Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 438 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

NE A oo - --— —_ quivering all over like a mound of jelly fresh turned out of its mold, and ower 3 up with an awful lurch that made him clutch frantically with stiffened fingers to keep from being cast out into space, as a novel sort of satellite! It wasa horrible sensation while it lasted, which, fortunately, was not for many moments, | plover. The mad whirling ceased abruptly. Faint and indistinct the dizzy-brained man heard the sound of a human voice. He could not distin- ish the words, but it seemed to him as though the owner of that voice was Hig the earth to cease its erratic waltzing, and bidding it behave itself, With a gasping groan that mingled pain with relief, Henry Hornkohl again lifted himself to a sitting posture, staring around him with his half-blinded eyes. He wanted to thank the be- ing who had interfered just in time to save him from being hurled off into space. And some hardly articulate words did drop from his arched lips as he dimly made out a grotesque ace and head before him. Only a head, float- ing ona grayish cloud of smoke, it seemed to his poor eyes, at first a head with a face that seemed fully as wildly grotesque as the mad fancies that still lingered in his sadly upset brain. A peculiar halo seemed to encircle the head, now looking like dim fog-wreaths, then chang- ing into myriads of tiny serpents, coiling and writhing in every direction with their slender bodies, but ever with their diamond-like eyes turned upon him. At first there seemed to be a benevolent, kindly look upon the floating face, in full keeping with the merciful com- mand to which the crazy world had meekly subnitted; but as he stared the bewildered man saw this change to an awful grin that threatencd to divide face and head horizontally, ‘‘ Waal, how’d ye like it, fur’s ye got, Corn- hole?” That voice could not be mistaken, and Horn- kohl gave a gasping cry as the fantastic scales dropped from his smarting eyes for good and all “It’s you ? Then we didn’t—we ain’t—” Speech failed him, and he clapsed_ his throb- bing temples with both hands as he glanced dizzily about him, making a feeble effort to arise, ‘‘Give it up,” drawled the guide, sending out a lazy coil of smoke from both nostrils as he : | with half-closed eyes at the bewildered ellow. ‘'They’s only one thing I’m dead sure of, an’ that is ef I’ve got anythin’ like as dirty a mug onto me es you hev, they’s goin’ to be a turrible drought in these parts, notwithstandin’ the rain that’s on the way—that’s right here, [ should say!” ’ For with his last words, a sharp of wind came swirling up the valley, bringing the first drops of the rain that invariably follows astorm of this description. Henry Hornkobl paid no attention to speaker or drenching drops. He had staggered to his feet, staring almost stupidly around. Only for a few moments. Then bis whirling brain ad clearer, as he realized how wonderful had been their escape from ceath. The huge mass of rock was gone, a basin-like depression in the earth alone marking the spot where it had rested for ages and ages, Although the fact seemed incredible, still it was a fact; the wind bad caught up that enormous weight and hurled it aside, without so much as breaking the skin cf either of the two men who lay be- neath it for shelter from the storm,* ‘‘ Lookin’ fer the dornick, Wholecorn?” lazily | asked Boomer Balt, who seemed to take pleasure in twisting (he name of hisemployer awry. ‘‘ Ef it'd ‘a’ bin a full-growed cyclone, you couldn’t hope to find it *thovt a s'arch-warrant. long enough toreach the North Pole” There was an echo of lazy scorn in his voice as he nodded across the valley to where the huge mass had been dropped by the wind, more than a hundred vards away. Like one in a dream, Henry Hornkohl crossed the valley and stood staring at the rock, mute evidence of the frightful power of that monster ‘whose fatal tongue had Negi swept his face as he glanced upward in that awful moment. He could not comprehend how he had es- caped with life. And though he was not what is called a religious man, as he stood there in awed silence, there was a prayer in his heart, deep and earnest, The voice of Boomer Balt broke upon him with a disagreeable jar. — y ‘Not so bad fer jest a straight zephyr, pard! Ef it’d bin a ginuine twister, now, you'd see this hull section flattened out smocth as your hand an’ powdered fine enough fer plantin’-— Eh?” is started back with mock surprise as Horn- kobl turned sharply with uplifted hand, his dark brows gathered, his reddened eyes flaming, his woice husky as he uttered: “Silence, you scoffer! It is worse than blas- * It may be as well to state, right here, that this incident of the great howlder being torn from the earth and carried bodily through the air by_a meaner * is a Roaliive fact; and bbe dame woe ae ' concerning the other strange freaks recorde .e dig A | ; Oklahoma Nick. —< ee re ee ee ee - phemy after what we have witnessed. In-| kept from falling in a mighty mene stead of Jying, you should be on your knees praying! f mye wood by the still firm roots. that would weigh tons had been torn from their resting- A quick change came over the face of the | places and tossed hither and yon. And yet, guide, and both it and his voice were sober enough as he extended a hand toward his em- you look at it that way—shake! The jokin’ come onl the heart o’ me I’m jest as thankful to the great an’ good Lord as you kin be! Only His marcy saved our lives.” Their bands met in a grasp far more fervent and friendly than ever before. Men who have passed through such a trial in company can never be enemies again. But men of our days are seldom effusive or dramatic when their deeper and better feelings are stirred, A firm hand-grip, a brief gaze and a faint smile; then each drew back with an abashed feeling, which each tried to cover by an affectation of careless ease and lightness, “Then you admit that this was something more than a baby-cyclone, Uncle Balt?” halt- laughed Hornkohl. ‘ Pritty nigh old enough to vote, pardner, an’ growin’ older all the time,” was the frank ad- mission. “I ain’t a-sayin’ it’s the wu’st I ever did see, mind ye, but— What's that?” Briskly as the guide uttered these sentences, he was hardly equal to meeting that quizzical smile, and his dust-reddened eyes were shifting restlessly about them as he nee They were re ag arrested by a slowly swaying object under the shuttered stump of what bad been but a few minutes before a grand old tree, and with a startled exclamation he sprung forward to in- vestigate, Though still in the dark as to what this meant Henry Hornkohl followed hard upon his heelr ‘to see Boomer Balt spreading out a tattered breadth of heavy duck, such as is used in mak- ing tents and wagon-covers, Porn and whipped to ribbons though the stout fabric was, even a novice could not help seein that it was nearly new. And as Boomer Balt still further unfolded it, a bit of splintered wood fell at his feet, to be caught up with a sharp ex- clamation of excited interest. ‘““What is it? What’s the matter?” asked Hornkohl. ‘Cipher it out fer yourself, man!” exclaimed the guide. ‘‘This is what’s left of a wagon- kiver, That's = of a wagon-bow. Fresh broke, as yekin see fer yourself. An’ the twister brung ’em here an’ wropped it to this stump, as a sign—as a sign to us, man!” Boomer Balt was strangely excited. His face showed very pale beneath its coating of dust. His voice was hoarse and unnatural as he spoke, and his sinewy fingers trembled as ag | pointed first to the tattered duck and then to the splint- ered bow. Quick-witted though he ordinarily was, Henry Hornkohl failed to catch the precise ere of all this, and his puzzled mind showed in his face as he mechanically fingered the relics while staring into the countenance of his guide. Boomer Balt frowned blackly for an instant as he saw this, but in another moment this vanished and he seemed once more the cool, iron-nerved veteran. ‘* A sign that somebody’s bin ketched out in the storm, pard,” he calmly explained. ‘ Some- body with a kivered wagon. ebbe that some- body is the ones you’re huntin’ fer. Mebbe—” ‘* And we wasting precious time here!” sharp- ly inter the lawyer, turning about and start- ing in the direction where their horses had been left when they set out to scale the hill. ‘* Come on! We've got to follow up that sign, or—” A heavy gust of wind, laden with great rain- drops, swept up the little valley with a force that staggered the man, choking off his excited speech, making him reel and cower. In an instant Boomer Balt was by his side, grasping his arm and braving bim up, at the same time casting a quick,comprehensive glance around and above them. Justin time, for, catch- ing the lawyer up in hisstrong arms, he plunged forward, barely escaping a heavy limb that fell splintered, point foremost, from a shattered tree overhangiug them. ‘‘ Wait a bit, pardner,” he panted, when a safer location was gained at the opposite side of the little valley. ‘‘ This is the back-action of the twister, but it won’t last long. It'll blow itself out ina few minnits, an’ we'll make time by waitin’ fer it to die away.” Henry Hornkohl shivered. Strong as bis nerves were, they had been terribly tested dur- ing the past hour, and this Jast narrow escape from death unmanned him for the moment. Side by side the two men crouched, exposed to the rain that was whirled about on the eddying wind, The mig t of the cyclone had left scant cover in its path, and, after their recent escape, open exposure was preferable to seeking any su*h shelter as remained. In silence they used their eyes, noting the ter- rific devastation which the air-monster had wrought in those brief seconds of its hovering over the little valley. Great trees were twisted short off. Others were left standing to their bushy tops, but with their trunks split into irregular ribbons, only right where the wind had apparently spent its greatest fury, right in the center of a clump of | trees which had been twisted off close to the from my lips, pard; down in | | ' ] i eee eee ee SS = ee * mm ne ee ee — —_— - o- ground and cast in all directions, stood a slender oak sapling, its leaves intact, its daintiest twi unbroken. And between the main fork of this sapling, there shone a spider-web, perfect in all its delicate lines, with its bloated spinner lying in ambush for its prey. ‘It ain’t no bigger marvel then what come to us, pard,” softly muttered Boomer Balt, with a quick glance upward that was almost reveren- tial. ‘* We was helpless as that spider when the big rock was lifted up, but it was carried over us, an’ we still live.” ‘By the mercy of God!” murmured Hornkohl, bowing his head. Neither of them felt much in the mced for idle converse as they waited for the first fury of the reflux to dieaway. Neither weie men to wear their heart upon their sleeve, but each had been acon impressed by what had passed. Each felt that he owed a life to a merciful Power. And each felt that silent thanks were more ap- propriate than open speech. The fitful gusts were settling down into a steadier wind, and though the rain was fallin almost in sheets, the two men could not wai longer before making a start. Tlat tattered fragment of wagon-cover had strongly troubled them—was troubling them more 8g more with assage of each minute. the hat if the fear which Boomer Balt had part- Wy given expression to should prove the truth? Vhat if this fragment had come frcm the ones for whom they were seeking? What if it came as a mute but eloquent appeal for aid? Fanciful? Far-fetched? Possibly so. And yet after what had bappened to them, few hings could excite their wonder, few things be too marvelous for belief. With heads bowed to the driving rain that laced their ekins almost like the lash of a scourge the two men hurried down the little valley where their horses had been left. A faint, trem- ulous neigh caused them to lift their heads, and a simultaneous cry of horrified amazement broke from their arn, be The horse left by Henry Hornkohl was stand- ing where haltered, its ears pricked up and its head lifted as though glad to welcome them back; but the other animal? A ghastly head was hanging by the stout trail- rope, slowly swaying under the influence of the wind; but that was all. The ory! was gone, leaving only a few blotches of blood to mark the spot. Gone—torn from the head, leaving the halter unbroken, the slender sapling unmarred in bark or twig. How? Who can explain it? Almost stupidly the men gazed about, but without seeing aught of the missing trunk. It was gone—that was all they could say. ‘Yet the horse tied only a few feet ant had re- ceived no injury beyond a natural fright. And on the other side of that swinging head, a ore of wild roses still held their blooms, drench with rain, but without a petal missing. ‘*Take your critter an’ le’s git out o’ this!” hoarsely gasped Boomer Balt, his face showi white as that of a cor;se throvgh its uaek of rain-drops. With a last, shivering glance at the ghastly relic, he turned and staggered almost blindly down the valley. Strong as were his nerves, this mad freak of the twister had temporarily unmanned hit. No less shaken, Henry Hornkohl managed to unfasten his horse, and without stopping to mount, hastened after his guide through the blinding rain. Their prime object, j then, was to get out of that valley. A side defile enabled them to quickly accom- 5 zi “= + *y he ; _ > “=F - " ae "C a + Jal e, 4 7 1 - ae plish this, and once on the comparatively level Y } plain, both men drew long, free breaths once more. It was like leaving the valley of the shadow of death behind them! “Ugh!” shivered Boomer Balt, shaking him- _ self until a tiny shower of spray surrounded him. the happiest man in seventeen counties this night! grinnin’ at me, fu’st glimpse! Yit le from down sun-ways laugh an’ ’cuse us of lyin’ when — we talk over sech things.” ** As I bave done, but never will again,” mut- tered Hornkohl, bis voice far from being as clear und firm as usual. ‘‘ After what I bave wit- nessed this day, I know mortal lips cannot ex- aggerate or stretch the truth when talking of cyclones and their mad freaks.” ‘** All the same, ef ever you tell o’ this, folks 11 sw’ar you're tryin’ to st the heavilv-falling rain. Henry Hornkohl shrugged his shculders as he swung himself painfully into the saddle, Just then he did not feel as though he could ever bring his lips to utter what he had gone throug! The first excitement was beginning to die away, and as the cold rain penetrated to his skin, sudden pains began to shoot through his (E(0) micbooks ‘7 f * “ ¥ + od ed “a & e y ” a wad ¥ é we ‘*Ef I ain’t ha’nted by that head, I'l] be Durned ef it didn’t look like it was . i» - © > 4 in, ee 4 ve a] ’ ~ Z ha . pourg T. as vo wf ‘ al ’ AY a i “7 * ? % 4 ' o ‘ ~ or - - +s (* q +u ve ~ _ 7 r ae i” Ve em,” growled Boomer Balt, pusbing rapidly along through ‘ + ote eet! ay», aj 7a G» ’ « s 4 ¥t ¥ Ss ¢ Nad AA) 7! «e MZ