Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 438 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

’ * } ’ ; ' / ; ' / ' ' ’ } ' ; ; : : -_——_- oe ee ~ ; 22 — ee ee whom a man was now seated, reins in hand. “* You'll take charge o’ the wagon. You know whar to take it. Git thar, as quick as you know hhow, an’ be ready to do the rest o’ the work ef I ain’t on time. You understand?” Jack Howgood nodded assent, and then the wagon rolled out of camp. either Wright nor his wife gave this a pass- ing glance, for they were far too terribly inter- ested in what they feared was yet to follow for thought of their stolen goods. They saw Jerry Viggles moving over to the tent where they knew Otelia was lying bound and helpless, and they dreaded the worst. Yt they could do nothing to guard or preserve their child. They could only move their heads. They were bound too tightly to even struggle against those bonds, Jerry Viggles entered the tent, picking up Otelia in his arms and carrying her across to the wagon. despite her desperate struggles to escape from his loathsome grasp. ‘* Say good-by, my Christian friends,” he laughed, maliciously holding his captive so that she could kiss her parents, one after the other. This Otelia did, but when the ruffian moved back a pace or two, a low, gasping wail broke from her lips and her head drooped. ** Dead—murdered—my darling child!” gasped Mrs. Wright. The father said nothing, but there was an awful vengeance in his bloodshot eyes that cowed Jerry Viggles and made him regret hav- px Reaper to this last devilish torture. e passed the unconscious maiden over to the one man who remained with him, springing into the saddle ana bending over to again take charge of the maiden. s he relieved the other rascal of his burden, he also mounted ready for the road. Jerry Viggles only paused to cry: « Here's hopin’ somebody ’ll chance ‘long this way in the course of a week or two, my Chris- tian friends! Ef not—waal, we'll meet on the other shore, mebbe! So-long!” With a laugh that was not near so full of careless recklessness as he tried to let on, the foxy rascal thered up his reins and rode around the clump of timber, vanishing from re ae ag gaze of the terribly tortured pa- rents. How long that ride lasted, or how great a distance they had covered during her uncon- sciousness, Otelia Wright never knew. She seemed to be shocked back to consciousness by the horses coming to a sudden stop. And like one in a waking dream, she heard the grating oaths that announced some disagreeable discov- ery s the part of ae ee iN ae t guns, pard!” gra erry Viggles, an- ily. Worve got to down the durned critter er keeps or he’ll salivate us!” And as her eyes opened widely, Otelia caught a glimpse of a single horseman swiftly charg- ing—of Oklahoma Nick! CHAPTER XIV, OKLAHOMA NICK WINS ONLY TO LOSE. Out from a small clump of timber past which the two rascals were riding dashed a single horseman, uttering a sharp challenge as he came: ** Halt, you devils! Set that lady free, or I'll blow you through!” For an instant Jerry Viggles seemed all taken aback, but then he swung around, lifting Otelia so that she afforded a tolerable screen to his own body, sharply crying: ‘Halt you critter! Keep your ways, or itll be the wuss fer the gal! k, you hot-head! Cain’t you see how we've got you foul?” As he spoke, his right hand flashed over the ' head of the helpless maiden, clasping an ugly- looking knife, the point of which threatened her heart, And at the same time he pene in tones too low for Oklahoma Nick to catch: “Try a snap-shot, Jimson Joe, ef he don’t— I thought so!” and a shrill, mocking laugh broke from his lips as the guide abruptly wrenched up his horse. ‘You cowardly cur!” savagely cried Okla- homa Nick, his voice hardly recognizable, so in- tense seemed his rage. ‘‘ Dare to harm a single hair of her head, and ten thousand lives wouldn’t be enough to carry youthrough! Put her down and meet me two to one, unless—” ** Kin you drap him or his critter, pard? It won't do to miss, or—” ) Otelia Wright heard these muttered words. Saw the gaunt outlaw preparing to make the eee partly covered by his comrade. And she cried aloud to warn the guide: Look out, Mr. Van Bibber! They’re going to shoot!” She was too late to hinder the shot, but her unexpected warning must have unsteadied the aim of the tall outlaw, for Oklahoma Nick gave no signs of having been hit, Instead, with a Ase 2 hag yell, he urged his moe horse forward, holding his fire until it could be made certain. A sudden plunge of the animal ridden by Jerry Viggles with his captive, almost unseated them both, and in regaining his balance, the rascal lost his knife. Cursing viciously, he steadied himself, calling out to his follower: | ae ‘* Jack,” he said, addressing Howgood, beside ‘* Down him, Joe! It’s himor usnow! Down him fer keeps!” The unsteady plunging of the frightened horse caused a division of the partners in crime, and though Jimson Joe sent bullet after bullet whiz- zing over the plain, Oklahoma Nick still dashed on as though resolved to decide the matter by a hand-to-hand struggle. Straight on until less than a hundred yards divided them; then his rifle rose with marvelous quickness, sending out a yen of flame-tinged smoke nd with a choking cry, Jimson Joe dropped his weapon, clutching at his left breast as he swayed for an instant in the saddle, then drop- ~ to the ground, lying still and motionless as is horse broke awa Until then Jerry Viggles had made noattempt | to use his firearms, for his hands were full with | his captive and his frightened animal. He seemed confident that Jimson Joe could dispose | of the daring guide unaided. But now; as he saw his fellow fall like one shot through the heart, he dropped Otelia to the ground and caught his rifle from its slings beneath his thigh, He swung himself far over on one side of his animal, letting it run at will, showing no mean skill in the action. Oklahoma Nick swerved in swift pursuit, his | rifle speaking rapidly row that there was no longer any danger of hitting the woman whom | he loved so madly. And before Jerry Viggles could fire a second shot, he tumbled to the | rround, rolling over and over in a quivering eap! And without giving him a second thought, Oklahoma Nick, victor in that exciting duel, wheeled his horse and rode rapidly back to where the maiden was struggling to a sitting posture. ‘‘'You are safe—you are not hurt, ’Telie?’ he gasped, flinging himself to the ground and catching her in his arms, ‘‘ That rascal didn’t dare to touch you with his knife? Oh, my love —my darling!” He strained the maiden to his breast and cov- ered her face with kisses hot and passionately ; only to give a great start as he heard: ‘* Perry—what have you done to my brother, Nick Van Bibber?” It was like a sudden Couche of ice-water, and it produced pretty much the same r-sult, so far as his transports were concerned. His arms parr and as if he had just now noted the fact, e cried: ‘*Bound? Those infernal—” ‘* Where is my brother?” sharper and clearer than before. ‘*Perry? Safe and sound, "Telie,” he hastily muttered, as he drew his knife and rapidly cut her bonds. ‘‘ Tell me how—” ‘* Where is he?” persisted the girl, for the moment losing sight of all else in her sisterly love. ‘* Why does he not come? Why are you all alone—Nick Van Bibber!” catching him by an arm and gazing keenly, searchingly into his face, ‘‘ You are ying to me! Perry is dead! And-—-you killed him!” Her very madness stood Oklahoma Nick in ood stead, just then. If her charge had been foes positive—if she had not jumped to sucha wild conclusion—his changing countenance must have betrayed him. As it was he could reply with a show of truth: ‘* You wrong me most bitterly, Miss Wright. I have not killed your brother. When I saw him last he was alive and—” ‘* Where did you leave him? Why? Oh, why do you force me to tear the truth from you word by word? Speak-—where is Perry?’ The r girl was almost distra She hardly knew what she was saying or doing, just then. All she knew was that her dark forebod- ins of evil seemed coming true. Oklahoma Nick saw that the poor girl was nearly wild, and he felt that she could not bear up under a fresh blow, such as he must deal if he were to tell her the truth. Better a lie than have her break down 1 ek serpy just when she needed her strength of body and mind the most. ‘““T was trying to tell you, "Telie, when you cut me short,” he said, his grave voice and sub- dued manner cutting the poor girl far more deeply than he thought or intended. ‘“ Pe has gone on to camp with two of the horses, was tracking up the others when I happened to sight those rascals with you, and—” ‘ Father—mother—take me to them, at once!” ts Hashing the raiders Take as Otelia, her troubled thou ack to the wretched plight in whic had left her parents. ‘‘ They will die! me back to them—take me back!” Oklahoma Nick glanced quickly from her pale, haggard face to the motionless body of Jimson Joe lying hard by, and his jetty brows contract- ed sharply. He seemed to divine her meaning, incoherently though it was expressed. ‘* You have had trouble at camp. There—do not try to tell me now. Wait until you have composed yourself a little, I can guess close enough to the truth, knowing that Jerry Viggles had you captive.” Otelia was not listening. In her distraction she feared to lose an instant, now that her mind had reverted to her parents. She felt that she must hasten at once to relieve them from their cruel bonds, from their mental torture on her Se | camp. _——_——----——- — com ee a eee es — behalf. And with that madness upon her, the poor girl turned away and staggered unsteadily over the plain, choking down her sobs, one band tight clasped over her throbbing heart. ‘’Telie, you are going the wrong way!” cried Oklahoma Nick, springing after her, now fully realizing how terribly the poor girl’s nerves were unstrung. ‘‘ Trust to me, "Telie, and Ill take you to them,” he added, lifting her shiver- ing form in his strong arms, and whistling to Cherokee. The well-trained animal came trotting up, and Oklahoma Nick gently seated Otelia in his sad- dle, holding her on as he walked toward the little timber island from which he had dashed out at the kidnappers, ‘* Faster! faster!” murmured the poor child. ‘* We'll save time in the end by this, ’Telie,” was his soothing response. ‘ijl rope one of those horses, and then we'll soon gallop to the Trust me, little one. I’m well-nigh as anxious to get there as you can be!” When the grove was gained, Oklahoma Nick lifted Otelia from the saddle, holding her in his embrace for a moment before permitting her feet to touch the ground. Even then he kept one arm about her, gazing steadily into ber eyes, holding them as by a spell. Slowly, dis- tinctly he spoke, giving his words time to pene- trate the cloud that seemed to envelop her poor mind, ‘*Telie, promise me that you will wait. right here until 1 come back. Ill not be gone long; only to rope one of those horses for you to ride back to camp. If you should stay away, it would still further delay the rescue of your pa- rents, You can understand what I say?” ‘* Yes—I hear you,” murmured the poor child, brokenly. ‘*Go—but for the love of Heaven do not waste any time! Poor father—poor mother !” = this time Perry is with them, and all is well,” slowly added the guide, only thinkin how he could best bring her back to a norma state of mind. “‘ They are suffering only on your account, and the quicker you recover your strength the sooner we will be able to relieve their anxiety. Try and keep this in mind, little one. For unless you grow stronger, I can’t take you such a long and weary ride,” Perhaps it was his manner of speaking, or pos- sibly because of this closing sentehce, conveying the idea of still further delay, but Otelia really seemed to rally, and when she spoke it was more like her usual self: ‘*T will not stir. Make all possible haste. If you could only know what tortures they must be suffering !” ‘* Perry is with them, and you will not be so much behind, ’Telie,” he said, springing into the saddle and preparing his trail-rope as he rode rapidly out upon the prairie. he horse ridden by Jimson Joe was the near- est. That from whose back Jerry Viggles had fallen was far away, cg watching the movements of the guide, and Oklahoma Nick gave him but a single glance as he rode toward the other animal. With the trail-rope formed into a lasso, it was the work of but afew minutes for the skilled cowboy to capture the creature, whose resistance ceased the instant the noose closed about its throat. And without giving the prostrate kid- neler so much asa passing look, Oklahoma Nick led his captive back to the grove where Otelia was waiting his return. . It did not take much time to fit the man’s sad- dle for her purpose, and Oklahoma Nick lifted her in place, slipping her foot into the shortened stirrup. He sprung upon his own horse, and then they rode away over the plain through the falling twilight, ; Otelia looked anxiously at the gathering clouds, but Oklahoma Nick smiled reassuringly as he read ber fears aright. ‘‘Never mind them, ’Telie. Even if it does cloud up a bit, never fear but Vl) lead you straight asastring tocamp. It’s about all I’m fit for, but I’m at home here in the prairie.” ‘It isso far!” murmured the poor girl, striv- ing hard to choke back her rising fears, ‘‘ They must have been riding for hours and hours, though I knew nothing until I heard your shot— until I roused up to see you charging out of the ” ‘Where I’d been watching the rascals for some : little time,” responded Oklahoma Nick, speaking far more lightly than he felt, for he saw that his charge was far from recovered as yet. ‘‘ 1 saw them miles away, and something seemed to tell me there was mischief in the air. So I kept un- der cover, though it was terrible hard when I first recognized you lying in that scoundrel’s arms! Only that I feared for you, ’Telie, I could not have held my passion in check so long!” “T have not yet thanked you—I will, some dav. Just now—” It was neither wise nor generous, but Oklaho- ma Nick was insanely in love, and that must be his excuse. ‘Task only one word, ’Telie!” he uttered, press- ing close to her side and catching one hand in his ardent grasp, his dark eyes almost blazing through the gloom as they sought hers. ‘Say that you do not hate me! Say that you will try to return my love—that you will be my wife, darling!” Ebooks <com (E(0) , ~ ? | | | ¢ 4 |