Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 420 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

- darkness set in, and it was agreed that there then Joe Stemmler —_— = — The Old River Sport. neo ae information and receive instructions from im. ‘¢ What is it now, Joe?” inquired the marshal. ** Well, colonel, our part of the business is as plain as daylight, whatever may be said of the rest of it. The moonshiners we are huntin’ have thar hole right up yonder in the bluff, and regiment in the Red River Campaign, and would have caught its commander if he had not happened to be in the hospital at New Or- leans. They got their breakfast on the boat, pre- pared the commissariat for the marshal’s ex- pedition, and before noon were landed near the wreck of the Rowena. ; The experience of the combined party when they had landed was quite similar to that which Grav Gordon and Gerald Talcott had previous- ly gone through. - They were met on the shore by “Tom and Myry” and their father, who had benefited so largely by the last arrival of a steamboat there, | that they naturally expected another Lonanza | from this one. As they had interesting and valuable infor- mation to impart, they got their bonanza. On this occasion they were not only able to tell of the rescue of Eva Talcott and the de- parture of herself and her companions with the | Shropshires, but the arrival of Gray Gordon | and Gerald Talcott and their movements up to leads to.” ‘““That means business, then, and it is my plain and square duty, much as I bxte to do it, | to go on and catch my moonshiners.” ‘You will please remember, Crampton,” sug- sted Colonel Bastrop, ‘* that I and my son awrence have not lost any moonshiners, and don’t care to find any.” ‘“*T understand that, Louis, and you need not suppose that I am going to ask you to help me. If my men are not enough for the work, I shall back out and postpone the job. But you must also remember that the friends you are seeking, if they are anywhere on this side of the river, have probably taken the same route that we are following, and haye gone up yonder where I want to go. I can’t guess how that thing has happened, but the chances are that such is the | state of the case.” ; “You are right, Crampton, and I recognize a certain point. Of Abe Lassiter and his party and the hunt for horse-thieves they either knew nothing, or kept their knowledge to themselves. that is jest whar the trail we have been follerin’ | gagement; but Colonel Crampton kept his men in position, hoping to creep up on the wary foe during the night. Curiosity and companionship had caused Colonel Bastrop and Lawrence to advance with the others, and after the cessation of the com- bat Lawrence took it into his head to reconnoi- ter, creeping forward for that purpose over the _ rocks and through the bushes. It so happened that cone of the opposing party had left his friends with a similar object in view, and had come nearly within reach of Lawrence when he stumbled in the darkness and fell down a steep hittle incline. Instantly Lawrence Bastrop pounced on him end shouted to his friends: hey were duly rewarded for the information | the fact that I am in the same boat with you; | they were able or willing to give, and Tom, with an eye to more “** bucksheesh,” offered to conduct the party to the Shropshire place; but his offer was declined, as Joe Stemmier, Colonel to hurt any moonshiners.” Crampton’s scout or spy, declared that he knew : ‘Nor do I want you to. It is for me, merely as a matter of duty, to open the way, and you may follow as you please. But I must first get the country and needed no guide. an idea of what I am going into, so that 1 may So they mounted ana rode off, quite in mili- tary style, aad making no more delay than was absolutely necessary. They found the Shropshire house deserted, as Gordon and his friends had found it, but made onlv a brief stay there, as it was evident tliat there was nobody about, and there were plenty of indications to direct their attention else- where. Those indications were a great many fresh horse tracks, showing in places where the horses had been hitched ata little distance from the house, and a broad trail leading north- ward into which all the tracks s2:emed to con- | verge. ness. Here, Joc!” Joe Stemmler, who had gone a little ahead of the party to reconnoiter, returned hastily to bis chief. ‘* Now, Joe, as you know a good deal more about those moonshiners than eny of the rest of us, [ want you to tell me how many there are of them, and how they are fixed.” a Well, sir, Colonel Rapp is the head man, and— ‘‘Thunder and spikes! Do you hear that, Colonel Bastrop? There is another colonel) mixed up iu this business, and that makes three of us. 1 doubt if there was evera war that pro- duced such an abundant crop of colonels. Well, I am giad that I have a colonel to contend with in this affair, as that gives it a military tinge, and makes it look a little more warlike. 1 ask your pardon for interrupting you, Joe; but I really could not help myself.” | ‘‘As I was goin’ on to say, sir, when you bu’sted in, Colonel Rapp ginerally keeps eight or ten good men about him, and thar’s no tellin’ who or how many have gone in thar lately; but you see that the trail is a big one.” | ‘Yes, and 1 am afraid that they will prove Colonel Bastrop was quite downhearted at the | to be too many for us to tackle. But we must discovery or lack of discovery made at the | try to getin there. What are the chances for Shropshire place, as he had fully expected to ; sneaking in, Joe?” find ive Taleott somewhere near the shore, if she had really been saved from the wreck, and | Colonel Crampton was equally mystified and perplexed. Joe Stemmler and his comrades considered the tracks carefully, and easily arrived at the conclusion that some of them were fresher than others, proving the recent presence of two separate parties; but one party had evi- dently followed the other, as all the tracks join- ed inthe same trail, and there seemed to be nothing to do but to go right on and follow them both. So the marshal and his party mounted and rode away rapidly, as the trail was nearly as plain to them as a road. up the way as oasy as winkin’ if they know we're comin’, and they’re wong * = to know it, so they keep a good lookout all the time.” ‘“‘T must confess that: I don’t know what to | “We wilt have to go at it in milita make of it, Louis,” said the latter. “‘If the | then, and we will dothat right away. young lady you are locking for really came | up there is their den?” ashore anywhere near here, lam afraid that she has fallen into bad hands, Are you sure, from the description given by those young scalawags, that the lady they spoke of was Miss Talcott?’ Colonel Bastrop could not say that he was sure; but he was decidedly of the opinion that it was Miss Talcott. He also believed that the description of the young man who came after- ward answered to that of Gerald Talcott. ‘‘ Well, Louis, if we concede those two points, we must come to the conclusion that the young | lady has been carried away, willingly or other- style, ow far | ae dismounted, hitched their horses in the slope, guided by Joe Stemmler. Colonel Crampton was in the advance, and moment. They had not gone near a quarter of a mile a sudden halt. wise, and that her brother, finding her missing, has made up a party and followed the eg a whom he supposed her to have gone with. the best thing for us to do will be to £0 right on and follow the whole outfit. What do you say to that, Joe?” “ That's jest right, colonel,” answered Stemm- ler. **This trail leads toward the p’int that you want to strike, and thar’s somethin’ in that.” ‘Of course there is, and I shall be glad if I can kill two birds with one stone. You must go in advance, Joe, and tell meif the trail branches off anywhere, or if it takes any direction differ- ent from that which you want to follow.” | The trail was followed at a rapid rate until | Joe Stemmler, “‘ or they wouldn’t bave met us | so far from their den. Durned if I can see into | in following it | it, anyhow.” | ully. ' ‘* Better keep off, there! Who are you, and what do you want?” ‘*We want you!” yelled Colonel Crampton. ‘You had better surrender peaceably, as we mean to take you dead or alive.” “You can’t in to take us. Come on, you durned scoundrels, and you will get wha ‘* Well, boys, that means business,” said the for us, and it is clear that ive us a tough time.” 1 Sapaerae would be no serious difficulty through the night; but the needs of food and rest were to be considered, and it was decided | forward carefully, boys, and keep well under | that it would be best to camp and take an early | cover, and see if you can draw their fire.” start in the morning. but I merely wish to remark that I don’t want | settle on the best way to take hold of this busi- | ‘“Tol’able poor, ’'m afeard. They can block | ‘* Come here quick! Ive got one of them!” CHAPTER XXVIIL BETWEEN TWO FIRES. GRAY GORDON accepted bis good luck in find- ing the Gonders and getting bis money back from them as an augury of iurther geod luck, and was in high spirits when he got back to the Shropshire house, though he failed to inspire Gerald with any of his enthusiasm. That young gentleman was fretting ahout the delay, though he could not help admitting that it had been necessary. : Fortunately for his peace of mind, it soon came to an end, the messenger who had been sent out by Abe Lassiter returning with horses for Gordon and Gerald and their two compan- ions. Then they mounted and rode northward at a rood rate of speed, and there was no further de- lay, except such as was caused by the necessity of ‘‘ foddering up,” and that operation was short- ened as much as possible. It was easy enough for any of the party to follow the trail, but Jerry Mabry was the one who informed them when they were approach- ing tke end of it. ‘That’s a fact,” remarked Gordon. ‘I have good cause to know something about the place we are coming to, and it is strange that Gerald and I are here again. I remember an old saying that all roads lead to Rome. I don’t pretend to know what that means; but it does seem to be a fact “x a the roads I take bring me here in the end. There could be no doubt that the trail which the party hud followed from the Shrepshire house led up the bluff and to the headquarters of the moonshiners. It was sunset when this point was reached, and as night would soon be coming on, it was not supposed that the party would be able to doany effective work before morning, if they should meet the opposition which they expected. However, it would be possible to feel the posi- tion of their antagonists, ascertain their force, and perhaps make a rush that would carry them through. This movement wes successful as far as re- garded its first object, but an utter failure as. far as it contemplated a surprise, The moonshiners and their allies, fully prepar- ed to meet an attack, were not to be surprised. Abe Lassiter and his party rode slowly up the bluff, intending to go as far as their borses would carry them, and had reached the point where ‘* About a quarter of a mile, Ishould say.” | Under the instructions of the marshal the | all had their rifles ready for sharp work at any — oe you | have been deserving for a long time.” | timber, and moved slowly and cautiously up the | when a hail followed by a shot brought them to | They hastily sought cover, and directly the | hail was repeated, this time more clearly and — marshal to his men. ‘ They have been waiting | and retired spot where they coul Gordon and Gerald were captured, when a bail and challenge from above brought them to a stop. ‘** Hello, thar!” ‘** Hello, yourself!” answered Lassiter. ‘*Halt whar you are! Who are you, and what do you want?” ‘We are huntin’ a gang of horse-thieves,” ‘* Thar ain’t no hoss-thieves about here.” ‘We have tracked them here.” ; ‘“‘ Thar ain’t no hoss-thieves here, I tell you.” ** If that is the case, we are friends of yours, and don’t want to harm anybody. So you may — as well let us come in.” ‘“Nary come in. It's ag’inst orders, Keep away, or you'll git burt.” The pursuing party had caught sight of a log ; fortification that blocked up the pass, and the gleam of rifle-barrels showed that it was well de- fended; therefore they wisely determined thet it would be better to pause and consider the mat- __ ter than to expose their lives to useless risk, So they halted where they were, found a safe _ d bopple their horses and prepare something for themselves to eat, and proceeded to put the pass in a state of “Thar must be a crowd of ‘em,” observed siege. Abe Lassiter and Jerry Mabry, with most of the others, had served in the war, and they made their war knowledge available, and naturally “That is what we have got to find out. Move fell into warlike methods, Pickets were put out, stations and duties were assigned to each of the party, and artillery was As far as drawing the fire of the concealed the only military element that appeared to be As the party rode on the next day through | enemy was concerned, this,attempt wassuccess- lacking. | the bott m-land, Joe Stemmler reported that | ful, as well as disclosing their position. there had been no sign of a split in the trail, and that it still led direct toward the point position was seen to be a strong one. a which he wished to reach. Firing then became pretty brisk on both So the party rode on, constantly in the same | sides; but both were cautious and well covered, direction, and through a count ter did not vary, until the trail turned off to- | assailants knew, except the slight wounding of ward a high and rocky and wooded bluff, and the marshal’s deputies. . alted to give his chief‘ The arrival of darkness puta stop to the en- ; , +. ; d a ; , ‘ 7 x - *4! ‘ or » . y gt is ; 7 - he. ca aa hy ree SS =" Sasiae thus settled themselves for the night, The fire was much to the purpose, and the they awaited developments on the part of the enemy. No demonstration was heard in that quarter, and they heard nothing but the occasional whose charac- | and no special damage was done, as farasthe blows of an ax and the falling of a tree, which indicated that the defenses of the pass were be- ing strengthened. in the morning (E » alt /_ 2 the position in front of them — | ss | «Ae - ‘ ‘ Mood a@ . ¢ * Te. ‘ . , 7 - eu <. ?