Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 438 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

thicket, smiling at the visible effects of his rapid | ther.” Oklahoma “Nick. 7 _ ee ee - - $$ a — . t ing forward. ‘‘ You tumble ’em over as I flush | line toward the still distant hills, thus seeming to ’em, won't you?” justify the reasoning of the guide. And then he Oklahoma Nick made no reply, for even he | turned to Perry, saying: could no Jonger doubt the utter absence of ‘Tl stick to this trail for a time, anyway, danger. The trap was no trap. The supposed | but suppose you ride over to the main track? ambuscade existed only in his imagination! Follow it until it makes a turn, if itdoes. A Perry Wright walked through the little | yelp will reach me, and then we'll decide fur- fusilade. Though his lead had hurt nothing; A.though Perry hardly comprehended the full more than bushes, he had the dim satisfaction | meaning of this alteration in their recently- of feeling that had even a single enemy been in | formed plan, he offered no objection. Just so ambush there, one or more of those bullets must | they kept moving in the right direction, he was have found him out. |econtent to let Oklahoma Nick do all the Oklahoma Nick passed his whimpering steed | planning. with only a look, following the taut trail-rope For a mile or more the two trails ran almost to where its other end was caught about a | side hy side, only diverging a trifle; but then strong bush, plainly showing that the rope | Perry drew rein and uttered a sharpcry. Okla- bad been dragging free to become entangled | homa Nick waved a hand, and the youth rode as the animal grazed; or, what seemed more | rapidly across to him. likely, as it was making its way hack to its ‘* They’ve turned sharp to the left, pard,” was master. his report. The guide seemed just a little crestfallen as ‘As a blind, then,” immediately decided the | this became clear, and for a few minutes seemed | guide, his keen eyes glancing along the single | reluctant to meet the eyes of his comrade. But | trail, which led in a direct line toward the hills, | the young giant was content with indulging in | “ They're up to sometrick, I reckon. I can’tsee | apn occasional smile. Although the affair had ! any other excuse for their making such a break, turned out so tamely, he knew that Oklahoma | Well, anything else?” aimost sharply, as the | Nick had shown much more wisdom than had | young giant hesitated. | marked his ownconduct. Everything indicated ‘Waal, I cidn’t know—but I see one place a cunning snare, and the guide had only used | whar a hoss left the main trail, with toes p’inted common prudence in trying to spring it without | to’rds the thicket, back yender. An’ then ag’in getting caught. Iseea track comin’ to thetrail from over your ‘“Whatdo you make of it, anyhow, Nick?” | way.” Perry asked, when the guide completed his hasty Oklahoma Nick laughed softly, nodding his examination of the ground immediately around | head approvingly. the thicket. “Glad to see you keep your eyes open, lad, ‘‘ There’s only one set of tracks, and Cherokee | though as you let it go by without mention, I made them, He must have thrown his rider, or | hadmy doubts. That was where Cherokee took got loose when they halted for sometiing, for | a shy at something. I caught his tracks on they wouldn't go to the trouble of stealing him | ahead, and didn’t take the trouble to fullow the just to turn loose again. He took the back- | bend.” track, and the loose rope got caught in that ‘* Ef you're satisfied, I am,” grunted the young bush,” was the reply. giant. ‘*‘Whatnext? I’m in fer anythin’ that ‘*T don’t reckon you're fur out, pard. Any- | don’t keep us back too slow.” way, we're one hoss lather off then we was a bit ‘* We'll stick to Cherokee, then,” decided Okla- ago, Pity it aim’t two! We’drun in on theimps | homa Nick, setting off at quickened speed. afore they knowed it, then.” ‘*We know he came from the imps, and we Oklahoma Nick was silent, his eyes down- | know, too, that he never laid any traps for us. cast, his face bearing a troubled look which the | I'd hate to swear the same for Jerry Vigglesand young giant was not slow to observe. Jumping | his pang.” to a conclusion, as was his wont, Perry laughed It was now high noon, but neither of the and said: trailers seemed to care for eating. The trail led ‘‘Tt’s simple enough ef ye only look at it the | direct for the broken ground, where water was right way, pard. Ride an’ tie—no less! That | almost certain to be found, and thougheach car- | way Cherokee ’l] be good as a hoss an’ a half, at | ried a canteen with him, the heat of the sun had | the lowest cackilation !” warmed the contents too thoroughly to tempt ‘‘ What bothered me was to know which trail | their palates. to follow,” slowly uttered Oklahoma Nick. ‘* The ‘* Tt ain’t the eatin’ so much,” grunted Perry, | one we was on of course is the plainest and the | his blue eyes flashing with a dangerous light as easiest to follow, if only because the sun 1s rap- | he gazed lougingly toward the AO ground | idly drying up the ground; but where time is of | before them. ‘ Ef I knewed 1t’d give me one so much importance, wouldn’t we make more by | squar’ whack at that tormented Jerry Viggles, | tracking Cherokee back” | Pd sw’ar off grubbin’ fer a solid week!” | Per Wright grew sober-faced at this. Oklahoma Nick frowned soberly as he an- | Though he had been *o strangely eager to start | swered: | in pursuit of the horse-thieves, he was one bet- ‘Tf we don’t run on to him too soon! Only | ter fitted to follow than lead. And now that | time's so precious, I’d Jay over until dark, I feel | there arose an important question, he was at a | so certain that he’s put up some dirty job to get | loss how to answer it. the best of us. Only for you—” ‘‘ Bein’ astray, wouldn't Cherokee lose a heap ‘* Don’t you fret *beut me!” o’ time in pickin’ an’ goin’ crooked?” he ven- ‘*How can L help it, man?’ with sudden im- tured, almost timidly. patience. ‘“‘If anything happen to you, how Oklahoma Nick slowly shook his head. could I go back to face your mother?) How “T hardly think it, lad. He’s no fool. He} could I carry the news to her ?” must have felt he was in bad company, and ‘* Pll tote 1t my own self, an’ so save you the | when he got loose I’m pretty sure he’d take | trouble,” lightly laughed the youth, without the shortest cut back to where he left his | a shadow of fear or doubt, without the faintest master.” susvicion of what lay before him. ‘‘The main trail runs mighty straight, too!” Oklahoma Nick strode on, at times breaking “Tt has, this far. But who can say how soon | into a run where the single trail lay more dis- it sheers off? That Jerry Viggles was no fool, | tinct. ey 8 they covered the ground and or he couldn't have played his game so slick on | drew near the higher ground, here rising almost to the dignity of mountains. broken by many a deep defile, rising in many a bare, rocky ridge, though quite heavily timbered at points, The trail led straight to the base of this broken tract, and Oklaboma frowned uneasily as he scanned the prospect. At almost any part there | was ample cover for anenemy to lie in wait. | _—_—— ll Tr oe Oe old stagers. He knows well enough that some of us will surely follow after him. If be don’t want us to catch him too soon, won't he try to throw us off. his trail? Or else ride so fast and hard tLat we have a mighty poor chance of catching up by keeping to his trail? And if he wants us to catch up—well, I’d rather take him from the rear than come at him in front— that’s all!” The young giant scratched his head, thor- oughly puzzled. Either course seemed to have its vantages, but he could not decide which And the fact that from some where in that vicinity Cherokee must have broken away from his captors, was by no means reassuring. ‘* If vou would only stop back here and let me take a look on ahead, led!” be muttered, with a offered the greatest chance of success, side-glance into the face of his companion. “ It “Ef we only knowed how long it was sense | would be safer for us both, if there is any trap Cherokee give ’em the slip! be muttered, with | set,” he added in haste, as Perry drew himself a wistful look at the horse. “ He’s smart, but I | up with a scornful toss of his head. ‘‘ Even if don’t reckon be kin tell us that much!” those imps are lying yonder in wait, they “Hardly,” with a short laugh, as he took a| wouldn’t dare to open on one of us alone, while silver dollar from his pocket and sent it spinning | the other is too far off to reach, They—” high above their beads, Tails we stick to the “Then you wait, an’ I'll tell ’em you're main trail, heads we—and heads it is!” as they | eomin’!” cried young Wright, sending Uherokee | both eagerly bent_over the bright coin as it fell | swiftly forward, looking buck over his shoulder | in the grass, ‘* We'll follow back on the trail | witha grin of triumph. | left by Cherokee, then. Up with you, lad! I've| He reached the rocks in safety, drawing rein | had more practice trailing than you, and until | and grasping his rifle as he swiftly, keenly | we see how the thing pans out, you can do the | scanned the rugged hights before bim, Jonging | ricing for us both!” | to catcha giimpse of Jerry Viggles and bis | Without waiting to see how the young giant ! fellow-thieves. But he was doomed to dis- | received this decision, Oklahoma Nick began | appointment in this. Not a human being was picking up the trail, still pretty distinct, though visible. Nota stir ora sound came from the | the warm rays of the sun had dried up tbe sur- rocks to indicate the presence of an enemy, even face moisture remarkably. , after Oklahoma Nick reached bis side, After the trampled space about the thicket The trail entered a narrow defile a few rods to | was cleared, the trail led off in an almost direct the right of the point struck by Perry Wright, ee EEE LLL SN _stslsensstiinnss--ns-ss-sne sense SE ee —————_—— eee ee ee 15 oe and after a little hesitation, Oklahoma Nick led the way into the pass. But befure they had covered half a mile more, the trail was lost, nor could their closest search recover it, The soil was hard, full of flinty stones and gravel. A regiment of cavalry might have passed over it without leaving any too plain a trail. Oklahoma Nick stopped short, wiping his damp brows, his dark frown showing how utterly he was baffled. ‘* We kin turn back an’ hit off the main trail ag’in,” dubiously muttered Pe ry Wright, with a very wry face as he thought of the great waste of time—and time was very precicus to people in their fix. “And run head-first into any trap these cunning devils have rigged up for us!” growled Oklahoma Nick. ‘*Better resk that then waste more time here.” The guide made no immediate response, but his eyes were as busy as his tongue was idle, He glanced up the steep ridge that barred their way, and then cast a keen look all about them before speaking: ‘*There’s one chance left. Itll be a tongh climb, but from the top of this young mountain, we'd ought to get a mighty wide viev. Who knows but what we may sight those imps? It’s well worth trymg, anyhow.” Perry Wright made no objections. All he sesestilh was to be doing something, and leaving Oklahoma Nick to look after Cherokee. who would have to be abandoned for the time being, he breasted the steep hill. It was a Icng and difficult climb, and both of the men were forced to pause for breath more then once before they gained the crest. From each stopping place they looked eagerly about, only to meet with disappointment. They saw naught to reward them. Reaching the crest, they found it to afford a much less extended view than had seemed prot a- ble. Instead of a mere ridge, it turned out to be a sort of table-land, stretching out for some distance, and showing points further ahead which promised a still better lookout. In this manner they were led on for fully a mile, improving each opportunity that offered for scanning the distant plain, still without dis- covering aught of the enemy. Ard then, asa narrow but deep canyon cut off their further progress in that direction, Oklahona Nick dropped down like one utterly exhausted, pant- ing: ‘We've got to rest and eat some time, and it might as well be now, and bere. One might wish for better water, perhaps, but it’s wet!” Weary though he was, Peiry Wright could not so easily abandon the bope which bad led . them so far astray, and moved sulkily alung the | edge of the canyon, peering into its de, thes, sounding its darkest nooks as thcugh he felt their game had sought refuge there: And he |; was thus engaged, when a sharp cry f om Okla- homa Nick caused him to wheel ebout—to see a man springing upon him from behind a rock! His rifle was slung across his shoulders, to leave his hands free for scaling the rocks, but he snatched a revolver from his helt. Only to drop it with an angry roar of mingled pain and vengeance as the brigbt flash of a pistol sbot out almost in his face. He reeled | unsteadily for an instent, then lunged forward clutching the assassin in a mighty grip that threatened to crush bones to powder. This much Oklahoma Nick saw as he sprung to his feet with that warning yell. But before he could take a step toward bis imperiled com- rade, two men sprung toward bim, firing as they came. And forced to meet them, the guide whipped out a pistol and set it to playing rap- idly. fe saw one of the fellows stop, staggering as though hard hit. Saw him turn and rush away even faster than he had come, cee followed by his fellow. The guide sent a couple of hasty shots after them, then wheeled to see how Perry Wright was faring—to see bim reeling on the very edge of the canyon! Toree him fall over backward, still with that ceath-grip about his assassin |” : One wild shriek of awful terror —then— silence ! preritas CHAPTER X. ‘‘7T NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURs.” It is proverbially barder to wait than to work and few ever mure fully realized this wu retched fact than Evander Wright from the time his son and Oklahoma Nick passed beyond his range of vision along the trail left by the horse- thie If there had been something for him to do; but there was not. He could only wait; wait and ‘‘ eat his heart out with impatience.” He knew by the sounds from the little tent that the women were aware of the departure. He was man enough to dread joining them while their tears were flowing; man enough to feel impatient with them for giving way to such sillv fears, ‘*To hev it come jest now—jest when an hovr’s travel] is wu’th a week o’ ordinary weather!” he grated, his brows corrugating, his teeth clickin viciously as he strode over to the wagons, ho Eomicbooks.con ‘