other foe. She was nurse you back to health, when we are safe | a bitterer enemy, and could have injured me again.’ | more than half a dozen Indians. Now, I am Burly Ben’s turn came next; and now her | free; and I do not repent the deed. No! T manner had all the fervor of warm friendship. | would re-enact it a hundred times before she ‘‘My brave Ben!” she exclaimed, ‘I am so | should come between me and Blanche Burbank! glad you were not taken or harmed! The cut There’s another who may oppose me there. It of your whip would have saved me, had not will be his turn next! I’msorry, now, thatI did Selim wees his knee. Did the Indians get | not follow him, and put him out of the way of him? It seemed like losing a friend when he | doing mischief.” ” Recovering his knife, he thrust it into the the hoss; but he —— tedly, to remove the blood from its lade. Then he turned to leave her; but, taking a last look, a sudden thought occurred to him. ‘*Gods! I was near a fatal blunder!” he ex- e stepped back and revealed Hal. had entered to the hilt. | ‘The boy fought ee for you, as his ban- “Han!” daged head will show,” said Mr. Burbank. A shive awful pause, with hor- ‘* Did you get that wound in my defense, Har- | ror and, oh! such a world of wonderi ‘*The Injins did gobble u hain’t fur off, an’ I'll git him back if I have to o to the mouritains fur him! But how in thun- er did you leave the hoss’ back without a tum- | ble in the road ¢—that’s what sticks in my a ‘‘An Indian would not leave her crop! , ! riefly Blanche narrated all that had oc- | He shuddered again at the thought that came curred since she had last seen Ben. At the ac- | into his mind. ashen face turned to a sickly count of Swanton’s baseness burly Ben’s wrath | ghastliness. exceeded even that of the father—at least in its | manifestation. — | muning with himself. “ ‘And, father, pursued Blanche, “‘ he said that | picion else. I can’t risk that. he had knovn you more than twenty years; And yet he back, his teeth chattering and he scowled as if this was more an act of re- | with horror. venge for some past injury, than just to get) ‘I have caressed it a thousand times; and your money.” | now—ugh!” “ Twenty years?” repeated Mr. Burbank, re- | He shuddered so that his knees smote together. flectively. ‘‘ I didn’t know that I had an enemy | All the power of a conscience, made ous by in the world—certainly none so bitter or of so | a life of selfishness and perggient -# ie new to long standing.” , crime like this, dissuaded him from horrible But Hal’s Pe compressed themselves into a | deed he was contemplating; yet his craven soul straight line, brows darkened, and his face | urged him on. He must secure self at any cost. paler.and more resolute. Curse the fate that has plunged me into this Then followed the father’s story of the sorrow | hell of horrors!” he ejaculated. ‘‘I must take a and desolation at_home and of the rescue of | stimulant to nerve my hand—the hand that has Mary Edwards. Blanche was quick to express | held it up to the sunlight a hundred times!” the that her sister in suffering be brought! He drew the stopper of his canteen, and . Eomicbooks ‘‘But it must be done,” he muttered, com- It might lead to sus ee ee -_~—_ = a te ee sil — oo —_— - ly Se, Paty » oa —— — oe a < » ¥ ‘Gon